GmanFan 21 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 the reason there isnt a little league program is because of mike wood and lonnie yates...there used to be a very strong little league program but they accused my dad of stealing money because he got private donation from his clients and they didnt like it....and the reason i dont want showe is because harclerode can vouch for this...he missed half the games bc of working at the bank...we need a coach that can dedicate his time not come thirty minutes late for practice everyday.....but i talked to brandy barares and she said doug marrs told largen the position had already been filled soooo im guessing showe got it :( soo idk....but we need dedication on the team like we had when mccoy tj marrs and yost played.....with me and jake the only seniors you better believe we are gonna beat the crap out of anyone who doesnt practice im tired of the jv being well B**ches and not practicing hard and giving the coaches backtalk.....we need to get back to fundamentals....im just glad thompkins isnt coming back......this season will be for coach campbell and my last year of baseball...i want it to be half way decent...and as far as tazewell and richlands well we could be good too if we had the facilities and equipment handed to us from a mlb star or our rich snob parents....and carroll i know for a fact their coach...Thompkins' dad has been in trouble with the county and district for cheating on several different occasions.... It's got nothing to do with facilities and equipment. We both know that. You've said it yourself, there's only two of you seniors this year. If you had Bowen Field as your practice facility, there would not be any other kids come out to play. It's not your fault. It begins at the Little League level. There's no interest right now. How many kids do you see show up at the middle school in the summer and fall just to practice a little? I guarantee they do in other towns. So lets not blame a MLB star or others. Like I said in a previous post, you can't compete picking up a bat and your glove 8-10 weeks a year. I admire your enthusiasm, and I hope you guys have a good year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 It's got nothing to do with facilities and equipment. We both know that. You've said it yourself, there's only two of you seniors this year. If you had Bowen Field as your practice facility, there would not be any other kids come out to play. It's not your fault. It begins at the Little League level. There's no interest right now. How many kids do you see show up at the middle school in the summer and fall just to practice a little? I guarantee they do in other towns. So lets not blame a MLB star or others. Like I said in a previous post, you can't compete picking up a bat and your glove 8-10 weeks a year. I admire your enthusiasm, and I hope you guys have a good year. Â I apologize for not getting on the past few days, I've been incredibly busy. Not to mention, sick as a dog. Â To build a team that perennially wins, I fully agree, you can't just start practicing at the end of February. You have to lay the groundwork for the following season all throughout the offseason, not just in 4 weeks of practice before the first game. That's what Graham football has always done so well, and the results through the past 20 years speak for themselves. Â However, I disagree with the sentiment that you can't compete on a limited basis unless you do these things. Graham "competed" around 2004-2005, back when they had that solid crop of talent. Again, it didn't matter a hill of beans in the long run, as it resulted in a first round SWD Tournament exit every year. But they were highly competitive, and very nearly made the district finals. The "lightning in a bottle" scenario, as it were. Â Still, I'd like to see the Little League infrastructure return to Bluefield, and I'd like to see coaches at the younger level change the baseball culture here. It's nowhere near impossible, but it's going to take a LOT of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHS189 10 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 yea its nice to have facilities bc otherwise you cant work year around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHS189 10 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 If showe got the HC job, why wouldnt he decide when the practices are? Im sure he wouldnt schedule practice when he was working. Â Showe is the best person for the job, trust me... Â we have no lights and have always practiced everyday and he works almost everyday at the bank...now do the math....i heard that couch marrs appointed CHASE ELSWICK to be head coach :( but im keeping my mouth shut on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHS189 10 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 It's got nothing to do with facilities and equipment. We both know that. You've said it yourself, there's only two of you seniors this year. If you had Bowen Field as your practice facility, there would not be any other kids come out to play. It's not your fault. It begins at the Little League level. There's no interest right now. How many kids do you see show up at the middle school in the summer and fall just to practice a little? I guarantee they do in other towns. So lets not blame a MLB star or others. Like I said in a previous post, you can't compete picking up a bat and your glove 8-10 weeks a year. I admire your enthusiasm, and I hope you guys have a good year. Â yea well we could practice more like tazewell if we had the facilities......and i cant speak for the rest of the team but my i with my dads help have a casey juggs pro pitching machine and prac 2-3 days a week until it gets two cold and snowy to do so....but thanks for the comment and the little league program died bc there were too many chiefs and not enough indians....two groups of parents killed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GmanFan 21 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 From what I understand, there was good chiefs, and the program was headed in the right direction. I've passed the fields in the offseason, and I don't see groups of kids out there practicing. I still don't believe the kids would come out even with the facilities though. It takes more than a dedicated few. I know your dad did a good job. I wish it was different, but it won't be for the forseeable future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BEAVERTAIL Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 we have no lights and have always practiced everyday and he works almost everyday at the bank...now do the math....i heard that couch marrs appointed CHASE ELSWICK to be head coach :( but im keeping my mouth shut on it  I grew up playing 4 years at Bluefield. We never had a field to practice on. Before our senior year's opening game, we were on an actual field maybe twice. We practiced on the band practice field, parking lots, gyms. You dont need lights to succeed or a field. Sure Id like to see how far we would have got the last 2 years with a field to consistently practice on.  You have an assett in Showe. You may have to resort to some practices in a gym or parking lot, but he knows the game more than anyone in this area. He grew up as baseball being life from what I can see, and with him having all the control, Id say he put everything he had into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamPG44 11 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 I grew up playing 4 years at Bluefield. We never had a field to practice on. Before our senior year's opening game, we were on an actual field maybe twice. We practiced on the band practice field, parking lots, gyms. You dont need lights to succeed or a field. Sure Id like to see how far we would have got the last 2 years with a field to consistently practice on. Â You have an assett in Showe. You may have to resort to some practices in a gym or parking lot, but he knows the game more than anyone in this area. He grew up as baseball being life from what I can see, and with him having all the control, Id say he put everything he had into it. Â if he can make the practices he would be the best for the job i really liked his coaching style last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspballer 10 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) the reason there isnt a little league program is because of mike wood and lonnie yates...there used to be a very strong little league program but they accused my dad of stealing money because he got private donation from his clients and they didnt like it....and the reason i dont want showe is because harclerode can vouch for this...he missed half the games bc of working at the bank...we need a coach that can dedicate his time not come thirty minutes late for practice everyday.....but i talked to brandy barares and she said doug marrs told largen the position had already been filled soooo im guessing showe got it :( soo idk....but we need dedication on the team like we had when mccoy tj marrs and yost played.....with me and jake the only seniors you better believe we are gonna beat the crap out of anyone who doesnt practice im tired of the jv being well B**ches and not practicing hard and giving the coaches backtalk.....we need to get back to fundamentals....im just glad thompkins isnt coming back......this season will be for coach campbell and my last year of baseball...i want it to be half way decent...and as far as tazewell and richlands well we could be good too if we had the facilities and equipment handed to us from a mlb star or our rich snob parents....and carroll i know for a fact their coach...Thompkins' dad has been in trouble with the county and district for cheating on several different occasions.... Â How do you know for a fact Coach Tompkins has done anything? I think you need to re-evaluate your sources before you throw out false statements!! You have probably never seen Carroll County play besides in Bluefield. That is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while. What is he doing, corking bats? Give me a break. Edited January 12, 2009 by Waspballer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFanatic 10 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Graham sucks, Abingdon is going to walk through the district, maybe marion will win more than 3 this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh8_2011 10 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Graham sucks, Abingdon is going to walk through the district, maybe marion will win more than 3 this year  Walk through the district? Richlands has won the last couple years and Abingdon and Tazewell always play each other tuff. There is no way Abingdon will walk through the district. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamPG44 11 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Graham sucks, Abingdon is going to walk through the district, maybe marion will win more than 3 this year  we never said we were. were just talking about who we think will be the new coach this year and how the field looks. so falcon u can just stop running you mouth cause your sounding just like mat noe from marion. your just putting a target on your back and btw hows richlands and tazewell looking. and dont forget cc they always have a pretty good team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaveFan09 50 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Graham sucks, Abingdon is going to walk through the district, maybe marion will win more than 3 this year  lol...GRUNDY beat marion.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh8_2011 10 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 . . .btw hows richlands and tazewell looking. and dont forget cc they always have a pretty good team  Idk bout Richlands but Tazewell has about the same team as last year. The only lost one pitcher and the back-up catcher and back-up outfield. They also will pick up a freshman lefty who threw up near the 80's if not in the 80's last year. He is fast and can hit the ball to. Tazewell should look good this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhs_33 10 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Tazewell should be pretty good this year, lots of talent. Keep in mind Richlands only lost two players, one very key player though in Jordan Barnett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghstoga 10 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I'm hearing that Largent (sp?) will be the varsity coach and whoever the middle school football coach is will be the jv coach for Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh8_2011 10 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Tazewell should be pretty good this year, lots of talent. Keep in mind Richlands only lost two players, one very key player though in Jordan Barnett  Who is going to be Richlands main pitcher this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhs_33 10 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Bo Precillio, transfer student from Athens, GA. Senior lefty, throws in mid 80s should be a good addition to the Blue's squad if he can keep his grades up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUfan_09 10 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Bo Precillio, transfer student from Athens, GA. Senior lefty, throws in mid 80s should be a good addition to the Blue's squad if he can keep his grades up. Â yea, i heard about that kid isnt he supposed to be gettin looked at UNC and Georgia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 yea well we could practice more like tazewell if we had the facilities......and i cant speak for the rest of the team but my i with my dads help have a casey juggs pro pitching machine and prac 2-3 days a week until it gets two cold and snowy to do so....but thanks for the commentand the little league program died bc there were too many chiefs and not enough indians....two groups of parents killed  Sorry for being so long in response, law school keeps me busy ALL the time it seems.  You can practice like Tazewell as it is; facilities aren't the end-all for a baseball program. You might have to take batting practice in the cold and the snow. You might have to install a Hit-Away outside on a basketball pole when it's 20 degrees outside. You might have to do some weight training/conditioning at the local YMCA. You might have to haggle a buddy until he gives you some fielding exercises. But it can be done. That's an absolute cop-out statement, and I'm being brutally honest when I say it.  The difficulty is: installing the culture to where young men think in this fashion. Baseball players meet on their own time in Tazewell to train and practice. They don't at Graham. It's strictly a culture thing. Do coaches have anything to do with this? Certainly they do, and that's partially how Graham has floundered for going on 20 years.  It is the coaches' jobs in organized practice to work the players, install proper fundamentals, and get the players both physically and mentally ready to perform on gameday. Does it sounds like a football mentality? Sure does, and it applies as equally to baseball/bowling/any other competitive sport. Of course, I didn't see it in high school. That's a coach's job as well: to instill in the young men this common vision.  I wish I knew/believed in high school like I know/believe now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan 3,569 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 install proper fundamentals  That's the most important thing...PERIOD... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 That's the most important thing...PERIOD... Â You've got that right, brother. I couldn't tell you how sick it'd make me to look in the paper the day after we played a game and see that we had made 11 errors against Pulaski County. I distinctly remember a highly-preventable error that cost us an extra-inning night game in Tazewell my junior year. It's the difference between a poor team and a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamPG44 11 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 You've got that right, brother.I couldn't tell you how sick it'd make me to look in the paper the day after we played a game and see that we had made 11 errors against Pulaski County. I distinctly remember a highly-preventable error that cost us an extra-inning night game in Tazewell my junior year. It's the difference between a poor team and a good one. Â where did u play high school ball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atmtaz18 10 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 Richlands sucks! With their last senior class gone they wont be anything for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 Lost two seniors... everyone else is back. Should be a strong year for Richlands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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