Best Class of 09 Team

mj...How could anyone possibly know? Some schools move their freshman up a level if the kids are good...some to the sophomore level...some (especially smaller schools with smallish enrollments) move freshmen right to the varsity squad.

Who do you think has an outstanding freshman class that will make some noise in 2008 and 2009?

Let me guess...You go to Fenwick.

The teams that have the most of those "elite"
14 and 15 year playerswe heard so much about. No, thats right ...they will be varsity starters. Withdraw the comment.

sorry i misphrased it, i meant just the freshman players, not the team. For example Fenwick has a lot of travel baseball players;

Mike Falsetti (C/P) (Berwyn Bulldogs)
Cam Verbeke (P/OF) (Berwyn Bulldogs)
Joe Lollino (OF) (New addition to Bulldogs)
Jimmy Vondrasek (IF) (Formaly with Midwest Shockers)
ETC.

I don't know where these players will play during the season (Frosh, Soph, Varsity) but i know they have a lot of potential.

P.S. I've seen Falsetti's name throughout the board but I think Cam Verbeke desrves some credit. He was one of the top pitchers in state pitching along with Falsetti and Ryan Crowley.

Fenwick couldn't possibly be really good...they had no one that played for the Seminoles.

fsb...lolololol

mjfenwick,

Don't be scared off by the comments made after your orginal post. Adult humor. I would ask you what travel teams, (assuming they were mainly community base),performed well at your age group last year.
Orland Park with both the Sparks and the Magic will feed into their perspective high schools and had good seasons last year. I watched a pretty good Lake Zurich Cougar team play last year.

the schools that will have the most talented freshman are probably the schools with the largest enrollment ..... future 4As!

fbdad..."Fenwick couldn't possible be really good...they had no one that played for the Seminoles." Where are you going with that comment do you think this was going to spinned in to a Seminole thread, lol.

No, I didn't. But there have been a few posters who would have you believe thats where all the good players are.

Cmon fastballdad....on this board ? Which posters would that be ? I dont believe that.
To answer the original question...i think Lincolnway East has a good freshman crop.

" I would ask you what travel teams, (assuming they were mainly community base),performed well at your age group last year. "

As a matter of fact the Berwyn Bulldogs were ranked #4 in state according to usasportsrankings.com ahead of the #7 Orland Park Sparks, #8 Lake Zurich Cougars, and the #9 Orland Park Magic

And not too far down the list The Barrington "Big Red" Travelers. But in the Fastballdad Rankings (in which the voting isn't open to anyone) The "Big Red" was #1.

USASportsRankings.com........is a joke.

MJFenwick...welcome aboard and don't let us ruin your fun......what I'd like to know is how you guys comapre to your neighbor OPRF.....who got all the good players? Seems like in the past it has been OPRF.

No one who follows really baseball cares about the USA rankings. Voted by and ranked by the coaches that have payed the fee to vote. I would guess that because of all the Bulldog players on the Fenwick team , they will be the the top freshman team in the State. Don't ask a a question if you don't want an answer.

This thread is pathetic. Think I'll go pull a nose hair. Less painful. JMO.

Mr. Bender,

I'll have to agree with you. Not one of the better threads of the new year. They can't all be winners, but we keep trying.

Hey MJ. Let's talk about a subject that has some meat to it. Since you're from Elmwood Park, who has the best Italian Beef in town? That's right. Johnnies. Now there's something you can sink your teeth into, eh, Rosy?

And honestly, there isn't enough of a concentration of these "elite" 14 and 15U players on any one high school team to make that big of a difference.

Anyone know where I can find the site that rates the best 5 tool nose hair pullers? I think its on the same site as those baseball rankings..

Doc, Don't forget the hair growing out of the ears. And the eyebrows are getting a little bushy. And the back, well... Have you seen the movie 40-year old virgin?

Bender,

I've been driving down to Johnnie's for years. I introduced my son to this fine cuisine when he was probably 12 or 13 and now he is a full fledged fan. A second location opened on Arlington Hts. Rd just south of Golf and it is closer to our home. The food is just a good, but the new building, clean tables just doesn't have the same ambience as the original.

Deucedoc, Now that's funny, Go Bears.

I was recently visiting somebody in the hospital and ventured over to the maternity ward and to my surprise I know I seen the Best 2018 class around! Yes, I am really sure, they were definately the one....They had this lefty....You should have seen him

MMMM Johnnies...

I'm goin to the bears game 2day so GO BEARS!!!

Where in Elmwood Park is Johnnie's?

Is it on North Avenue?

tks

BeenThere... Yes, it is on North Ave. Go and get a combo and an Italian Ice, you'll think you died and.. Well, you know. Rosy, I grew up at 76th and Bloomingdale and hung there often as a child. There and Russell's for barbecue beef were my childhood staples. Baseball14 - good to here from you. Everything good? Go Bears! Fastball - you okay? Did the back-waxing hurt?

Fastballdad
How can you call USA Sportsrankings a joke ?
The voting is done in a most scientific manner .

Has anyone ever eaten at Max's Beef Stand in Chicago ?

I think it works that if you are a member, you can vote. If not you can't. Hmmm. Afew years back, they offered soem kind of trial membership and several kids on my team joined. We jumped into the top 10 for a week or two and after they stopped voting we dropped back down....I never voted. We consistently beat some teams that were ranked very high and also played some teams that either beat us or played us tough who were ranked lower or even...believe it or not....were not even in the poll!

Maybe it has changed but I don't know.

Fastball

I dont think you will see as many teams getting involved with all of that voting nonsense over there ....coaches calling other members and friends with voting rites to garner votes for their teams. There is no real benefit to it. If you are a good team, people will know about it whether you are ranked or not even listed on their site.

Fastball - The rankings on USA don't matter, other than the coaches seem to have some input. *** seems to have a better read on national rankings for the 15U and under teams.

It is very hard to rank teams Nationally and if *** does a good job, more power to them. I agree with Sulltiger.......if you play well you will be noticed. Anyway, it's not like these rankings are in the Trib, The Bright One, The Herald or The Southtown..or even The Southern Illinoisan. Maybe the Reader...I ought to look.

Sulltiger,

I first ate at Max's 30 years ago. I think I've hit every good beef stand in the Chicago area over the years and Johnnie's gets my #1 hands down. A very few are close, but none as good. JMO.

Max's isnt as good as it used to be . Was one of the better places to go on the north side back in the 80's and 90's . Most beef places arent what they used to be, except for a select few.

Back to the original topic -- speculative as it is -- Batavia has a decent '09 class -- including:

Ryan Bieller ('05 Seminoles)
Brian Krolikowski ('06 DuPage Diamondbacks)
Tim Drish ('05 WI Diamond Kings)
Jordan Coffey ('05 WI Diamond Kings, '06 Sparks)

but success in H.S. ball is a long way away.

Right on Brew

I have very little first hand knowledge of the '09 class, so I won't speculate.

On the other hand, I have extensive first hand knowledge of the infinately more important discussion regarding beef stands.

Hard to argue with Johnnies (is big Nick still there?..."what's yours ace!"), but if you happen to find yourself at Proviso West, go a few blocks south on Wolf and try Carm's Beef. You'll be happy you did.

Mike F

Mike F,

I guess this italian beef thread has more life than our Bears. Carm's Beef is one of the area's oldest and best stands. I still give Johnnie's the edge, always the best italian sausage. Good call Mike.

Rosy

You seem like the type of guy who has made a trip or two over to the Paradise Pup on river road in Des Plaines. ( The place where you can see the smoke billowing out into the sky from a mile away ).

Mike F

My older sister and her husband used to drive from Wonder Lake back to the old neighborhood
for the original Carm's. The new Carm's is just as good. Al's on Taylor is pretty special as well. The grilled over charcoal, sausage may be the best. Frankies in Oaklawn could easily be added to the list. That is if they have re-opened after the recent murder.

Sulltiger24,

No, I've never been to the Pardise Pup, but there used to be a place on Lincoln Av. back in the 60's called the Pampered Pup. Different place, different time. I like your reference to seeing "the smoke billowng out into the sky". Nice touch.

lsc, Great fries at Al's, but for me the rest of the fare has really slipped in the past 10 years. Smaller sandwiches, higher prices, just not what it used to be. I'm usually a combo guy and I still believe that Johnnie's sausage is #1. But men, let's face it, if I was hungry most of the joints you've mentioned would do the trick. But when I make plans for a "beef run", it is to Johnnie's.

Hmmm...Must have missed it.

Where is Johnnie's located in Elmwood Park?

beenthere, just east of St.Vincent on the north side of the street(north Ave.) Didn't you ever go there when you lived in the area?