sixcat

I agree, just offering insight from a former neighbor that worked for one of those stations for a long time.

The Friday night highlight shows generate viewership that local news outlets desperately need and want. They have petitioned for years to have the games played earlier to give them additional time for a better production. It also gives them added time to cover a wider footprint. This isn't the only reason games are being played earlier but it is a significant contributing factor.

I was working some USSSA games with my cousin in Charlotte several years ago. This particular game happened to be my rotation off so I was enjoying some shade, water and a hot dog. My cousin was behind the plate. Delino DeShields was coaching the team in the field and his sons were on the team. His pitcher bounced a ball to the plate and Corey Seager hit it 400 feet over the scoreboard in right-center field. Damnedest thing I ever saw! DeShields immediately began arguing with my cousin that a pitched ball that bounces cannot be hit into fair territory legally. I guess he thought everyone was supposed to be "star struck". He kept screaming "do you know who I am". He would eventually use some colorful language and not get to see the remaining 4 innings of the game. A shame really, Seager put on a freakin show.

I should clarify, not all players wear pants and socks the way Altuve does in the photo. I have never used clothing as a barometer. In my mind, if the top of the ball crosses the bottom of the knee, STRIKE. Same situation horizontally, if I see the right side of the ball across the left edge of the plate, STRIKE. Most guys I worked with would want to see the entire ball within the confines of their zone. I only needed to see a portion of the ball within the zone.

I would consider Altuve to have a conventional batting stance, the other guy, not so much. Using his picture above, my zone would be between the bottom of "Astros" to the contrast between his pants and socks. May be slightly larger than most but like I said earlier, I was always pitcher friendly.

Is that while standing upright, squatted in a batting stance or while changing posture during the process of the pitch?

I never played "travel" baseball and had surgery at 17. Pitched every other game and played short when I wasn't on the mound for the better part of 8 years. I agree travel ball contributes but doing nothing is still a choice, a poor choice at that. Change has to begin somewhere.

VHSL must adapt a pitch count rule to meet NFHS guidelines. VHSL has had an innings-based rule in place for a number of years which NFHS will no longer permit. I agree with the policy, personally. Far to many coaches have abused the innings-based rule through the years. See Galax-Honaker from May for further example. In my opinion, a contributing factor is the lack of quality umpiring. I have worked games in the past with guys who have a zone the size of a frisbee. Those guys ultimately cause pitchers to have to throw more pitches. I get some kids are wild, especially at the high school age and level. But a lot of umpires squeeze the life out of these kids and reward the hitter as a result. The biggest compliment I received as a plate umpire was when a coach would tell me his pitchers loved having me behind the plate. I never felt I rewarded the pitchers unfairly but I certainly didn't reward the hitter, like many do. But, as with a lot of things, the strike zone is subjective and open to interpretation.

We were fortunate in Fries. The baseball stadium was first class. Once I got to Grayson, not so much. The old field at Grayson was terrible. We played a small school from North Carolina that had no fencing in the outfield. The school building itself could be a very abrupt destination for outfielders though. I hit two homeruns in high school. One there that landed on top of the school and one at Carroll. The best player I faced in high school was Kelly Dampeer from Northside. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and spent several seasons in the minor leagues before a major knee injury ended his career in 1999. Extremely talented and a hell of a nice guy too. Got to know him well when I lived in Roanoke.

Galax lost to Pulaski 72-20. Failed to score a single point in both the 2nd and 4th quarters. Galax trailed 43-4 at halftime.

So, two football teams from the MED reached the final 4 from 1993 to 2011? Thanks for back-door proving my point!

Watched a few minutes of basketball practice at Galax yesterday afternoon while waiting for my daughters band concert to begin. They may not win a game! I didn't see a single player over 5'-9" tall and no seniors. I honestly believe the JV team could beat the varsity head to head.

Not the MED of my youth, that's for sure. The MED could easily have been the least competitive district in Virginia from 1993 to 2009. Not a single program was competitive outside the immediate area in virtually every team sport with the exception of Grayson baseball. It has experienced a complete 180 degree shift since Fort Chiswell and Galax have become competitive on a state level. I believe the addition of Graham is, at least in part, a significant factor. Graham forced others to raise the bar. I look forward to what becomes of the new look MED. It will be a gauntlet for sure.

I was at Galax High School yesterday afternoon to pick up my daughter. The student parking areas were full of vehicles with North Carolina license plates. Much more so than I would have believed had I not seen it for myself.

Gretna, William Campbell and Altavista have been stacking rosters for years. Salem has a rich history of recruiting Glenvar, Cave Spring, Hidden Valley and Northside. In recent years, Galax has robbed Carroll, Grayson and Alleghany, NC blind. When I lived in Roanoke, I witnessed Glenvar go get the better players from Eastern Montgomery and William Byrd get the talent from Staunton River. It's nothing new but fun to use to stir the pot a little.

Ryan is great and the overwhelming majority of Richlands followers on here are as well. I don't intend to cause any of them undue heartburn for the actions of one idiot. I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to see if I could draw him out with my previous post.

I think I would prefer to have a little fun with them, myself. Several co-workers and I have already had some fun at this person's expense. Our company Christmas party was this weekend and it was a topic of conversation. If the intended purpose was to somehow reprimand me, it failed miserably. I will keep the option open though, thanks.

I'm afraid I will have to pass! The last opinion I shared on a Richlands topic, Cody Howie, an overly sensitive Richlands follower called my employer to complain. Sensitive lot, those Richlands followers! Good times!

I had an angry soccer coach follow me home after a game in 2010. He lost his coaching job, was fired from his "day job" and his wife filed for divorce a few months later. Losing control of your emotions can have a devastating effect on your personal life.

Close enough, 72-48. Back-to-back state final four appearances and coming off a 27-2 season, Northside will beat a lot of teams by 30 this year.

I would have Martinsville ahead of GC personally. Other than that, I can't argue with this list.

I completely agree. Other states have figured it out, Virginia should be able to as well.

The amount is predetermined by each district and VHSL representatives.

Per Diem for 50 kids would be substantially more expensive than for 12. See page 29 of the VHSL Financial Policies and Procedures Manual.

I understand the thought process behind what you are saying, I think, but largely disagree with the proposed course of action. Understanding kids make mistakes is one thing, condoning and even rewarding them for it is an entirely different matter. I am not trying to get into the whole "generational gap" issue but maybe that's why millennials are by-in-large, out of touch with many social standards. Kids are not held to any standard much less the same standard we were held to. I am not suggesting policy and procedure never change from one generation to another but lack of action is still an action. By not holding him accountable, an action is taken to condone or dismiss the behavior. Yes, teenagers are prone to emotional outbursts but If this kid plays other sports, he will be far less likely of repeating this behavior given he was held accountable for this decision. And make no mistake, it was a decision for him to act the way he did. Life is about the choices we make and every choice carries with it, consequence. Learning these lessons as a teenager may keep this young man from making a mistake as an adult that follows him for a lifetime. I wasn't at the game but have seen several video clips of this kid pointing and taunting opponents, not only in this game but others as well. Obviously, he hasn't been held accountable for the behavior prior to now. If he had, maybe his choice would have been different in that moment. Maybe a choice by the other "family members" to not allow him on the sideline will reinforce the notion that choices carry consequence.