Looking back it couldn't have been a better season. Boys made 4 finals in 5 tournaments, won two of them, were default winners on another with a rainout, had a good season in Franlin, and finished the year in the final in Omaha.

Most importantly my son finished the year pain free in his elbow. We did have one scare during the season but when you grow 4 inches in six months you're going to have some growing pains which is all it was.

I'm just so thankful he is healthy again. I may not let him pitch next year but am at least going to get him back out in the outfield.

And, one last time for those younger than us, carry 12 kids. You cannot safely manage a team with 10 or in my opinion 11. You may think you can because so far you have been lucky but you really can't. Next year going into 7th grade all our boys will be running UIL track and we may pick up a 13th kid to take any pressure off of them. Watch out for overuse. I have seen it happen way too many times now. All sports too. Not just baseball.

We are going to end up having two dads that destroy this team. Both are Longhorn fans. One at least is a graduate but the other just bought a t-shirt at Academy. But I can already tell that this is not going to go well, mostly because they are tone deaf. Of the 12 kids so 24 parents we have 9 A&M grads and 1 sip and the one Academy shopper.

It is probably a good thing we are not playing fall ball. We will see.

Is that the Vengeance or Vendetta org or something like that? I actually thing Vengeance was an offshoot of Vendetta a year or two ago.

Yes. When they get called out, they play their "card" and claim racism. It has nothing to do them being majority black, but everything to do with them blatantly cheating in little kid baseball. I don't get how their own parents put up with that. If I took a kids jersey off of him in the middle of a game and gave it to another kid, I'm pretty sure I would have a pissed off momma in my dugout. Sad part is they have some really good kids.

Our boys run ruled them on a Saturday in Houston this year. Can't remember if they were AAA or majors but I remember us expecting them to be better then they were. They tried to throw a couple of kids that weren't ready and we crushed them. I wasn't there but my son said their coach was a nutcase and even his own players were saying how much they don't like him.

I know a number of kids who my oldest used to play with at Dynasty out of Kingwood back before Wildcatters bought the org who split off with one coach and a team called "Pro Baseball Training" or something like that. Well last spring when they were in 12U (after my son jumped a level to play on grade level instead of age level) this team was going to join Vendetta/Vengeance or whatever en masse and it lasted about 2 tournaments.

The V/V org took a bunch of money because they had a batting cage facility only they weren't paying the rent and got locked out so that was gone really quick- like the boys showed up for practice in the cages and were locked out. Then, the guy who had coached the team when the were PBT had taken a step back to just watch and be a dad finds out when they all show up for a tournament that the V/V group brought in like 8 pickup players for a tournament and they had 20 kids in the dugout.

At that point these kids we knew all jumped ship elsewhere because the V/V org was a disaster.

TarponChaser said:

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I know a number of kids who my oldest used to play with at Dynasty out of Kingwood back before Wildcatters bought the org who split off with one coach and a team called "Pro Baseball Training" or something like that. Well last spring when they were in 12U (after my son jumped a level to play on grade level instead of age level) this team was going to join Vendetta/Vengeance or whatever en masse and it lasted about 2 tournaments.

The V/V org took a bunch of money because they had a batting cage facility only they weren't paying the rent and got locked out so that was gone really quick- like the boys showed up for practice in the cages and were locked out. Then, the guy who had coached the team when the were PBT had taken a step back to just watch and be a dad finds out when they all show up for a tournament that the V/V group brought in like 8 pickup players for a tournament and they had 20 kids in the dugout.

At that point these kids we knew all jumped ship elsewhere because the V/V org was a disaster.

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They called themselves "Pro Training" and they missed a perfect opportunity it sounds like, because their coach was awful as well.

We've played against them once out at Scrapyard. By far the worst experience I have seen from an organization. The parents ran their mouth the entire time, talked smack to our players/coaches, and argued every borderline call. The umpire said he would have thrown a couple of them out, but it would have caused much more drama.

We were on a field across from one of the teams at the NIT in La Porte. Cops were called to the field due to some altercation.

If PG or USSSA had any backbone, they would put them on some sort of probation. If they act up, they are done. Embarrassing.

Thats where we run ruled them. At scrapyard.

You talking about the 6'4" black dude? If so, then he was a major reason we left his teams.

Yep, we've seen a lot of terrible behavior by coaches, but he was probably consistently the worst.

He has a lot of baseball knowledge but was a serious daddy-baller.

Dr. Doctor said:

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Warning: bragging post.

We finished up a rollercoaster season for my son on a 10U major team this season.

Originally thought we'd be out of our league, but he started learning and getting better, even though we lost 2 players (mostly parental issues). Then about 6 weeks ago, the team implodes on coaching issues/parental issues again and instead of going to Orlando (cocoa beach, USSSA) world series, we end up in Beaumont (no offense to those from there, but man that's a step DOWN).

Frustrated with hitting (he started ~0.400+ and went on a slump for 0-for something for a while) and finally busted that. He'd been wanting to pitch the WHOLE season, but never used. Would go to extra practices with me to cages to work on hitting and pitching (just him and I; I stopped playing in 6th or 7th grade and never pitched, so mostly youtube/past coaches advice).

So this series comes around; 1st game we win on close calls, mostly due to weather. Started raining while we were hitting and their pitchers couldn't control balls (long 2nd inning, like 9 runs). We had same issue, but it had stopped raining. Just dealing with wet ground.

We start the 2nd game and the 1st inning looks the same: pitching can't control on our side and runs coming in. 2nd inning, they finally give the ball to my son. And I watched him surprise EVERYONE on his team. The only one not surprised is a dad/asst. coach who is always there with me on cage days with his 2-3 boys practicing.

He pitched 3 shut out innings; only allowed one on base due to HBP. 32 pitches/18 strikes. Only one K (Looking).

Over the next 6 games he played in, he pitches in 4 more (5 GP out of 10 we played; but we missed 3 games due to birthday during WS). Pitched 9 innings total, 128 total pitches / 78 strikes, 34 batters faced, 3.889 ERA, 2 BB, 10 SO (8 Looking), and got the 'top' PG pitching award for the tournament.

They lost a game and ended up in the losers bracket on Friday and had to win all 3 on Saturday to go to ship. We didn't play because we planned the party well before they changed plans on us (and we're supposed to be free that weekend) so if they made it to Sunday, we'd play. He pitched the first game on Sunday, win to get to the 'ship, and he pitches the complete game (4 inninngs).

His beaming and pride in himself finally shines through. Also think he finally realizes that dad might know something about pitching (thanks TA!). That if you throw strikes, and have a decent defense behind you, you can shine and be a great pitcher.

SO glad this season is done and now onto what to do next. Thinking about taking the fall off and then doing something different in the spring.

~egon

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Congrats to your son and I am happy he got to shine.

I know people are piling on for the majors to aa team stuff, but I don't even care about that. Look at this thread for the arm issues, and that is what you should be concerned about. My son threw like that at a young age and now it's all catching up with him. Your boy threw 78 pitches in the first few days of the tournament, was on one day of rest and threw another 53 pitches Sunday.

It's fun as hell when they are mowing people down, but I would trade my boys arm health for whatever accolades he got from pitching at that age.

You should leave this team because they never threw your son, found the err in their ways, and then overused him.

I'm not sure y'all are talking about the same team, but if you're looking at PG stats, he did not pitch that. They didn't change the pitcher for one game but credited him with all the pitches.

He pitched 32 on one day, 44 the next, 1 day rest, then 52.

I do watch and talk to him about his arm. For him, most of those pitches were "normal" throws. As he describes, no different than throwing with me in the backyard. He threw gas, but didn't force everything.

There were other pitchers that were used more.

~egon