How did everyone look at RR?

[dittoz]

The biggest shock is the two teams in the Championship were the Rocklin Hype (rumor mill says they were formerly the Yard Sharks) and The Lady Magic 14 which is a first year 14 team with 10 players currently in 8th grade and 2 players currently in 9th grade.

Depending on which Hype team this was, 14u or 16u, the 16u was very briefly the Yard Sharks, although I'm not sure that they ever played under that flag. They were the 14u Hype a year ago when the current 14u was 12. They left, but are now back.

Note that the Lady Magic 14u won 12u Metros 2 years in a row and I believe they won the 10u metros before that. Definitely a better group of players than the average - they've given older teams fits for awhile now...

[triplecrown]

[quote="Iluvblue"]

I disagree completely. Up in this area the better 16u eligible players play in 18u or Gold with some exceptions. So the top 14u teams are stronger. The top 14u pitchers bypass 16u, so the pitching in 16u (for the most part) is not as strong as the better pitchers on the top 14u teams.

So then bypass the next 14 tourney and the t-shirt/medal that comes with it, and play a 16 tourney and show them how weak they are.

[Iluvblue]

Well fortunately for me, i have a plan. I dont care about winning or losing games, it is all about getting as many games as you can for the money. it is about trying to make it through a Sunday knowing if you lose you go home.

My team has played 13 games in 2 tournaments. If you play 16u, we would have gotten 10.

You also get random opponents and the better teams do not funnel to each other as you do in 14u.

I have my reasons for doing what I do, sorry you dont see it.

As was already stated, a 1st year 14u team just played in the finals of some 16u tourney against a team that likely never played in a championship game whenever they played 14u ASA tourneys in Stockton last Summer.

[Intel]

Iluvblue, the problem in norcal tourneys is the better 16u teams play in the 18s so they don't have to play against 14s. So you get stronger 14s playing weak 16s and the 14s think they are so good, that the next year the skip 16s and go to 18s, but still play at a 16 level.

If everyone stayed in their age group, you would see the 16s is a better divsion than you think and you would see most of the best 2012 and 2013 playing 16s.

I commend you for playing at 14s and getting better by playing better 14s in elimination play. The problem is that good 16s do not have that option unless they play 18s which puts 18s is the same place except they have no where to go.

[Iluvblue]

This all started about 5 or 6 years ago, when the Breeze, Grapettes, Scorcerer and others all went from being 18A teams to having Gold teams.

The number of teams skyrocketed and thus the Gold teams started yanking players from the younger ages. I know that all too well as my 2nd year 14u CF got yanked up to one of the better Gold teams.

Then, said 14u players has friends that also play, and those parents think their kid is as good as the 14u kid playing Gold, and then it all started.

Off of my 14u team last year, both pitchers moved up to 18u, 3rd baseman to Gold, and 2 others to 16u. One of those 2 playing 16s could have easily played 18u, but for their own reasons stayed down. All others are still in 14u.

The really good 16u team is an anomaly. IMO, the top three 14u teams from our association championships last year would have all won the 16u division had they played up. The really good 16u players just dont play in 16u. Both the Grapettes and AASA 16u teams right now are at least half or more 2nd year 14u players. My guess is they will be the 2 top 16u teams in our Association. But I just dont see the reason or need for ANY of those 14u players to be in 16u right now.


You get less games in Fall at 16u, you get those crappy uninspiring "Exposure" formats, and you get to travel down south anywhere from 2-4 times during Fall for what I consider little real benefit for a Freshman in HS. If they stayed in 14u, the competition in that division would be great.

By the way, 3 years ago I took a 2nd year 14u team and moved them up to 16s. The good teams in 16u for most tournaments was few and far in between. We played 18u for most of the year. Now at the qualifiers, there are some good 16u teams, and at Regionals there was about 8 out of the 28 or so in Vegas 3 years ago that I felt were really good.

I do not see things changing anytime soon. Not unless they start keeping teams out of 18G based upon the level of their teams. But that wont matter either, because so many teams play Gold in the Fall and then NEVER EVEN THINK about playing real Gold in the Summer.

[tito]

By the way, 3 years ago I took a 2nd year 14u team and moved them up to 16s. The good teams in 16u for most tournaments was few and far in between. We played 18u for most of the year. Now at the qualifiers, there are some good 16u teams, and at Regionals there was about 8 out of the 28 or so in Vegas 3 years ago that I felt were really good.

damn dude, you just can't stop yourself, can you?
You wonder why you catch so much grief on here.....and on other boards (modbeeforum?)...you just can't stop yourself from turning any thread, regardless of it's content, into something about yourself...
people in your area have told me about this phenomenom for the last couple of years....and I am witnessing it in full force for the last couple of months....you try to pass it off as "I have a successful team year in and year out"....when the fact is, you didn't do shit last summer. you crashed and burned in all the 14u qualifiers while lesser norcal teams got to Georgia..i don't care how you rationalize it, your team didn't even underachieve..i saw who knocked you out of regionals and clovis, etc, etc.,..it's fricking amazing is what it is...jesus christ, get over yourself....

[Iluvblue]

That is called an example to backup my statements about the 16u division. That is something we teach 6th graders to do in their writing. Sorry you cant understand what it is.

To make baseless claims and then have no evidence to give credence to your statements weakens your case..... but then again, you likely cant understand that.


Have a good day.

And by the way, you dont know jack about my teams.

[Old Darter]

Humm...as I recall the 16u NATIONAL CHAMPIONS were from NorCal just a year ago....how'd that happen? Is it they played together as a team, played up in 18G not for the exposure but the competition and the experience? Maybe they figured if you win enough games, enough BIG games, the exposure will come?

Naw, otherwise that team would all be fully recruited before they ever got to Gold. I like Bluey's plan better. It's not about winning or losing, it's about how many games (no matter the level of competition) that I can get for my $450. Yep, that's a winner.

[Iluvblue]

You are right, they were from Norcal, and here is what was said 3 or 4 posts ago:


The really good 16u team is an anomaly

speaking of norcal only

[Intel]

Except Lady Magic played in 16s in Las Vegas and Colorado and I believe one other tournament. They only played 18s in Norcal, because of the way Norcal tournaments are run.