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Coach D
167 Posts |
 Posted - 04/04/2011 : 00:30:02
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Hey Moser I agree , but i think beside 3 teams Bandit /Sandtown and Titans the top 5 in AAA could take any of the other major teams any given w/e .Even the other 3 would not be able to take them lightly!!
Thank For the update on the Florida tourney . Dont look like that 11 U florda team did as good as they had hoped.I believe thats a big jump . Yeah they can play AAA 12 U and compete , but to play up to Major in next age is quite a feat to undertake. I definetly applaud them for testing themselves in such A big tourney !
They had a big USSSA Major tourney in Florence AL also / GA. Academy took 3rd beating Rocket City RoadRunners .Looks like a very tough Desoto Cardinal . And then losy in the semis to Cincy Flames .Great w/e of baseball hope its as nice next w/e.
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baseballpapa
1520 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 08:21:16
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I want to be brutally honest as this is the very first time that I have ever posted on a AA or AAA topic. Until this weekend and a talk with bmoser I never realized how all of this classification stuff worked and to be honest cared even less as it didn't affect my grandson's team as they have always been classified as major.
bmoser has a way of shining a light on any subject and I now understand just how important and how much the classification can affect a team. I still dont't know all or understand much but I do seem to see things a little clearer. I can see where it is critical that Bubba and USSSA analyze and review this process thoroughly as if you move a team too quick you can destroy their confidence which will impede their progress or if you leave them in too long you do the same thing to the teams that they are beating down.
Now Bubba has another long discussion coming with Papa because if I have learned anything over the many years here I learned if you want the whole story then you have got to get it from the "Horses Mouth" or in this case, "Well let's don't even go there." |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 08:57:44
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If it hadn't rained so darned much, we'd know a lot more at this point than we know now. We've played 6 of the top 20 AAA's, and every game was a tug of war. We'll play one more next weekend, and we expect more of the same. Then onto the Back to School Brawl where we'll see a lot of AAA's mixing it up with Majors.
Bubba says the re-classification process is his toughest task. The 11U AAA's that got bumped up to 12U Majors are battling hard against the big boys nearly every weekend (when it doesn't rain), and trying to succeed. If a team gets bumped up, everyone stays healthy, you don't lose any players, and get some luck in the pool draws and bracket match ups it can work out. However, what I'm seeing in the bump ups are teams that have had multiple injury's, players moving out of town, and very little luck with draws. I hope it turns around for these teams. Right now, I don't see a lot of smiles in this group, but I have not heard any whining either. These teams are going to reap the benefits of facing adversity in the long run and come out the other side stronger than ever.
We went through a similar experience making the jump from 10U AA to 11U AAA. We lost a few players, and it became an uphill struggle for a while. But we all pulled together, doubled up in our support of the Coaches, chose tourneys a little more carefully, and by seasons end, we had some bright moments to look back on to. Supporting the Coaches when things get tough is the key. |
Edited by - bmoser on 04/04/2011 09:06:17 |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 20:00:43
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| If the top AAA's are capable of beating all the but the top 5-6 major teams shouldn't the top AAA teams be playing more major tourneys?? Just wondering, because in our age group we have had several teams that win 90% of their games and handpick tourneys so they don't have to face major teams or similar top AAA teams. Trophy hunting at its best |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 21:23:57
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Spartan4:
I think nearly every top AAA team has played Major teams by now, and there have been several upsets, which is why the claim can be made that AAA's can stand up to most Major teams. It's not a prediction.
I don't think any AAA has beaten any of the top 6 Majors yet (correct me if I'm wrong). I think AAA's can beat all but 2 or 3 Majors, but its just not wise for AAA's to burn their best pitching to make a statement. Win the Battle, lose the War. I know Elite Gamers Black have led the way. Mill Creek won their CWS Regional with 6-4-3C and GA Select Red in their Regional. That is stout. There's a list of AAA's that have beaten Majors, if you know where to look, but it might be a bit out of date and incomplete.
In the 12u age group, nobody's hiding. Look at most big open tourneys where Majors are competing, and you'll see some AAA's in there. Look at the upcoming Back to School Bash. 8 of the top 20 AAA's are in it, or wait listed. There are at least 17 Majors in it, or wait listed. 38 teams in that one, so I'd call that a big tourney.
Sorry the 11u age group isn't as gutsy. I can tell you this, it's unnerving facing Major teams for most AAA's. It can take an inning to get rid of the Butterflies. I'm sure the Majors that face the Bandits feel the same, but if you don't face your fears, you'll never conquer them. Maybe it just takes until 12u to figure that out.
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Edited by - bmoser on 04/04/2011 21:46:24 |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 21:57:05
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| The reason I ask is in every AAA tourney we have ever competed in(last season a litte bit and with the 10U Grip) there were always 2-3 teams in each tourney who were obviously better than the rest. I think the difference between AAA and major teams is big in some age groups and some age groups have little difference. Aside from pitching depth do you think "tweener" type teams stay down for more tournament options, or just a better chance at taking a tourney down?? |
Edited by - Spartan4 on 04/04/2011 22:46:33 |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2011 : 11:07:07
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Spartan4,
I think with each year that passes for any age group, they become better at assessing their own son's optimal playing level, and Coaches improve at placing their teams within the right level.
In 9U its all over the place and from 9 to 10 USSSA has to re-class a lot of teams, then in 10U it get's a little better, then in 11U better yet. I think by 12U, the vast majority know where we belong and seek out that level. Trophy hunters are much easier to spot in 12U than 10U because we've had 2 more years to learn the players, the teams, and the Coaches tendencies.
Note how the scores tighten up as the years progress. This jumped out at me in the 12U AAA SNIT. Take a look at those scores. I recall The Grip winning 32-2 or something like that back in 10U and I think it was another Major team. That "other Major team" just hadn't found their proper level yet. By 12U, through experience, folks learn.
Sure, they'll always be some trophy hunting, but it diminishes through the years. Some "tweener" teams stay down due to: lack of pitching depth, to avoid costly 3 and outs, to boost confidence early, to nuture a newly formed team, to stay closer to home, to stay loyal to a tourney director, to support another teams fundraising effort, to bide time for injury's to heal, ect..
Our team hosts 2 or 3 fundraiser tourneys, so if a team attends ours, we'll make an effort to attend theirs no matter the teams in it. We chose to "stay down" this weekend and play in a teams fundraiser because we knew we'd be missing players around spring Break, and to help them raise money. If we get a good game in, or two, lucky us! If we don't, we've helped a fellow travel team and knocked some rust off.
There is way too much stone throwing at teams who are appearing to play down by folks who do not know that teams situation. Let's relax a bit, and give our fellow competitors the benefit of the doubt. The vast majority of the time, there is good reason for a team to be playing in any given event. Sometimes, a team commits early, and the others just don't come. Maybe a team stepped up the prior weekend and got waxed, so need to regroup.
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2011 : 19:34:09
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Spartan4,
I should clarify my definition of playing down: when a team doesn't play in the toughest tourney available to them on any given weekend.
So far as I've seen, the Triple Crown in Alpharetta is the toughest event this coming weekend. If a 12U AAA or Major team who has chosen to stay local, and isn't playing in the TC event can be "playing down". |
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sward
369 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2011 : 14:08:59
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Not to take this more off topic, but I have taken a AA team or core group to AAA at 10 and then 11, and compete (some games;) ) in MAJ. Playing down isn't always "playing down". It's a chance to develop depth. At 11AAA we played 3 or 4 MAJ tourneys to start the season. When you play up your 4,5,6 pitchers don't get the work they need....your 7,8,9 hitters dontget the # of ABs they need. So in order the develop your entire team, you need a chance to get these kids work and more reps. We ended up winning AAA state bc of the 5,6,7 pitchers and the bottom of the lineup wad ready.
In addition, the kids need some 15-1 wins to get some confidence and get rolling.
I wouldn't always write it off as playing down as much a "building". |
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