Iowa has HS summer baseball and it's a nightmare. It's the reason why Jerry Ford started Perfect Game (based out of Cedar Rapids) because his son wasn't being seen by scouts/college recruiters. Now all the top guys in Iowa play in the PG spring league along with guys from Wisconsin whose schools don't have baseball programs. Their season started last weekend and it's not a bad league. Jared Kelenic plays in it and there were a million scouts who went to freakin Des Moines to see him play (he was good).

IL has Spring baseball, and it's a nightmare. Folks would adjust if we got smart about it.

We have kids throwing in 45 degree weather. That's just plain dumb.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

As Keyser said, Iowas starts their season Memorial Day weekend and goes through end of July. That is a long time working with Seniors who are already done with school and have nothing to lose.

Out of the 12 scheduled games so far at our school (3 levels) a total of 2 have been played.

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Not much else you can really do with all the travel ball being played though.

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It would take a large effort to change entrenched interests. But if you start with the fact the Spring baseball is silly in Northern states, then you can move on to the best way to change it.

IHSA mandates the boundaries of the high school season. Travel would adjust accordingly. You might even change/ehance fall ball, which is also quite a joke with often poor weather and low participation. As football continues to ebb, there is a big opening for baseball. Our school went to 8 on 8 football last season, and it is hanging on a by thread.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

They never used to start this early. Trying to play games in the middle of March is crazy. They should start the season on April 1.

It was explained to me that our team in prior years would enter conference play and have its first game. The teams we were up against already had 8-10 games in, so we were way behind.

Having done baseball for about eight years now, April is still crappy. The fields are almost always too wet/sloppy or the weather is too cold/windy. It is less than 25% of the time where April games are pleasant.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Saturday looks like a snow out. College games are getting moved around and I'm sure HS will all get canceled. Unbelievable

I saw about eight box scores in the DH yesterday, and when I got home, it was definitely ok to play. But we were canceled. Today's game looks like a go, which is our last before the Florida tourney. So we'll have five games under our belt locally, and hopefully all five in Florida. That should be enough of a tune up for conference play.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Playing in Elmhurst today at Plunkett.

Good luck to Little Crest playing LF and staring directly into the sun.

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Is he playing LF or wide out? If a ball gets by him tell him to take a knee. 1st and 10 at the 20!

LF.

Dad never let him play football.

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It was a joke. Isn’t that the place where the baseball and football fields are connected?

I know. It is that place. Where LF and CF go on forever.

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Currently playing at proviso West, 33°, and the wind out of the East to 27 mph. If someone hits it out in left field today Keyser I will get you their number, because that someone you want to sign up quickly

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Disabato list of ten best Hitters he has covered in Southland. Only Cliff Floyd has had a long professional career.

Pat Disabato delivers list of the 10 best high school baseball players in Southland history

By Pat Disabato

This spring marks my 29th season covering high school baseball in the Southland. Yes, time flies when you're having fun — don't let the winter jacket and gloves I'm wearing while covering games fool you.

I'm often asked who are the best players I've ever covered. Like a 95-mph fastball, you asked and I'm about to deliver.

My top 10 list is based exclusively on a player's high school career. Not travel ball, college or professional.

These are the area's best high school hitters, the game-changers who struck fear into opponents each time they stepped into the batter's box and excelled against elite competition.

Here's my Top 10:

10. Larry Zimont, Oak Forest (1996 graduate): As a senior, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound outfielder hit .615 with 14 doubles, eight homers and 53 RBIs. Was 24-for-24 in stolen bases. Hit .507 with seven homers and 37 RBIs as a junior. Played at Notre Dame. Never drafted.

9. Jimmy Dallio, Shepard (1994): The 6-3, 220-pound left-handed slugging catcher hit .420 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs as a junior. Had 14 doubles, seven homers and 37 RBIs as a senior. Crushed a homer at Shepard that landed on the roof of a house beyond the right-field fence. Starred at Xavier. Never drafted.

8. Erik Lis, Richards (2002): The 6-2 left-handed hitter made a living smacking baseballs into the gaps and, in many instances, beyond them. Finished with 32 career homers, good enough to tie for 18th all-time in state history, according to IHSA website. Drafted by Minnesota Twins in 2005 out of Evansville.

7. Tim Barry, Oak Forest (2011): There are power hitters and then there's Barry. His 53 homers and 203 RBIs in a career are state records. As a freshman, he drove in 78 runs. As a junior, hit .578 with 17 homers. Hit a moon shot at Richards that soared into the top of the trees beyond the left-field fence. Played at Wabash. Never drafted.

6. Todd Mensik, Sandburg (1993): The 6-2, 200-pound smooth-swinging left-handed hitter played varsity for four years. How advanced was his hitting stroke? Had 14 homers and 44 RBIs as a sophomore. Drafted by Oakland A's in 1996 out of Mississippi.

5. Mark Payton, St. Rita (2010): What the 5-8 outfielder lacked in size, he more than made up with instinct. Hit .441 with 12 doubles, 10 homers, 59 runs and 43 RBIs as a senior. Hit .445 with 12 homers, 57 runs as a junior. Drafted by New York Yankees in 2014 out of Texas. Currently in minors with Yankees.

4. Sam Travis, Providence (2011): Slammin' Sam hit .504 with 17 doubles, 17 homers and 75 RBIs his senior year. His solo homer in the first inning of the 2011 Class 4A state championship game against Lyons left Silver Cross Field at warp speed. Selected in second round by the Boston Red Sox in 2014 out of Indiana. Made major league debut last season.

3. Nick Trzesniak, Andrew (1999): Mr. Clutch. His two-run walk-off homer against Homewood-Flossmoor in the 1999 Class AA Thornwood Sectional semifinal is legendary. The 6-0, 220-pound right-handed masher hit .430 with 14 homers and 42 RBIs that season. The most gifted catcher I've covered. Chosen by San Diego Padres with the 51st pick in 1999. Never made it to big leagues.

2. Alek Thomas, Mount Carmel (2018): Generally, left-handed hitters are prone to missing high fastballs. Not the 5-10, 170-pound Thomas. He crushes them. Hits for average and power with 30 homers in three seasons. A tremendous center fielder with a great arm, speed and glove. A generational talent. Texas Christian recruit and potential first-round draft pick.

1. Cliff Floyd, Thornwood (1991): The best. No one hit balls harder or farther than this 6-5 first baseman who batted from the left side. Launched a ball that landed in the middle of the parking lot beyond right-field fence at Eisenhower. Hit .535 with nine homers and 71 RBIs as a senior. As a junior, had 13 homers and 68 RBIs. Selected by Montreal Expos in 1991 with 14th pick of the first round. Played 17 seasons in the big leagues.

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I once walked off the distance to the center field "fence" (if you can call it that) and it was about 500 feet.

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It's a modern day version of the Polo Grounds!!

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I saw Mike Papierski one hop the RC field fence there. Longest ground rule double in HS history.

Good to finally start getting some games in.

Little Crest had 5 hits today.

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I keep getting emails from desperate assignors who are getting swamped by makeup dates and don't have enough umps to cover them.

Do it and call a god damn strike a strike. I’m getting tired of these small strike zones. No one here gets paid by the hour.

As of last night are frosh and soph teams each had a double header today with one umpire each.

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Sorry RR. Didn’t know I was going there till today.

Where'd you go? Carmel?

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Yeah. I sent you an email this morning.

Damn phone changed somehow and stopped giving me automatic email notifications a couple of days ago. Today would've been a great day to catch a game.

Sorry.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

No worries like i say it was late notice. They killed them. My guy Ed went yard and made two big league plays. I want to adopt him.

What is he now, a junior?

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

He’s a sophomore.

St Ignatius vs Mt Carmel at UIC tomorrow. You going, GD?