Looks like the new rules for Iowa will be difficult. Some schools voting to not field a team. Varsity only with no JV/Soph/Frosh. Limited number on a team.
Some coaches have tough decisions to make. Can't you see Seniors cut to make sure next years players get to practice?!
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What other rules? Anything insane like mask wearing while playing or in dugout, in the hot heat? Switching baseballs, changing umpire positions? I could see how it might not be worth it if you're forced to change everything about how you play or develop the game. Or just struggle to breathe in a mask while shouting at players across a field.
I'm not seeing this in the FAQs handed out by the Iowa High School Athletic Association yesterday. It specifically says that local entities and conferences will determine what levels to play. Some of this even may get looser with yesterday's announcement that youth sports can resume.
A7) Middle school softball and baseball are currently not allowed. Local and conference will make decisions on which levels at the high school will participate this summer. All current eligibility policies for 8th graders playing high school baseball continue to be in place.
I did a story on the return of baseball and softball for my web site, and our local softball and baseball coaches said they could work within the rules. Some may choose not to, and that's okay, according to the FAQs. They also specifically say there is no limit on roster size.
Are you looking at something different?
This is just the latest from what our conference is getting ready to do.
This is the most discussion on baseball in Iowa since Kevin Costner made a movie in a corn field.
I think decision now for our conference is varsity only, no team cap. and only conference games.
No, there's actually always a lot of people in Iowa discussing baseball. Including whether the Yankees are still going to play in that cornfield this year.
@Good Knight posted:I think decision now for our conference is varsity only, no team cap. and only conference games.
I think the conference games may be pretty standard, just because of how many games you have to have. I also could see the varsity only. What conference are you in?
"This is the most discussion on baseball in Iowa since Kevin Costner made a movie in a corn field. "
You are just jealous we are only ones with baseball!
Mississippi Athletic Conference.
I wonder if they cut players because it too hard to get players separated on busses?
@James G posted:What other rules? Anything insane like mask wearing while playing or in dugout, in the hot heat? Switching baseballs, changing umpire positions? I could see how it might not be worth it if you're forced to change everything about how you play or develop the game. Or just struggle to breathe in a mask while shouting at players across a field.
Masks are optional, but if you wear them, they should be a solid color. No face shields allowed. No concession stands. No mention of switching baseball. Lots of mentions of daily sanitation. Recommended that players use their own batting helmets and bats. Mound visits should be restricted to only those players who really need to be there.
They also recommend limiting seating in the bleachers during games, which is funny for us because only visiting parents sit in our bleachers. Home team parents and fans have always sat in their lawn chairs along the hill next to the field, under the shade trees. We were social distancing before social distancing was cool!
Honestly, I thought the biggest objection anyone would have to any of it is that coaches are responsible for a lot of the sanitation stuff. Here's a link to the FAQs
@Good Knight posted:"This is the most discussion on baseball in Iowa since Kevin Costner made a movie in a corn field. "
You are just jealous we are only ones with baseball!
Just a little morning humor to entertain myself. There is plenty of baseball in Texas.
@Iowamom23 posted:Although you're right, it's the most discussion of baseball in Iowa on this site that I've ever seen.
That was my point 😀
@Good Knight posted:Mississippi Athletic Conference.
Where's that? We're Little Hawkeye. It says transportation can be set by local entities, so theoretically you could have more players and just have mom and dad transport although I'm guessing that gets into district policies.
Along the Mississippi River. Pleasant valley/Bettendorf/Muscatine/Clinton/Assumption, Davenport schools.
"Although you're right, it's the most discussion of baseball in Iowa on this site that I've ever seen."
Correct but we are a little excited.
I know Little Hawkeye well. Central College coach is a friend.
@Good Knight posted:I know Little Hawkeye well. Central College coach is a friend.
@Good Knight posted:I know Little Hawkeye well. Central College coach is a friend.
ewwww. We're in Indianola. Simpson. :-)
I kind of wish our high school governing body gave the conferences a choice to restart or not. Pretty cool what Iowa is doing.
Iowa Mom;
here is a little info on "Rapid Robert"and the town team that his father organized.
Feller was born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa. His father ran the family farm, and his mother was a registered nurse and a teacher. Feller credited his arm strength and ball speed to milking cows, picking corn, and baling hay. He recalled his childhood fondly: "What kid wouldn't enjoy the life I led in Iowa? Baseball and farming, and I had the best of both worlds." The family's farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Feller's father built a baseball diamond on the farm that he named "Oak View Park," then recruited his son and others to play for a team he named The Oakviews.
Feller attended Van Meter High School, and was a starting pitcher for their team. His sister Marguerite played for the girls' basketball team, and was the Iowa state ping-pong champion. Professional career
Feller was signed by scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball. Upon being made General Manager of the Indians, Slapnicka transferred Feller's contract from Fargo-Moorhead to New Orleans to the majors without the pitcher so much as visiting either farm club, in clear violation of baseball rules. After a three-month investigation, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis made it clear that he did not believe what Slapnicka or Cleveland president Alva Bradley said but awarded Feller to the Indians anyway, partly due to the testimony of Feller and his father, who wanted Bob to play for Cleveland.
Have you visited Van Meter?
Bob
No I did not bat off Bob Feller.
@Consultant posted:Iowa Mom;
here is a little info on "Rapid Robert"and the town team that his father organized.
Feller was born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa. His father ran the family farm, and his mother was a registered nurse and a teacher. Feller credited his arm strength and ball speed to milking cows, picking corn, and baling hay. He recalled his childhood fondly: "What kid wouldn't enjoy the life I led in Iowa? Baseball and farming, and I had the best of both worlds." The family's farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Feller's father built a baseball diamond on the farm that he named "Oak View Park," then recruited his son and others to play for a team he named The Oakviews.
Feller attended Van Meter High School, and was a starting pitcher for their team. His sister Marguerite played for the girls' basketball team, and was the Iowa state ping-pong champion. Professional career
Feller was signed by scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball. Upon being made General Manager of the Indians, Slapnicka transferred Feller's contract from Fargo-Moorhead to New Orleans to the majors without the pitcher so much as visiting either farm club, in clear violation of baseball rules. After a three-month investigation, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis made it clear that he did not believe what Slapnicka or Cleveland president Alva Bradley said but awarded Feller to the Indians anyway, partly due to the testimony of Feller and his father, who wanted Bob to play for Cleveland.
Have you visited Van Meter?
Bob
No I did not bat off Bob Feller.
What a cool story!
@Consultant posted:Iowa Mom;
here is a little info on "Rapid Robert"and the town team that his father organized.
Feller was born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa. His father ran the family farm, and his mother was a registered nurse and a teacher. Feller credited his arm strength and ball speed to milking cows, picking corn, and baling hay. He recalled his childhood fondly: "What kid wouldn't enjoy the life I led in Iowa? Baseball and farming, and I had the best of both worlds." The family's farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Feller's father built a baseball diamond on the farm that he named "Oak View Park," then recruited his son and others to play for a team he named The Oakviews.
Feller attended Van Meter High School, and was a starting pitcher for their team. His sister Marguerite played for the girls' basketball team, and was the Iowa state ping-pong champion. Professional career
Feller was signed by scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball. Upon being made General Manager of the Indians, Slapnicka transferred Feller's contract from Fargo-Moorhead to New Orleans to the majors without the pitcher so much as visiting either farm club, in clear violation of baseball rules. After a three-month investigation, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis made it clear that he did not believe what Slapnicka or Cleveland president Alva Bradley said but awarded Feller to the Indians anyway, partly due to the testimony of Feller and his father, who wanted Bob to play for Cleveland.
Have you visited Van Meter?
Bob
No I did not bat off Bob Feller.
We did — as a matter of fact, I think my son and I may have met him when our nephew (a pitcher at a nearby high school) received an award his museum gave to high school players for many years. The details are very fuzzy by this point.
My husband did shoot a game at the Field of Dreams that Feller pitched three innings, including getting two strikes on Reggie Jackson — including one that Jackson swung all the way around, creating a divot and a cloud of dust — before Jackson hit a home run off him.
I think. now the museum may have merged with the Van Meter city hall, but I'm not sure that ever actually went through.
Actually I was driving along the Interstate a few years ago, saw the sign to his museum and decided to take a break. Damned if he was not the only person in there. Very cool. Talked for quite a while.
Only cooler person I have ever met is when I was golfing in Bettendorf and was joined by an older guy. He just wanted to play a few holes with me. To my delight it turned out I was golfing with the oldest living Heisman Trophy winner. Notre Dames Johnny Lujack! It is good to be lucky!
Iowa Mom:
a little "side" story. Bob Feller would place heavy bar bells in his luggage and then watched the "bellboys" try to lift his bags to the hotel room. "tricks for kiddies"
Bob
@Good Knight posted:Actually I was driving along the Interstate a few years ago, saw the sign to his museum and decided to take a break. Damned if he was not the only person in there. Very cool. Talked for quite a while.
Only cooler person I have ever met is when I was golfing in Bettendorf and was joined by an older guy. He just wanted to play a few holes with me. To my delight it turned out I was golfing with the oldest living Heisman Trophy winner. Notre Dames Johnny Lujack! It is good to be lucky!
I think the cool thing about living in Iowa is that since it's a small state, we all just seem to run into cool people. We asked son one time to go to an event with the governor of Iowa and, at age 8, he looked at us and said "the governor already met me, does he have to see me again?"
Love that he took that so for granted.
Our IOWA hs season went well. Now other states that are closed are transferring kids into IOWA for baseball and football seasons.
We'll see how that goes. Our HS starts classes Tuesday. Eight teachers in quarantine so far. Hope others are doing better.
@Good Knight posted:Our IOWA hs season went well. Now other states that are closed are transferring kids into IOWA for baseball and football seasons.
Seeing this trend here in Texas. In our last tournament of the summer, the opposing team had a player from a city in California that is the neighboring city from where we moved from several years ago. I struck up a conversation with him and he said his parents were getting out of California and moving here. He is a committed senior. My guess is that it was so that he didn't potentially lose his final high school season as there is no telling when sports will resume in California.
