Get out the tissues for that one by Art! He doesn't tour much anymore, but we were lucky to see him at the Ryman just a couple years ago. One of the prettiest voices ever!
Speaking from a lot (too much) experience on the club ball thing….
-folks, it is just a totally different landscape- no different than the way 99% of us now post pics of our vacation on the net versus sending a hand-written postcard from said vacation. It's just a different time.
The elite clubs like the Midland Redskins back in the day had the Griffey’s, Larkin’s, Bell's and Hyzdu’s and those clubs were truly for the guys that had a future in the game. Can’t speak for the other sports but something happened around 2008-2011 where youth baseball morphed from the kids who wanted to excel at it into just a glorified little league.
The modern day “club ball” thing mostly resembles a more expensive but well-dressed and well-equipped little league team, which a lot of the time it turns into “daddy ball”. Today’s landscape has rendered the local rec leagues as a true basic league to get your feet wet with the sport. So it’s just not the same.
-regarding the cost, it boils down to simple value. If my son’s club gave him quality professional instruction at practice and played in enough tournaments and also got enough gear you can easily rack up a $2000 per season tab. But anyone paying $250-300/month for glorified little league needs to shop around.
-last point I will make on chasing the scholarship is everyone is blinded and fixated on going D1 baseball. Didya know that there are 11.7 baseball scholarships at the D1 level so you can do that math on a roster of 35-40 players not everyone is going “full ride” through athletics. Yes, these shortages are made up through academic or need-based grants/ scholarships. But I’m always shocked at how many parents piss away all this money on youth sports without funding a basic 529 account or their own 401k along the way.
My son, my friends and I were fortunate enough to be some of the "1 in 200" in attendance at the Masters practice round on Tuesday. Harold Varner III was paired with Phil, DJ and Talor Gooch. An obvious "Liv" pairing, but on the walks down the fairways Harold was usually 20 or so yards away from the others. Apparently there's no love lost. Kudos to him for stating the obvious.
if there are angels, and if they sing, they sound like Art on Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Simon has said he regrets not singing lead on it himself and I’m like luv ya Paul but boy are you wrong about that.
It’s possible the Reds didn’t play Wednesday because there was severe lightning around. I have no official knowledge, just guessing as we were driving north on I71 around 1:30pm and the sky to ground lightning was everywhere.
I'm stunned by the radar gun concept. My grandson was going to go out for baseball and turned out to be a great pitcher...however, he threw the ball in the high 80's's and they pushed for more. He was wise enough to save his arm for other future endeavors. Wise child. Our kids need to be allowed to enjoy the brief pleasures of just being kids in their sports and learning about teamwork and playing together. And, are the parents with the radar gun who brag about the cost, going to charge the other kids to track their pitching speeds to help recoup the cost? We need no more reasons to separate the
I was a long time umpire. We learned in our high school classes the stats of a young man ever seeing a pitch in high school. Very slim. The chances of a college scholarship ? Baseball is the least funded of any major sport. Seeing his first pro pitch ? Next to none. BTW, I had more joy umpiring 8 to 12 year olds than any group older than that. They were oblivious to how seriously the adults took the game !
DOC MY MAN, YOU ARE TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT THE REDS GAME I WAS THERE. WE SAT THROUGH 2 HOURS OF CONSTANT RAIN. NO WAY THEY PLAY THAT GAME. PLUS I WAS FORCED TO DRINK SEVERAL DYLAN MULVANY'S THAT MY FRIENDS BOUGHT.
Apr 6, 2023·edited Apr 6, 2023Liked by Paul Daugherty
To quote the Ol' Lefthander, "Get outta here! Get outta here, baseball! It's gone, a home run!"
You knocked it out of the park today. Made me think of my 13-year-old son and his dalliances with organized youth sports (baseball being the next one). He played on his eighth-grade basketball team this past year -- first time playing organized basketball -- and I had to set him straight after the second game of the season. He was pouting because he felt he wasn't getting to play enough, and was riding the bench too much.
After the game, I addressed his moping, telling him bluntly that coach wouldn't play him if he was going to continue to act like a brat, his purpose of being on the team was to learn the game, have fun, support his teammates, and do the best he could when given the opportunity. Last but not least, I enlightened him on the fact that neither he, or his fellow teammates, were going to the NBA, so stop acting like it's the NBA and just have fun.
Much to my surprise, and without any prompting or direction from me, he ended up apologizing to his coach at the next practice, made the most of his time off the bench and on the floor, encouraged his teammates, and by the end of the season was even leading the team chant before the game and during timeouts.
More parents need to be like that. Honest and upfront with their kids. Not enough do, though ... they'd rather keep telling seventh-grader Billy, who can't field a grounder cleanly and is hitting .098, that he'll be playing at Yankee Stadium when he's 21. Unrealistic expectations from parents, unrealistic pressure on a kid -- it'll suck the fun out of the game real quick.
And these select teams, showing up with the latest, most expensive gear, thinking they're the reincarnation of the '75 Reds. It's ridiculous. Growing up playing ball, I can remember two, count 'em two, select youth baseball teams in the Cincinnati area -- Storm Club in White Oak, and Midland out on the east side. That was it. And you made those teams based on talent, not how much money your parents were willing to shell out.
Now, "select" means nothing. It's not based on talent or tryouts ... it's based on which parents want to fork over $2,000 a season just to be able to say their kid plays on a "select" baseball team, and for the kids to think their ?!@$ doesn't stink because they have the in-style cleats, ball bags, uniforms, caps, etc. Madness.
On a lighter note, I'm glad to hear that Haubner Field is still around. Loved playing there once or twice a season back in my youth, especially under the lights if it was a night game. It was, back in the '80s, one of the very few youth fields in the area with lights for night games, with an actual outfield wall with advertisements and all. It made you feel big-league for a couple of hours, at least, even if you knew you weren't.
Consider me grateful that none of my three now-adult children were as insane (which is not to say talented) in sports as I in adolescence. Meaning they had little to no inclination to participate in travel sports. A rec league (or occasionally a school team with prodding) fit the bill. A few of my peers went down the path, and are just now reclaiming their adult independence as empty-nesters.
Doc, finally something that we can again agree upon. Second Avenue is a great song. Back in the late 70’s I went to a free Tim Moore concert at Bogarts. Tim wrote that song and does a wonderful job singing it. If you haven’t heard it, give it a listen in You Tube. It’s haunting and heart breaking.
Gotta side with you on the "kids" game rant Doc. OMG! Radar gun, machine launching multiple "fly balls" into the air at once - get a grip! I coached "Select Soccer" for eight seasons (young ladies) as well as "Select" baseball for a couple of seasons recently. First off, "Select" is a misnomer when it comes to today's so-called elite baseball youth. I won't say anymore on that. Howevuh! It was during the reign of terror called "Select Soccer" I and the coach of our biggest rival talked about building a youth sportsplex with every piece of equipment needed to just play the game ie: balls-soccer, baseball, basketball, football etc., bats, bases, goals, nets etc... It would be completely enclosed and inaccessible to adults. Kids only! Yep, that's what two Select Soccer coaches came up with some 30 years ago. Sadly, we didn't get it done. The situation has only worsened - as you so aptly noted. I guess youth sports is all business today too. Not just a game anymore. Thankfully, somehow, my daughter and a whole bunch of those kids (girs & boys) I coached all those years ago seem to have turned out okay. Not sure we'll be able to say the same of the current youth sports generation...Sad, very sad. Play Ball!
Coached both my kids in grade school hoops for a total of 7 years between them. Emphasis was on having fun. Learned after one season that they key is to draft kids with fun, likable, and low key parents. I have fond memories of Friday night games that ended up with pizza at our house, wine for the adults, and 8 boys running around the basement.
My son wanted to play select. My belief was that he should play for the school team, which he did, but I promised I would find him a rec team in the Spring. He walked onto a field in Clifton at the age of 14 not knowing a soul on the team but ended up playing indoor and outdoor with those guys for the next four seasons while making some friends. It was a great experience that still makes me smile.
Spot on today. I coached the Ritalin Rangers from 5th grade into high school. For the majority of the players it's got to be fun. Joke around, have a laugh, sure you want to win. I think the highest amount we charged the kids was 70-80 bucks, The 1000 dollar price tag is for a select travelling team with matching bat bags , etc. Usually those teams only had 2 or 3 select players and a whole lot of RR (see above) talent. It's almost always the parents that push their kids into it. The reds cancellation WTF. LIV players IDGAF too. Finally the Iowa team being invited to White House. For sure the National Champs will be invited to go hosted by JOE Biden. Get over yourself.
On another note you hinted about an announcement re: Pay per Mobstering. Any news you want to share?
Get out the tissues for that one by Art! He doesn't tour much anymore, but we were lucky to see him at the Ryman just a couple years ago. One of the prettiest voices ever!
Speaking from a lot (too much) experience on the club ball thing….
-folks, it is just a totally different landscape- no different than the way 99% of us now post pics of our vacation on the net versus sending a hand-written postcard from said vacation. It's just a different time.
The elite clubs like the Midland Redskins back in the day had the Griffey’s, Larkin’s, Bell's and Hyzdu’s and those clubs were truly for the guys that had a future in the game. Can’t speak for the other sports but something happened around 2008-2011 where youth baseball morphed from the kids who wanted to excel at it into just a glorified little league.
The modern day “club ball” thing mostly resembles a more expensive but well-dressed and well-equipped little league team, which a lot of the time it turns into “daddy ball”. Today’s landscape has rendered the local rec leagues as a true basic league to get your feet wet with the sport. So it’s just not the same.
-regarding the cost, it boils down to simple value. If my son’s club gave him quality professional instruction at practice and played in enough tournaments and also got enough gear you can easily rack up a $2000 per season tab. But anyone paying $250-300/month for glorified little league needs to shop around.
-last point I will make on chasing the scholarship is everyone is blinded and fixated on going D1 baseball. Didya know that there are 11.7 baseball scholarships at the D1 level so you can do that math on a roster of 35-40 players not everyone is going “full ride” through athletics. Yes, these shortages are made up through academic or need-based grants/ scholarships. But I’m always shocked at how many parents piss away all this money on youth sports without funding a basic 529 account or their own 401k along the way.
My son, my friends and I were fortunate enough to be some of the "1 in 200" in attendance at the Masters practice round on Tuesday. Harold Varner III was paired with Phil, DJ and Talor Gooch. An obvious "Liv" pairing, but on the walks down the fairways Harold was usually 20 or so yards away from the others. Apparently there's no love lost. Kudos to him for stating the obvious.
if there are angels, and if they sing, they sound like Art on Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Simon has said he regrets not singing lead on it himself and I’m like luv ya Paul but boy are you wrong about that.
It’s possible the Reds didn’t play Wednesday because there was severe lightning around. I have no official knowledge, just guessing as we were driving north on I71 around 1:30pm and the sky to ground lightning was everywhere.
I'm stunned by the radar gun concept. My grandson was going to go out for baseball and turned out to be a great pitcher...however, he threw the ball in the high 80's's and they pushed for more. He was wise enough to save his arm for other future endeavors. Wise child. Our kids need to be allowed to enjoy the brief pleasures of just being kids in their sports and learning about teamwork and playing together. And, are the parents with the radar gun who brag about the cost, going to charge the other kids to track their pitching speeds to help recoup the cost? We need no more reasons to separate the
haves and have nots.
I was a long time umpire. We learned in our high school classes the stats of a young man ever seeing a pitch in high school. Very slim. The chances of a college scholarship ? Baseball is the least funded of any major sport. Seeing his first pro pitch ? Next to none. BTW, I had more joy umpiring 8 to 12 year olds than any group older than that. They were oblivious to how seriously the adults took the game !
DOC MY MAN, YOU ARE TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT THE REDS GAME I WAS THERE. WE SAT THROUGH 2 HOURS OF CONSTANT RAIN. NO WAY THEY PLAY THAT GAME. PLUS I WAS FORCED TO DRINK SEVERAL DYLAN MULVANY'S THAT MY FRIENDS BOUGHT.
To quote the Ol' Lefthander, "Get outta here! Get outta here, baseball! It's gone, a home run!"
You knocked it out of the park today. Made me think of my 13-year-old son and his dalliances with organized youth sports (baseball being the next one). He played on his eighth-grade basketball team this past year -- first time playing organized basketball -- and I had to set him straight after the second game of the season. He was pouting because he felt he wasn't getting to play enough, and was riding the bench too much.
After the game, I addressed his moping, telling him bluntly that coach wouldn't play him if he was going to continue to act like a brat, his purpose of being on the team was to learn the game, have fun, support his teammates, and do the best he could when given the opportunity. Last but not least, I enlightened him on the fact that neither he, or his fellow teammates, were going to the NBA, so stop acting like it's the NBA and just have fun.
Much to my surprise, and without any prompting or direction from me, he ended up apologizing to his coach at the next practice, made the most of his time off the bench and on the floor, encouraged his teammates, and by the end of the season was even leading the team chant before the game and during timeouts.
More parents need to be like that. Honest and upfront with their kids. Not enough do, though ... they'd rather keep telling seventh-grader Billy, who can't field a grounder cleanly and is hitting .098, that he'll be playing at Yankee Stadium when he's 21. Unrealistic expectations from parents, unrealistic pressure on a kid -- it'll suck the fun out of the game real quick.
And these select teams, showing up with the latest, most expensive gear, thinking they're the reincarnation of the '75 Reds. It's ridiculous. Growing up playing ball, I can remember two, count 'em two, select youth baseball teams in the Cincinnati area -- Storm Club in White Oak, and Midland out on the east side. That was it. And you made those teams based on talent, not how much money your parents were willing to shell out.
Now, "select" means nothing. It's not based on talent or tryouts ... it's based on which parents want to fork over $2,000 a season just to be able to say their kid plays on a "select" baseball team, and for the kids to think their ?!@$ doesn't stink because they have the in-style cleats, ball bags, uniforms, caps, etc. Madness.
On a lighter note, I'm glad to hear that Haubner Field is still around. Loved playing there once or twice a season back in my youth, especially under the lights if it was a night game. It was, back in the '80s, one of the very few youth fields in the area with lights for night games, with an actual outfield wall with advertisements and all. It made you feel big-league for a couple of hours, at least, even if you knew you weren't.
Pretty sure I got it at Moles Records.
This is why I don’t watch the Little League WS on ESPN. Let the kids be kids and get the cameras out of there!!
Consider me grateful that none of my three now-adult children were as insane (which is not to say talented) in sports as I in adolescence. Meaning they had little to no inclination to participate in travel sports. A rec league (or occasionally a school team with prodding) fit the bill. A few of my peers went down the path, and are just now reclaiming their adult independence as empty-nesters.
Doc, finally something that we can again agree upon. Second Avenue is a great song. Back in the late 70’s I went to a free Tim Moore concert at Bogarts. Tim wrote that song and does a wonderful job singing it. If you haven’t heard it, give it a listen in You Tube. It’s haunting and heart breaking.
Gotta side with you on the "kids" game rant Doc. OMG! Radar gun, machine launching multiple "fly balls" into the air at once - get a grip! I coached "Select Soccer" for eight seasons (young ladies) as well as "Select" baseball for a couple of seasons recently. First off, "Select" is a misnomer when it comes to today's so-called elite baseball youth. I won't say anymore on that. Howevuh! It was during the reign of terror called "Select Soccer" I and the coach of our biggest rival talked about building a youth sportsplex with every piece of equipment needed to just play the game ie: balls-soccer, baseball, basketball, football etc., bats, bases, goals, nets etc... It would be completely enclosed and inaccessible to adults. Kids only! Yep, that's what two Select Soccer coaches came up with some 30 years ago. Sadly, we didn't get it done. The situation has only worsened - as you so aptly noted. I guess youth sports is all business today too. Not just a game anymore. Thankfully, somehow, my daughter and a whole bunch of those kids (girs & boys) I coached all those years ago seem to have turned out okay. Not sure we'll be able to say the same of the current youth sports generation...Sad, very sad. Play Ball!
Coached both my kids in grade school hoops for a total of 7 years between them. Emphasis was on having fun. Learned after one season that they key is to draft kids with fun, likable, and low key parents. I have fond memories of Friday night games that ended up with pizza at our house, wine for the adults, and 8 boys running around the basement.
My son wanted to play select. My belief was that he should play for the school team, which he did, but I promised I would find him a rec team in the Spring. He walked onto a field in Clifton at the age of 14 not knowing a soul on the team but ended up playing indoor and outdoor with those guys for the next four seasons while making some friends. It was a great experience that still makes me smile.
Doc,
Spot on today. I coached the Ritalin Rangers from 5th grade into high school. For the majority of the players it's got to be fun. Joke around, have a laugh, sure you want to win. I think the highest amount we charged the kids was 70-80 bucks, The 1000 dollar price tag is for a select travelling team with matching bat bags , etc. Usually those teams only had 2 or 3 select players and a whole lot of RR (see above) talent. It's almost always the parents that push their kids into it. The reds cancellation WTF. LIV players IDGAF too. Finally the Iowa team being invited to White House. For sure the National Champs will be invited to go hosted by JOE Biden. Get over yourself.
On another note you hinted about an announcement re: Pay per Mobstering. Any news you want to share?