June 17th News

Players & Parents,

Wanted to give a shout out to our team, parents and coaches, and celebrate last night’s win with news of the league’s updated standings. Our two comebacks have been so pivotal due to the fact that it keeps us in the drivers seat for the league championship as you can see from todays updated rankings. Our rankings which provide our team with an upper hand in allstar considerations for whatever that is worth to you, to your son and us as coaches.

Kudos to the players for their resolve and will to win. Everybody has contributed this year to our success. And once again in last night’s comeback, you have 4 to 5 guys who stepped up last night who made a difference – Austin Gardner’s 3 for 3 day and his BOMB to the gap in left to win the game, Kameron, Jose, Trevor, Jayman with BIG timely hits to carry us. And then there are offensive contributions of guys like Dillon, Steven, and Tyler who patiently work themselves into a walk. When they’d hoped to slap a basehit. And yet played a key role in win with patience at the plate. Defensively, you have Jose, Steven, Kameron, making crucial plays in the field. And Trevor leading the way with strong, poised pitching.

In the Richland comeback, and the win against Pasco there was a slightly different cast of heroes in that win. At Richland, Jaden makes a double play in RF that saves the game (one of his two “plays of the year”). And on offense, you have Steven starting our 7th inning rally with a triple, Kameron with a key offensive hit, and Tyler lays down a reluctant bunt to trigger the go ahead run. And John Austin hits a bomb to the LF fence with two men on base to give our pitchers a cushion.

In Pasco, defensively it was the steady pitching, and several key plays made on high flyballs by Jose in LF, and our overall team hitting, and defense that made a difference again.

My take on all star honors is this...their is always too much politics involved in it. And as a team, (players, parents, & coaches) we will make a plan toward the end of the regular season for the continuance of baseball. I am a firm believer that the league should adopt sponsoring two 14 U allstar teams, and a 15U allstar team due to the competiveness of our league, the fact that there are reasonably 26-28 outstanding and equally gifted 14 year old players worthy of the honor. And in picking only 13 to 14, the impression left on players is not right.

In the 15U allstar age group, the league has concerns that they may need two to three 14 year olds to blend with the 15 year old players to field an allstar team. So, from my view the jury is still out on the subject. Let’s have a season ending BBQ Party on or before June 30th, enjoy our players success and take inventory of the wishes of the team.

And while we are doing the baseball gig, one of our players, Octavio Rodriguez is at the White House for the second straight year. I love managing this team. So, thanks to our players for their hustle, and grit.

Patrick