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| Lee
July 2, 2008
11:20:01 PM
Entry #: 2816729
| There are several who have been very committed to making every effort to be at our games. To those of you who have, I (along with the other folks who have made the commitment to be here) want to express my sincere appreciation.
However, we have quite a large number of folks who only want to show up and play at your convenience. This is NOT how it works folks.
Coach Radtke and I both made available a calendar for all of our players to mark off the days you wouldn't be available to play throughout the season. We use these calendars to let us know who we should be able to count on being there before we get to our games each day. Outside of those marked off days (or other 'emergencies' that arise), you're expected to be available to our team.
A very conscious effort was made this season to limit our playing dates to Tuesdays and tournaments on weekends. I did this for the following reasons:
... 1) Gas prices ... check that .. GAS PRICES
... 2) So everyone could schedule their other activities around these days whenever possible
... 3) So everyone could have plenty of off days so as to not burn anyone out on baseball
To date, this philosophy has failed miserably.
Earlier this year we had to cancel one of our weekend tripsand combine our teams to be able to fulfill at least one team's schedule. This past weekend, our Red team showed up at Birmingham Southern with the following number of their own players: Friday (7) ... Saturday (8) ... Sunday (9) ... @ Huntsville on Tuesday (9)
Out of an 18 man roster, that's embarrassing. I knew of 6 that couldn't be there BEFORE Friday morning for Friday, and even fewer for Saturday/Sunday/Tuesday.
Now, we get to this weekend. I realize the 4th of July is a big holiday. I also realize the 4th of July is also a HUGE baseball weekend around the country (and the southeast is the baseball hotbed of the country). There are HUGE tournaments across the southeast. Some of these tournaments last the entire week.
We entered both of our teams in different tourneys this weekend (as we've done so far each weekend throughout the season). And, it's becoming very obvious, we're going to struggle to have enough players to complete our games scheduled for the weekend.
One of these tournaments (Columbia) has 2 teams coming from Minnesota, one from Boulder Colorado, and one from Bordentown New Jersey. I'm pretty sure these teams will have their full rosters here for the entire tournament. We're an hour and twenty minutes away and we're going to struggle to get 9 players there for a doubleheader Friday night (I think we'll have 10 there for a single game Thursday). When we only have 9, that means no courtesy runners, no DH (so our pitcher has to hit and run), no substitutes in the event someone gets hurt, sick, or is simply having a bad game, etc.
Folks, if you didn't want to commit to playing on a travel ball team (American Legion is the originator of the travel ball concept), then why did you even start?
What I'm finding out is everyone wants to show up (and play) the home games while very few want to travel to play against the teams who travel to play us.
I wish I could find enough teams who have always longed to come to Florence Alabama to play our team/s, because of the prestige that comes along with playing in/against Florence Post 11. However, our program hasn't reached that status level yet. Nor do I think it ever will. East Cobb isn't that privileged yet, and they turn out numerous 1st round draft choices on a yearly basis. And their teams travel all over the country.
A lot of the most prestigous baseball teams in the southeast spend 2 weeks at a time on the road, then visit home for a few days, before heading out on the road again for 2 more weeks. They continue this trend for 8 or 9 weeks each summer.
I know we're nowhere near ready to ask for that type of commitment from our players yet. However, I would feel a lot better if we could field our teams with players who didn't mind traveling an hour and a half for a 2 or 3 day weekend tournament.
I look in most of the other dugouts of our opponents in these tournaments and see 5 or 6 extra players on most teams. I know we're not supposed to be envious, but it sure is tempting to be envious to know what it feels like to coach a team full of players who love to play the game, love being with the rest of the guys on the road, and love supporting the ones who are playing.
I've talked to the coaches of some of the most successful programs in this state, as well as a couple of our adjoining states about this topic. After listening to them, I'm entirely too lenient with our players. I can talk to players/parents til I'm blue in the face about their lack of commitment to THEIR team, and it won't get thru to them if they're not a team player.
Baseball is a TEAM game. Your teammates depend on you to fulfill your role/responsibilities for the team to be successful. The FIRST responsibility each team member has is BEING THERE when it's game time.
Going into this season, I never contemplated we would have 2 senior teams. However, once tryouts were held, and we saw how many kids we would've had to cut had we only had one team, the decision was made to create the 2nd team for the sake of giving all these guys a quality team/program to play on. When this decision was made and the players were divided up, it weakened the strength level of the team we could've created.
Were there reservations about splitting up the talent instead of making a #1 team and a #2 team? Absolutely there were. I'm aware that some people felt from the beginning we had a #1 and a #2 team anyway. I assure you, that isn't the case. There are players on both teams who would've made a #1 team as well as players on both teams who would've been cut had we chosen to only have 1 team.
Right now, I'm kicking myself for not going ahead and making 1 team as strong as possible. We could've created a VERY strong team had we chosen. Instead, we chose to allow 18 more boys to have an opportunity to play on a high level, competitive team that plays against other higly talented teams. And in return, we haven't received much of a thank you back (and I don't mean a verbal thank you, I'm talking about a commitment to show up and play for the team you tried out/agreed to play for).
Friday is the 4th of July. I know it's a big day for fireworks shows. It's also a big day for cookouts, boating, golfing, fishing, as well as numerous other outdoor activities. It's also a big day for baseball.
One of our teams play in the afternoon and early evening in Tupelo, and the other team plays 2 night games in Columbia. The team playing in Tupelo will have time to play then make it back for some of the local festivities. The team playing in Columbia will have all day to do things with family/friends/girlfriends and have plenty of time to make it to Columbia to play baseball for/with the team/mates who you chose to depend on this summer as your teammates.
What gives you the right to depend on your teammates if you're not willing for your teammates to depend on you? Several of you really need to check your commitment level to your teammates. When you do, you're going to be embarrassed once you realize just how little you've let them depend on you.
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