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4woodbats
15 Posts |
 Posted - 01/25/2018 : 19:22:37
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| What teams were graced the opportunity to compete in the Georgia/ Florida Showdown for 12u? Historically this is the best of the best from the 2 States. Florida teams have been know to fly in players to help in this event or players from multiple parks join the roster for the weekend. This year is most likely no different. |
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RBIKING
39 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2018 : 23:22:06
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South dekalb
Smartence
Kennesaw
Cellblock
maybe gainsville |
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Maroon_Tiger
19 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2018 : 08:17:22
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Georgia/Florida. On paper, the best four from Georgia versus the best four from Florida. In reality, people complaining that the best four never go. But why is that? Let's dig in.
First of all, these invitations seem to go out pretty early. So you are depending on predicting which teams are going to be the best a few months later. But teams change, improve and suffer injuries, so its not so simple to get the "right" teams. I heard that last season a team wasn't invited for the AAA version because the belief was that the team would be bumped up to Major by the kickoff of the tournament. But they weren't. So one of the "right" teams didn't get an invite.
Secondly, maybe one of the top four teams just doesn't want to go.
Third, relationships matter. More on that later.
So who went last season at 11U?
Gamers - the favorites
Dodgers - co-favorites to reach the Georgia Championship
Cellblock
Kennesaw
By the time the tournament kicked off, the message board was full of people saying that South Dekalb should've gotten the invite given to Kennesaw. True, Kennesaw was having trouble scoring runs up to that point in the season. But they still had pitching. And that tournament was where they started to turn it around.
And when the invitations went out South Dekalb wasn't South Dekalb yet. Meaning, they added some players who helped the roster improve after the invites went out. If that tournament would've been played at the end of the season, Kennesaw and South Dekalb would've both been locks to get invitations. But in the preseason, Kennesaw got the nod. Understandable.
So how did the tournament play out?
The Gamers won the tournament. The Dodgers advanced to the Georgia finals. Cellblock and Kennesaw both went a respectable 2-2. Pretty much what we predicted.
So that brings us to this season. The Gamers Garner are no more. It seems that some of the seventh graders moved on to play 13U. Understandable. 12U is made up of 5th, 6th and 7th graders but it is primarily a 6th grade age so I understand why those parents felt the need to move on. I hear that people generally grade correct at the 13U and 14U age groups but obviously those parents felt the need to jump now for whatever reason.
So you would assume that South Dekalb would simply replace the Gamers and everyone else would repeat. Why? Relationships. You must remember that in the end, this is a tournament. Promoters need to make money. If you can invite teams that have been there before and represented themselves well, then why wouldn't you?
So the word on the street is that South Dekalb, Kennesaw and Cellblock are all attending. The surprise is that, if this is true, Red Stitch is going. Red Stitch supposedly has members of that Gamers Garner team on it. So if that is the case, South Dekalb didn't replace the Gamers, they replaced, for whatever reason, CMSB Squeeze (the Dodgers.)
This group seems to be on par with groups that Georgia has sent in the past, assuming that no one drops out and has to be replaced. We'll all see how it works out.
Does anyone know who the Florida representatives are supposed to be? |
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GA Ballers
11 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2018 : 21:41:27
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Cellblock
SD Tribe Gold
Kennesaw
Red Stitch |
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turntwo
955 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2018 : 07:57:24
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quote:
Originally posted by GA Ballers
Cellblock
SD Tribe Gold
Kennesaw
Red Stitch
I'd agree with this. Those teams play USSSA. They have played in the GA/FL showdown before (or some of their teams have). They know how to contact Bubba or Matt to get the invite ahead of time. AND, most importantly, they probably deserve just as much as anyone. BUT if FL doesn't send their best again, not sure it'll be that much of a tourney. |
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Kidplaysball
12 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2018 : 16:01:53
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Florida Teams
Hitmen Ultra (Boca)
Team Florida
Five Star National
Team Hoyle
Should be a great weekend of baseball. |
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turntwo
955 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2018 : 07:55:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Kidplaysball
Florida Teams
Hitmen Ultra (Boca)
Team Florida
Five Star National
Team Hoyle
Should be a great weekend of baseball.
Yet again, missing the "best" from FL. I guess FL doesn't take it as serious. No MVP, no Adiktiv, no Kachi, no CFL, or Central FL Select? You've got 2 great teams, but 2 teams that aren't in the top 5, one outside of the top 15... Maybe next year.
GA should coast, with the GA semi being the best game of the weekend. |
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Kidplaysball
12 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2018 : 17:54:11
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| based on the USSSA power ranking you have 2-3-6 from Florida. It should be fun. I heard there are a ton of pick-up players this year coming in from all over even kids playing 13u dropping down. This event has been a thorn for a lot of top programs. As I recall the Gamers and Yard Dogs are the only teams from GA to win it. |
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Mizzo1
21 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2018 : 16:09:26
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Like everything else, It's all about who you know.
The whole, "best teams in the state thing," is just promotion.
looking forward to see how it shakes out.
You can't determine the top four teams before anybody has played a game.
Bottom line.
i remember when tourneys like this had to be earned. |
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baseball4now
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2018 : 00:13:05
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I believe Maroon Tiger is right from the standpoint “… relationships matter…” to be chosen for the GA/FL games. (I hope I am using Maroon Tiger’s quote in context. If not, I apologized.) This seems like the foundation of “Daddy Ball” where a team or person is given an opportunity-based on who they know / past relations.
Teams or players afforded opportunity without merit or evaluated performance; to me, this is Daddy Ball.
I am closely in agreement with Mizzo1 paraphrased … earn your spot.
Solution:
1. Let the Director pull four names out of a hat.
2. Let the Director pick four teams.
3. Have a GA only tournament for the sole purposes of choosing 4 teams.
Some readers of this post might like to attend a tournament at the beginning of the season that has implications. Which teams tweaked a little or performed a complete overhauled or had great “lab sessions”. This tournament might have more spectators than participants. I know I want to see the best teams and track them the whole season.
When I would ask my grandmother in front of my cousins, “Which one of us you love the most?” Her response would be the same, “I love all my grandbabies.” In conclusion, all the teams are good each year. Hence, there are always good teams (and cousins) at home that feel they should have been chosen.
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throwsgas
10 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2018 : 22:29:46
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This is certainly an interesting topic as the Spring is peaking it's head around the corner. I noticed the Game Changer's scores starting to light up this weekend from a long winters nap!!
Pure and simple... You guys nailed it. It's likely about a Coach with a relationship calling the USSSA leadership instead of who is the best in THAT GIVEN YEAR. Kind of frustrating as a GA fan really. By the way, this is human nature and nothing wrong with a Coach calling to ask for it but there should be a formal process IMO. USSSA is giving away money they sure could have too. Think about a simple tournament that would be the qualifier for the GA vs FL showdown. They could run a straight out double elimination tournament based on seeding from the previous year points/ rankings or even the state championship finishers in order for seeding. New teams formed could be drawn out of a hat and assigned a spot if they desired to play for a spot. $500 a team... Top 4 finishers get to choose if they want to go... If someone can't go then the next team in line gets the choice. Now you have a great opening tournament for USSSA with all majors and all AAA teams. Just seems to make a lot of sense. Now, all that said, these teams mentioned are all great teams no doubt.. So this is NOT a shot at them. They are all good and deserving teams but last years opinion of great team does not apply to six months later. Why would Gainsville, The Tribe, Smartense, Ga Power, Titans Blue, 643 and EC Astros not have a shot for that invite ESPECIALLY if their teams picked up key players, grew as a team, got better coaching and gelled in the off season and fall and so forth.
Just doesn't make sense other than the reasons you guys have already given.
To me this should be changed it just makes more sense....JMO ....looking forward to seeing some youth baseball this Spring!
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Maroon_Tiger
19 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2018 : 06:19:30
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So with the Squeeze replacing Red Stitch the Georgia four is now closer to consensus; or at least what consensus would’ve looked like in December...
South Dekalb
Kennesaw
CMSB Squeeze
Cellblock
However, it is almost May and after seeing teams play it seems as if Gainesville also probably should have been in this foursome.
Do we know who is definitely representing Florida? |
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throwsgas
10 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2018 : 15:02:06
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Ga vs FL weekend!!
Can anyone beat Five Star in this group? I hope to see GA find a way to get it done but not sure the depth is there from our side this year as a whole. The key seems to be to have four strong GA teams and make the FL teams burn that pitching to get to the finals. Five Star is deep... Thoughts?
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CB17
30 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2018 : 21:41:30
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Ga teams roll up Florida. Tribe / Cellblock
In day 1 |
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Kidplaysball
12 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2018 : 10:12:49
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| Congrats to Tribe! We threw every arm we had even our catcher and you guys won! The home-run hit by the 1 hole hitter was the longest ball i have ever seen hit at this level. |
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1forthemoney
1 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2018 : 16:50:26
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Great Job Georgia!!
Looks like Georgia dominated the florida teams this year....
SD tribe against florida teams 4-0-1
6-4 VS team florida
5-4 VS five star demarini
12-3 VS five star national
1-1 VS team Hoyle
7-5 VS five star demarini
Cellblock 4-0 against florida teams
7-2 VS team florida
11-6 VS team Hoyle
12-3 VS five star national
9-0 VS five star demarini
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