Saving pitching for the next game

[Park1221]

Just an observation in watching 6th and 7th region play...teams that held back their ace or #2 for the next game and lost:

 

1. Fern Creek(holds back Burkett and loses to CAL)

 

2. Butler(saves Tingle, except for the 7th after they're down 6-0 to Bullit East)

 

3. Ballard (holds McCombs back and gets run ruled by X)

 

4. Trinity(saves Corey Littrell for X and gets beat by CAL 8-7)

 

A wise retired ball coach once told me in a single elimination tournament (after telling him I was going to save our ace for the championship), "Son ,don't leave this park today without throwing the best you got."

[Set Em Up Sit Em Down]

I would say the same thing, just like a hall of fame college coach once told me " Dance with the lady that brought you to the dance, then worry about all other things later."

[jdbaker12]

Just an observation in watching 6th and 7th region play...teams that held back their ace or #2 for the next game and lost:

 

1. Fern Creek(holds back Burkett and loses to CAL)

 

2. Butler(saves Tingle, except for the 7th after they're down 6-0 to Bullit East)

 

3. Ballard (holds McCombs back and gets run ruled by X)

 

4. Trinity(saves Corey Littrell for X and gets beat by CAL 8-7)

 

A wise retired ball coach once told me in a single elimination tournament (after telling him I was going to save our ace for the championship), "Son ,don't leave this park today without throwing the best you got."

 

I think your wrong you know...

 

First Fern Creek if it wasn't for the error by their shortstop in the 6th they win that game 4-3 because I know Burkett comes in the 7th to shut them down it was just one play that killed Creek and Williams pitched a great game against CAL if they won you would of said great idea by Durham for pitching Williams and keeping Burkett for the Trinity game.

2nd Butler wasn't going to win that game 2day Alphin was just better and Tingle would of probaly held them to 2 or 3 runs and he probably wanted to keep his defense in tact cuz Tingle is a hell of a shortstop.

3rd Either way Ballard was just overmatched in that game why aren't you talking bout X not throwing Amlung oh that's right cuz they won I forgot. Plus I hear McCombs isn't their ace anyways but either way St. X was just the better team why would Ballard even think about throwing their ace.

4th I think Hohmann pitched pretty well for Trinity but if they bring in Rueff before Griffin I believe they win that game but Im not doubting Coach Tompkins because he knows alot more than I do.

 

These teams aren't looking to go home after 1 win and be happy they are trying to set their teams up to be successful for a long run in the tourney it just didn't happen that way this year so shut up bout coaches being wrong they did what they believed was the right move for their ballclub.

[coldweatherfan]

You gotta win the one you're in.

[Hilltopper2005]

Harrison started their #2 against GRC. The game was rained out after 3 innings and Coach Whitaker came back with his #3 in a 1-1 game. The #3 pitched well and it was tied 3-3 after 7. Harrison then brought in their #1 and won it 4-3 in 9 innings. Now they have their #1 and #2 eligible against Campbell County on Thursday and their #3 and maybe #1 or #2 will be eligible if they make it to the 10th Region finals on Saturday. Good luck to the Thorobreds!

[Riverside 157]

To me it really makes baseball playoffs so unpredictable. It really comes down to pitching. If you don't have a good one going for you, you will be going home. Congrats to all the teams on their efforts. I would think that coaches look at it as a "calculated risk" in which they feel the probability is in their favor... But we all know that this is really a "chance" in which optimism clouds judgment....

[cdbaseball]

It's different at Harrison when you have 2 or 3 solid pitchers that can be as good as others 1 and 2.

[cooperstown]

I think your wrong you know...

 

These teams aren't looking to go home after 1 win and be happy they are trying to set their teams up to be successful for a long run in the tourney it just didn't happen that way this year so shut up bout coaches being wrong they did what they believed was the right move for their ballclub.

 

Wow, relax sport. He's entitled to his opinion as much as you're entitled to yours.

 

I can see coaches taking much more of a risk with their starting pitching in a pool play tournament environment, but in a one-and-out situation, you go with your very best. You can't win the "next" game if you're not on the field for that game. If you are blessed with two pitchers that are very close, then there's not much of an issue. But if you're #1 is a clear-cut #1, you throw him.

[Riverside 157]

It's different at Harrison when you have 2 or 3 solid pitchers that can be as good as others 1 and 2.

 

Competition has a lot to do with the success or lack of success of your #2, #3 and # 4 pitchers.....

[stickymitts]

You go to the regional tournament to win the tournament, not one game. Who has the most 9th region championships? Krumps, then Myerhoff? Two guys that regularly start the tourney with their 2 or 3. If their 2 or 3 can't get you past a district loser, they're not going to get you past a district winner later in the tournament.

 

Myerhoff absolutely made the right decision not to start Elliott. If you're #2 isn't good enough to beat Boone in the first round, he's not going to be good enough to beat NC in the second and your #3 isn't going to be good enough to beat CCH in the finals. Or vice-versa

 

Maxwell threw his best in the first game two years in a row and went 1-1. If he takes a chance with his #2 versus HHS and has Nichols for CCH, he's in the finals tomorrow.

 

I'm a firm believer in saving your best for the best, because that gives you the best chance to win the tournament.

[Riverside 157]

Its kinda like the lottery, you must buy a ticket if you want to be eligible to win....

[stickymitts]

Oh, and yes I do realize Boone was a district winner this year...

[Park1221]

I think your wrong you know...

 

First Fern Creek if it wasn't for the error by their shortstop in the 6th they win that game 4-3 because I know Burkett comes in the 7th to shut them down it was just one play that killed Creek and Williams pitched a great game against CAL if they won you would of said great idea by Durham for pitching Williams and keeping Burkett for the Trinity game.

2nd Butler wasn't going to win that game 2day Alphin was just better and Tingle would of probaly held them to 2 or 3 runs and he probably wanted to keep his defense in tact cuz Tingle is a hell of a shortstop.

3rd Either way Ballard was just overmatched in that game why aren't you talking bout X not throwing Amlung oh that's right cuz they won I forgot. Plus I hear McCombs isn't their ace anyways but either way St. X was just the better team why would Ballard even think about throwing their ace.

4th I think Hohmann pitched pretty well for Trinity but if they bring in Rueff before Griffin I believe they win that game but Im not doubting Coach Tompkins because he knows alot more than I do.

 

These teams aren't looking to go home after 1 win and be happy they are trying to set their teams up to be successful for a long run in the tourney it just didn't happen that way this year so shut up bout coaches being wrong they did what they believed was the right move for their ballclub.

 

JD,

Easy there, read my post again. I didn't say the coaches were "wrong". I just made an observation that those 4 teams tried to save pitching and went home early.

Fern Creek--Burkett held X to 2 runs, what would he have done to CAL, we'll never know.

Ballard--Anybody that's watched Ballard knows McCombs is their best. Bloch's record in the paper was reported to be 3-7.

 

Butler--I'm sorry, but if you know you're facing a pitcher the quality of Brandon Alphin you better throw the best you got to try and keep it close. If you saw Tingle mow down BE in the 7th it made you wonder what kind of game it would have been had he started.

 

Trinity--I disagree with your assesment of the performance of Trinity's starter. When you play a team that is physically inferior I think you need to overmatch them on the mound with power. Hohmann seemed to be a finesse pitcher, low velocity, which allowed CAL to put the ball in play, bunt and their power hitters actually drove the ball against him. Littrell had earlier in the year beaten a top 20 team out of Lexinton(Henry Clay or Tates Creek) and by all accounts was the best T had available. I think if either Rueff or Littrell start that game Trinity is playing tonight IMHO.

[cooperstown]

You go to the regional tournament to win the tournament, not one game. Who has the most 9th region championships? Krumps, then Myerhoff? Two guys that regularly start the tourney with their 2 or 3. If their 2 or 3 can't get you past a district loser, they're not going to get you past a district winner later in the tournament.

 

Myerhoff absolutely made the right decision not to start Elliott. If you're #2 isn't good enough to beat Boone in the first round, he's not going to be good enough to beat NC in the second and your #3 isn't going to be good enough to beat CCH in the finals. Or vice-versa

 

Maxwell threw his best in the first game two years in a row and went 1-1. If he takes a chance with his #2 versus HHS and has Nichols for CCH, he's in the finals tomorrow.

 

I'm a firm believer in saving your best for the best, because that gives you the best chance to win the tournament.

 

Of course, in past years CCH and Beechwood did not always have to play a first-round opponent the quality of Boone. Boone was not a district loser. It's a much easier decision to drop down below your #1 if you a playing an obviously weaker opponent.

 

You have to advance if you want to win the whole thing. Period. And you do whatever is necessary to advance. You can save your "best for the best", but if you don't get to that game, the "looking ahead" theory was rather pointless. One of the reasons it is more than worth the risk to use your #1 to advance is that your next opponent(s) will likely have done the same thing. I'm quite certain BHS would have been more than happy to have been throwing their #2 or #3 - both very nice pitchers - against NCC last night, who also didn't have their #1 to throw.

I'm a firm believer that when I get knocked out of a tournament I want to know that the best team I could field (pitch) for that particular game was on the field. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[Clyde]

You go to the regional tournament to win the tournament, not one game. Who has the most 9th region championships? Krumps, then Myerhoff? Two guys that regularly start the tourney with their 2 or 3. If their 2 or 3 can't get you past a district loser, they're not going to get you past a district winner later in the tournament.

 

Myerhoff absolutely made the right decision not to start Elliott. If you're #2 isn't good enough to beat Boone in the first round, he's not going to be good enough to beat NC in the second and your #3 isn't going to be good enough to beat CCH in the finals. Or vice-versa

 

Maxwell threw his best in the first game two years in a row and went 1-1. If he takes a chance with his #2 versus HHS and has Nichols for CCH, he's in the finals tomorrow.

 

I'm a firm believer in saving your best for the best, because that gives you the best chance to win the tournament.

 

I agree in theory. CCH was able to throw their 3 because they were playing St Henry. If they had drawn Boone first, I think the Colonels would have thrown Isler or Nutini.

 

He made a judgment call that I would disagree with IN THIS CASE. Had Beechwood drawn St Henry or Lloyd or Highlands, then you throw your #2.

 

All of this is assuming Elliott is healthy which I'm guessing he is or I'd hate to be Holy Cross.