Class System in KY Baseball?

[Clyde]

I hear that there is a meeting coming up where baseball and soccer will get the chance to stress the need for a class system in those sports.

 

I'd be good with a 4-class system in baseball.

[Clyde]

I'd be good with a 4-class system in baseball.

 

After counseling from someone much smarter on this subject than I, I'd like to revise the above to 2-3 classes.

[papa22320]

I would be in favor of classification in Baseball. I think it would help some of the smaller schools attract athletics to come out and play baseball. Just a realistic chance to compete for a championship every year would be exciting for the kids. This could be a shot in the arm for schools like Dayton whom I know have some good baseball players who don't even come out for the team because they don't think they can win it all. These kids don't believe in the moral victories of competing locally. They want a realistic chance of saying we were state champions.

[papa22320]

After counseling from someone much smarter on this subject than I, I'd like to revise the above to 2-3 classes.

 

Why just 2 - 3 classes? Just curious. I probably agree. I think football has become too watered down with the 6 classes.

[Clyde]

Why just 2 - 3 classes? Just curious. I probably agree. I think football has become too watered down with the 6 classes.

 

Your last comment is probably the answer to your first question.

[Vols Fan 11]

I dont agree with this in any way.. sorry.. If kids want to be TRUE state champions than they have the real chance to be STATE champions by having 1 class... Small schools have kids that are really really good players, and just simply would be hindered by this system! if you are truly looking out for the best interests of the kids i believe that a Uniform class is the best way to have it! Allow me to further my opinion... look at Heath, they had Daniel Webb... look at LCA they had Robbie Ross, and so on.. most of these small schools don't have any issue with the competition aspect of things... Just like the earlier debate of Public/Private... These issues i believe will hinder the kids and not further their ability to excel in the sport that they love... Sometimes the best gain is a Loss!

[nkuclubbaseball19]

I dont agree with this in any way.. sorry.. If kids want to be TRUE state champions than they have the real chance to be STATE champions by having 1 class... Small schools have kids that are really really good players, and just simply would be hindered by this system! if you are truly looking out for the best interests of the kids i believe that a Uniform class is the best way to have it! Allow me to further my opinion... look at Heath, they had Daniel Webb... look at LCA they had Robbie Ross, and so on.. most of these small schools don't have any issue with the competition aspect of things... Just like the earlier debate of Public/Private... These issues i believe will hinder the kids and not further their ability to excel in the sport that they love... Sometimes the best gain is a Loss!

 

How about giving kids from more than 1 school the ability to say they were state champs? Small schools in no way would be hindered by a class system. If anything it will do nothing but help them.

 

I actually just had this discussion with statmanhensley a little bit ago and believe a class system for baseball would be a good idea. I think 2-3 classes is the perfect amount. Any more and you are spreading it too thin. Give the smaller schools a chance to compete against other smaller schools where the ability to pull athletes is lower. Heck for the people that say that one "TRUE" champion is the best way why not do some short of +1 or round robin for the winners of the 2 or 3 classes? Then you can have some sort of overall champion.

[papa22320]

I don't agree with this in any way.. sorry.. If kids want to be TRUE state champions than they have the real chance to be STATE champions by having 1 class... Small schools have kids that are really really good players, and just simply would be hindered by this system! if you are truly looking out for the best interests of the kids i believe that a Uniform class is the best way to have it! Allow me to further my opinion... look at Heath, they had Daniel Webb... look at LCA they had Robbie Ross, and so on.. most of these small schools don't have any issue with the competition aspect of things... Just like the earlier debate of Public/Private... These issues i believe will hinder the kids and not further their ability to excel in the sport that they love... Sometimes the best gain is a Loss!

 

I can understand your reasoning. But what would keep the elite small schools from playing a schedule that would expose them to the better schools? I'm not saying that this would be the best scenario for every kid, I just think more kids would benefit from classification than would be hurt by it. Some schools that struggle to field teams would benefit from the idea of a playing field of equal competition, by equal I'm strictly talking about numbers. Speaking in general if I have 4 good players in a school of 100 I'll have 40 in a school of 1000. I don't think this issue is anywhere close to the Public/Private issue. Most people realize that the number of athletics you have to choose from will directly impact how good a team you have most of the time. Don't even want to get into the Public/Private issue which is more of a recruiting issue in my opinion.

[bulldog77]

With all due respect, the "one true champion" argument holds water only in the eyes of fans and people outside the game. For Dayton to have to compete with the likes of a Pleasure Ridge Park is utterly ridiculous. Anybody can claim exceptions to the rule and I commend those programs hardily, but the facts are that some 75% of schools in this sport are numerically eliminated even before the district tournaments start. I am referring of course to numbers of students. Having three classes will do wonders for the baseball programs at the vast majority of schools and for the vast majority of players. More exposure, more opportunities. And don't try the argument that "the kids want one true champion" because there is absolutely zero credible data to back that statement up. The vast majority of the coaches in the sport have spoken in a poll conducted by the coach's association and they overwhelmingly want classification to happen.

[thsrocks]

Most states have classes based on enrollment in baseball. I am for it. It might be one way Trinity could speed up the capture of a title. The Rocks have lost to Hazard, Christian Academy of Louisville, & Christian Academy of Lexington in the playoffs just to name a few.

 

The same should be applied to basketball, volleyball, etc. I doubt this will ever happen in basketball, but the other sports should embrace the change.

[insertnamehere]

There is already an All "A" Tournament for small schools. Are we suggesting that there be a division even smaller than that? Then do we get rid of the existing All "A"?

Not everyone is going to get a trophy, nor should they. There is plenty of value in setting lofty but reasonable goals. For some schools, a state championship is it. In others, it's a regional title, or just qualifying for the regional tourney. 64 teams make regional tournaments; 16 win them; 8 play at Applebee's; everyone competes in the district tournament. The system is not perfect, but there are plenty of opportunities for success, even if that does not mean a state title.

[cooperstown]

I dont agree with this in any way.. sorry.. If kids want to be TRUE state champions than they have the real chance to be STATE champions by having 1 class... Small schools have kids that are really really good players, and just simply would be hindered by this system! if you are truly looking out for the best interests of the kids i believe that a Uniform class is the best way to have it! Allow me to further my opinion... look at Heath, they had Daniel Webb... look at LCA they had Robbie Ross, and so on.. most of these small schools don't have any issue with the competition aspect of things... Just like the earlier debate of Public/Private... These issues i believe will hinder the kids and not further their ability to excel in the sport that they love... Sometimes the best gain is a Loss!

 

And do you feel the same way about football?

[cooperstown]

With all due respect, the "one true champion" argument holds water only in the eyes of fans and people outside the game. For Dayton to have to compete with the likes of a Pleasure Ridge Park is utterly ridiculous. Anybody can claim exceptions to the rule and I commend those programs hardily, but the facts are that some 75% of schools in this sport are numerically eliminated even before the district tournaments start. I am referring of course to numbers of students. Having three classes will do wonders for the baseball programs at the vast majority of schools and for the vast majority of players. More exposure, more opportunities. And don't try the argument that "the kids want one true champion" because there is absolutely zero credible data to back that statement up. The vast majority of the coaches in the sport have spoken in a poll conducted by the coach's association and they overwhelmingly want classification to happen.

 

Agree. :thumb:

 

JOOC, do you have any specific numbers on this voting? And, further, if the coaches are generally for it, what then is the road block to getting this accomplished?

[16th62nd]

Currently 44/46 states have classification in baseball, 4 states have no high school baseball. I think it is for the betterment of the sport to class baseball into 3 classes in KY. Someone tell one of the football champions there title is watered down because of classification and I bet they would disagree whole-heartedly. They would also show you that beautiful ring on their finger that says State Champions!!!

[panther15z30]

Currently 44/46 states have classification in baseball, 4 states have no high school baseball. I think it is for the betterment of the sport to class baseball into 3 classes in KY. Someone tell one of the football champions there title is watered down because of classification and I bet they would disagree whole-heartedly. They would also show you that beautiful ring on their finger that says State Champions!!!

 

Wow what are the 4 states that don't have baseball? I'm going to guess Alaska is one of them.