Loyal readers, here is your chance to get the discussion going. Let us know what is on your mind. Today is a great day for the Pine!
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bill ribassays
Anyone watching the Little League World Series? A lot of great games going on. Last night was a walk off homer to win the game for Montana. Real fun to watch.
Wallysays
The fences are too dang close in Little League. All fly balls have a chance of leaving the yard … if it’s hit just remotely well, it certainly will. And that’s especially true in the LLWS where the pitchers are supplying all the power.
Other than that, it was nice to see Montana stick it to California 🙂
bill ribassays
Well it’s not like the kids are juicing. And if they are, it’s in a little box with a little straw.
What a shame and still very young! Flanagan sure was a very good pitcher for a number of years … certainly one of the main reasons Baltimore was winning pennants and contending during his career.
Helmet sticker, Bill. LOL on that juice comment! 🙂
Back to the LLWS … I flipped it on for a few minutes last night and saw the lefty pitcher for CA was bringing it at 70 mph. In absolute terms, not so fast … but from 46 feet or whatever the mound distance is, that’s the equivalent of … what … 92 mph from the hitter’s perspective? How far are those fences anyway? Aren’t they just like 220 ft or something like that?
bill ribassays
Yeah, the fences are around 220 or so, but it’s not like every kid and his brother is knocking it out of the park. Maybe if they were all relaxed, and it was a regular season game, but even then. These kids are under a lot of pressure because it’s basically win or go home. Add to that the huge crowds, in the 20 to 40k range, and it’s got to be surreal. SO they may be thinking dinger once they get to the plate, but after a pitch or two, it’s probably a different story, once they start talking in their head and all.
Keep in mind, Wally, that these are not only their respective towns’ best players, but these teams are the best of the best. If you’re getting at bats for a team in the LLWS, you’re capable of hitting it out. I’m sure Bill knows a little more about this than I, but I doubt you can say that about the rest of the players in Little League. I know from personal experience, I was a Little League All-Star who never hit a home run in my Little League career.
bill ribassays
Well, for example, in the tournament league my kid played i back in July, we were leaving one of his games, walking by one still going on at an adjacent field. Right when we go by, a big stocky kid hits a homer over the fence, and that fence was like 185. Anyway, the crowds reaction, aside from the team’s parents, was one of, holy cow, that kid hit it out. Chas is right in that these kids are or represent the cream of the crop, and for these games, or most of them, it’s who doesn’t make an error that wins, not who hits the most homers.
Sad to hear of Mike Flanagan’s passing. He had great years in Rochester and is in the Red Wings HOF. We really took the 70s for granted. So many great players coming through the Flower City on the way to the Bigs. 59?!?
Crossword Petesays
How about Pat Head Summitt having early onset Alzheimers? What I find interesting is that the second winningest college coach, Dean Smith, has a similar cognitive-degenerative disorder. Is there a connection between winning at the college bb level and developing this kind of disorder? An amazing coincidence if not!!!
Pete – the thought crossed my mind. If you think about it, at that level, coaching can be so all consuming that your brain can be on automatic pilot for considerable stretches of time.
What amazes me is that Summitt plans to continue her career.
Casey … do you know what his medical/physical problems were recently? People have alluded to them in the various articles but I haven’t found any details.
the 26-27-60 rule is a combination of things that some think is fool proof when drafting a college QB. The quarterback needs to score at least a 26 on the Wonderlic Test (a test for general intelligence) , start at least 27 games during his college career, and complete 60% of his passes while in college
Obviously not 100% accurate. Favre failed this rule. As did Aaron Rodgers and Big Ben. But obeying this rule would have stopped players like Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel from being drafted so early. For what its worth, Cam Newton didn’t play in enough college games to pass this rule. Is he a bust? the 26-27-60 rule thinks so
Crashsays
Wally,
Nice dis on So.Cal ! You didn’t think it would go unoticed did you ?The boys from Huntington Beach (my neck of the woods) responded last night and blanked the local faves and will return to favor tomorrow vs. the boys from Big Sky country…HB vs. Japan in the Final Sunday…Bonsai 🙂
Crossword Petesays
Kyle, good explanation. While not foolproof (what ever is?) it does offer a fairly consistent measuring stick for success by a QB in the NFL.
Loyal readers, here is your chance to get the discussion going. Let us know what is on your mind. Today is a great day for the Pine!
Anyone watching the Little League World Series? A lot of great games going on. Last night was a walk off homer to win the game for Montana. Real fun to watch.
The fences are too dang close in Little League. All fly balls have a chance of leaving the yard … if it’s hit just remotely well, it certainly will. And that’s especially true in the LLWS where the pitchers are supplying all the power.
Other than that, it was nice to see Montana stick it to California 🙂
Well it’s not like the kids are juicing. And if they are, it’s in a little box with a little straw.
I’m sure by now you guys have heard about Mike Flanagan: https://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/6894031/mlb-cy-young-winner-mike-flanagan-1951-2011
What a shame and still very young! Flanagan sure was a very good pitcher for a number of years … certainly one of the main reasons Baltimore was winning pennants and contending during his career.
Helmet sticker, Bill. LOL on that juice comment! 🙂
Back to the LLWS … I flipped it on for a few minutes last night and saw the lefty pitcher for CA was bringing it at 70 mph. In absolute terms, not so fast … but from 46 feet or whatever the mound distance is, that’s the equivalent of … what … 92 mph from the hitter’s perspective? How far are those fences anyway? Aren’t they just like 220 ft or something like that?
Yeah, the fences are around 220 or so, but it’s not like every kid and his brother is knocking it out of the park. Maybe if they were all relaxed, and it was a regular season game, but even then. These kids are under a lot of pressure because it’s basically win or go home. Add to that the huge crowds, in the 20 to 40k range, and it’s got to be surreal. SO they may be thinking dinger once they get to the plate, but after a pitch or two, it’s probably a different story, once they start talking in their head and all.
Keep in mind, Wally, that these are not only their respective towns’ best players, but these teams are the best of the best. If you’re getting at bats for a team in the LLWS, you’re capable of hitting it out. I’m sure Bill knows a little more about this than I, but I doubt you can say that about the rest of the players in Little League. I know from personal experience, I was a Little League All-Star who never hit a home run in my Little League career.
Well, for example, in the tournament league my kid played i back in July, we were leaving one of his games, walking by one still going on at an adjacent field. Right when we go by, a big stocky kid hits a homer over the fence, and that fence was like 185. Anyway, the crowds reaction, aside from the team’s parents, was one of, holy cow, that kid hit it out. Chas is right in that these kids are or represent the cream of the crop, and for these games, or most of them, it’s who doesn’t make an error that wins, not who hits the most homers.
Either way, it’s a hoot to watch.
Sad to hear of Mike Flanagan’s passing. He had great years in Rochester and is in the Red Wings HOF. We really took the 70s for granted. So many great players coming through the Flower City on the way to the Bigs. 59?!?
How about Pat Head Summitt having early onset Alzheimers? What I find interesting is that the second winningest college coach, Dean Smith, has a similar cognitive-degenerative disorder. Is there a connection between winning at the college bb level and developing this kind of disorder? An amazing coincidence if not!!!
Pete – the thought crossed my mind. If you think about it, at that level, coaching can be so all consuming that your brain can be on automatic pilot for considerable stretches of time.
What amazes me is that Summitt plans to continue her career.
I was afraid of this: https://eye-on-baseball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/31541379?source=rss_blogs_MLB
That is truly sad in so many ways.
Casey … do you know what his medical/physical problems were recently? People have alluded to them in the various articles but I haven’t found any details.
Wally – I don’t know anymore particulars. I’m sure we will find out more at a later date.
Anyone ever hear of the 27/26/60 rule regarding success for QBs in the NFL?
I have heard of it, but that’s it. I could not explain it.
the 26-27-60 rule is a combination of things that some think is fool proof when drafting a college QB. The quarterback needs to score at least a 26 on the Wonderlic Test (a test for general intelligence) , start at least 27 games during his college career, and complete 60% of his passes while in college
Obviously not 100% accurate. Favre failed this rule. As did Aaron Rodgers and Big Ben. But obeying this rule would have stopped players like Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel from being drafted so early. For what its worth, Cam Newton didn’t play in enough college games to pass this rule. Is he a bust? the 26-27-60 rule thinks so
Wally,
Nice dis on So.Cal ! You didn’t think it would go unoticed did you ?The boys from Huntington Beach (my neck of the woods) responded last night and blanked the local faves and will return to favor tomorrow vs. the boys from Big Sky country…HB vs. Japan in the Final Sunday…Bonsai 🙂
Kyle, good explanation. While not foolproof (what ever is?) it does offer a fairly consistent measuring stick for success by a QB in the NFL.