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agent21
97 Posts |
 Posted - 04/17/2012 : 14:05:02
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| With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken? |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 15:28:49
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We had a competition for the HR derby and fast runner competition. I think the kids on the team knew who the best HR hitter and fastest runners were. I believe they picked the finalists and then anyone who thought they could compete entered. Then it was up to them and how they hit and ran.
Cooperstown is 200' all the way around. Not sure about Ripken. For the older kids, the fields all varied because they are built to look like certain old time MLB fields. Never played on the younger fields. |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 16:07:30
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quote:
Originally posted by agent21
With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken?
We had the player that led us in HR's do it in Cooperstown.
One of the coaches' sons might have been a better choice. Not as many HRs, but a much higher average, and in C-town the shorter fence might have made him the better choice. But it was the HR derby and we felt the other player had "earned" it because he was our leading HR hitter.
The dad/coach agreed and the son bought in so there was no controversy. |
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SSBuckeye
575 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 16:11:03
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| Cooperstown is 200' all the way around, I believe. |
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stepoff
92 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 16:26:12
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| Cooperstown is 200 feet all the way around. Kids at 10U hit some out of the stadium last year. Not sure about Ripken. Selection process for our team last year came down to a skills contest one day at practice. We were represented well but still had one parent complain that their child did not get picked for one of the contests. Can't and won't please everyone. |
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JMO
174 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 20:50:56
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| This is an easy decision. The kid leading in HR at the end of the season is the rep. Why would you choose any other option. This is easy and should cause no controversy. |
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mrbama31
252 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 21:37:33
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I had the honor of being the head coach of a runner-up team at Cooperstown Dreams Park in 2009. It was a great experience and one I will never forget. We won the around the horn and our HR derby representative won that as well.
We had several players capable of doing well in the HR derby but I chose the one I felt had the best swing for the derby. He was a natural fly ball hitter with power. The negative to him winning the derby was he was pitched very carefully the entire week.
I made a very BIG deal out of the around the horn (team aspect) and we practiced quite a bit in an effort to win it. Some may say that is silly I am not going to spend valuable practice time training for an around the horn competition ....but it was one of the best decision I made the entire season as our boys really got into it and winning that in front of a packed stadium at opening ceremony really set the tone for our week. Our boys were determined to get the opportunity to play in the ship in front of that big crowd.
I took the team to little majors stadium early in the day before the opening ceremonies. That is when I announced who was doing what event but more importantly we soaked in the the stadium and made it ours. We spoke about all the hard work and effort it had taken to get there. We spoke about what was expected behavior wise as well as many other aspects that simply set up a great experience for all of our team members.
Side note the HR derby winner did not participate in the Around the Horn event.
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Marlin
109 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2012 : 22:36:25
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| Ripken fields model different major league parks throughout time so they are all different and there are some pretty weird layouts. |
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bkball
173 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 07:28:26
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quote:
Originally posted by AllStar
quote:
Originally posted by agent21
With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken?
We had the player that led us in HR's do it in Cooperstown.
One of the coaches' sons might have been a better choice. Not as many HRs, but a much higher average, and in C-town the shorter fence might have made him the better choice. But it was the HR derby and we felt the other player had "earned" it because he was our leading HR hitter.
The dad/coach agreed and the son bought in so there was no controversy.
how did the kid do in the HR derby? |
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4bagger
131 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 09:34:30
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Our best hitter did the home run derby, no questions or issues there.
We had a contest over 2 practices for the long distance throw and the road runner events. We then tried several combinations for the around the horn event until we had the right kids in the right spots which may not be where they normally play.
We were under the impression that a player could be a part of multiple events but when we got to CDP they couldn't. The HR Derby kids were on two other fields going through prelims, which my kid won, while the other events were going on on other fields. The finals were all held in Little Major Stadium one after the other though.
Side note- You can't go down to the two fields for the prelim HR derby. Everyone has to stay up the hill and look down on the fields from a distance. If your kid does not record a HR he is released to be with his team. If he does, he is told to stay at the prelim field and all the players who hit one out walk together to Little Majors for the finals. They then sit in the dugout while the finals of the other three events go on.
It NEVER occured to me to check on my kid and see if he had eaten or had any water. He went through the finals very dehydrated and had a terrible headache and did not feel well for hours after the event.
If your kid makes the finals, do what you need to to get food and water to him before he hits. |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 11:19:28
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quote:
Originally posted by bkball
quote:
Originally posted by AllStar
quote:
Originally posted by agent21
With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken?
We had the player that led us in HR's do it in Cooperstown.
One of the coaches' sons might have been a better choice. Not as many HRs, but a much higher average, and in C-town the shorter fence might have made him the better choice. But it was the HR derby and we felt the other player had "earned" it because he was our leading HR hitter.
The dad/coach agreed and the son bought in so there was no controversy.
how did the kid do in the HR derby?
He hit 1.
He hit 5 during the week. I liked those better. :)
He hit a bomb to win a U trip tournament. I liked that the best of them all. ;)
Honestly, we didn't really care about the individual competitions. The team went 7-3. That's what the players remember most. |
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Goin Deep
140 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 12:13:23
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My son did at at 10 and 12....He was the logical choice both years, but did not do so well. They make you use THEIR bats, not your own. That was frustrating. Also, the HR Derby at Cooperstown is done at the same time as "around the horn", so the player cant do both. In otherwords, as you are practicing for ATH before Cooperstown, you need to know who is the rep for the HR derby and not include him in around the horn practice.
quote:
Originally posted by agent21
With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken?
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bkball
173 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 14:01:23
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Golden Arm, HR Derby and Road Runner all three separate kids that will not be part of around the horn, the rest of the team does Around the Horn. Makes it so everyone gets to be part of the competition unless you have 13 players or more. That is why 12 on the roster makes the most sense. I agree with above posters, if you lead the team in home runs for the season, you should do the HR derby. If you are the fastest around the bases doing a few dry runs with every kid, you should road runner. Also I would setup a competition similar to golden arm and the winner gets to compete. I like the fact they all use the same exact bat. Equalizes it.
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rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 14:24:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Goin Deep
My son did at at 10 and 12....He was the logical choice both years, but did not do so well. They make you use THEIR bats, not your own. That was frustrating. Also, the HR Derby at Cooperstown is done at the same time as "around the horn", so the player cant do both. In otherwords, as you are practicing for ATH before Cooperstown, you need to know who is the rep for the HR derby and not include him in around the horn practice.
quote:
Originally posted by agent21
With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken?
"They make you use THEIR bats, not your own."
SAY IT ISN'T SO!!! |
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Goin Deep
140 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 08:40:15
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It is so......quote:
Originally posted by rippit
quote:
Originally posted by Goin Deep
My son did at at 10 and 12....He was the logical choice both years, but did not do so well. They make you use THEIR bats, not your own. That was frustrating. Also, the HR Derby at Cooperstown is done at the same time as "around the horn", so the player cant do both. In otherwords, as you are practicing for ATH before Cooperstown, you need to know who is the rep for the HR derby and not include him in around the horn practice.
quote:
Originally posted by agent21
With Cooperstown, Ripken and other summer tournaments on the horizon, what are coaches' and parents' thoughts/experience with determining who will represent the team in a Home Run Derby? Players who have hit HRs? Players who have just missed HRs? Coach selection? Team vote? Draw from a hat? When do you announce the selection process/procedure? Upon arrival at the tournament? In the next week or so? Anyone know the distance to center at Cooperstown and/or Ripken?
"They make you use THEIR bats, not your own."
SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!
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toprank
138 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2012 : 14:34:57
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| They give you a choice of sizes 28 to 32 I believe all same brand. Equal playing field if you ask me. |
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Topic |
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Home Run Derby Representative
