*Post West Brook Bruin Invitational Tourney Scores Here/PN-G Wins Tourney*

[KFDM COOP]

PN-G looking good!

[KFDM COOP]

PN-G 2 Barbe 1 in the 4th. Benoit pitching.

[KFDM COOP]

3-1 PN-G in the 5th...Harrington HR.

[KFDM COOP]

Final

West Brook 10

Rockport Fulton 1

[KFDM COOP]

Final...

PN-G 3

Barbe 1

WP Benoit

[westend1]

wow.  That's impressive, holding Barbe to one run.  Great game for the NDN's

[cleanup13]

Barbe 11  Westbrook 1

LP Aaron Bender 

Barbe's players were crowding the plate all day, both during the PNG game and against Westbrook.  Unfortunately, one curve ball didn't curve in the Westbrook game and a young man from Barbe was sent to the hospital, taking a hit to the eye/cheekbone area.  In both games, at least 4 or 5 players were hit by pitches.  Hate to see that, dangerous to the kids.  Hope the coach from Barbe takes notes and pulls the kids back off the plate. 

[Kelly Baseball]

Lemme say again, "Toughen Up."  Contrary to what many of you may think, coaches get paid to win games.  In the dream land, the coach's job is to mold the boys into adults, but in the real world, they lose their jobs if they don't win.  If crowding the plate allows you to get baserunners because the opposing pitcher can't do his job, then, by all means, crowd the plate.  Making a blanket statement that says that a coach needs to take care of his players and have them back off the dish is just insane.  If they keep crowding, then you keep pounding the inner half.  Something eventually has to give, one way or the other.  It stinks that Barbe's player took one in the jaw, and I hope that he is okay, but that's just a part of the game....an unfortunate part, yet still a part. 

[KFDM COOP]

Saturday Scores

PN-G 7 Rockport 0 4th Inning..Woods pitching

[KFDM COOP]

Final PN-G 8 Rockport 1..Woods WP.

[BigBodyBenz]

I watched the game and Bender was extremely wild.  On the bright side Micah Gibson came in relief and pitched very well through 2 2/3 innings.  The Barbe team takes away the inside part of the plate by crowding the plate and they payed for it last night with Bender on the mound.

[643]

I watched the game and Bender was extremely wild.  On the bright side Micah Gibson came in relief and pitched very well through 2 2/3 innings.  The Barbe team takes away the inside part of the plate by crowding the plate and they payed for it last night with Bender on the mound.

You can't say the offense takes the plate away by crowding it, the ONLY way they get it is the pitcher gives it to them. He better get used to it and take back whats his, he should have hammered the inside black with a few pitches 'getting away' and if you miss >>you miss inside. Its called good pitching and good pitching beats good hitting ANY day.

[donkey]

that kid was hit hard...hope he is alright

[BigBodyBenz]

By crowding the plate it makes it much more difficult for a pitcher to effectively pitch inside.  Sure you are right about hammering the inside black, but i think the pitchers did that in the games against Barbe at the tournament, especially PNG since they came out victorious.  You seem to forget, Tom House, that this is high school baseball and unlike the major leagues pitchers aren't going to be 100% accurate.  I'm sure that Bender attempted at hammering the inside but it was just a night where he was wild.

[643]

Thanks for the Tom House referall, and as a matter of fact his 1st book was one of the first books I used for training my son. I really don't see your point in making it harder for a pitcher to go inside with offense crowding the plate, as a pitchers dad IMO it would be harder for a batter to crowd the plate when knowing a pitcher will have NO problem throwing inside, if theres a problem going in, every batter should stand with heels on the inside line. I know this is HS ball but you seem to forget the 3 things that make a pitcher good is location, location, location, and if you miss your spot, you miss IN.

By crowding the plate it makes it much more difficult for a pitcher to effectively pitch inside.  Sure you are right about hammering the inside black, but i think the pitchers did that in the games against Barbe at the tournament, especially PNG since they came out victorious.  You seem to forget, Tom House, that this is high school baseball and unlike the major leagues pitchers aren't going to be 100% accurate.  I'm sure that Bender attempted at hammering the inside but it was just a night where he was wild.

[BigBodyBenz]

That's the thing 643.  The Barbe hitters got hit a lot during the tournament because no matter where the pitchers threw they still didn't back off the plate.  I guess to end this argument I will say that a hitter takes away the inside part of the plate when a pitcher cannot effectively throw inside.  When a high school pitcher has so good control that he can spot up on the inside black against a nationally ranked team then you are right and the hitters do not take away the inside part of the plate.  By the way congrats to the PNG pitchers for pitching so effectively.

[643]

Didn't think it was a arguement, its was just my opinion in how to pitch in this situtation. I'm thinking you let one (gas) get away inside on a batter and after he gets up off the ground he'll be a little leary on crowding it again especially when he sees the catcher setting up there again.

[cleanup13]

By the way, the young man that got hit the other night has fractured bones in his eye socket and will need reconstructive surgery.  I don't think that is worth a walk or hit by pitch.  Only my opinion.

[westend1]

I personally think that c-flaps should be required through high school.  I know these guys are tough and all, but it would have made a huge difference in this case. 

[donkey]

Whatever Barbe is doing it must be working...Countless number of State rings and nationally ranked every year..and even though they arent as good this year as last year..they still will find ways to win more than 80% of their ball games

[EAGLE07]

Didn't think it was a arguement, its was just my opinion in how to pitch in this situtation. I'm thinking you let one (gas) get away inside on a batter and after he gets up off the ground he'll be a little leary on crowding it again especially when he sees the catcher setting up there again.

As a pitcher's dad myself, that's certainly the theory he/we have learned..it's pretty effective. 

[sangster05]

I agree with both strategies. Crowding the plate and pitching inside. Its part of the game.

As for the Barbe coaches needing to back off... Im sure they have something to do with their hitters being all over the plate. But lets get real, the players today are smart. They know if the stay on the plate its to their advantage 90% of the time. Give the kids some credit, they know whats going on.

Ive had 13yr olds that refuse to back down from an inside pitch, take it, and trot to first like theyre supposed to. Its a no fear mentallity thats been pressed upon the game in recent years and kids today are alot less afraid than they used to be.

[VOP]

IMO, agree with Westend on this one, why aren't C-flaps mandated? What could possibly be the justification against?