In 6 innings.

 

Odd game. Cooper was actually sticking it to Ryle for 4 innings, leading 5-1 going into the top of the 5th. What happened in the 5th is almost unexplainable. In fact, I'd love to hear some Cooper fan's thoughts on what occurred.

 

Ryle's first two batters reached base via HBP & BB and the next hitter smoked a triple. Up to that point, Ryle hadn't done much at all to Cooper's starter. Cooper then replaced their starter with a reliever whom I believe faced 12 hitters - 9 of whom he walked - gave up 2 hits, and had no less than 4 wild pitches (probably more). The game turned into a run-rule farce before he was removed. I simply don't understand how a pitcher could be left in this long and be allowed to walk hitter after hitter after hitter. And believe me when I say he was no where close to the plate.

 

Cooper's coach took a game that was not only winnable at that point, but in which Cooper was in control, and let it become a knothole walk-a-thon. I'm sure someone will say that Cooper simply didn't have any other pitchers to use, but whomever they brought in after the 2nd reliever at least threw strikes and made Ryle hitters earn their runs. The first reliever was permitted to stand out there for about 30 minutes and probably threw somewhere in the area of 60+ pitches, 50 of which were balls. I don't blame the kid at all. He was trying his best. But I just didn't follow the point of this at all.

Ugly, ugly game... You can ruin a player by doing what the Cooper coach did tonight to that young man. I started to feel a little sick to my stomach for him and his family.

 

I simply don't understand how a pitcher could be left in this long and be allowed to walk hitter after hitter after hitter. And believe me when I say he was no where close to the plate.

 

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This sounds familiar. Didn't you and I have this conversation already?

I'm sure they could have thrown in SOMEONE. Maybe they didn't have any "pitchers" left, but can't you throw in one of the other 8 players that are on the field. How did Ryle give Cooper 5 runs anyways?

I'm sure they could have thrown in SOMEONE. Maybe they didn't have any "pitchers" left, but can't you throw in one of the other 8 players that are on the field. How did Ryle give Cooper 5 runs anyways?

 

Sounds more to me like how did Cooper let Ryle score...

I'm sure they could have thrown in SOMEONE. Maybe they didn't have any "pitchers" left, but can't you throw in one of the other 8 players that are on the field. How did Ryle give Cooper 5 runs anyways?

 

I'm telling you, for 4 innings Cooper looked like the real deal and played a nice ballgame. They put the bat on the ball and a couple of times very solidly. Their infield made some nice plays, including a flat-out incredible diving play by their 3Bman that would've made Brooks Robinson proud. Their starting pitcher was not overwhelming, but threw strikes and kept Ryle hitters off balance and pounding the ball into the ground. After 4 innings Cooper was up 5-1 and it did not look promising for Ryle.

 

But in the 5th inning alone, Cooper put a dozen Ryle runners on base (perhaps even one or two more) via walks and HBP. Think about that for a second. 12 (or more) runners on base free in one inning. No excuse for that and I don't blame the kids pitching for a second. You can have an infield of Brooks Robinson, Ozzie Smith, and Joe Morgan and it doesn't mean squat if they have to stand there and watch hitter after hitter walk. Silly. Simply silly to allow a team to be taken out of the game like this. There HAD to be SOMEONE available to go out there and throw strikes and obviously there was, given that the 2nd reliever did just that. Ryle got a few hits off him, but at least they were forced to earn it.

This sounds familiar. Didn't you and I have this conversation already?

 

Yep. Though I think this situation was even more egregious than the previous one.

I did not make this game but have talked to another dad that was there. I don't agree with leaving him in that long but supposedly with games tonight, Friday and Saturday, coach Bieger was going to stick with his rotation that he had set up. This may be the first time I've disagreed with him coaching this very young team.

 

However, didn't a lot of people back up Walt at St Henry over the same thing. It was called a learning experience, not worrying about one game and getting them ready for later, etc... Again, if I have Ryle on the ropes for the first victory in the history of the school, I worry ONLY about this game at the time. I could be wrong but the person I spoke to said it was 5-1 after the 5th and the 6th inning was the one with the issues. If so, 6 outs away from a win and a 4 run lead. I feel for the kids who have worked hard but I believe in Coach Bieger.. just not this time.

I did not make this game but have talked to another dad that was there. I don't agree with leaving him in that long but supposedly with games tonight, Friday and Saturday, coach Bieger was going to stick with his rotation that he had set up. This may be the first time I've disagreed with him coaching this very young team.

 

However, didn't a lot of people back up Walt at St Henry over the same thing. It was called a learning experience, not worrying about one game and getting them ready for later, etc... Again, if I have Ryle on the ropes for the first victory in the history of the school, I worry ONLY about this game at the time. I could be wrong but the person I spoke to said it was 5-1 after the 5th and the 6th inning was the one with the issues. If so, 6 outs away from a win and a 4 run lead. I feel for the kids who have worked hard but I believe in Coach Bieger.. just not this time.

 

You have a 5-1 ball game and your starter, who has thrown well all game, gives up a walk, a hit batsman, then a triple to make it 5-3. Runner on 3rd no outs and you relieve the starter, thats fine and makes sense. At that point your reliever begins the walkfest mixed in with some singles and the game is out of hand. The problem here was after he walked like 4-5 in row the game was still somewhat within reach, and you could see this young man could not find it. I don't care if you have to bring somebody in from the stands, relieve this young man of his pain and give your team a chance to win. I think after walking the first 4 or 5 there was more than a learning experience, after that only damage can be done. Everyone needs to put yourself in the shoes of the young man and the family that had to sit there and watch him go through this nightmare, after all this is high school baseball. I imagine that his father was none to happy with what transpired.:irked:

You have a 5-1 ball game and your starter, who has thrown well all game, gives up a walk, a hit batsman, then a triple to make it 5-3. Runner on 3rd no outs and you relieve the starter, thats fine and makes sense. At that point your reliever begins the walkfest mixed in with some singles and the game is out of hand. The problem here was after he walked like 4-5 in row the game was still somewhat within reach, and you could see this young man could not find it. I don't care if you have to bring somebody in from the stands, relieve this young man of his pain and give your team a chance to win. I think after walking the first 4 or 5 there was more than a learning experience, after that only damage can be done. Everyone needs to put yourself in the shoes of the young man and the family that had to sit there and watch him go through this nightmare, after all this is high school baseball. I imagine that his father was none to happy with what transpired.:irked:

 

I agree. I would have probably pulled him after the third walk myself. It's usually clear when a kid just doesn't have it.