The season is off and running

When I received our tournament schedule I had to laugh. I love to play a tough schedule, but come on.

The first weekend tournament had us opening with perennial powers in Louisiana. The first game was against defending 3A champion Parkview Baptist (the preseason #1), followed by three time district 5A champion Dutchtown. The first Saturday would see us play St. Amant. which eliminated us from the playoffs last year. The second game on Saturday would conclude the Trey Richardson Tournament with defending 5A state champion Catholic High of Baton Rouge. We held our top pitcher for Monday, when we were scheduled to play the #6 team in the country (Baseball America), and #1 5A preseason team in Louisiana, Barbe High School of Lake Charles.

Having to play all five of these games against quality teams on the road was a taunting task. We tried to prepare for the season, but extreme cold and many rainy days cost us precious practice days. Everyone had the same problems, though, and at least we have an indoor facility to work in.

The decision to hold our best pitcher, Kade Granier, for Barbe on Monday was a calculated risk. Losing three of these games would certainly put us in a very bad spot in the power ratings. The power ratings are even more important this year with two rounds of best 2 out of 3 series in the playoffs. The top four seeds will hold a huge edge and get to hold two series at home. How hard will it be to go into a good team's home and take two games with a hostile crowd and sleeping in hotels? Not an easy task for any team.

Thursday's game versus Parkview was our first test. Watching them take infield I knew that their ranking was accurate. They're big, strong and talented, but I looked forward to the game. I know our team will scrap. We won't win any contests because of our imposing size. We have one player who is 6'5" (Granier), and the rest of my starters are under 6'0". We will fight for every pitch, try to win every at bat, but we sure won't scare you.

But a close game became am 11-2 win with bunts and running. We hit three bunts in one inning, and all three drove in runs. Senior pitcher Ryan Brewer kept Parkview down with three strong innings, and sophomore left hander Tyler Winters picked up the win with two hitless innings, striking out four. Ace Kade Granier threw two innings to pick up the save. We were off to a good start.

The Dutchtown game was close.  Starting pitcher, junior Nick McClendon, threw five quality innings and sophmore Brandon Wild threw two scoreless innings in relief. Clutch two-out hitting kept us 2-0. In the third inning,  Jacob Cambre drove in Granier, who singled and moved to third on Brewer's double to left, and Randy Harveys sacrifice fly plated Brewer for the 4-2 lead. Granier hit a long 2-run homer in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-2.

Game three was our first loss of the season, as St. Amant put on quite a hitting display. St Amant had 8 hits and score 6 runs against starter Junior Austin McDonald. Loagan Babin threw 2 2/3 hitless innings in relief giving us a chance to win. Granier hit his second home-run of the season in the 5th, but we couldn't piece together another treat and lost 6-5.


The second game against Catholic High was a tremendous display of hitting leading to a 12-4 win. The outcome was never in doubt. Sophmore left-hander Cole Martin threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and four runs.Senior Hunter Abadie finished with 2 2/3 perfect innings of relief. Granier had a perfect 4-for- 4 day, with his 3rd home run in three games. Brewer had three hits and Randy Harvey had two in the win.

The #6 team in the country, still took us lightly as they prepared for Monday's game. Barbe has 7 players who have committed to D1 schools. My players were ready from the time they arrived at school for the 3 1/2 hour bus ride on a yellowbird. The kept talking about "being on the map" and letting everyone know we were going to be contenders. Sam Steib got the Bucs attention with a long two run homer in the top of the first. Granier was outstanding on the mound, giving up three hits and striking out six. His biggest test came in the fifth, when Barbe loaded the bases with no outs. A hit batter, an error and a walk left the game in doubt with the score 5-2. But Granier struck out the side and only a passed ball allowed Barbe to score, cutting the lead to 5-3. Hunter Abadie and Ryan Brewer both hit doubles to drive in big runs.

This start is a credit to a bunch of players who care about each other. They never think they can't win and play with a chip on their shoulder. These guys are playing hard because they love it, they don't care if their underrated. They just want to get on the map!

Why are you quitting now, Coach?

I get this question two or three times a day. "Why are you quitting now, Coach?"

Everyone thinks that the parents are driving coaches out of this profession. I don't believe that I have ever had problems with parents. Yes, there are two or three who don't care for me. I still love being around the players, and even the umpires are OK. Well, close to OK. 

So, here is the reason:  IT IS NO FUN.  THE GAMES ARE NO FUN.

  Call all the high school baseball coaches you know and ask them if they agree. You see, we (the coaches) have allowed the powers that be, the  National Federation of State High School Associations: NFHS to ruin our game. High school baseball is boring. They took a game that was so wonderful and they brought it to its knees.

We moved to the BBCOR bats a few years ago, and suddenly, teams that could hit were punished. Teams that can pitch are almost unbeatable.

I spent 30 years teaching players the proper technique of hitting.  I have coached quite a few good hitters. Some of those players have set school records for hitting.  One even set a national record when he hit 6 consecutive home runs. ALL of these are untouchable now. Players hitting double digit home runs were fairly common on every team in the New Orleans area. Last year one player hit 10 home runs -- in a seven parish (counties) area. 

It has affected all games played. We all bunt early in the game. We are giving away the the most important thing in baseball -- OUTS. Even when players hit a ball on the screws, center fielders run them down easily. I know they restricted the speed of the ball off the bat to protect the pitchers. I understand this concept in college baseball where the players are 19-22 year old men. Their frames are filled out, their bat speed is measurable.

I don't coach them. My best hitter is 5'8', 155 pounds. Really. Being a hitting coach you may say I want it back because I was successful. Well let me take you in another direction.

All I know about pitching is that I couldn't hit the good ones.

Well everyone is a good pitcher now! There are still very talented arms and they are almost impossible to hit. In the pre-BBCOR days,  an average player could run into a fastball and get a hit if it found a hole. They have no shot now, so coaches just pitch around good hitters. The other players don't have a chance. Even when you can get ahead in the count, the pitchers just throw it right down the middle. Hit it as far as you can, and the center fielder just runs it down. Not only the bats have been affected the pitchers are too. Do you really want to teach players to throw it down the middle? Why not?  There is no penalty. Home run hitters are singles hitters now (and the old contact singles hitters don't exist). We have even created a new brand of pitchers -- soft throwing right-handers. Just flip it up there, make it move a little and let them hit it. It's not going anywhere.

I miss 10-9 games, guys hitting doubles and players scoring from first. Those days are gone. Now its 0-0 in the 2nd and we have seen three sacrifice bunts already. The good hitting teams still win. We were 29-6 last year, so it's not about winning,  The fans are sitting on their hands. The players never jump out of their seats and never get to say "Did you see that?!"

Have I thanked the  National Federation of State High School Associations: NFHS?

You have made the game I love boring, and because you did it for "SAFETY REASONS" it's here to stay. 

 Well I'm not - so farewell.