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Post by Chris on Nov 19, 2006 16:33:49 GMT -8
It's sad to see such a wonderful team so dramatically underachieve. The Ranger 12U team had such great talent and hope for a successful year. Unfortunately, poor leadership and a real lack of baseball smarts lead to its failure to live up to its potential.
I'm a little bitter but hey its one thing to be inexperienced but when you're inexperienced and are too arrogant to ask for advice you're doomed. Never before has so little been accomplished with so much potential.
Daddy ball is dead but 2007 should be a better year.
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rocko
LL Board Member
Posts: 209
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Post by rocko on Nov 19, 2006 17:45:35 GMT -8
Chris,
I hear you on the frusterated side. Rangers 12U had deep talent. The balance seems to be a classic issue of forming a travel team to be competitive or developmental. Hard one...particularly with the talent bunch of kids that represented the Rangers.
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Post by Chris on Nov 19, 2006 17:52:07 GMT -8
To be honest, had the team actually worked to develop players I would have accepted our outcomes. However, I saw a lot of daddy ball and some fo the worst game management imaginable. Of course its hard to develop kids without practicing. Once a week at the Back Yard Boys doesn't cut it. Its easy to say were "developing" players as you don't have to be held accountable for your results. No kid was helped along with their development as players. Everyone is going to get a lil better just from playing. We took a team of sluggers into the travel ball season and by the end of the season NO ONE could hit. It was pathetic but I guess if you never get any real BP you're never going to get any better.
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Post by Mark on Nov 19, 2006 18:00:50 GMT -8
LL all stars to travel is a big step up in competition. and not practicing much couldnt have helped.
how many PLUS (65+ MPH) pitchers from 50 ft did you guys have??
how many GREAT hitters? how many GREAT MIF??? OF???
and who were they?
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Post by Chris on Nov 19, 2006 18:17:44 GMT -8
Mark ~
Trust me you would have run the table (prolly 8 out of 10 tournaments) with this team. We only ran into 2 high quality regional teams the SV Extreme and the Sliders. We had one kid that could throw 70 a couple in the low 60s. We also had some very crafty pitchers that never saw any action. Had a solid middle infield with arguably the best SS around and a strong 2B.
We were loaded with kids that could hit for average and power. We also had our share of speed but they were hit behind a couple of much slower power hittings.
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Post by Greenie on Nov 19, 2006 18:24:00 GMT -8
And you're trying to get me to put Lil' G into that crap. I only watched you guys play once and I couldn't understand why they had ZO hitting BEHIND the 2 big Ox's. I always thought you put your speed up front. But what do I know.
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Post by Mark on Nov 19, 2006 19:36:51 GMT -8
1. Fastest hitter that can get on base, must have excellent strike zone judgement and quality ABs at least a 3-1 BB/K ratio
2. Contact hitter with speed that rarely strikes out, good bunter, good hitter, must use all fields and be able to hit behind the runner
3. Best Hitter for both average and power, must have some speed
4. RBI guy that comes through in clutch with doubles
5. Clean up hitter with power, probly strikes out more than one would like but can hit
6-9 usually gets worked out a few games in.
9th batter is a good OB guy with excellent speed but with lower AVE. than actual lead off guy
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Post by crash23 on Nov 19, 2006 20:47:04 GMT -8
I believe, with all my heart, the 2006 12U Rangers were one of the most dominant teams in the country. Thåt they were comprised from one city was amazing. It took a team like the Sliders, a team comprised of talent from Oakland to Bakersfield, to out do us.
The stars were aligned but Thor was not to be found....
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Post by Chris on Nov 19, 2006 20:53:22 GMT -8
Congrats - You were the very first person to ever bring Nors Mythology to a baseball forum. Profound but true; Losing to the sliders doesn't bother me but there were a bunch of second tier teams that we lost to as well and that does frustrate me.
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Post by KEITH on Nov 19, 2006 21:02:44 GMT -8
MOST DOMINANT IN THE COUNTRY? ?
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Post by scrapper on Nov 20, 2006 8:17:31 GMT -8
Chris, I'm sorry about your experience. I know that team had a lot of quality players. I guess like any other thing, it was a learning experience. I guess the same things happen in LL as TB
Daddy Ball. That's a good one.
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Post by crash23 on Nov 20, 2006 8:25:01 GMT -8
MOST DOMINANT IN THE COUNTRY? ? Yes.
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Post by Chris on Nov 20, 2006 8:31:25 GMT -8
Keith ~
We're talking about opportunities lost. Yes, had this team been properly prepared and the games properly managed we would have done great things.
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Post by trevor9 on Nov 20, 2006 9:04:19 GMT -8
As Murphdog would say, "your only as strong as your weakest link". That doesn't always apply to the players, it could be coaches or parents as well. Until someone can figure out how to eliminate the b.s. and get 3 coaches, 12 players, and thier parents on the same page you will continue to have the same problems. I have said it before so excuse me for stuttering but we must get past this little league mentality, that the best players don't always play and the parents that say "my son was an all-star so he should always be one". Travel ball should be about playing to win and if your kid is stuggling he must work harder to get more playing time not to rely on a rule book that states he must have so many at bats and so many innings in the field. With that being said a coach cannot expect to be successful by only working with his studs in practice and occasionally turning around and giving a little 3 second instruction to a kid that is struggling and then turn back to the stud to pat him on the back for something he has done a thousand times. You cannot alienate your non-studs because they see it and will lose interest or get frustrated. Remember, if this is travel ball the kid must have had some potential to be invited on the team in the first place, if he is not working out than you must look at what has happened to him that he is not getting the job done. I've seen coaches cut a kid immediately after a game and i've seen coaches just starve a kid out to get him to quit. As a parent I would rather a coach just make the cut and move on rather than continue to collect money to ride the pine.
I love Turlock and I think we do have the potential to put a team together that will dominate. Although I don't think to many people observe what these other programs do to be successful, they just sit there and say "we should beat these guys" or "we got cheated". I've heard how the Yankees are actually 15 not 13 and the Sliders have kids from L.A. to Sacramento but so what, go out and play hard, show some class, and continue to make the adjustments to overcome. If it's the coach....replace him, if it's the player....replace him. I would not be so bold as to say any team that has not won a national championship is the most dominate team in the country, but that is a nice goal. We cannot obsess about Riverpark, Sliders, S.V. Yankees, NorCal 12's, or any other team until we make the commitment that thats what we are gonna do.
I'm not pointing fingers at any coach or team. I have a ton of respect for what everyone has done here in Turlock. I'm not saying that I have all the answers either but the simplist things seem to be the hardest to overcome. If we can all learn from our mistakes and others than we will have the team that can win alot sooner than we might think. JMO
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Post by crash23 on Nov 20, 2006 9:21:44 GMT -8
Until someone can figure out how to eliminate the b.s. and get 3 coaches, 12 players, and thier parents on the same page you will continue to have the same problems. Let me know when you have the answer to this one...
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