I think O'hara from Ryle is a great middle-infielder, it will be interesting to see if he plays ss or 2B for them this year.

 

I'd look for O'Hara to be at 2B, as he would have to beat out both Leatherbee and Helmers to get time at SS. But you are right, he is a very solid fielder. Good hands, great quickness.

I'd look for O'Hara to be at 2B, as he would have to beat out both Leatherbee and Helmers to get time at SS. But you are right, he is a very solid fielder. Good hands, great quickness.

 

Look for Helmer to beat out O'hara at 2nd. Helmer has more range and his arm strength is much better for turning the DP. O'hara can hit more consistently which will keep the competition exciting. Can't go wrong with either one so good for Ryle!

Rickles for HC. He is solid in the middle. Makes very few mistakes.

Look for Helmer to beat out O'hara at 2nd. Helmer has more range and his arm strength is much better for turning the DP. O'hara can hit more consistently which will keep the competition exciting. Can't go wrong with either one so good for Ryle!

 

 

His daddy was a great SS!

I don't think there is just one best ss in NKY this year. You will have a few and I mean a few like 3-4 that can play a solid bag but nothing outstanding. I mean in all honesty the level at all positions is down this year and has been in the past few years. What happend to the days of the Grogans and Rose from cov cath and the Schmidt at Harrison Co. those were some infielders.

I don't think there is just one best ss in NKY this year. You will have a few and I mean a few like 3-4 that can play a solid bag but nothing outstanding. I mean in all honesty the level at all positions is down this year and has been in the past few years. What happend to the days of the Grogans and Rose from cov cath and the Schmidt at Harrison Co. those were some infielders.

 

Have you seen the players mentioned in this thread play?

Dave Conception

Yes I have and like I said there are good middle infielders but nothing to drool about. I have been around NKY baseball for serveral years and I am telling you compared to just 7 years ago the players today couldn't hold a candle to those players. Like I said there are some good SS's but nothing worth bragging about.

Yes I have and like I said there are good middle infielders but nothing to drool about. I have been around NKY baseball for serveral years and I am telling you compared to just 7 years ago the players today couldn't hold a candle to those players. Like I said there are some good SS's but nothing worth bragging about.

 

I don't remember anybody saying that any of these players are the next coming and you are entitled to your opinion, that's what makes BGP.

Yes I have and like I said there are good middle infielders but nothing to drool about. I have been around NKY baseball for serveral years and I am telling you compared to just 7 years ago the players today couldn't hold a candle to those players. Like I said there are some good SS's but nothing worth bragging about.

 

Kind of hard to believe that with the increased level of baseball participation throughout this area, the proliferation of select travel teams in NKY, and near year-round play and training that players are now involved in, that the current SS's in NKY today "couldn't hold a candle" to those of yesteryear. Help me out here - what is the list of players from the period you are talking about that made their way into pro ball?

I've been around baseball in Northern KY for about 20 years and I think it is on the upswing. With facilities like Champions and The Yard and more and more kids playing SWO AABC instead of knothole, they play alot more games against much better competition. Kids today not only have great baseball skills but great baseball IQ's as well. I love to watch these kids play.

I've been around baseball in Northern KY for about 20 years and I think it is on the upswing. With facilities like Champions and The Yard and more and more kids playing SWO AABC instead of knothole, they play alot more games against much better competition. Kids today not only have great baseball skills but great baseball IQ's as well. I love to watch these kids play.

 

I have to agree, the kids today have so much more opportunities to keep working and improving their skills that we never had. It also says alot that the summer programs are so good and there are so many kids wanting to play. We had numbers in the 80's at our Kings tryouts and some very talented guys showed up. The Kings, Colonels, and Bluegrass all keep about 20 kids per team and play roughly 50 games each against some tremendous competition, which can only make these kids better. And no offense to Tim Grogan and the guys from 7 years ago, but there are some very talented kids that I and the other coaches around here are very proud to brag about.

I never said there weren't talented kids I am just saying there is no stand out studs. As a whole there are many kids that can play the bag, but I am saying there isn't really a SS that is going to be a game changer at the varsity level this year. They will hold a solid bag and thats fine but as far as saying there are any SS that are just bubbling over with talent thats far fetched. I mean Diamond Dandy tell me is there a kid in NKY right now that would even come close to the range, speed, smoothness and arm strength of Tim Grogan, T.R. Rose, or J.B Scmidt, there is no way not even close.

Helmer at Ryle has a gun

I never said there weren't talented kids I am just saying there is no stand out studs. As a whole there are many kids that can play the bag, but I am saying there isn't really a SS that is going to be a game changer at the varsity level this year. They will hold a solid bag and thats fine but as far as saying there are any SS that are just bubbling over with talent thats far fetched. I mean Diamond Dandy tell me is there a kid in NKY right now that would even come close to the range, speed, smoothness and arm strength of Tim Grogan, T.R. Rose, or J.B Scmidt, there is no way not even close.

 

No doubt that Tim was (and still is) and outstanding Player. But go to the Cov Cath and Ryle web sites and look at some of the stats the 05, 06, 07 kids are putting up. Some have exceeded Tim's stats, except those 21 home runs. I know a kid that only had 2 errors in 41 games in the middle infield last year, so I still say the youngans are competing. Grogan was a diffferent type player though, bigger, stronger with lots of power, yet quick enough to play the infield.