Call for Nominations for Weekly MVP

I think Teddy Nowell can safely lay claim to that this week. Shutting out HP at Scotland Yard is no small feat.

Ethan Stuckly had quite a game for Pilot Point last night.

Bridgeport16, Pilot Point 13 (8)
PILOT POINT — Ethan Stuckly hit for the cycle for Pilot Point in a losing effort Tuesday night as the Bearcats rallied late but fell to Bridgeport in eight innings.
Stuckly was 5-for-5 with a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run. Cooper Guthrie added a home run for Pilot Point.
The Bearcats (3-12, 0-2) will travel to Decatur on Friday.

quote:

Originally posted by CoachTraub:
This means that for one game, he (or she) did a great job of playing up to his potential and giving his team the best chance he could to win. Please reply with outstanding individual performances, stating the player's name, his school (with City and State), the final score of the game, and why this performance was an outstanding display of his talent.

What a special way to recognize effort.

I nomininate Zak Hermans, a Coppell HS junior, who pitched a seven-inning no-hitter last night in Coppell's 2-0 win over a solid Lewisville team.

Whistles, crowd noise, yelling from the dugouts, and organ music over the loud speakers din't distract Hermans, who threw eighty-one pitches and was just a walk and hit-batter away from pitching a perfect game.

Not bad for a young man who played on JV last year!

Teddy N. at Poteet. Complete game win in key district game. 131 pitches, 11Ks, 3 BB, 5 hits, to win 2-0 against HP at HP. He is a gamer.

No doubt Teddy is awsome, but am I the only one who has an issue with 131 pitches for a kid who had a dead arm at the state tournament last year?

Trey Sorrells for McKinney North for last nights (3/11) game against The Colony.

He was 3-3 with 3 RBI and a double.

Hosed 3 base runners attempting to steal second.......and I mean HOSED them. They didn't even have the opportunity to slide on 2 of them because the SS was standing there waiting on the runner. The third one was a curveball in the dirt that glanced off his chest protector and he had to chase the ball down and then still got the runner. All the father's standing there were dumbfounded at that play. It was a special night for a great kid and player.

Also, sophomore Kindle Ladd threw a complete game allowing 5 hits, no earned runs, walked one and struck out 10. Not bad for a sophomore!

I second the motion on Zak Hermans.

Zak has always had the tools to be great but last night he put it all together, location of both the fastball and the off-speed pitches, he handled the pressure of his first varsity district start and then pitched a no-hitter.

I think the topper is that he beat Danny Leranth who throw a great game.

Coppell could have easily been 0-1 in district without Zak's no-no night.

I don't follow softball much but I came acroos this in the paper and thought it should be mentioned.

Two gems
Denton Guyer softball player Kylee Crosek hit for the cycle and pitched a no-hitter Monday in a 14-0 win over Wichita Falls. Crosek then threw a two-hitter and was 3-for-3 with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs in Tuesday's 10-0 win vs. Denton. Crosek has reached base safely in 14 straight plate appearances.

Not sure if this is a good idea or not.
This is a team sport and so many deserving players will be left out. Every kid made a play to contribute to the win, yet you cannot mention them all. The people who need to know how these kids did, will know. Just an opinion of an old man with no horse in the race yet!

LHP Colton Turner, Jr., Joshua HS
Pitched a no-hitter vs. Mineral Wells last night in a 6-0 win. He added a Home Run to the mix as well.

I don't mean to be negative but I agree with TAB on this issue. With that said, CT can see where this goes. TAB -- I agree that many great performances will be missed. That occurs frequently in all media outlets. The DMNews chooses their players of the week. In their defense, the coaches nominate the players.

Actually, Panther Dad, those reading these posts will become more aware of all the great performances out there. If there were 4 or 5 players who put up great numbers or an outstanding performance during a certain game, there's nothing to prevent you from mentioning all of them. Thanks to Coach Traub for providing a way in which to recognize great mental and physical performances and also for donating valuable resources as a prize for each winner.

quote:

In their defense, the coaches nominate the players.

........and I would say let's leave it in the coaches hands. Not the dads, moms, fans. Maybe there wouldn't be as many feelings hurt that way. Like you PD, not trying to be negative, I just think all are deserving and once you start this, you may see the same names week in and week out.

You make a good point infield08. Which of the accomplishments are great "mental" performances? I'm in favor of recognizing great games that might not be otherwise mentioned.

So many thoughts .....so little time

Gatorade in a frosted mug JAFO???

St Patty's Day.......yea that's it Gatorade

quote:

Which of the accomplishments are great "mental" performances?

Obviously, that's going to be pretty subjective. But for the sake of discussion, allow me throw out a few hypothetical scenarios:

Say a pitcher really stinks it up in his last 2 outings, then comes back with 12 K's in a big district game, demonstrating great mental tenacity.

Or how about a hitter who starts the season in the 2-hole, struggles and ends up at the end of the batting line-up, then battles his way back? That is a mark of perseverance through adversity.

Perhaps a catcher stops a multitude of pitches into the dirt and throws out 2 runners, all the while hearing taunts from a hostile crowd. To me, that would demonstrate an ability to stay focused and not get rattled during the game.

Or maybe there's a middle-infielder who makes an embarassing error in the first inning which gives up a run, but then makes 2 crucial putouts later in the game and hits the game-winning HR in the 7th inning? He could have spiraled downward after his failure, but instead disciplined his mind so as to put his mistake behind him and move forward.

Surely, there are many players whose performances, over the season, will resemble the scenarios I've outlined above. Hopefully, they will not all be the typical blue-chippers we always hear about, but instead "John Doe" type players who are making a difference for their individual teams.

Infield08,

All valid points, and I don't want this to be hurtful, because you have very good thoughts on a regular basis, but does anyone really want to read about that stuff?

Bring It, I can only speak for myself, but I would love to read some of these stories! I am all for the "Rudy's" and "Rocky's" of this world who come from behind or battle through adversity to achieve success. To me, that is at least as interesting and exciting as the AFLAC and Area Code participants who play well day in and day out.

Before Rick Ankiel was accused of using HGH, he received HUGE media attention for getting back to the majors as an outfielder after enduring humiliating struggles as a pitcher. This feat must have required tremendous mental strength. I would think there would be at least some who would be interested in this type of story, albeit probably much less dramatic, on the high school level.

My 9 year old took the Taks test last week and got a 100% on his multiplication test this week

I don't want to release his name as that is self promoting but if he wins just PM me and I will forward where you can send his reward.

KALE KISER - Plano West: 5 FOR 5, 3 doubles and a triple.

Wow, what a night for Kiser! Truly one of the hardest working hitters I've seen in quite some time.

KALE KISER

Kale played great tonight -- way to go #9!

Congrats to Kale, impressive indeed!

How did the rest of the Plano West team do?

This award will not be given out solely on stats, although consideration will certainly be given to athletes who were "in the zone," as indicated by exceptional statistics. I am also looking for the athlete who does the "little things" right, displays leadership, and/or overcomes adversity -- whether from self, opponents, umpires, teammates, fans, bad luck, or whatever.

I recognize the subjectivity and guesswork here, and it is clear that many deserving candidates each week will not win the award, but we can read about each of them, which is positive feedback in itself. A bias towards good writers may occur, too. Thank you for these nominations already. Some of these performances were previously unknown to me, and all are clearly outstanding!

(listed in no particular order)

1. Teddy Nowell, P, Mesquite Poteet
Complete Game Shutout Win, 2-0, at Highland Park, a game between state 4A powers and district rivals.

2. KALE KISER - Plano West: 5 FOR 5, 3 doubles and a triple in win over Plano East.

3. Ethan Stuckly, Pilot Point, 16-13 loss to Bridgeport. Stuckly was 5-for-5 with a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run.

4. Zak Hermans, a Coppell HS, pitched a seven-inning no-hitter in Coppell's 2-0 win over Lewisville. His first varsity district start.

5. Trey Sorrells, McKinney North, 6-1 win vs. The Colony. He was 3-3 with 3 RBI and a double and threw out 3 base runners attempting to steal second.

6. Kylee Crosek, Denton Guyer softball, hit for the cycle and pitched a no-hitter Monday in a 14-0 win over Wichita Falls. Crosek then threw a two-hitter and was 3-for-3 with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs in Tuesday's 10-0 win vs. Denton. Crosek has reached base safely in 14 straight plate appearances.

7. LHP Colton Turner, Jr., Joshua HS
Pitched a no-hitter vs. Mineral Wells in a 6-0 win. He also hit a HR.


I look forward to hearing more nominations.

I vote for Ethan Stuckly. Got to vote for the North Denton County kids from small schools.

I know of a young man who is a senior on a team who has had one ab in a meaningless game in a tournament. The young man contributes in other ways than going 5-5 at the plate, or making a HR saving catch, or throwing a no-hitter with 12k's. Can I nominate him, and if I can does he have a chance in he** of winning.

Even if he doesn't win, his story may be an inspiration. If you think it will embarass him, omit his name or send it in private (not to me).

Even though I was not at the game, I would like to nominate both PCA and DC for their 17 inning game. I would bet that there were more than a few kids and coaches on both sides "doing their job."

quote:

Originally posted by funneldrill:
Even though I was not at the game, I would like to nominate both PCA and DC for their 17 inning game. I would bet that there were more than a few kids and coaches on both sides "doing their job."

Exactly!

I would like to nominate Harrison Holmes, Senior SS for Plano West. Harrison partially dislocated (Sublux I think is the term) his left shoulder three different times Wednesday night during the game vs. Plano East. One of those times was when he made a diving play on a ball to his left and despite the pain was able to force a runner out at second. Harrison made two other plays late in the game which kept Plano East from building any momentum. Harrison had at least one hit in the game. It was this hit when his shoulder subluxed the first time.

Second nomination is Jeff Emens, Senior SS for Plano East. While pitching in the seventh inning Jeffrey faced Harrison Holmes. Harrison couldn't swing the bat so he began bunting at the ball with a runner on 3rd and 1 out. Harrison laid a bunt down with two strikes. Jeffrey fielded the ball toward the 3rd base line and threw Harrion out at first. As Harrison ran across the field toward the dugout, Jeffrey asked him if he was alright and told him he hoped everything would be alright. By the way, the runner at third did not attempt to score. Also, Jeffrey was 2-4 with a double and made at least one nice defensive play during the game.

These nominations seem more what Dr. Traub is looking for, not just on the field performance but composure, overcoming obstacles, sportsmanship, as well as athletic acheivement.

quote:

Originally posted by kirk:

These nominations seem more what Dr. Traub is looking for, not just on the field performance but composure, overcoming obstacles, sportsmanship, as well as athletic acheivement.

Great job to both young men! Is Harrison alright?

R L Turner - Lions!!

Does Friday night coun for this week or next week?

Either way I nominate the entire R L Turner team. They were ahead of Coppell 1 -0 after 5 innings.

I don't know the name of the pitcher but he was effective and his defense didn't let him know.

I have watched this team for several years and to say they have struggled is the nicest way I can say it. But tonight I saw a ball club, kids proud to wear the colors of the team and high school. They fought hard and were one more timely hit away from maybe changing the out come. They have several stand out players but it wouldn't be appropriate to name them here but they are leaders by example.

I hope they continue you fight hard, if they play the way they played tonight they will win a couple of games this year by will and effort.

They did lose the game in the end and they took the loss very hard and very personal. I will be cheering for this team for the rest of the year.

Gracious post Meatsdad....thanks for painting the picture of a well-fought game. Congratulations to the Cowboys on their escape ---- there are few things more exciting than a walk-off HR. Congrats to RL Turner as well.

As I look at box scores and game recaps and such, there are so many amazing performances. Kids with multiple extra base hits, no hitters, one hitters, 6,7,8 rbi games, walk-offs......it will be truly difficult to choose a winner for the week's outstanding performance. Parents of seniors....have you realized that it's half over?

Yes

Thanks to Coach Traub and all of you who have taken the time to recognize the efforts of these exceptional young men and women. So much time is spent correcting and so little time is devoted to pats on the backs of great kids. This recognition will be huge for some of these players.

If we followed the lead of some of these posts, we would do away with all-distric, area, regional and state teams. Heck, if we are worried about leaving someone out, we should abolish the state tournament. I am sure many kids, parents and coaches have their feelings hurt when they don't make the trip to Austin.

Baseball is an excellent teacher of life lessons - especially getting over disappointments and hurt feelings.

One difference -- one is about TEAM and one is about individual accomplishment. But it's fun to hear about these great achievements.

As far as recognition for less heard of schools goes, Fernando Hernandez of North Dallas hit a home run and 2 doubles. Add this to the fact that he picked up the win on the mound in a 15-3 thumping of Thomas Jefferson and you've got a pretty solid game from a guy you probably haven't heard of.

I nominate Stephen Krolick from Keller. He came in the bottom of the 7th to protect a 3-2 lead. He threw to three hitless batters to save the win. He did this while grieving the recent death of his grandfather and as a tribute to him.

There's an example of mental toughness.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Big Red:
As far as recognition for less heard of schools goes, Fernando Hernandez of North Dallas hit a home run and 2 doubles. Add this to the fact that he picked up the win on the mound in a 15-3 thumping of Thomas Jefferson and you've got a pretty solid game from a guy you probably haven't heard of.[/QUOTE

Big Red-
I mentioned his accomplishments in a North Dallas Thread. 170 views and no replies!
See if you can get him to transfer to one of the Mckinney, Plano or Mesquite schools. Your sure to get a vote or two then!!

This weekly MVP thing isn't a democracy -- no one's "votes" count except Coach Traub's.

quote:

Big Red-
I mentioned his accomplishments in a North Dallas Thread. 170 views and no replies!
See if you can get him to transfer to one of the Mckinney, Plano or Mesquite schools. Your sure to get a vote or two some recognition then !!

nomination for Matt James SR, 3B/SS.
3/11 NB Canyon vs Cibolo Steele and 3/15 NB Canyon vs Lockhart. 5 for 7, 5 doubles, 7 RBI's, 1 BB, 6 RS.

THANK YOU for the following nominations. The week is over, although I will check again for last-minute nominations through 6:00 today. I'm having trouble deciding on a winner from this list, although all these young men have already won in my mind. I'll announce something tomorrow, and look forward to hearing about more great achievements next week.

Two thoughts: Baseball is a team game filled with very individual performances. While championships cannot be won without teammates, I think it is appropriate to play/compete for both oneself and one's team. Second, every vote for this award does count, especially if you second another's nomination with more information about how this player demonstrated great teamwork, sportsmanship, toughness, or other mental skills.

Nominations for Week 1 (March 10-16)

1. Teddy Nowell, P, Mesquite Poteet
Complete Game Shutout Win, 2-0 at Highland Park

2. KALE KISER - Plano West: 5 FOR 5, 3 doubles and a triple in win over Plano East.

3. Ethan Stuckly, Pilot Point, 16-13 loss to Bridgeport. Stuckly was 5-for-5 with a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run.

4. Zak Hermans, a Coppell HS junior, who pitched a seven-inning no-hitter last night in Coppell's 2-0 win over Lewisville. His first varsity district start.

5. Trey Sorrells, McKinney North, 6-1 win vs. The Colony. He was 3-3 with 3 RBI and a double and threw out 3 base runners attempting to steal second.

6. Kylee Crosek, Denton Guyer softball, hit for the cycle and pitched a no-hitter Monday in a 14-0 win over Wichita Falls. Crosek then threw a two-hitter and was 3-for-3 with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs in Tuesday's 10-0 win vs. Denton. Crosek has reached base safely in 14 straight plate appearances.

7. LHP Colton Turner, Jr., Joshua HS
Pitched a no-hitter vs. Mineral Wells last night in a 6-0 win. He also hit a HR.

8. Fernando Hernandez, North Dallas HS, HR, 2 2Bs, W on the mound vs Thomas Jefferson.

9. Stephen Krolick, Keller, Save w/ a perfect 7th in a 3-2 win, grieving his grandfather.

10. Matt James, SR, 3B/SS, NB Canyon, 2 games: 5 for 7 w/ 5 doubles, 7RBIs, 6R, BB.

11. Harrison Holmes, SR, SS, Plano West, subluxed his left shoulder, great defense in win over Plano East.

12. Jeff Emens, SR, Plano East, 2-4, great sportsmanship.

13. RL Turner Team for being tied vs. Coppell into the seventh inning.

14. Taylor Gerhart,
Friday, 3/7, pitched a one-hitter CG had 2 RBI in 4-0 win.
Tues., 3/11, pitched a 3 hitter CG and hit an RBI double in 2-0 win over rival Boswell, ended the game with 4 straight Ks.

15. Basil Badley, Sr, CF, P Mount Vernon HS (Alexandria, VA), HR, OF Assist in 5-4 win over rival West Potomoc. Next game: 4-4 with a walk-off triple in 7-6 win over Freedom HS.

16. Casey Selsor, LHP/OF, Reagan HS, HR and 2RBI in 8-3 win over Wagner. Diving catch in OF.

17. Will Gonzalez, O’Conner HS, 2games: HR, single, double, 8 RBIs.

Obviously, the kid mentioned in #14 is pitching too much. <-- At least from his opponents' point of view. Congratulations TG.

PD..the father and the coach have had numerous talks about this...coach has the power...father will impose next time.

This is off topic a bit, but CONGRATULATIONS to Shawn Tolleson! After starring at Allen HS as an underclassman and early as a senior, Shawn required Tommy John surgery and missed most of his senior year and all of last year. Saturday, in his first Big XII start ever (for Baylor), he lifted his team up by defeating #24 Oklahoma State 3-0 in a CG effort. This was the day after Baylor blew a one-run lead by giving up 2 HR in the top of the 9th inning w/ 2 outs. I'd say, Shawn came up big when his team needed him!

quote:

Originally posted by Wildebeest:
I nomininate Zak Hermans, a Coppell HS junior, who pitched a seven-inning no-hitter last night in Coppell's 2-0 win over a solid Lewisville team.

Whistles, crowd noise, yelling from the dugouts, and organ music over the loud speakers din't distract Hermans, who threw eighty-one pitches and was just a walk and hit-batter away from pitching a perfect game.

Not bad for a young man who played on JV last year!

I second this one. I see in the paper he hit an HR on Saturday. A district game no-hitter and home run in one week ain't bad.

How I picked the winners:

First, I compiled the nominations, changing the RLTurner team nomination into one for its coach, as I believe a team almost always reflects its coach, and coaches often don’t get enough credit for performances like the one nominated. Next, I eliminated DMN players of the week (including honorable mentions) because my goal for this award is to recognize performances that may not get as much recognition as they deserve. Next, I selected 10 finalists. Finally, I tried to figure out how to pick a winner, couldn’t, and decided to give the award to all 10 of them!

Please note: I said I would send the winner a certificate of achievement, a framed poem, (I love Wal-Mart’s $2 frames) and my book. I’ve since learned that it could be a violation of UIL rules for a student-athlete to accept a gift valued at over $10 from me. Therefore, I substituted one of my booklets for the book. Titled Approach, Focus, or Attitude, these booklets are excerpts from the book. I sell them 3 for $10 at my seminars. Then, I added a coupon to buy my book at cost ($10 including S&H). I apologize for the change, but think this works best.

Note: I refuse to exclude someone because their talent is so HIGH. Just because a pitcher can throw 90 doesn’t mean he’ll put up zero after zero on the scoreboard. This may happen in northern states where guys don’t get to play as much baseball, but it takes great mental skills to complement those physical skills to do it here in Texas. One goal of the mental game: get in the zone and stay there!


CONGRATULATIONS to:

1. Ethan Stuckly, Pilot Point, 16-13 loss to Bridgeport. Stuckly was 5-for-5 with a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run.

2. Zak Hermans, a Coppell HS junior, who pitched a seven-inning no-hitter last night in Coppell's 2-0 win over Lewisville. His first varsity district start.

3. Trey Sorrells, McKinney North, 6-1 win vs. The Colony. He was 3-3 with 3 RBI and a double and threw out 3 base runners attempting to steal second.

4. Kylee Crosek, Denton Guyer softball, hit for the cycle and pitched a no-hitter Monday in a 14-0 win over Wichita Falls. Crosek then threw a two-hitter and was 3-for-3 with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs in Tuesday's 10-0 win vs. Denton. Crosek has reached base safely in 14 straight plate appearances.

5. LHP Colton Turner, Jr., Joshua HS
Pitched a no-hitter vs. Mineral Wells last night in a 6-0 win. He also hit a HR.

6. Fernando Hernandez, North Dallas HS, HR, 2 2Bs, W on the mound vs Thomas Jefferson.

7. Stephen Krolick, Keller, Save w/ a perfect 7th in a 3-2 win, grieving his grandfather.

8. Coach Herb Rios for his RL Turner Team being tied vs. Coppell into the seventh inning.

9. Taylor Gerhart, Saginaw HS
Friday, 3/7, pitched a one-hitter CG had 2 RBI in 4-0 win.
Tues., 3/11, pitched a 3 hitter CG and hit an RBI double in 2-0 win over rival Boswell, ended the game with 4 straight Ks.

10. Basil Badley, Sr, CF, P Mount Vernon HS (Alexandria, VA), HR, OF Assist in 5-4 win over rival West Potomoc. Next game: 4-4 with a walk-off triple in 7-6 win over Freedom HS.