Should be a great weekend of baseball for all !

More information is located at:

http://mdlegionbaseball09.blogspot.com/

See you there....

I'll be there supporting Mount Airy, but I'll be in full protest mode. I love this tournament being played at McCurdy Field in Frederick.

Agreed, there is something special about McCurdy...

Something about the purest form of amateur baseball being played in an old time stadium like McCurdy. Good luck to all the teams in College Park.

Well we certainly proved that losing our top 4 players and having to play our final "season" game two days before the States started has an effect on a game....Congrats to Mt. Airy...We got our butts kicked today...If the pitching stays there, they will be tough for everyone they face....

Fredericks Post, however, wow...They are there with something to prove...

PS...It is tough when a team goes to a tournament like this running on less than all cylinders.

The thing I like about Mount Airy and Frederick are the coaching staffs. George Richardson and Tommy Long are fantastic coaches with tons of experience and a sure fire recipe for winning baseball. They have always been 100% about team and winning baseball. I enjoy the heck out of watching them coach, cause I didn't like it when they kicked my butt while I was in the other dugout.

Well we went home early this year...Although we have made it 7 straight years to the championships...The injuries showed up even more today...Not even sure we would have had someone to pitch tomorrow if we would have taken it...

The kid that pitched for La Plata today, from George Washington did a great job, located his fast balls well...Only went to the offspeed when he needed it...had a live arm....Congrats to them....

George and Tommy are great and thier records speak to it...I think this one is Tommy's to lose...

It is tough for us in AA county where we lose so much talent to Metro Area "showcase" teams...We are just going to have to work as harder, or harder than Tommy and others to recruit our best talent and keep our fingers crossed we don't get that injury bug again....

For us its welcome to 2010...Season just started....

Tommy and George have their own challenges. The emergence of the Frederick Hustlers over the past 1/2 decade have cut into their talent pool. And they've always had to deal with players leaving the area to play Metro ball.

As for legion ball...is the roster size still 18? I don't understand why legion has 9 inning games and doesn't expand the roster for post-season...to like 21 players? Also, when a team as successful as Pasadena drops out of a tournament (two and out) like this, you can look at several factors (including injuries) as a reason:

1. Ain't playin' well;
2. Injuries, injuries, injuries;
3. Imbalance in playing time during the season;
4. The other teams were better;
5. ???

Little consolation, but just making it to the State Tournament is a great achievement the Pasadena players, coaches and parents should be proud of!

Check out my posts under the Summer Leagues about increasing the roster limit in Legion Baseball.

http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/f...s/a/frm/f/2706080091

Coach Milburn,

Please see my reply in the summer forum....

http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/f...=144105191#144105191

My son has had the opportunity to play METRO ball and then later Showcase Fall Ball. The appeal in doing that is the experience the ball player gets in meeting and playing with other top players that are from all over the state and in many cases in other neighboring states. These are players and families you would not likely meet any other way.

It also provides that experience of the player having to walk into a very unfamiliar environment or at least a new environment and show their baseball skills and talents. Its a confirmation of the hard work the player puts in throughout the year outside of team practice.

Having the opportunity to watch your son compete against teams like the North Canes and the Dirtbags in tournaments in the south has really been an enjoyable experience.

All of this experience is excellent for the ball player and certainly a positive baseball experience to bring back to their local high school for the school baseball season.

I like too the the large rosters on the Summer and Fall showcase/tournament teams. Many pitchers work hard during the high school season where the ace of the staff can pitch 55 or more innings for the school. A large roster will allow that same pitcher to get the appropriate rest and time during the week to get in all the work necessary to prepare for that next start. Work includes conditioning, weights, long toss, bull pen etc... what ever the player needs for that Summer or Fall. It's hard to do all that with a small roster and trying to win games.

The experienced gained by playing on showcase and tournament teams has generated many baseball friends through out the state and mid-atlantic region. The Fall season allows players this opportunity.

Mt Airy 191 vs Gaithersburg Post 104 for all the marbles tomorrow.

Mount Airy wins, Mount Airy Wins, Mount Airy WIns, Mount Airy WINs...Mount Airy WINS!!!

Special congratulations go out to my former player Tripp Staley. Tripp got the "W" today throwing a two-hit shut out to win the championship game. I'm so proud of him! Tripp is a wonderful and very talented young man who has flown under the radar for most of his high school career. He has quietly done nothing but win big games and get better and better all the time. He's come so far and it's a true testament to his desire and work ethic. He's a true AVIS player in every sense of the word, plus he's a soft spoken gentleman to boot. Hagerstown CC is getting a real gem with him!

Congratulations to George and the rest of his squad!

Congrats to Mt. Airy...A deserved win and a great team...Helps me feel a little less devestated in our loss to them...rather lose to the team that wins it all....