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TOPDOG
92 Posts |
 Posted - 04/18/2012 : 09:24:05
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papa,
at what age did this team get started playing organized ball together? how many original bandits are still with you guys? do you guys have tryouts anually or only when a position needs to be filled? |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 21:14:32
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Until Papa wakes from his nap...
The Bandits were playing Dizzy Dean at 7U and 8U, but we played them in 6U Coach pitch tourneys in Ringgold, Dalton, and Chatsworth. This was pre-Papa. His Grandson played for the Rome Fire back then. I dont think they even had their Dizzy Dean World Series MVP when we first played them. He came 1 or 2 years later.
The "Boynton Bandits" as they were called back then were not small, they were tiny. They played with 9 players for a few years when everyone had 10 or 11.
They were also known as the Buntin' Bandits because they bunted in Coach pitch so much which we thought was Bush league. They were great at bunting, and lightning fast, so it was impossible to stop them. As soon as they got down playing regular ball, they' turn on the torture machine and bunt until they run ruled you...our boys cried when they did that .
We all said they'd be toast when kid pitch started.
They kept most of their original players until the 10U season when we first noticed some turnover. It seems each year they'd change 1 or 2 players. They transitioned into kid pitch much better than we thought they would. They couldn't hit a lick, but beat you with defense and small ball.
I'd say by 10U they were considered small but not tiny. They up-sized a lot in 12U and their roster grew to normal size. it seemed like they played with 9 boys forever.
They kept to themselves a lot in the early years.
It was fun when they first came to the ATL to play. We had already seen them for a while, and couldnt wait to see how they did in the big city. I attended the 7U and 8U Dizzy Dean States, and if I recall, they were disqualified in 7U for a roster infraction, but came back in 8U to win it, and may have gone on to win the Dizzy Dean World Series. Back then, Sharon Springs, Hobgood, and NYO were the teams to beat. Wills Park and Midway were also tough. 6-4-3 Didnt emerge until the 9U season. None of the East Cobb teams were on the scene in the early years of this age group. The Scorpions were tough in 10U, but they had some injuries and vanished for a while. The EC Longhorns started to surge, but the Bandits wiped them out and I'll never forget them shaking hands afterwards. The size difference was remarkable.
So...there's a small chapter in Bandits history for you. If I got anything wrong or omitted anything I'll apologize in advance. I wonder if I'm the only forum contributor that was around for those tourneys besides the Bandits folks. I'm sure there are a few Sharon Springs folks who recall the Bandits Dizzy Dean years.
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Edited by - bmoser on 04/18/2012 21:36:04 |
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in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 23:24:38
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| In 8u they finished runner up in Dizzy Dean World Series to Gardendale. They had to forfeit one of their pool play games because of an ineligible player (had played on another tournament team during the Dizzy Dean State, which is a no-no). They also had to vacate their State Title because of the infraction. So they lost a pool play game because of the forfeit and continued the remainder of the WS without that player (currently #12). The Bandits beat Oregon Park in the winners bracket final, sending them to the loser bracket to face Gardendale, who OP had sent to the loser bracket earlier. Gardendale beat OP, then beat the Bandits twice to win the Series. |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 08:08:26
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Until Papa finds his readers:
I just reviewed the Bandits rosters, and I see 4 of the "original" players on the roster from the early days. Not from the 6U days, but from the time folks in ATL started seeing them in 7U and 8U. They transitioned players so gradually from 6U to 13U, you wouldn't even notice unless you followed them closely. Of course, when they added a player or two that were taller than your kneecaps back in 7U and 8U, they stood out like a sore thumb...enter Papa.
I cant say about the tryouts for sure, but I think it began as a T-Ball Rec all star group, and each year invited 1 or 2 boys to their practices to have a look see. I doubt they ever had an open tryout like we see around East Cobb.
The East Cobb approach is like the U.S. Open Golf Tournament...starts with a crowd, then goes through an extensive weeding out process. The Bandits approach is just the opposite...they handle it more like the Masters...by individual invitation only, and pedigree. They see 1 or 2 players each year they like, and bring them into the clubhouse.
I think they were better defensively at 6U-9U than they are today. They had to be due to their lack of size and power. In 6U we marveled at how none of their boys had any fear of the baseball. You could drill a grounder at them short range, and they wouldn't even flinch. They could catch and throw like High School players at 6U.
How Coach Troy managed to do that is remains a mystery.
Let's see what Papa has to add.
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TOPDOG
92 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 09:02:52
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| thanks for all the great info guys. someone go wake papa up and make him a pot of coffee so he can give a few of his thoughts as well. |
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jscoda
123 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 10:14:12
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| At 7U ...Hobgood beat Bandits to win State. Not sure about WS. |
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in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 10:17:32
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quote:
Originally posted by TOPDOG
thanks for all the great info guys. someone go wake papa up and make him a pot of coffee so he can give a few of his thoughts as well.
Wednesday night is Bingo and Pudding night at the home. He's probably "hung over" this morning from tapioca overdose. |
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BBall123
395 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 10:21:08
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We were Canton in dizzy dean back then and played Boynton and rome fcire,man seems like a lifetime ago now. at 8u -9u we were the east cobb rebels and had some great battles with these guys along with the georgia Yard dogs from the south side and Kennesaw express.
I too have watched this evolution of the bandits and its been fun, , , most of the time ;-) |
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TAZ980002
831 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 11:11:08
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I think only one player remains from the original 6/7u team and that is the coach's son.
I can fill in from middle of the 10u season on:
#13 and #25 were added to the Bandits roster in the middle of the 10u season from the 10u Georgia Grip out of Lawrenceville. Beginning the 11u season, the two were kept on the roster but one other player did not return.
For the 12u season, 1 player chose not to return and 3 players were added - one from West GA Bandits and two from Team GA.
For the 13u season, 3 players chose not to return and 2 players were added, both from Team FL
Our leadoff hitter, #1 was added at the end of the 9u season I think and #20 was added to begin the 9u season. Prior to that, I am not familiar with the roster moves.
Coach Troy needs to write a book about the experience one day for all to read. There are some great stories to be told !! One of my favorites is how he took a bunch of 8 and 9 year olds and registered them at Boyton Park in the Fall season in the 11-12u age group so that they could learn how to pitch, steal, leadoff and pickoff prior to the upcoming 9u travel season. He goes to the draft and tells all of the other coaches "I don't want any other players except the 10 or so 8/9 year old players on this list". Of course they all laughed out loud at him but allowed him to draft them all. His team won many more games than they lost that Fall. Can you just imagine how small they looked against all of those 11 and 12 year old players ?? They were already small compared to most 8/9 year olds !! |
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baseballpapa
1520 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2012 : 00:13:33
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Papa is back in New Mexico with the mountain lions. The Bandits have never done a tryout of any sort and after the initial players at 6 year old all stars were picked the team has slowly grown into the current version losing a couple and picking up a couple each year. The current team took the biggest steps at 9 years old adding Cole Shelton, Tucker Bradley and Chaney Rogers and at 10 adding Tyler Calvert and Will Hardigree and 13 might prove to be the biggest roster additions yet with Peyton Millirons and Will Lumpkin and then again some would argue that Lee Kay and Kooper Brierly was the banner year for pickups. That leaves the only original Bandit being Gavin Roberson that has the smoothest hands that I have ever seen. And Papa left one of his personal all time favorite pick ups for last Kale Ledford. This kid is a hoot and makes it fun to watch the game.
The way this team has been built is remarkable and since they are fixing to go to High School and the ride is almost over I will now in public reveal the secret to the success of the Bandits. It's the chemistry that Coach Troy has made sure was right and not the talent he has assembled. Make no mistake that these kids will go to war for each other and has always got their teammates back and this chemistry has found its way all the way to the parents who support these Coaches without question and without complaining although Coach Troy will tell you that things got better after Papa quit passing written notes to the bucket in an effort to help him out. The secret is that I did not say we agreed with all the Coach's decisions, I said once the issue was decided by the coaching staff that we supported it.
And by the way Coach Troy's world series banner hung at Boynton is the only banner in the park with an asterik by it. Coach Troy says it is a exclamation point but Papa thinks it's an asterik. This is a private joke and there is really no asterik by his Banner.
This has been a team that rarely comes down the pike and it has been a ride that will be forever be in my memories but I have so many baseball memories and I hope and pray that the memories have only just begun.
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HeatCoach
8 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 16:18:46
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6U State: Bandits beat Hobgood Heat for Championship
6U WS: Hobgood Heat beat Bandits for Championship
7U State: Hobgood Heat beat Bandits for Championship
7U WS: Bandits beat Hobgood Heat for Championship
I think over those two years, in 10 games played, 5 wins - 5 losses each. |
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silverton
4 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 22:14:17
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| What teams are the kids from those 6 and 7 year old hobgood heat playing on now? |
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HeatCoach
8 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2012 : 11:22:50
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Heat 6u/7u
1 on the EC Astros
2 on the EC Scorpions
1 on 643
1 on EC Black Knights
1 on FCA Patriots
2 on Hobgood Heat
I believe the rest are retired from baseball.
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christheump
351 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2012 : 15:31:30
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| I can remeber seeing a couple of their current players play when they were on teams that played a lot on my side of town, and thinking that these kids were standouts on their teams when they were 10, 11, and 12. It would be cool to see them playing now at 13 yo. |
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in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2012 : 16:25:53
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If you compare their 9u utrip roster to their current, you'll find 7 of 11 players no longer with them. Of those seven:
3 players - Playing with the same Chattanooga team (Major)
1 player - Listed on ECB roster for this season (Major) but haven't seen him playing with them
1 player - last utrip team affiliation 2011/13u Chattanooga (AA)
1 player - last utrip team affiliation 2010/11u N. GA (Major)
1 player - last utrip team affiliation 2011/12u Chattanooga (AAA)
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