| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| rippit |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 14:36:34
With all those players looking out there calling themselves "major", it seems that those teams who call themselves "major" should be able to have completed their rosters by now. Yet both sides still looking. Hmmmmm?
Same for AAA.
And what's with the ones who call themselves "high AAA/low major"? Are you one thing one day and another thing the next day? Pick one.
If you make a "major" team and sit the bench does this make you a "major" player? If you get to play and stink it up, does THAT make you a major player?
Same for AAA.
Wow. SMH today. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| SMASH |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 13:48:45
Here is my take on it. We are classified as a AAA team but we plan to play a AAA/Major schedule. I believe in challenging my boys so we plan to play numerous "open" tournaments for the chance to play the best teams out there. The whole classification thing is subjective anyway. Just play the best competition available as long as your not getting run ruled every weekend. |
| PATbb |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 12:34:37
For the record, we're guilty, we admit, we did it, we called ourselves a AAA/Major team (not high AAA) for the upcoming year. We did so because that is what level of tournaments we will be playing in. We have never claimed to have 10 or 4 or even 2 major players on our team, not even during the recruiting season.
Baseball is still a team game, where any one of the so called major kids just like the AA kids are capable of both producing big numbers and making there share of errors(just like the big leaguers). As seen this past year, teams can load up with pretty much all "major" players but that does not make the team/parents play and act like a major team all of the time. There is something to be said for team chemistry and having all of the parents and players having the right attitudes about the game and their role/positions on the team during each game as you rotate your roster and pitching needs throughout a tournament.
Unfortunately there is no governing body or any communication between all of the different sanctions/tournaments. USSSA will try to classify a team, but they use only their info and their method/numbers to force you to have to play in their tournaments only in order to get higher ratings. So what is a team to do? |
| dmb350 |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 10:56:50
quote:
Originally posted by davidh6265
I could be wrong but I think the #1 difference between a AAA team and a major team is pitching depth. Major teams that compete seriously will carry 17 or even more players so that they can have strong pitching in pool play AND save their aces for bracket play. Most AAA teams that I have seen can hit and defend as well as the majors, but will only have a couple pitchers that they can rely on.
So, the question for these coaches is: Do they save their ace for the semifinals/finals? Do that and you go home early. Do they pitch their ace in rd 1 or 2 so that they can play on Sunday? Do that and you get slaughtered on Sunday.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd rather my son play for the major team and risk losing some playing time in order to compete at the higher level. I've been down the AA/AAA road before and gone home on Saturday way too often because of a lack of pitching on Saturday. It's better to at least be at the ball park sitting in the dugout than home on Sunday wondering how the tourny is going. You can't get playing time sitting at home. jmo
While the pitching depth is a real defining factor, most major teams don't carry 17. More like 14-15 unless it's 15U and up then the POs add a few more. My son's Major/Elite team last season in 14U carried 13 and stayed with 13 all the way thru the TC summer nationals and still placed 5th. Out of the 13, 11 were pitchers. We had 4 bracket starters and everyone else filled in for pool and relief duties.
Here's where I disagree, AAA teams can hit but not so well against the top majors elite teams in bracket. Defending is the same. Catchers get exposed when the playing level steps up with true Majors/Elite teams and true Majors teams will hit your best AAA pitcher within a few innings. Then the errors start for AAA teams, again there's your difference because errors turn into runs and those runs send you home late Sat or early on Sunday. There are good AAA teams out there but it usually takes their best day against an average or bad day for a Majors team for them to beat true Majors teams in bracket play when the best 9 are on the field. |
| bbmom2 |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 08:41:16
quote:
Originally posted by teddy41
remember the team classifies the player not vice versa..if you play on a major team your a major player if you play on a AA your a AA player.
thats why when we used to go to tourneys teams would complain we had major players playing AAA, the ruling was always if the team is AAA the players are AAA..its not the tail wagging the dog
Not sure I agree with this - whether I'm disagreeing with the institution or teddy. Watched two teams this past year - one listed as major with a coach from A and most of the players from A. Got clobbered everything they did. Picked up a couple of kids from a AAA team and did better but still not major level... probably high AA at best. Other "major" team had better talent - some from AAA and others new to travel ball - at least according to USSSA - and coaching but still could not maintain the major rating, ended up AAA. Of the two teams, the 2nd was the far better team and deserving of the AAA rating. If it's the team wagging the tail, they would have stayed major. Both teams lost the majority of their "major" games, the second team just by less. I just think at the mid years - 12-14 with so much going on that impacts baseball - primarily puberty and growth - it would be difficult to make a major team out of 12 or 14 single A players from the year before. Just MHO. |
| davidh6265 |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 00:23:42
I could be wrong but I think the #1 difference between a AAA team and a major team is pitching depth. Major teams that compete seriously will carry 17 or even more players so that they can have strong pitching in pool play AND save their aces for bracket play. Most AAA teams that I have seen can hit and defend as well as the majors, but will only have a couple pitchers that they can rely on.
So, the question for these coaches is: Do they save their ace for the semifinals/finals? Do that and you go home early. Do they pitch their ace in rd 1 or 2 so that they can play on Sunday? Do that and you get slaughtered on Sunday.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd rather my son play for the major team and risk losing some playing time in order to compete at the higher level. I've been down the AA/AAA road before and gone home on Saturday way too often because of a lack of pitching on Saturday. It's better to at least be at the ball park sitting in the dugout than home on Sunday wondering how the tourny is going. You can't get playing time sitting at home. jmo |
| AllStar |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 22:16:45
quote:
Originally posted by teddy41
remember the team classifies the player not vice versa..if you play on a major team your a major player if you play on a AA your a AA player.
thats why when we used to go to tourneys teams would complain we had major players playing AAA, the ruling was always if the team is AAA the players are AAA..its not the tail wagging the dog
All of this, plus you just don't know. I can think of at least 5 kids who are playing for their high school team that at one point in time people told me no way they make their team. There are easily that many who we were all sure would be playing for their HS teams that didn't make it.
Plus anybody who has coached a 12 YO team knows, some days you ARE a major team, some days you ARE AA. Sometimes on the same day!
Nothing nefarious going on imho. Just coaches and players trying to place themselves in context. |
| teddy41 |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 20:45:09
remember the team classifies the player not vice versa..if you play on a major team your a major player if you play on a AA your a AA player.
thats why when we used to go to tourneys teams would complain we had major players playing AAA, the ruling was always if the team is AAA the players are AAA..its not the tail wagging the dog |
| HITANDRUN |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 16:37:33
If most of your players are major then you have a major team. If most are AAA then you have a AAA team. If you have 2 Major, 6 AAA and some AA I guess you are AAA.
Maybe whatever you have the most of is where you will be. I think coaches say this knowing if they get a few more Majors to join they will be major if only AAA they are that. Until you set your roster you don't know and until you play you really don't know. |
| powerhitter15 |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 15:22:13
Rippit, I happened to notice that too. LOL |
| loveforthegame25 |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 15:17:05
Some teams have a mix of AAA - Major players. So they call themselves AAA /Major. |
