Sounded like an epic game. West Springfield wins their second regional title in three years. I will let others who were there share the highlights...
SO...
James River @ WS Tues. 6/5
Lake Braddock @ Cosby Tues. 6/5
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
quote:Originally posted by Central Region Tom:
I think this is good news for James River, tough break for Cosby. LB was pretty clearly the best team in the North this year. On the other hand, WB is a much better team than it was in the early part of the season.
quote:Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Reading between the lines of what I've seen about Rogers, it sounds like he has great stuff, sometimes will walk a handful?
Interesting that this will mark Cosby's 4th game against a high level lefty. Lost the first 2 (Kirby), won the third (Boyle) albeit with some help from the other team's defense. If nothing else they should be as prepared as you can be for a tough lefty.
Not that that guarantees anything.
I do think it's odd that this game is at 3 p.m. How does that affect LB?
quote:Originally posted by Montyrules:
And as far as the game starting at 3pm. I think it's smart. If you start the game at 4-4:30pm you have the potential of rain delay's or extra innings leaving an increased risk for a chance of darkness to postpone.
quote:Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Monty, I'm not sure why but you seem bent on proving that I have something against Cosby. Weird. You may not realize this, but it's possible to have a dispassionate, analytical look at things and not just go rah-rah for a particular team, yet still think highly of them and even pull for them.
The fact that the game with Deep Run had giveaway runs in both directions doesn't change the fact that there wouldn't have been many runs (for either side) without the miscues. I'm wondering aloud how that will affect another game where Cosby faces an elite lefty. Will LB bring the defense to back up Rogers? Or will Cosby pressure and battle until they crack the other team one way or the other? I'm not denigrating what Cosby accomplished, just wondering which script will play out this time around.
As for beating Kirby, Cosby actually went ahead in that game at JR off Carrico, not Kirby. I've previously noted that despite his overpowering stuff, one thing about Kirby is that he does not have a track record for getting to the 21st out. This leaves the opponent with a late-inning opportunity, and one thing Cosby does well is work the pitcher so as to run up the pitch count and get to the bullpen.
quote:Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Sheez.
I guess if you go looking for things to take offense at, you can find them lurking behind every bush. But if you do want to argue, at least don't make things up.
First of all, the ball in RF wasn't lost in the sun. I know some people said that out of charity to the guy in RF, but the truth is, the sun wasn't on that angle at all -- it wasn't in his face, it was off to his left, over the parking area, at the time. I guess you could say it was "a high sky" situation. I previously equated it to the dropped infield pop on Cosby's side and still feel they are comparable plays. Both would've ended innings, both cost 2 runs, both are plays that you should be able to count on being made as a matter of routine. The fact that things of that nature happened both ways was a lot of why that was the game of the day on Monday -- nip and tuck, very equally played by two tough teams.
Secondly, the guy who hit that ball to RF was a Cardinals player. So make up your mind about the biases you accuse me of. Am I only pro-Cardinals, or am I just anti-Cosby?
Thirdly, if you think Lowery would hold that runner in the 7th inning given another chance, you haven't watched many Cosby games yet. (Perhaps your son is in his first year on the varsity?) It was a situation that called for an aggressive attempt to score and it was definitely the right decision to send him. Yes, Deep Run made a nice play, esp. the catcher (which BTW I said at the time). But the fact that the other side converts the play on occasion doesn't make it the wrong decision. In that situation you can't just hope the next guy gets the big hit, you have to take that chance when it's presented. He had the pinch runner in there for just that situation. It's a decision that pays off 9 times out of 10. In fact if the throw had skipped by, you'd've had your winning run at third with only one out, where he could've scored on a contact out. True, the next guy got the big hit anyway, but you never know that is going to happen.
Speaking as someone who coached a travel team side-by-side with Coach Lowery for 2 years -- bet you didn't know that, huh? -- I would bet you dollars to doughnuts he sends that runner in that situation every time he gets the chance. And I would agree with his doing so every time, too.
As I said before, the reason to bring up the defensive miscues is not to denigrate Cosby. I think highly of the Cosby team and have said so on many occasions (though you don't seem to have read any of those posts). The reason to bring them up is to analyze how the next game might play out by looking back at the three games in which Cosby has faced top lefties so far this season. (Kirby twice, then Boyle.)
I think the fact that Cosby was able to put men on base consistently against Boyle, so that they were in a position to take advantage of miscues when they happened, indicates that they may be well prepared at this stage of the season to face a guy like Rogers. It'll be interesting to see if, on what will mark their 4th game in the progression, they move on to getting runs no matter what the defense does or doesn't do.
The other point of view is that coaches turn to top lefties for a reason. Lefties are often harder to hit for whatever reason, and those with high velocity are rare birds who tend to do well at any level of baseball. By the same token, Hunter Williams is rounding into form ahead of schedule. He was 86-88 last time out which is not exactly chopped liver given that he's only a sophomore. If he goes 5 and gets the game to Carpenter it's a tough row to hoe for LB as the visitors.
If what I hear is true, i.e., that Rogers is prone to wildness, I could see Cosby working him to death by the 4th inning or so and getting a solid win.
All of which is to say, this should be a fun game to watch. I just wish it weren't at 3 p.m. because I won't be able to see it myself!