Has the weather been affecting anybodys ballgames? I hear the winds have been a nightmare the last couple of days on the ball fields. I've also heard that more snow is coming?
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I've never heard anyone complain about the weather when the won.
Games on Saturday (where I live) shouldn't have been played and yet they were. Field conditions were terrible. Thank God no one got hurt.
I thought Sat was nice here in the south suburbs. Great day for baseball.
I don't think the wind has been the problem. The real problem is and nobody wants to address it is the field conditions. Most HS fields here in Illinois aren't being taken care of properly. One bad day or rain has taken numerous games away during a week. The Highschools need to put more money into the baseball programs out here and prep these fields property in the early spring. Be prepared for bad weather for god sake, we live in the North. The lack of funds given to the HS baseball programs have resulted in poor coaching and very poor fields. This is even true at the Varsity level. Sometimes rain on Tuesday will cost you Wednesday's game also.
I agree there are a bunch of loser coaches and pathetic fields that are the reason why these games dont get played.
quote:Originally posted by ripcord51:
I agree there are a bunch of loser coaches and pathetic fields that are the reason why these games dont get played.
If it weren't for those "loser coaches", some programs would not exist or would be "coached" by the bus driver or janitor.
And I think one of the problems (field-wise) that gets overlooked -- At many schools, football uses the baseball field for summer & fall practice. Who wants to pour money into rehabbing a field if it will be torn up before the next season?
With this years weather, maybe schools should consider hiring union plumbers to coach baseball.
Wow, Rip... kinda harsh, don't you think? Why blame "loser coaches" for games not getting played? Do the "winner coaches" control the weather better? Our coaches (and players) here in the north suburbs put hundreds of hours into field work, but when it rains, it rains (or snows, as the case may be). How many football or s****r coaches do you see out getting their fields ready and playable? Seems to be a unique requirement for baseball coaches and I can say without hesitation that ALL the teams that we play in our conference have very good, if not great, fields. And, I'm not sure where you are Sox, but we don't lose games due to rain the previous day - never seen that happen here.
Many coaches and teams aren't even allowed to work on the fields. I think if it was left up to the team many more games would be played. The excuse that's used is the early season games are usually non-conference games. So does that make it ok to cancel games? Now nobody will argue this weather this spring has been horrible but many games have been cancelled even when some days were playable. Especially at the Freshman and Sophomore level many games get cancelled hours before game time. More money should go into the HS baseball programs and I believe if there was more money available you would have more qualified coaches coaching HS baseball especially at the Freshman and Sophomore levels. These fields need to be worked on earlier in the season with much better mix and clay for the infield surfaces.
The problem with everyone wanting more money put into the baseball programs is simple. Where is the money going to come from? You could take it away from other sports, but then those athletes lose. You could raise taxes to help support the schools athletic programs. Oh wait, nobody wants to pay more taxes...even those who want more money in the baseball budgets. It's great that we all want to be generous and give, yet we want somebody else to do it. If field conditions are so bad, why don't some parents or boosters get together and find a local company to help pour some money into the school's fields. In many cases that's tax deductible for those companies and whoever donates. Many companies, especially larger ones set money aside for local causes. So what if you have to put a sign for that company on your fence...they probably paid for the fence. It takes effort from somebody. Somebody has to get the wheels rolling. However, I feel like somebody always says things need to be different, but don't do anything about it.
I'm probably way out of line, and I'm honestly not trying to offend anyone here. When it comes to ball fields it takes man hours to make things better. You can throw money at it all you want, but somebody needs to make things happen on the field. This usually entails parents and players. If your school doesn't let the coaches or players work on the field to improve it, get the parents together to get the work done and paid for. Go to the school board with a plan for it. Then have a couple of work days to get it all done. Unless the school has major liability paranoia they'll probably say this is ok as long as there's no money coming out of the school's pocket. You'll probably even be able to find local companies that will donate money, supplies, or even labor to get improvements accomplished if there is a plan.
It's not a budget issue, it's a community effort issue. Yes, many parents don't have the time or resources to improve their school's fields. Either find some, or deal with what you have and be happy that you have a field to play on at all. I've played in Latin American countries where the "fields" were just that...fields. We had to herd goats and pigs out of the outfields in between innings on a few of them. Or, better yet, find a big open park somewhere, throw down some bases and have fun. You don't need a back stop or a home run fence. Baselines aren't even needed.
Again, I'm not trying to offend anyone. It just takes more than money in a budget to make fields better, period.
I'm probably way out of line, and I'm honestly not trying to offend anyone here. When it comes to ball fields it takes man hours to make things better. You can throw money at it all you want, but somebody needs to make things happen on the field. This usually entails parents and players. If your school doesn't let the coaches or players work on the field to improve it, get the parents together to get the work done and paid for. Go to the school board with a plan for it. Then have a couple of work days to get it all done. Unless the school has major liability paranoia they'll probably say this is ok as long as there's no money coming out of the school's pocket. You'll probably even be able to find local companies that will donate money, supplies, or even labor to get improvements accomplished if there is a plan.
It's not a budget issue, it's a community effort issue. Yes, many parents don't have the time or resources to improve their school's fields. Either find some, or deal with what you have and be happy that you have a field to play on at all. I've played in Latin American countries where the "fields" were just that...fields. We had to herd goats and pigs out of the outfields in between innings on a few of them. Or, better yet, find a big open park somewhere, throw down some bases and have fun. You don't need a back stop or a home run fence. Baselines aren't even needed.
Again, I'm not trying to offend anyone. It just takes more than money in a budget to make fields better, period.
So would better coaches, or even higher paid coaches, have better control of the weather? I'm not sure how you make the connection between what coaches get paid and whether or not games get played? I will tell you that in our district, a head coach gets paid the same regardless of the sport he coaches - same for the assistants. Certain sports get more assistants, but that's related to the number of kids on the team - like football, for example.
Should there be more money for field maintenance? Probably - but CC is right- at some point you have to realize that there is only so much money to go around. Baseball is not a revenue sport like football or basketball, and it's relatively expensive proportionately. If you have a coach that would turn away volunteer help or fundraising efforts to improve your field, then you need a new coach.
Should there be more money for field maintenance? Probably - but CC is right- at some point you have to realize that there is only so much money to go around. Baseball is not a revenue sport like football or basketball, and it's relatively expensive proportionately. If you have a coach that would turn away volunteer help or fundraising efforts to improve your field, then you need a new coach.
How does the chicagoland weather become a coaches issue?
When your field is unplayable and the fields of the schools around you are playable under the same weather conditions.. fire the coach!
40 degrees in may...........play ball
Play Dog you are joking right?
Maybe we should start firing parents when their kids get caught at drinking parties, eh?
quote:Originally posted by Play Dog:
When your field is unplayable and the fields of the schools around you are playable under the same weather conditions.. fire the coach!
Maybe the coach should get a substitute teacher for their class, sacrificing the education of both athletes and non-athletes, to go to the field early and do some maintenance ... he wouldn't want to lose the meager stipend that he is receiving when he gets fired just because the school down the street has better drainage or somebody that can work on their field.
What if he coaches in the city and his team plays on a park district field .... maybe they should just eliminate baseball at all of the CPS schools that aren't fortunate enough to have their own field.
Is that for real that at most schools the coach is actually doing the playing field? I think that at the school that my kid went to, the people from the, I am not sure of the name (building services department?)take care of all of the baseball fields. You know, the guys who mow the grass and spray the weeds and do painting on the school grounds. The baseball coaches are in school teaching classes all day and would not really have time to take care of the fields since everyone gets dressed and goes to pregame right after school adjourns. Just wondering if this is unusual or if everyone is just messing around blaming the coach like we usually tend to do for everything else.
Also, our field has very poor drainage and often times the varsity home games are actually moved to the other teams varsity field on game day. In doing so the Sophmores don't get to play that day unfortunately. In this case it is more of a field problem than a person or people problem.
Also, our field has very poor drainage and often times the varsity home games are actually moved to the other teams varsity field on game day. In doing so the Sophmores don't get to play that day unfortunately. In this case it is more of a field problem than a person or people problem.
When I was in HS, the TEAM was the grounds crew!
Biggerpapi,
That sounds like a made up story to me. I didn't think that high school had been invented when you were a kid!!
That sounds like a made up story to me. I didn't think that high school had been invented when you were a kid!!
Well...it was K-12!
Most coaches put in many,many hours of field prep as do most baseball players. I've often stood on the fence line after the game is long over, watching my boys manning a rake or hauling a hose - it's often the only yard work I see them do all summer! Does my heart good to see them working! 
Our grounds crews do the basic stuff - mowing, watering, weed killing, rolling the infield - but the team does the rest. Our boys paint bases, haul trash, rake and line the field, take care of the mound, etc. They even put up the outfield fence in the spring and take it down at the end of the season so the football team can tear up the outfield again all summer and fall!
I think the biggest difference in field playability was already mentioned - drainage... and coaches have very little control over how well their fields drain.
Our grounds crews do the basic stuff - mowing, watering, weed killing, rolling the infield - but the team does the rest. Our boys paint bases, haul trash, rake and line the field, take care of the mound, etc. They even put up the outfield fence in the spring and take it down at the end of the season so the football team can tear up the outfield again all summer and fall!
I think the biggest difference in field playability was already mentioned - drainage... and coaches have very little control over how well their fields drain.
I know it will never happen in Illinois but I've always been intrigued with idea of switching Track, Baseball with Football season. Much less rain in fall, better temperatures. Football meanwhile is more adaptable to bad weather and as a bonus would be coming into great late May weather just when playoffs heating up.
MyThree,
At our school the kids only do the raking of the pitcher's mound, home plate area, pulling out the bases after the game, and putting the tarps on the home plate area and pitcher's mound. None of the pre game stuff as far as I know.
At our school the kids only do the raking of the pitcher's mound, home plate area, pulling out the bases after the game, and putting the tarps on the home plate area and pitcher's mound. None of the pre game stuff as far as I know.
Hop - our boys do it all, and coach mows the infield after every game. As I said, they even have to empty the trash cans!
Cowboy - we've said the same thing for years, and here's someone else who agrees with both of us:
Making a Pitch to Play Baseball in the Fall
Cowboy - we've said the same thing for years, and here's someone else who agrees with both of us:
Making a Pitch to Play Baseball in the Fall
This has been by far the worst spring as far as weather that I can remember and I have been through a few of them. No one is to blame for the bad weather, we have even had the AD out working on fields to try to get the games in. When you have played only one HS game on a Saturday all season this is unusual for everone. My 13 year old played in driving rains this Saturday the only way that was possible was to play on pathetic limestone fields but I guess it beats not playing.
I never said the coaching was at fault for the bad weather. I said with more money thrown in the direction of the HS baseball programs better field conditions would be available and better coaches could be hired. There is way to many unqualified History and Math teachers coaching Freshman and Sophomore Baseball. Alot of these HS coaches have no idea on how to even run a team practice. Alot of good players lose interest because of poor coaching at the Freshman and Sophomore levels. I would pay more taxes but I do agree that most people wouldn't. Let's hope the month of May has nothing but good weather.