Has anyone checked out U of Kentucky's athletic website today?

 

UKAtletics.com

 

Now that's promotion. :thumb:

I'd argue that baseball is the sport that requires the most skill and practice. That hurts the cause.

 

I will agree with you. A coach once told me, hitting a round ball with a round bat is one of the hardest things to do. And it is the truth. After practice a few times while I was in high school, some of the football players would come over to our baseball practice thinking they could pick up a baseball and throw it 100 mph. or step up to the plate and hit a line drive. But after attempting they realized it was harder than it looked.

 

Also, in baseball, there is no one play that is ever the same as one before.

I think one thing that hurts baseball/softball is that it is the last sport of the school year. Some kids are burnt out from all the practices, weightlifting, games from the previous 2 seasons and want a season off.

I think one thing that hurts baseball/softball is that it is the last sport of the school year. Some kids are burnt out from all the practices, weightlifting, games from the previous 2 seasons and want a season off.

 

I have seen this happen.

I think one thing that hurts baseball/softball is that it is the last sport of the school year. Some kids are burnt out from all the practices, weightlifting, games from the previous 2 seasons and want a season off.

 

I truly believe that a kid who loves the game of baseball, could and would play it year round if he could. Just look at all the kids who are playing summer baseball in NKy and there are more than just parents sitting in the stands watching these games. Summer baseball is huge now and is still growing at least in NKy. All summer long I never heard one kid complain about having to play a game or even practice. They always seem at least to me, to be having a ball. Looking very forward to the start of the season, I just hope that mother nature treats the game well this season, by having some great weather to play in.

I truly believe that a kid who loves the game of baseball, could and would play it year round if he could. Just look at all the kids who are playing summer baseball in NKy and there are more than just parents sitting in the stands watching these games. Summer baseball is huge now and is still growing at least in NKy. All summer long I never heard one kid complain about having to play a game or even practice. They always seem at least to me, to be having a ball. Looking very forward to the start of the season, I just hope that mother nature treats the game well this season, by having some great weather to play in.

 

By the time you get to high school, the boys still playing ball in the summer are the ones that are doing so because they love the game and are not being forced to play because Mom and/or Dad insist he do so. Heck, there's more and more kids playing Fall Ball these days. In fact, there's quite a few high school age Fall teams in this area. Personally, even if my son didn't play football and despite the fact that I am a baseball nut, I still think I'd encourage him to take a break in the Fall. Given that he (and many boys) start baseball workouts/training in December/January and play through July, I don't think there's anything wrong with taking 4-5 months off to re-charge the baseball batteries.

What do you base that on? I mean is there a caste system where at the top baseball schools it's more popular than ever while the other schools are seeing a decline? It does appear to me as an outsider that less and less discussion of high school baseball is taking place. Is it a reflection of major leage baseball being less popular than it once was?

 

MLB had its highest attendence in more than ten years this past season.

MLB had its highest attendence in more than ten years this past season.

 

Did it? That's good to hear. SI had an article about the lack of numbers playing the game compared to in the past, particularly among african americans. They also discussed lower attendance but it was a couple years back. That's what I based my comment on.

 

Overall, is there more people coming out to the high school games or is it just the top programs? I know when I was in school many years ago none of our games were attended by more than a handful of people. Of course we weren't, and did not play, any of the top programs. The only games I've been to in the past few years were Highlands home games and I kind of felt bad for the boys. Compared to the football(of course) and basketball games they seemed to be cheated out of the home field crowd advantage. I just wonder how other schools are in comparison.

I can say this about the 16th region for baseball. If you don’t have a person with big bucks that loves baseball and likes to support your team, you are in trouble. Baseball gets the gym after all the other sports have made their schedule or if they will even let baseball players use it. Baseball is always last at getting uniforms, practice equipment ,and funds to update field conditions. Like I said, you better have someone that has some money to support your team because the schools will not.

How do you define "passion" for the game? Personally, I find one of the most relaxing things to do in the summer is to watch a professional baseball game and probably do it between 20 and 30 times a season. However, I just never really enjoyed high school baseball, never played it etc. Does that mean I lack "passion?"

How do you define "passion" for the game? Personally, I find one of the most relaxing things to do in the summer is to watch a professional baseball game and probably do it between 20 and 30 times a season. However, I just never really enjoyed high school baseball, never played it etc. Does that mean I lack "passion?"

You answered your own question.

I love high school baseball night games.

I love college day games, with 40 guys in a dugout and no one sitting on the bench.

I love sitting at a pro game with a bag of peanuts and a cold drink!

 

You could say I have passion.

I can say this about the 16th region for baseball. If you don’t have a person with big bucks that loves baseball and likes to support your team, you are in trouble. Baseball gets the gym after all the other sports have made their schedule or if they will even let baseball players use it. Baseball is always last at getting uniforms, practice equipment ,and funds to update field conditions. Like I said, you better have someone that has some money to support your team because the schools will not.

 

You got that RIGHT!

I use a ton of my vacation time to go an watch summer and HS baseball. There is nothing better than sitting behind the backstop, on a warm summer evening, keeping score, drinking a cold coke, and munching on some sun flower seeds, while talking baseball to other baseball fans. Priceless. Even better at CovCath because you can eat one of the best hamburgers anywhere.

Sure sounds good. :thumb: