SED Week 2 Mar.23-27

I believe that NR is @ Lakeland on Friday. 

bolz717, 

Would you please add the rain makeups to the schedule at the top?  It appears there are a number of makeups on Monday.  Thanks.

I'm thinking that their won't be too many undefeateds left after this week!

 

Amongst others....

NR has GB and IR

GB has NR and Hickory

Hickory has Grassfield and GB

Grassfield has Hickory and WB

WB has OS and Grassfield

 

Essentially, many of the best teams in Southeast Virginia will be playing against each other (more than once) in a three game week.  Popcorn anyone?!?!

One other thing to consider in how the week plays out is that some of these are conference games and some are not.  Using GB as an example I think Hickory is a conference game but NR is not.  So for them deciding who pitches when could be influenced by that kind of stuff. 

I agree LUV.  All these teams have 3 games this week also, so if you don't have as much depth at pitching, it could be exposed this week.  Need to prioritize which games mean the most (conference).

Great Bridge/Hickory is not a conference game.they only play each other once that counts.

OS/WB counts a s a conference game and so does WB/GF

WB beats Oscar Smith 8-7.

GF 8  KF 4

Logan Keheley got the win.

Oscar Smith played another great game against Western Branch!! It looked as if it would be a blow out with mason 's lead off double and Mauritania gets on and next thing you know it's 3 -0 . Smith kept pitching,hitting, and scoring to take the lead.Alex Abbey had a two run home run for the Bruins to keep them in the game. With two outs in b7 Jeff Butler had a game tying hit and after a four pitch walk to G.March and, sophomore shortstop Connor Rhem took the first pitch curveball to left field for the win. Not a great defensive effort for the Bruins and hats off to the Tigers.Great win for the Bruins. #filling holes #one in a row

GB/NR. ??

WB vs Oscar Smith was an ugly game overall.  Errors all over the field.  Was certainly cold, we all know that.  What disappoints me is that this was OS first regular season game, it's March 23rd and 40 degrees outside......why did their pitcher throw 118 pitches??  Yes, his delivery is fluid and lacks much explosion and stress on the arm.  But...118 pitches?  I know the arguments supporting the OS coach will come in, but I think that's ridiculous.   No way that kids arm is in shape to throw like that in March.  Nobody is.  Disappointing to watch.

I have seen 2 starters go over the century mark this year with pitches, and have been told of atleast three others. I agree, it makes absolutely no sense. I use a 60 pitch limit until after spring break. Last year i had one pitcher go over 100 pitches in a game the entire year. That was in the tournament conference final. 

Agree 757, it just got exciting to watch.Definitely ugly.And I'm sure Smith coach had some flashbacks from 2nd meeting last year when the same kid had western branch beat.Total different circumstances this time.Last year he had only given up two hits and pitch count was no more than in the seventies when he pulled him up three with 2 outs to go.

GB 2 NR 0 in 8. Errors killed NR. GREAT PITCHING BY BOTH TEAMS

I am not certain that the OS coach had a better option than the lefty. I agree that over 100 pitches may be a little much this early but this was a huge conference game and we all remember the last time these 2 faced off and they pulled the lefty with a 3 run lead and 1 out in the 7th inning. I am sure they were not looking for the same result.

I wouldn't necessarily agree that errors killed NR. They certainly happend, but most of which happened on the same crazy play.

 

In the top of the 8th, with a runner on first and no outs, GB goes to lay down a sac bunt.  NR third baseman fields the slow roller and throws the ball in the dirt...First baseman blocks the ball, but the ball hops about 15 feet away.  Meanwhile, runner on first is rounding 2nd on way to third.  The NR first baseman then ruhes a throw to third, short hopping the shortstop who is covering.  The ball bounces of his chest (as he is trying to block as well) and rolls toward the third base dugout.  Meanwhle, the runner originally on first, is now rounding third and trying to score.  The SS then throws the ball home in an attempt to get the runner.   The ball arrives simultaneously with the runner at plate.  The catcher can't see the ball, as it is hidden behind the runner, and the ball gets by and goes into the first base dugout.  NOW, the kid who originally bunted the ball is awarded home on a dead ball.  2-0.

While that was certainly a circus, that wasn't the difference in the game.  NR had ONE hit.  While only recording one hit, they somehow managed get on runners on, and then subsequently leave 10 runners on base, most of which in scoring position.  As a result, they wasted a fine pitching performance by Robert Fitzwater.  Fitzwater went 7 innings allowing only 2 hits with 6 strikeouts. 

 

As was the case with Grassfield as well, NR continues to leave runners in scoring position.  They have had multiple opportunities to get those runs in, and take control of both of those games, before any of the the late inning stuff ever happened.

 

According to the NR bookkeeper, they are now hitting a whopping .098 after two games.  While they have certainly seen good pitching, its not something that they haven't seen and beat before.  Their pitching continues to be good, and the defense solid (save the circus).  They will start winning once they can locate some bats that don't have holes in them!

 

 

I suppose if they don't have any other options, then they have bigger issues to deal with.   No matter what anyone says, 118 pitches in March in freezing cold weather is just too much.    That's almost too much at ANY point in the season.   Every team makes the conference playoffs.....let's remember that.    And I do remember what happened last year, all the more reason they should have put someone else in earlier.   This game wasn't like last year, that lefty threw half the amount of pitches then as opposed to yesterday. 

Anyways, beating a dead horse here.  Back at it again tonight!

 

Why does it being a "huge conference game matter"?  Is this particular game more important than the kid's health?  

 

I wasn't there and don't know the pitch count but, if it was around 100 or over, that's insane.

Redbird - it totaled 118 for the game.   Insane is an understatement.

Its a good thing we have these pitching regulations from VHSL to keep coaches in check.

Don't forget the runner on first got on by an error by the SS. So  5 errors in 8th I would say killed them. I believe they also had 3-4 errors before the 8th   Not a good defensive game for them. And agree not much offense.

You do realize that to win a baseball game, one must score at least one run!

 

Nonetheless, good luck to GB as they move forward!  NR and GB will mix it up again in a few weeks!  We'll see if anything has changed by then!

I was being sarcastic in stating "half".   We all know he was the same lefty from last year, doesn't matter.  A 16 year old kid should never throw that many pitches under any circumstances.

WB 10, Deep Creek 0 (5 innings)

 

Carter Beagle pitched five complete innings allowing one or two hits depending on official scorekeeper.

Hickory 2 GF 0

Stallings and Eason threw. Eason CG. Stallings went 5 giving up 1. Defense let Stallings down which let his only run to score. Perdue gave up another run in the 6th. Each team only had 3 or 4 hits each. Good game.

Great bridge 6-1 over Kings fork.

NR over Indian River 5-3.  

OS-11 Lakeland-0 in 5 innings.

OS came out strong after a tough loss vs Western Branch last night.

Bats came alive as the pitcher for Lakeland struggled to find the zone and make quality pitches. OS took advantage of walks and put runners in scoring position many times and drove them in with timely hits.

OK... now for some actual FACTS regarding OS-WB game last night and this sloppy self-righteous opinion party…

 

 Fact 1) Oscar Smith’s Morgan was at 112 pitches LAST YEAR in the 7^th when he was pulled vs Branch... That is a FACT.  His pitch count was in the 70s???  Wow.  Just wow.  Why try and blast someone over pitch counts if you have zero factual info on the subject?  I am assuming you looked back to last year’s postings after the OS-WB game and saw the discussion of his pitch speed being in the 70’s?? Either way, that is completely false information just being tossed around as fact.  But why be responsible when trying to call someone “insane,” right?

 

Fact 2) I honestly had no idea that baseball "DADS" and showcase assistants are the authority on pitch counts, cold weather, and arm surgeries.  When you guys write a book on it based on your kinesiology research and facts to back up your argument that cold weather in March is completely different than in October after a grueling wear-and-tear on an arm for 6 months... I'll be first in line to buy.  Here I thought it was about how diligently the kid was conditioned and prepared to throw, no matter if it's "pre-Spring Break" or not?  How mis-informed I must be…. Is it like wearing white after Labor Day?

 

Fact 3) I also didn't realize that you have been following the Morgan kid's every move for the past 5 months through his band-work and weighted ball program that led into an indoor-outdoor (warmer and COLD weather) bullpen program for the past couple of MONTHS (where he stretched pitch counts in regular intervals) to get ready for the season to know how ready his arm is/was.

It is 2015… Meaning, MAYBE in 2005 you had an argument, when coaches could not get their pitchers going until tryouts in the end of February due to the no-contact in offseason rules.  But with the rules as such as they are now where they can work year-round… a good coach is going to start MONTHS prior to March, slowly getting them conditioned for the short 3 month season.  This means throwing a lot of pitches in January & February (bullpens and intersquads), just as the pros throw them in February & March to get ready for April.

 

Fact 4) THE University of Virginia’s ace, Nathan Kirby (also a lefty), who throws with MUCH more arm torque than Morgan, tossed 7 innings and just under 100 pitches Game ONE of their season on FEBRUARY 13^th of this year vs East Carolina (a full month and a half ago).  Want to guess the high temperature for that day in Greenville, NC??  Try 33 degrees for a HIGH, and 23 for a low. I say we call for O’Connor head on a stake here… that is INSANE.

Do you think it was warmer up in Charlottesville when he was prepping for this season throwing bullpens and doing his offseason arm conditioning??  Is their Spring Break in January?? 

 

Fact 5) As for last night… the kid was at 99 pitches just before tossing strike three to Mason leading off the 7^th. That was followed by an E6, a capped base hit, and a fielder’s choice (which would have ended the game if not for the E6) before the 2 hits to tie and win.  It clearly was his game to win or lose at that point.

 

 #irresposibleblasting  #classacts  #backseatdads  #internetexperts 

Once you've had a little time to look through the site at the hundreds or possibly thousands of strings on pitching and pitch counts you might come to realize there are a fair amount of informed opinions.

 

Mine:  Pitch counts are like concussion protocol - better safe than sorry.

QuiteRiot, 

 

Even though I am labeled as a lowly showcase assistant, I will respond.

 

1) Since I couldn't possibly know anything about pitch counts, please show me where the pitch counts for last year's Morgan (then a Soph.) or this year's Morgan (now a Jr.) fall on this recommended pitch count chart:  http://m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/pi...elines-ages-15-to-18

 

Surely, these guys know as much as you do about pitch counts and TJ surgery.  Wouldn’t you agree?

 

2) Your point here is not a FACT but an opinion.  But to address your attempted bashing of the showcase portion of this equation...our program monitors Innings Pitched (IP) throughout the year.  We regularly talk to our kids, their parents and HS coaches & their future college coach (if committed) about their total IP.  Last year, we ran into a problem with several guys getting near 100 IP for the spring and shut them down during the summer. 

 

For the record, we throw them only 2-3 innings per weekend during the summer and fall, except for WWBA tournaments where they may go 4-5 innings.  We also counsel them on what their midweek work should be thanks to having a highly regarded Pitching Consultant with the Toronto Blue Jays on staff as well as a personal trainer.  

 

We all have a role in the health of the players – HS coaches, showcase coaches and the player.

 

3) No one here followed Morgan…that is correct.  But, I will refer to my point in #1.

 

4) This is actually a fact, albeit a poor comparison.  You are comparing a HS Jr. to an elite college Soph.  A 17 year old kid vs. a 20 year old man (6’2”, 185lbs.).  The OS staff vs. Karl Kuhn.  118 pitches vs. “Just under 100 pitches”.  Apples and oranges in every respect.

 

I won’t even go into the fact that UVA scrimmages daily in the preseason, with their P’s building up to their workloads.  With 13 kids on roster at OS, I don’t think Morgan can get the same type of work but that is just a guess.  Please don’t get hung up on this.

 

5) I’m not sure how the game situation affects the player’s health risk.  It looks like this answers my original question.

 

Since I am the one who mentioned “insane”, I challenge you to show me where I was irresponsible in my original post.  If you can, I will apologize but I believe that, by any standards, 118 pitches from a HS player in Week 2 fits my original description.

That's my point.. Your busy reading the hundred possible thousands of topics discussing pitch count.. But take a few minutes and read the hundred possible thousands of topics on building a rapport with the players. Maybe the Coaching staff has that rapport with players and knows when to shut them down.. If every player was the same it would be a pretty boring sport. Every kid is different and its a talented coaching staff that can pluck each team members strenght and put them together to form a team and be successful.

Back on the games - GF/WB and GB/Hickory on Friday. A look into Class 6 and 5 contenders head to head.

Those games may end up being a wash on Friday, but yes, definitely your top teams in the SED for each conference....at this point in the season.   Expect low scoring games in my opinion.   Pitching will be primary focus for the coaches.  Guns blazing!

It seems as though a talented coaching staff who has carefully put together a "team" could surely find another member of the "team" to help close a game out after 100+ pitches... Sounds like the team consisted of one player that day. I have been that player, and I would NEVER have asked out of a game. That can never be the kid's decision, regardless of rapport. I'd rather lose as a team than send the message to the team that only one kid can be trusted with the ball. Yep, I'm that guy who has thrown 167 pitches in a game that would never allow one of my kids I coach to do it... But I guess I'm just back seat coaching.

As for the games, I don't remember seeing such parity in such a short period of time. I am impressed with the talent level of the kids I've seen out of the SED the last few years.