A Plea for Peace

Wonderful post Ben Diggle. I don't visit here as often as in the past but there certainly seems to be a more negative/argumentative tone than I recall from just a few years ago.
My only thoughts - everything on here should be about the fun of the game and the betterment of our kids as players and people. It really should be all about the kids/players, recognizing their performances, and helping them reach whatever level they can & enjoying the ride.
Rankings are nice in that they can help a player get a look from someone and if your player is ranked it makes you feel good for 20 minutes before you file it in a box with newspaper clippings for him to look at 15 yrs. down the road.
I pulled out my PBR from 05, I believe the first issue. Most of the ranked players went on to play college ball or were drafted. Some are playing very well at various levels, some have struggled quite a bit, and some are no longer playing. Some who weren't mentioned or noticed have done very well. It will be that way forever.
Everyone will get more out of the sight if the nastiness is relegated to the Cubs (playoffs in 07) fans belittling the Sox fans and their thunderous drop from champs to chumps.

Ben - you have raised some good points and your ideas are what this site is all about.

The site is not owned or controlled by one dominant individual. We all can contribute to collectively moderate things as they should be. Do you see that little triangle symbol at the bottom of each post? When you see a post with questionable content or tone - click on that symbol and notify the site administrator. Unruly, unpolite, nasty, cantankerous, vile, negative, selfish, etc. types can be run off for the better interests of the group. We should not have to plead with people for peace. Peace and decorum is the rule and not the exception. Bad apples need to be removed lest they spoil the bunch.

You're right Ben_Diggle. The few of these...


...belong here in what appears to be John Kerry's compost bin!




And of course denis400 is absolutely correct also...the good natured ribbing that occurs here on the Illinois Forum must continue...especially the Cubs/Sox battle. There is no other choice!

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
Ben - you have raised some good points and your ideas are what this site is all about.

The site is not owned or controlled by one dominant individual. We all can contribute to collectively moderate things as they should be. Do you see that little triangle symbol at the bottom of each post? When you see a post with questionable content or tone - click on that symbol and notify the site administrator. Unruly, unpolite, nasty, cantankerous, vile, negative, selfish, etc. types can be run off for the better interests of the group. We should not have to plead with people for peace. Peace and decorum is the rule and not the exception. Bad apples need to be removed lest they spoil the bunch.

ClevelandDad is correct! Hit those buttons and report those posts/posters and eventually, they will wear out their welcomes as some have done in the past. Ironcially, when some come back, they think that they've pulled the wool over the eyes of the administration of this site and so, they hang around for a while. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are given second and third chances. However, Zebras don't change their stripes and eventually they reveal themselves to all and are removed again.

I don't understand why people post in that vain. This is not a flaming site. If that is their main need to perpetuate their ego, then please find one of those flaming sites where you can match others in your ruthlessness. JMHO!

Hey Ben, Nice try..as a dad of jr., i enjoy this forum and i have no problem with any of the content or posts whatsoever! Sometimes it is a great diversion to a stressful day, other times i get great information and insight. i take it all with a grain of salt. Some of the posts and posters have helped me "connect the dots" as to who, what, why and how certain things have transpired over the last several summers, if you catch my drift. You say you hate where this society it headed, fair enough..it's a big world you can go anywhere you want and/or effect change. Good for you. But i am not sure i get the connection between this forum and the direction of society. I'll argue that most people on this site have deep family commitments and are true blue Americans. Hey i'd rather live where people can express themselves, and if they decided to remain annonmous so be it-- no problem-- that is half the fun. Trying to find out who is who. Please make sure when you tell everyone to cool it that you yourself haven't added any fuel to any fire. I wonder what search of your published articles would find? Or how is this gem:

Pot -->Kettle -->Black.
Please stop badmouthing all the hard-working people on here. They are good, honorable people who want nothing more than to see baseball get its due.
Take your sons/daughters out for a game of catch, take them to the batting cage. Hell go ask the coach why you're son is platooning in right when he's clearly the best player in the state/nation/world.
Just don't bother us with your idiocy.


By the way here is a link to your team profile http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=CIOU...profile&coachID=7721

maybe you can tell us as what in your background qualifies you as a roving team manager.

Thank you Ben Diggle. I can state that one wouldn't believe the volume of PM's I've received from posters who just don't want to cipher through all the nastiness, back stabbing and the like, which does nothing to promote Illinois HS baseball, or this website in particular. I'm not blameless in this regard either. I've thrown out some sarcasm and have piled on with some of you regarding a particularly troublesome poster. We sure don't have to love each other, or even like each other, but asking us to just be more civil and try to abstain from personal attacks and inuendo will allow this forum to get back doing what it does best.

I come to this site to pick up some knowlege about what is going on in high school and travel ball. But, mostly I come for entertainment. It is a stress relief. I like the threads when people go after each other. Also, they can be some of the most informative threads. You find out who is who and what certain organizations stand for and who is behind them. This is not taking a stand on ANY of the organizations. I just find it interesting. Why? I want to direct my son in the right direction and try to avoid the "wrong" organiztions and not waist money.
Due to this site, I am focusing my son on attending camps run by the schools he is interested in. He also will attending select PBR events. His teamates like the TPX 96 camps, and we will go there. He will probably play in the upcoming Stevenson Showcase. All those places I have learned about here and elsewhere. But the arguments have helped direct my focus. If it is all flowers and roses, you won't know the "legitimate" place from the phonies.
On the tbs knockout section, it says high school coaches can't be counted on to help kids. Our high school coach has a college night this monday for the kids where he has coaches form a D1 school, A D3 school and a community college talking about the recruiting process, what you can expect from each level of play, and educational opportunities through playing baseball. Is the site saying high school don't help wrong or is my son lucky to have a coach who cares? A good argument about the issue may shed some light on the truth.
By hiding behind names, people do say things they would not have the guts to say in person. But maybe that means more is revealed. Noone gets physically puched in the nose on the interent. Maybe it is good to vent in the saftey of your home, and maybe it keeps some of the "crazies" out of jail.
Maybe I am naive, but I don't see guys promoting their own kids on the site. I do think friends give boosts to their friends sons. That seems fine with me. There are kids that can get overlooked. In the end, the kid has to be able to play, it's as simple as that.
Keep the fires going. Guys like Sean Duncan, who works hard and does his best, can and have dealt with these threads before. I doubt it hurts the magazine, and probably sells some subscriptions.

I think that Ben_Diggle is trying to move us in the right direction. I agree with both itsrosy and bballdad1954. We all should be allowed to speak our mind...state our piece.

But shouldn't we try to do this in a civil and courteous manner? It may take more effort to do, but it will make this very active Illinois Forum on this great site an inviting place for everyone to come and learn and be entertained. There are probably many people and players who would like to jump in, but are afraid that if they do they'll lose an appendage or two!

Being civil and courteous does not mean that the forum will be stale or boring....just the opposite. We'll attract new voices and ideas who will feel welcome here.

If some of the folks here want fireworks then do as CoachB25 suggested...strap yourself onto your heat-seeking missle and find a target.

Hang on tight!

I agree with Tralpaz 100%. I even feel the moderators have in a few cases been over zealous.
There is enough sensorship as it is and for most part I have enjoyed the passionate heated arguments.
If you turn the site into a tea party you will lose a lot more posters. As in all aspects of life you can swith the chanel.

Ben Diggle,

Thank you for the excellent post.

As ClevelandDad, CoachB25, and others have stated, this website is meant to be a more positive and sane venue for discussing baseball. A few members have posted above that they don't mind the insulting posts because they find them entertaining. There is nothing wrong with those opinions being posted, but that type of entertainment is not the purpose of this site. We have a set of Board Manners that all members are asked to abide by.

As ClevelandDad said, please feel free to click the little Alert triangle to report problem posts. Too many problem posts, or an obvious negative agenda, may get a member suspended or banned. As CoachB25 noted, we do have tools that tell us when a suspended member has come back under a new name, but we sometimes give 2nd and 3rd chances to suspended members. But eventually we can and do enforce a permanent ban.

Differences of opinion are fine, of course! But try to keep it civil and avoid personal insults, bashing, etc.

Thank you to the vast majority of members who make this site great, and thank you to the moderators for working to keep it that way!

Julie

Sorry BobbleheadDoll...I could not disagree more with you on this one. I do respect your opinion.

You have strong feelings on this subject and you have stated them in a civil and courteous manner...your post is a good example of what I was trying to say in my last post. You were not mean...just passionate. I respect you for that.

Tralpaz, on the other hand was just mean with his last post. He could have stated his opinion on this subject just like you did BobbleheadDoll ...forceful, yet civil.

No one is looking for a boring, staid tea party...more a good natured, boisterous pizza party for the team after a big win. That we can all relate to and join in!

It's all good!

Folks,
Please understand that I'm not trying to put out the fires here. The hot stove has to have fire otherwise it's not the hot stove.

I'm just suggesting that we do so in a civil and courteous manner, a controlled burn, so to speak.

Thanks again for everyone's positive support. Hopefully, we can build on it.

Thanks,
Ben Diggle

We must be careful...easier said than done!



An out-of-control "prescribed burn" ignited by Federal authorities consumed some 45,000 acres and hundreds of residences at Los Alamos, New Mexico, in May 2000. Photograph by Forrest M. Mims III.

Nicely done gotwood

Just gotta' have the right tool for the job!



And nicely done by you as well Ben_Diggle.

We all say and do things we may regret later. Part of the human condition. From what i have seen posts in general seem to civil so i do not feel that there is a problem here.

please note that i have not mastered how to drop quotes from prior threads. That said, my last post included a quote from Mr. Diggle. Now is calling people idiots part of the approved wordings? Or, i know, he was misqouted or taken out of context.

That was plenty civil tralpaz!

I did check back over some of your recent posts and I found them to be civil as well...at least from my brief look.

I just had a bit of a problem today with your reaction to Ben_Diggle's post. Everything that he was saying seemed to be completely sensible and civil and I thought your response was not in the same spirit...after all Ben_Diggle was urging us to cooperate more and to be more friendly.

I would guess that if we all met each other we would probably get along better in person. This cyber veil probably gets us into trouble from time to time, but it is how we have to communicate here.

And tralpaz...here's how to quote someone into your own post.

On the bottom each post is a line that looks like this on the left side...

Posts: 55 | Location: NW Burbs | Registered: March 14, 2007

Way out near the right margin you will see two icons on others' posts (you will see three icons on your own posts). Click on the left icon that looks like a manila folder with a partial quote mark near it. This will open up a new reply box with the quoted post you desire already to go!

I would suggest that you click on the various icons and see what the response is...there are still a few that I don't have a clue as to what they are. The middle icon (on one of your own posts) is an editing device. It looks like a manila folder with a pencil eraser near it. Clicking on this will bring that post of your's back up and then you can add or delete at will.

I hope that helps you tralpaz!

Ben Great post!

I saw a great movie this weekend "Into the Wild" one scene resonates with me "the lead actor (playing Chris McCandless asks the question "Why are people so mean to one another so often"?
The kid is a recent college grad who comes from a wealthy family. He gives up the trappings of a priviledged life to search for those answers that appear in young adulthood. I am with you Ben!

bergenhschamp

And hey...I wasn't kidding about those photos! I really do look forward to more...and you do have a good sense of humor.

C'mon down to the lobby and we'll find some good pics!

quote:

we would probably get along better in person. T

I am shocked!! here I thought we were coexisting in bliss.

quote:

Originally posted by bergenhschamp:
I am with you Ben!

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:

quote:

we would probably get along better in person. T

I am shocked!! here I thought we were coexisting in bliss.

Almost bliss, eh?

Being a flunkie when it comes to the computer and what goes with it, isn't there a way to ignore or not view the posts of someone you don't care to hear from?

If so, there is no need for anyone to do anything except hide the posts of select goofballs and you never have to hear a word of it.

I for one enjoy The PBR. It is the best thing to happen to HS Baseball in Illinois. I never thought of it as an end-all ranking service or anything else, so I think it is fitting that if someone wants to say so it is fine and if you publish such a magazine or have a highly promoted Travel Organization, you should expect naysayers to show up. I think that most people are bright enough to see what drives them, negatively or otherwise.

Have faith in the intelligence of your fellow posters and the readers of these posts. In the end people are understood for who they are whether they want to be or not.

The last and most important point I want to make is that the white sox and all their fans (all 3,067 of them) are losers and they all (fans and players) were probably on Steroids and HGH when they won the WS a few years ago.

FBD,
By hiding those posts, who is there to dispute them? The greatest tragedy would be that some new and unsuspecting person gets led to believe two things...
1. That the absurd opinion is right, especially when left unchallenged
2. The absurd posters manner is what is acceptable here

Having garnered so much knowledge, inspiration and fun from this website, I find myself unwilling to let my guard down.

CPLZ, few have paid the price I recently paid to be on this site. (Career threatened, promotion affected, money lost due to legal counsel...) I understand your position. However, I think that those of us who are reasonable know that this site was created for us to help kids. Any dislike of another poster can and should be taken care of via pms. I do understand your desire to "call out" untruths or gross misrepresentations. Again, as posted before, that's what the report button is for. What none of us want is to have to consistently go through banning members. Everyone has some insight which is valuable to the whole. I simply wish we could get over our own agendas and work for the good of those parents and players for whom this site was created. JMHO!

I'm going along with the crowd!

Peace, love and a continuing history of close losses to all of the cubbie posters.

Tralpaz,

First off, if you want to find a place to go cry and complain about how things are not fair, go sit in a bar and let your tear drops fall in your beer. Ben was right on in everything that he said. This forum should be a place for coaches and parents to seek out the best for their kids and the state of illinois baseball, not a haven for crybabies to moan about what is wrong. If stuff is so wrong why dont you fix it.

I have read all of your posts and most of them are negative and totally expose you as a complainer and whiner.

Ben founded a team to work with young men in this great game of baseball and had the balls to come on here and say what grownups should be saying about our responsibility for kids playing this game. And what did you do, question his credibility to be a manager and tell him that this is your complaining board to relieve stress.

What a crock

Your posts about Illinois not having another jupiter team are ridiculous. To have another team go to jupiter would be no problem for perfect game and could happen, but hell we cant even solve this problem with high school/travel ball in our own state, let alone march them down to the most prestigious tournament in the country. Then you would complain about what pool you got put in or that the seams on the balls are too small or that jimmy is in fight with his girlfriend and should get another chance. people like you are pieces of the problem with the culture of baseball in illinois. Everyone trying to grab a piece and call it theirs and complaining if someone is getting ahead of them instead of getting off their *** and doing something about it.

Send another team from Illinois, hell dont most of you want to stop playing travel ball and just do high school ball or scout league? How are the kids supposed to compete against the best in the country when they are playing "high school" level baseball year round. Cant happen. The level in Jupiter is probably comparable to Division I college baseball. Now how the hell can you do that if you play your high school leagues spring and summer.


Tral, I dont know you and dont really care to. But you need to say something constructive one time or just shut your mouth.

And if you think I am just some parent sitting behind the computer rambling off, you are dead wrong. I am very active in baseball in illinois and you have probably never heard of me. I know everything that is going on and the push to get rid of travel ball and how the Dursts are getting in bed with all the high schools and trying to schedule showcases and camps and leagues to dissuad kids from Travel ball or other coaches.

You think perfect game is going to help us out if we keep running showcase after showcase during the summer trying to compete with them and then go complain that they wont let another team into jupiter?

Another thing also, if you have a junior player right now, I would be doing everything I could to try and find out what organizations are going to jupiter and get him into it.

Go find a hobby if this is your only way to relieve stress. Try golf or fly fishing or hell, play in the street

The great truth, do you have a PM, didnt see one and if you say back at you?, I dont know what that means, LOL I am new but have seen that.

Truth-

I admit I am "not in the know" about many things & I am not defending anyone here, believe me, but whenever I heard Durst talk in the past he does nothing but trash high school coaches.

Has there been a recent change?

TGT: Thank you for your help. You sure set me straight. Let me say this again, i have no complaint with this forum. I do not need to be patronized regarding "getting along". Post and offer your opinions at your risk.

I am not sure how you took my question regarding PG and IL teams as a complaint. It is my observation as to how things are.

i do know one thing, if you are "active" in IL i have heard of you.

Please do not worry about my son and how and when he may get seen or go to FL. When he is ready and has put the work in he will earn everything he gets. My job is for that idea to get into his synapes.

As for hobbies, i may have just found a new one.

Tralpaz,
There was no patronizing in my post. I was merely sick of logging on here and seeing all the negative, be it about PBR, about the WWBA, anything.
In the past, I've seen people trash a hard-working guy simply because their kid's team wasn't selected to participate in his high-school tournament.
There are guys on here who are routinely dragged through the mud who I've met, spoken or traded e-mails with and it's clear they want nothing more to better baseball in the state of Illinois. Yet they are attacked as if they have an agenda, as if they're just doing this to get rich, as if all their hard work has a nefarious motive.
But I guess some people are okay with that.

I have no opinion as to the content of what "The Great Truth" said. I can only wonder why he would come on agreeing with Ben Diggle and his "plea for peace" and then go on a nasty tirade. That is the opposite of what Diggle and this thread is about.

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad1954:
I have no opinion as to the content of what "The Great Truth" said. I can only wonder why he would come on agreeing with Ben Diggle and his "plea for peace" and then go on a nasty tirade. That is the opposite of what Diggle and this thread is about.

Who is Durst?

There are two of them. Scouts for the White Sox.

quote:

Go find a hobby if this is your only way to relieve stress.

TGT, judging by your post, I think you need to heed your own advice.

It's interesting to read the opinions on both side of this. Maybe since this thread was allowed to go on, it says that there is enough "freedom of speech" allowed. But I like the fact that this site doesn't get as nasty as some baseball sites.