RNCSportsaholic

I'm going to go with about 245.

Paintsville went to the pass in the second half. Pikeville scored just as many offensive TD's as Paintsville. Somerset can throw, and we know how Pikeville performed against throwing teams. (NCC, Hazard) Paintsville also threw it well against Pikeville considering everyone in the park knew we had to down by 6 with no timeouts left. Lynn Camp may beat Paintsville but how do you see Pikeville beating Somerset? I think all of Pikeville better realize they have the toughest road to the regional final between Hazard, Paintsville and Pikeville.

Hazard is a great offensive team. I have no doubt they will put points on the board, but Chaffins may have a career night against them.

I'll still go out on a limb here and say that the Lynn Camp/Paintsville game will be much closer than the Somerset/Pikeville game. Also say that Paintsville has a much better chance against Lynn Camp at home than Pikeville at Somerset. However, I hope Pikeville wins in the 1st and 2nd round. Go Panthers. ( I just threw up a little after I typed that)

Say it ain't so Habakkuk, say it ain't so! LOL

When you are worng about something relating to baseball I have to jump right on it because its once in a blue moon!

Wrong. He ran the bases against Paintsville in the regional final last year as a pinch runner. So he has ran to A base once in 4 years.

I think Paintsville has a good chance, much better than Pikeville. Also I expect Paintsville to be playing Hazard in the 2nd round due to the way they match up with Lynn Camp. Since Paintsville dominated Hazard that would put them in the regional finals with Somerset but hopefully, but not very likely, Pikeville.

Coach Runyon- Paintsville has the Tigers 8-1 and headed to their first District Title since 1985.

To look at things at a different angle, if all leagues went to wooden bats, I think those leagues would produce better pure hitters. Instead of kids swinging for the fences on every pitch they would learn to swing for the gaps and learn that an outside pitch should be hit to the opposite field. This would reward the pitchers who make good pitches while also teaching kids the proper way of hitting. Sure numbers would be down, but the overall talent would improve. Pitchers would be able to retake the inner half of the plate, and hitters would reap the benefits of learning to hit a baseball hard using proper techniques instead of relying on technology. Its getting to the point were one must question whether its the players getting better or if the technology has improved so much it covers up the flaws in a swing. Today's bats are so "giving" that a ball hit 4 inches above the hands is now a line drive and a ball 2 inches above the hands is still a seeing eye single. Let's go to wood so kids will learn to keep their hands inside the baseball.

After he picked Phelps over Paintsville I don't know what to think about him anymore.... :confused:

If it becomes a city vs. county, then the PLL is in trouble. You know there are a lot of county that play in the PLL and if they are "influenced" to play in the Cal league PLL will lose a lot of players.

I hope it does do well. It may be "open to all" but you know and many others do as well politics will decide who plays where.

Very true, Cianni. Our rivalry with Central is good enough as it is, I hope this doesn't turn things bitter.

As I have stated before I think you look at things objectively and I trust your opinion more than others. If this new league helps out the community then I am all for it. If this brings more baseball to the Paintsville area, then that is great. Heck, I love watching baseball at that level. I just don't want it to turn into a "if you go this school, then you have to play in this league."

I can not speak for everyone, but for me its about the kids. I want our programs to be the best in the state. I do not think dividing the talent will help our community. Hopefully I am wrong and both of our programs benefit from this move. I really hope the politics can stay out of this. I do not want it to become a Paintsville or Central type of deal. Sure everyone will be welcome to play in the Cal Ripken league, but politics may decide who plays where. Hopefully this is completely wrong...time will tell.

Well, Firebird, for the kid's sake I hope you are right. I think will just have to wait and see. I honestly hope that the prediction to have laid out does come true. I think this is only going to hurt both programs but we can agree to disagree. I just think the LL's track record for developing players for both schools speaks for itself. If this brings out new players then I am all for it. I don't think you will see many out of county folks come to Johnson County for baseball. I mean by this, folks from magoffin, martin, and Larwence, not city kids. I can just recall too many great players that came from the LL program to think it is not working. Harman, Slone, Castle,Banks,Simpkins,Blantons, all came from the LL. LL is why both of our programs are regional contenders every year and even state champs. I do not think this new program will promote more players in the long run. The kids that want to play are going to play. Those that do not, don't. So what are you going to do when you have 60 kids show up for baseball practice in the spring? Cut players? Have 3 JV teams? That will cause even for discouragement. Hopefully, I am completely wrong about this idea and both programs elevate to a even better stance in the state.

I didn't make an All star team until I was 12 and never saw the field then either. I think I turned out ok. Also Jeremy Slone, who is pitching for Marshall, never made an All Star team until he was in junior league. My point is even though many players do not make an All Star team they still face the top players and that helps them in the long run. If we split up the players, they will not face good competition, or at least not as good as they face right now, until they reach the high school level. Many will say that politics plays a major role in who is chosen and who is not, that may be somewhat truthful but the results speak for themselves. I know that Central was a great team that year but they didn't have a great record. They just won when they needed to. I can not speak for JCHS but Paintsville has a great number turn out for baseball year after year. This will, IMHO, hurt both Paintsville and JCHS in the long run.

There is a reason why our all-stars do so well. They play agianst greta competition all year in the regular season. Dividing the league will hurt all the players the good and the bad.

PLL just won two state titles. Using both Paintsville and Central kids. Paintsville Little League is known around the state as being a great program. Why would anyone want to break away from this great league? This is only going to water down both leagues and probably now neither one will be able to compete at the level we have in the past. This is going to have a long term affect as well. Players will not be competing against the "elite" from our region because they will be divided into seperate leagues. This will cause our high school prgrams to suffer as well. This is not going to help in any shape, form, or fashion. I am clueless to the power struggle that people are talking about and if that is true then it is really sad that some "grown-ups" can not come together and preserve this great staple of our community. "UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL."

Radar guns are the worst thing ever. Heck, I don't even want police to have them.

Seems to be right on schedule. LOL When they said June 12th did they say what year???

Oh no doubt you all have had our number since we came back into the district, but the 2001 year was our year and I loved that game. Trust me I remember all of defeats you guys handed us as well.

Beating Pikeville on their home field on their senior night is my favorite win of all time. So for Paintsville I would say it is Pikeville.