Active forum-new websters

I'm on board w/that.It should be easy with the season upon us. At least D1 gets going this weekend!

beenthere..Moved to midwest from CA few years ago and sorely missed the non-stop baseball conversations.Looking at your midwest forum, there is more bb discussion in this forum than most other regions combined!!! It doesn't feel like winter anymore. Congrats on doing such a fine job!! You and the board members proved that bb exists in midwest bigtime!!

Thanks on behalf of the contributing websters to the Midwest Forum.

We get new members weekly and it seems that most are willing to start posting immediately.

Sometimes I start a controversial topic just to get the bodies warmed up!

Should be easier now since the season is about 6-8 weeks away and the "unofficial" practices should start to heat up.

How about it, fellows...Who is "practicing", i.e., working out with weights and doing other drills, without the coach around but with the "captain" keeping track of who is there and how they are doing?

beenthere...not to change the subject but researching old forums I came across one where you wanted to start a Team Illinois for 2004. Is this going to happen? Has the team been chosen? This peaked my interest and "hits me in the heart". I'll tell you why after you respond to the questions.

The plan was to form a Team Illinois to play during the summer of 2005...

BEcause of the likely amount of time needed to get a charter, sponsor, pick team, etc., thought that 2004 would be too soon so we picked up on 2005.

Too, I didn't want my son involved in the process for obvious reasons. He'll be at Princeton in the fall of 2004 and hopefully playing in some summer league, i.e., the Cape or Alaska in 2005.

My telephone number is 815-469-4520 and you may call me evenings. Playhard was supposed to call me too, but I'm not sure how busy he has become with his new job (s)?

This reason why I asked is a few years ago I was asked to go on my first out-of-state assignment to the JO in Jupiter to scout midwest teams. The first game I saw was Team Illinois v. Pefect Game and was very impressed with TI performance. I watched every one of their games. They were 3 & 4 but competitive in every game. I saw several no-name players for the first time that impressed me and are not no-names anymore:

John Eli - P - HF
Brian Smith - P/OF - Richards
Dan Sorce - P - Lyons Twp
Chris Rodriguez - 2b - Marian Cath.
Jeff Bohlen - SS - Marian Cath.
Sean Osbourne - C - Providence
Brett Newsome - IB - Marist
Mike Tokarski - OF - Downers Grove

Think the Team Illinois thing is a great idea. Hope you pursue it!! Good Luck!!