Has anyone heard about any possible replacements for the PR baseball coaching job that is now open?
No news yet on a replacement for Pecoraro. I am sure there will be quite a few applicants for a solid program like PR. I heard Joe Kowalski's name mentioned(former Larkin coach), but only time will tell.
Kowalski may be a logical choice, he and family lives in the area, he is a former head coach and has a great knowledge of the game. The downside of that, atleast for this year is that not one PR baseball coach is in the building. It was hard enough to maintain "excellence on and off the field" alone.
On another note, I am not sure how many applicants there will be to take over a program as established as this. I am not sure people understand the magnitude and scope of a program like this. The least amount of effort was put into coaching baseball.
Chuck Lowitski
Jarthur, tough position to take without any head coaching position. Positives are that Chuck knows the program, kids will feel comfortable around a familiar face.
Playball2...Do you have any ideas for candidates for the PR job? You seem to know the program and area pretty well.
Eventually a head coach needs a start and I believe Chuck would be a great transition for the PR program. I understand the leap it would take for a quality person to take the torch.
Maybe Jarthur wants the job. It isn't too far for him.
No, I would suck at it. Its so far over my head. I thought I told you that personally the other day.
quote:Originally posted by jarthur:
No, I would suck at it.
Want to bet?
Besides, you'd have an instant resource from the South that has just about everything a coach would need to get started!!!
pitchandcatch97, I have had the good fortune of associating myself with the PR program due to the fact that Coach Pecoraro and I have been long standing friends since our college days together. As young educators and coaches Pec and I would stay up many a night talking the game, developing a program if we ever got a chance, attending clinics, working on behalf of kids, etc. As good fortune would have it we both landed Head coaching positions in the same year. We both have had great success as young coaches, achieving things that some veteran coaches have worked long and hard to never achieve. It is a credit to the kids that we have been fortunate to coach.
Playball2...I agree with you 100%. You two have done some fantastic things over the years and elevated high school baseball in the area. Also, you are both highly regarded as private hitting instructors. I respect both of you very much and wish that other head coaches took as much pride in their work as you and Pec do.
Wow P&C97, thank you, those are incredibly kind words. I humbley accept them on behalf of the kids I have coached on both sides of Palatine. They have worked tremendously hard. I am sure I am echoing coach Pecoraro just the same. Thanks again.
The thing that surprises me the most about this is the fact that Pec has done this before the class of 2008 (current jrs) and class of 2009 (current sophs) unite in 2008. This would definitely be a state bound year with players like Martini, Martin, Swank, and Mitroff as seniors and current sophomore Nolan Jacoby (c/3b) as a Junior somewhere in the lineup. As some may know, their current Junior class are previous summer ball state champs and there are not a lot of weak spots in their soph class.
Although I think they will do great this year with barely any seniors, this season is just a building block for future years. I respect Pec and his decision and I hope what is best for him.
Although I think they will do great this year with barely any seniors, this season is just a building block for future years. I respect Pec and his decision and I hope what is best for him.
ILBaseball10, that just shows you that he resigned for the right reasons. Secondly, there are no guarantees in baseball. The only thing that is definite is that they will be seniors in 2008.
Well ilbaseball10, I think I am understanding Coach Pec's decision more everyday.
Playball2:
Thanks for keeping us informed.
And give my best regards to Coach Pecoraro.
Thanks for keeping us informed.
And give my best regards to Coach Pecoraro.
quote:Originally posted by ILBaseball10:
The thing that surprises me the most about this is the fact that Pec has done this before the class of 2008 (current jrs) and class of 2009 (current sophs) unite in 2008. This would definitely be a state bound year with players like Martini, Martin, Swank, and Mitroff as seniors and current sophomore Nolan Jacoby (c/3b) as a Junior somewhere in the lineup. As some may know, their current Junior class are previous summer ball state champs and there are not a lot of weak spots in their soph class.
Although I think they will do great this year with barely any seniors, this season is just a building block for future years. I respect Pec and his decision and I hope what is best for him.
Summer state baseball champs?. When did this start.
The other teams that will make a run in the playoffs for 08 and 09 are Grayslake, Mchenry, Jacobs not to mention CL South.
Yes, their current Juniors (2008) I believe won the summer ball state title before their sophomore season. And of course, I know Pec and that he quit for the right reasons.
Time to get on the soapbox. My second and last son is going into his last year of HS Baseball. Overall it has been a blast. Son #1 played 3 years in the program of a legend. People loved the coach and hated the coach, mostly depending on whether or not their son "made it" or not. I think that coach's greatest attribute was that he didn't give a d**n what they thought. He was successful enough that he got away with saying whatever he wanted to them. I guess that's what a State Championship and 3 straight visits to the Championship game will get you. I think that if the parents had let their sons learn whatever lessons were there (baseball and otherwise) they would have benefited from playing for him. Those who decided to undermine the Coach's work denied their son a chance to grow through the experience. I'm not sure that in today's environment (only 8 years later) that coach would have been able to do things the way he did without some kind of parental rebellion, especially if it happened in a year where they didn't make a run in the playoffs.
Son #1 and Son #2 play(ed) for the legend's successor. He hasn't been as successful, but has won some conference championships and 3rd place in State. He has fans and critics, but just like the legend, there are parents who allow their kids to learn whatever lessons there are to be learned and others who again undermine the entire situation. What is the benefit to that? I don't see how that helps anyone. Rule #1: It doesn't pay to make the coach an enemy.
Part of becoming a man is to go through some tough things, maybe a coach who won't coddle you no matter how good you are or think you are is actually a good thing for you.
Playing a sport can empower you in many ways, but if as a parent you get in the way of it happening you lose more than playing time.
Give these coaches a chance to do what they do....and sit back and watch your son grow up.
Son #1 and Son #2 play(ed) for the legend's successor. He hasn't been as successful, but has won some conference championships and 3rd place in State. He has fans and critics, but just like the legend, there are parents who allow their kids to learn whatever lessons there are to be learned and others who again undermine the entire situation. What is the benefit to that? I don't see how that helps anyone. Rule #1: It doesn't pay to make the coach an enemy.
Part of becoming a man is to go through some tough things, maybe a coach who won't coddle you no matter how good you are or think you are is actually a good thing for you.
Playing a sport can empower you in many ways, but if as a parent you get in the way of it happening you lose more than playing time.
Give these coaches a chance to do what they do....and sit back and watch your son grow up.
quote:Originally posted by ILBaseball10:
Yes, their current Juniors (2008) I believe won the summer ball state title before their sophomore season. And of course, I know Pec and that he quit for the right reasons.
FYI
There is no summer state title as a sophmore.
It will be interesting to see how deep the pitching and defense is at PR in 2007 and 08.
Marco, I'm going to say that you are wrong on this. There is a Sophomore High School Summer Ball State Title. At the end of high school summer ball there is a single game elimination playoff. I believe Palatine won it vs. Lake Zurich this year and the year before that Prairie Ridge won.
Where are the teams from the Western and Southwestern suburbs?
Maybe that is why no one has heard of the sophomore state baseball title!
Maybe that is why no one has heard of the sophomore state baseball title!
What teams exactly are you looking for Beenthere? Even with out those teams thats a pretty darn tough playoff. Well theres Huntley, Grayslake, Deerfield, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Prairie Ridge, Stevenson, Jacobs, Cary Grove, Fremd, Schaumburg just to name some schools. I'm not trying to go around supporting the Soph state playoffs, just saying what I know..
quote:Originally posted by ILBaseball10:
What teams exactly are you looking for Beenthere? Even with out those teams thats a pretty darn tough playoff. Well theres Huntley, Grayslake, Deerfield, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Prairie Ridge, Stevenson, Jacobs, Cary Grove, Fremd, Schaumburg just to name some schools. I'm not trying to go around supporting the Soph state playoffs, just saying what I know..
I agree with BeenthereIL. Discussion closed.
Guess will all just need to wait till the season gets rolling.
IL...Lockport, Sandburg, OPRF, Hinsdale Central, Lyons Township, The LincolnWAy schools, Naperville Central, Minooka, Brother Rice, St. Rita, Providence, Notre Dame, Loyola, Morris, JCA.
I remember years ago, when a certain unnamed school was Catholic League champion in swimming for something like 20 years in row. What most people didn't know was that of the 35 or so Catholic Schools in the Chicagoland area, only 4 had pools!
You can be a Champion of anything...but get a representative sample of programs to play for your "Championship", otherwise, it is meaningless.
I remember years ago, when a certain unnamed school was Catholic League champion in swimming for something like 20 years in row. What most people didn't know was that of the 35 or so Catholic Schools in the Chicagoland area, only 4 had pools!
You can be a Champion of anything...but get a representative sample of programs to play for your "Championship", otherwise, it is meaningless.
BeenthereIL, are you saying that programs with the likes of New Trier, Libertyville, Stevenson, Prairie Ridge, Barrington, Schaumburg,are not a fair sample?
Not at all, Play, but to suggest that there is a summer state sophomore baseball champion for the "STATE" is ludicrous.
The teams are from the North and Northwest suburbs.
The teams are from the North and Northwest suburbs.
Agreed, very comparable to winning a sectional.
What happened to the coach at Stagg?
quote:Originally posted by BeenthereIL:
Not at all, Play, but to suggest that there is a summer state sophomore baseball champion for the "STATE" is ludicrous.
The teams are from the North and Northwest suburbs.
Hey BeenthereIL is there a fall ball SOPHMORE STATE TITLE like the one they have in the summer.
Great post on the "ludicrous" sophmore state title as that does not exist.
Okay, you guys have good points. I'm just saying that is what they call it..a summer state title. Also, take into consideration if those teams you guys said even have summer teams. No matter what, a championship is a championship and minus those teams it is still a great playoff for the summer none the less.
Marco,
I don't know about fall ball anything.
IL...I apologize if I've offended you and I know that some of the schools which I've mentioned earlier have summer sophomore programs.
I'm happy for you and your team if you did win the sophomore state baseball title for the North and Northwest suburbs. That is what it was...for the North and Northwest suburbs.
I'm not aware of such a title for the Western suburbs or the South or Southwest suburbs; or, for the downstate sophomores; or...you get the picture. Would be a trick to have a summer sophomore state baseball title for the teams on the East side of Chicago.
I'm just waiting for the IHSA to expand varsity football playoffs to include a state championship for every player, individually, then they could say that they were state champions!
Whatever happened to playing against the "big boys" and knocking them off?
I don't know about fall ball anything.
IL...I apologize if I've offended you and I know that some of the schools which I've mentioned earlier have summer sophomore programs.
I'm happy for you and your team if you did win the sophomore state baseball title for the North and Northwest suburbs. That is what it was...for the North and Northwest suburbs.
I'm not aware of such a title for the Western suburbs or the South or Southwest suburbs; or, for the downstate sophomores; or...you get the picture. Would be a trick to have a summer sophomore state baseball title for the teams on the East side of Chicago.
I'm just waiting for the IHSA to expand varsity football playoffs to include a state championship for every player, individually, then they could say that they were state champions!
Whatever happened to playing against the "big boys" and knocking them off?
"Big Boys" Been?
Like these guys?
Seriously...I agree with your sentiment Been...when a "big boy" was knocked of by a much smaller rival, then this made news...long lasting news...regardless of which sport was being played.
Those matchups that resulted in the "little guys" knocking off the "big boys" are forever in players and fans memories and are always carried forward in news articles reflecting back or used frequently by sports columnists.
Those results didn't happen very often, but when they did it was a big, big deal. So big that it never is forgotten.
The opportunity for these type of momentous results to occur nowadays, at the high school level, have been diminished because of all of the stratifying by size that has occurred.
All of these classifications have some merit, but with their emergence and prominence the possibility of a "little guy" knocking off the "big boys" is becoming structurally impossible.
High school baseball here in Illinois, with only two classes, remains a sport where these type of memories can still occur.
Like these guys?
Seriously...I agree with your sentiment Been...when a "big boy" was knocked of by a much smaller rival, then this made news...long lasting news...regardless of which sport was being played.
Those matchups that resulted in the "little guys" knocking off the "big boys" are forever in players and fans memories and are always carried forward in news articles reflecting back or used frequently by sports columnists.
Those results didn't happen very often, but when they did it was a big, big deal. So big that it never is forgotten.
The opportunity for these type of momentous results to occur nowadays, at the high school level, have been diminished because of all of the stratifying by size that has occurred.
All of these classifications have some merit, but with their emergence and prominence the possibility of a "little guy" knocking off the "big boys" is becoming structurally impossible.
High school baseball here in Illinois, with only two classes, remains a sport where these type of memories can still occur.
No Beenthere don't worry, I'm not related with Prairie Ridge in any way. I just brought that up on the topic of Pecoraro.
Bad news regarding next years IL summer SO baseball. It is going to be replaced with girls FR rowing. 
That's a good one Tuz!
I believe the south suburbs has the dukane league and various other leagues. The schools represented are primarily made up of the north and northwest suburbs. That's the area North of I 88.