frito gonzales 103 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Drove by and saw the baseball team out practicing and was really surprised by the amount of players out for baseball this year. Looked to be about 30 kids. It's good to see kids out for baseball finally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 JV practicing with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frito gonzales 103 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Yes it's JV and Varsity combined...still good numbers for GHS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGkid 18 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Is Matt Dixon the head coach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) Hope they have some pitching.... Edited February 25, 2012 by futbolking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frito gonzales 103 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Yes Matt Dixon is the coach. They only have two pitchers back from last year, so they are very thin at pitching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Hope they have some pitching.... Graham wouldn't need spectacular pitching if the G-Men wouldn't commit 7+ errors/game. They need fielding practice BADLY. Not to say that Graham doesn't need pitching. Graham's historically done an atrocious job at developing multiple live arms, opting instead to go with the "ride the warhorses into the ground" strategy. This being said, I wish them the very best of luck this upcoming season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 They have some good fielders....problem is.....he puts them in the outfield... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robtom 18 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 MED baseball is one of the best in the state. Grayson, The Fort and Galax all field quality teams and have for years. All three go to the playoffs regularly. Looking forward to seeing the G-men in MED competition. By the way, do the G-men play at Bowen Field for all of their home games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 MED baseball is one of the best in the state. Grayson, The Fort and Galax all field quality teams and have for years. All three go to the playoffs regularly. Looking forward to seeing the G-men in MED competition. By the way, do the G-men play at Bowen Field for all of their home games? Typically play at Sizemore Field, over by the Middle School. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldgeneral 10 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Graham wouldn't need spectacular pitching if the G-Men wouldn't commit 7+ errors/game.They need fielding practice BADLY. Not to say that Graham doesn't need pitching. Graham's historically done an atrocious job at developing multiple live arms, opting instead to go with the "ride the warhorses into the ground" strategy. This being said, I wish them the very best of luck this upcoming season. Not being a turd, but how do you know they don't do fielding practice quite a bit? Aren't you living away? A good little league and having a Middle School program would be a great asset to GHS. I hear the coach there has busted his tail to get the program going. It's tough when you don't have the skills being developed in Middle School. The MS has track but not baseball? The MED does have some traditionally good to decent teams. Bland had a very good MS team the past few years. Look for them to be very competitive over the next few at the HS level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) Not being a turd, but how do you know they don't do fielding practice quite a bit? Aren't you living away? A good little league and having a Middle School program would be a great asset to GHS. I hear the coach there has busted his tail to get the program going. It's tough when you don't have the skills being developed in Middle School. The MS has track but not baseball? The MED does have some traditionally good to decent teams. Bland had a very good MS team the past few years. Look for them to be very competitive over the next few at the HS level. Wow, way to hit these things in a timely manner. Got any Boss Tweed jokes you wanna lay on me? I kid. I'm actually living back in SWVA, thanks. Have been for a couple of months now. Let's just say, having played in that program in the last decade, I know what the culture was and has been. Having friends close to the program and keeping as close of tabs as I've been able, I'm fairly confident when I can report that the culture isn't changing a Hell of a lot. Graham's biggest problems in 2001 were: (1) Failure to develop live arms. (2) Failure to practice hitting off live arms. (3) Poor fielding. Graham's biggest problems in 2011 were: (1) Failure to develop live arms. (2) Failure to practice hitting off live arms. (3) Poor fielding. Is it such a gigantic leap of faith to draw the conclusion I did? Since you don't seem particularly familiar with baseball on the VA side, let me give the take of someone on the VA side. Bluefield's Little League program, up through 6th grade, has always been above-average. I mean, Bluefield's sent teams to state a few times (beating Tazewell, Richlands, Abingdon, Lebanon, etc.), and has done respectably in most other years. Where the breakdown occurs is in 7th-8th grades (I don't know where you get the idea that there are middle school teams...but I'm 99% sure there are few, if any, in SWVA). That's when kids start really going after fall-ball, and Graham's always been woefully deficient there. Graham's a football school: ALL the kids are pushed toward football, when many would be better served to do fall-ball. Where kids from Richlands and Tazewell are doing baseball, Graham's kids get 0 baseball practice. Graham's virtually fielding a varsity team with JV-level experience and middle-school level practice. THAT is the major rub. If the coaches really wanted to make an impact, they'd be pushing the kids a lot harder toward fall-ball programs. If there's not one, there should be one created. You get 9-12 kids doing that, and I guarantee you it would be like night-and-day in 2 years. Not saying Graham would make a run at state, but Graham wouldn't be the perennial barrel-bottom team they've been since '91. I await your next response, sometime in April. ;) Edited March 14, 2012 by UVAObserver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frito gonzales 103 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Pretty sure Bland, Bluefield, Richlands, Tazewell, Princeton, Pike View, and maybe a few others do have MS teams. I don't think there is enough interest in fall ball in the Blfd VA area. Most kids play football and don't have a love for baseball that would drive them to play fall ball. IMO, the biggest drop off is no baseball for kids in 7th grade. There is a JR's little league division but they barely have enough kids to field a team and often have to wait until the 8th grade JV players are done. By then, LL is practically over. Dixon has been working really hard for the baseball program. There have been several kids who have quit varsity this year and they are down to 10 players now. It's hard to be competitive with 10 players...esp. if only 4 have varsity experience. Could be another long year for the G-Men but they will play hard and keep working to get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Pretty sure Bland, Bluefield, Richlands, Tazewell, Princeton, Pike View, and maybe a few others do have MS teams. I don't think there is enough interest in fall ball in the Blfd VA area. Most kids play football and don't have a love for baseball that would drive them to play fall ball. IMO, the biggest drop off is no baseball for kids in 7th grade. There is a JR's little league division but they barely have enough kids to field a team and often have to wait until the 8th grade JV players are done. By then, LL is practically over. Dixon has been working really hard for the baseball program. There have been several kids who have quit varsity this year and they are down to 10 players now. It's hard to be competitive with 10 players...esp. if only 4 have varsity experience. Could be another long year for the G-Men but they will play hard and keep working to get better. Got a few questions: 1a. Just curious, what work is he actually doing? 1b. Is it in-practice work, or is it logistical work outside baseball? 1c. And if so, what effect is it actually having? 2. Why so many quitting the team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frito gonzales 103 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 He has done a ton of fundraising and work on the field. I know it doesn't look like much but the field is a lot better than it used to be. For some reason their doesn't seem to be any interest in coaching baseball at Graham either. Basically Coach Dixon is doing it alone. Coach Passan is no longer assisting and they couldn't find anyone to fill his spot. One major problem is kids coming out for baseball who haven't played in many years and don't have a clue how to do the fundamentals or how to actually play the game. It's tough to coach at the high school level when you get kids that far behind the curve. They do work hard in practice. Last year Graham won a few games and was more competitive although the scoreboard may not reflect it as they ran out of arms in the late innings and thats when they gave up the majority of their runs. I know a few players quit for personal reasons. One didn't return due to academic reasons...and several others didn't come back out for baseball because they were told they had to be in the weight room for football. Only one football player is on the baseball team this year. Try to come out and watch some games this year. Coppinger is April 21st I believe. First game is today (3-14) at home and at home again on 3-15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,937 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Wow, way to hit these things in a timely manner. Got any Boss Tweed jokes you wanna lay on me?I kid. I'm actually living back in SWVA, thanks. Have been for a couple of months now. Let's just say, having played in that program in the last decade, I know what the culture was and has been. Having friends close to the program and keeping as close of tabs as I've been able, I'm fairly confident when I can report that the culture isn't changing a Hell of a lot. Graham's biggest problems in 2001 were: (1) Failure to develop live arms. (2) Failure to practice hitting off live arms. (3) Poor fielding. Graham's biggest problems in 2011 were: (1) Failure to develop live arms. (2) Failure to practice hitting off live arms. (3) Poor fielding. Is it such a gigantic leap of faith to draw the conclusion I did? Since you don't seem particularly familiar with baseball on the VA side, let me give the take of someone on the VA side. Bluefield's Little League program, up through 6th grade, has always been above-average. I mean, Bluefield's sent teams to state a few times (beating Tazewell, Richlands, Abingdon, Lebanon, etc.), and has done respectably in most other years. Where the breakdown occurs is in 7th-8th grades (I don't know where you get the idea that there are middle school teams...but I'm 99% sure there are few, if any, in SWVA). That's when kids start really going after fall-ball, and Graham's always been woefully deficient there. Graham's a football school: ALL the kids are pushed toward football, when many would be better served to do fall-ball. Where kids from Richlands and Tazewell are doing baseball, Graham's kids get 0 baseball practice. Graham's virtually fielding a varsity team with JV-level experience and middle-school level practice. THAT is the major rub. If the coaches really wanted to make an impact, they'd be pushing the kids a lot harder toward fall-ball programs. If there's not one, there should be one created. You get 9-12 kids doing that, and I guarantee you it would be like night-and-day in 2 years. Not saying Graham would make a run at state, but Graham wouldn't be the perennial barrel-bottom team they've been since '91. I await your next response, sometime in April. ;) Galax, Grayson, Fort Chiswell and Bland all have very good middle school baseball programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker 82 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Galax, Grayson, Fort Chiswell and Bland all have very good middle school baseball programs. Tazewell had a middle school program but do not this year since they have no coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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