It is that time of year again!

COMMENTARY

I know I could have something about the punishment Major League Baseball gave to Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, but that topic is being slapped, punched and kicked around
Do you realize that we are not that far away from the start of several events in our society that affect the under-21 crowd?
We are 13 days from the first day of school in Coweta County and several of the surrounding counties? In South Georgia they don’t start until the end of the month but they get out later.
I digress a little bit but while there is still time for most of us to make that last trip to Florida and get in a little sun, there is less time to vacation for a certain group of young people and adults.
Beginning Thursday August 1, the following sports can OFFICIALLY begin their preparations for the 2013 season according to the Georgia High School Association rules.

• Football in pads
• Softball
• Volleyball
• Cross Country
• Cheerleading
• Riflery
• One Act Plays.

Finally, literary teams can also begin preparations.
Before anybody gives me the “Literary is not a sport”, I can’t argue this because it is recognized by the GHSA which does govern athletics for the majority of schools in Georgia.
Anyway, you get the idea that in a couple of weeks, coaches and players will be out on the field ready to do what they do best.
Actually, some have already been working out or holding specialized games such as 7-on-7 passing tournaments (football) and summer league games (the school’s names are on the schedule but they are not in uniform and the rules differ some).
Besides a date open the calendar, there are other signs that the start of certain sports are in the area.
Monday morning, football coaches of Region 3-AAAAAA met with the media that will be covering them in a breakfast meeting.
I attended those meetings for years but we usually had lunch because anyone who has ever written a sports story knows that we are creatures of the night and getting up early is something we are not capable of handling.
Maybe that’s what the coaches had in mind when the time for this get together was set.
Take it from this veteran concerning the meeting, the coaches are at least more entertaining than a politician telling you what he will do if elected.
My favorite coach at “story time” was Lovejoy Wildcats head coach Al Hughes who brought vigor to poor mouthing his club.
For a number of years, the Wildcats dominated what was a formidable Region 4-AAAAA with East Coweta, Newnan and a few other teams that were pretty decent.
Anyway, the Wildcats would be stacked with a strong quarterback, quality receivers and a good running back in their spread offense but Hughes never agreed.
He would tell you that his quarterback couldn’t throw, the receivers couldn’t catch and the running back was slower than molasses.
At the end of the meeting when media and coaches selected the order of finish for the teams, it was a solid bet that he was going to pick his team to finish dead last with an 0-10 record.
That year, the Wildcats would finish 10-2 or something like that and would end the season in the second round of the playoffs.
However, one year Hughes picked his team to finish last like clockwork and he nearly became a prophet.
The Wildcats had a lot of problems keeping players healthy especially at quarterback and finished the season at 3-7 or 4-6.
Unfortunately, the Wildcats were moved to another region the next year in one of the realignment plans the GHSA has and they would struggle for awhile.
They did return to prominence a couple of years ago and last year came within one quarter of winning the AAAAAA state title at the Georgia Dome.
Maybe he went back to picking his team to finish last in whatever region they have been in (in 2012 they were Region 2) because it seems he becomes a sly fox while his players make him look like a crazy uncle.
Who knows, but that is what makes this time of year fun and something to look forward to witnessing.

　

Could there be a man without a team?

COMMENTARY

It was a pleasant Friday evening and I was sitting in the café at Barnes & Noble in Ashley Park when IT happened.

For the first time in nearly forty years I found myself not watching, listening or rooting for the Atlanta Braves.

I know they lost 2-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers (same score as Saturday’s game) but I didn’t pay attention to the game and didn’t care if they won, lost, folded or moved to another city.

This move didn’t come from advice from a relative, but a belief that when something ceases to be fun it is time to stop.

At 8:00 Sunday evening, I can’t say that I care if the Braves won Sunday(they did 7-4 or not.

Before anyone who knows is wonder if I have lost my mind, my response would be how do you lose what you don’t have or something like that.

After years of watching players strikeout against people who have two games of major league experience, it becomes frustrating to a point where you hope there aren’t sharp objects.

For years, the late Ernie Johnson used to say that baseball has its own spy system since  someone has seen somebody somewhere and would know what to do, but James Bond is still employed by Great Britain and not the Braves.

Now to get away from rambling and more into why I am considering getting away. 

When the Braves became relevant in 1991, it was amazing to see how many people jumped onto the bandwagon buying everything from foam tomahawks to caps to furniture.

What bothered me was these same people thought the Braves became a team in 1991 when that is not the case as advertised by a sign at Turner Field that says they are the longest continuous professional sports franchise.

Most of these people don’t realize the Braves played in Boston where they were known as the Red Stockings, the Doves, Beaneaters and the Bees before going to Milwaukee where a minor league team once called the Brewers called home.

That last paragraph comes into my mind as I have a Boston Braves t-shirt and a cap which throws people off.

This isn’t the only provocation as I hear the same thing over and over and over…and over about this team.

Fire Fredi, get rid of Uggla, BJ, Heyward, Homer the Brave, Frank Wren, the manager of the Chop House and play Ernie and Bert, Elmo and Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.

I also hear the same contention that these guys are too concerned about making money instead of playing.

The money argument died in my mind years ago and took less tread after the news that if Charlie Sheen finished the run of Anger Management that he could net anywhere from $75-200 million.

Sheen has some baseball experience having acted in Eight Men Out and two editions of Major League but I don’t think of him as a baseball player.

In other words, lots of people in different worlds make a lot of money and I don’t begrudge anyone who can get the coin.

I think what makes it tough is I hear the same arguments from some people I consider very good friends and that is frustrating and brings me down.

I would never desire to prohibit anyone from using their first amendment rights but the same argument over the Braves is wearing thin when I hear it in person or see it in Facebook.

I offer this example of my personal moratorium.

There was a story called Man Without a Country written in 1863 and set in the early 1800s about Army Lt. Phillip Nolan who so angry during his trial for treason that he renounced his US citizenship.

The judge granted his wish and declared that no mention about the US in any shape was to made to Nolan while onboard the prison ship.

This plan worked for awhile but eventually the man without a country caved in on the day he died and showed he was a patriot.

What the renouncement of a country and a major league baseball team have in common have is no longer being loyal to an entity and the possibility of regretting that decision.

Nolan regretted disassociating himself from his country and I think I would if I no longer cheered for a team in a sport that I have watched and enjoyed for almost 40 years.

I just wish the rhetoric that goes with the passion was toned down since there are a lot of other things in life to concentrate on.

I haven’t worked in a couple of years while my family was burying my grandmother five weeks ago, a Newnan family suddenly lost their son in a traffic accident.

In my mind, a baseball game should be a release from the actually problems, etc. of the day.

However, now it has become one of the problems and that shouldn’t happen.

When the Braves play Tuesday in Kansas City against the Royals, I may catch the game or I may not.

I don’t plan on becoming a Phillip Nolan  because I love sports and it is how I made my living for a number of years.

I simply want to enjoy the game and team I love and move on.

Check back with me Tuesday or Wednesday and maybe my attitude will change.

Season ends for Indians as Eagles sweep advance to final four

SHARPSBURG-Maybe it was the baseball gods or bad luck that doomed the East Coweta Indians as their 2013 baseball season came to an end Tuesday night as they were swept by the Milton Eagles in the third round of the AAAAAA state playoffs.
In game one, the Indians held a 4-1 before the wheels began to come apart in the top of the sixth inning and eventually the Eagles scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to come away with a 7-4 victory.
Errors in the early portion of game two as well as the inability to solve Eagles starting pitcher Dylan Cease haunted the Indians as they were defeated 11-1 in five innings.
Despite the sweep, the Indians will finish the season with a 28-5 record and the Region 3-AAAAAA championship while the Eagles improve to 25-7-2 and will face Parkview in the Final Four next Monday after the latter swept Colquitt County 16-11 and 7-3.
In the opener, the Eagles took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning when John Thompson reached on a leadoff double and moved to third on an error in the outfield before coming home on a sacrifice fly by A. Cease.
The Indians came back in the bottom of the inning as Matthew Meyer reached on a one out double and after Blake Lorow reached on a two out walk, Travis Williams followed with a single that scored Meyer who slid into the catcher as the throw came into home.
On the play, courtesy runner Graden Treadwell also slid into home with the lead run while allowing Williams to advance to third.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Indians were able to add to the lead with as Bryce gemmel reached on a force play and with two outs came home on a single by Jeremy Walton who took second on the throw home and eventually scoring on a single by Meyer.
For most of the game, the lead was enough for Indians starter Zack McCurry who was putting batters away with regularity through the first five innings of the game.
In the top ofthe sixth inning, he would get extended as the first two batters of the frame reached on infield errors .
The top of the seventh inning would become McCurry's undoing as he walked the first batter and allowed a one out single to Farkas before loading the bases after hitting Gridley.
McCurry was lifted in favor of Cole Amtmann who was unable to get the double play as he surrendered a two-run single to Sean Brophy that gave Milton a 5-4 lead.
The Eagles extended the lead as Gridley scored from third on a sacrifice fly and Brophy completed the scoring when he came home on a wild pitch.
Eagles' pitcher Payton Smith ended the game when he retired the Indians in order in the bottom of the seventh to get the win while McCurry suffered his first defeat after winning his first 13 games.
Amtmann got the ball in the nightcap and unfortunately he did not have the luck he enjoyed in the deciding game last week against Marietta as a pair of errors and a pair of walks in the bottom of the first inning led to four runs for the Eagles including a two-run single by Farkas.
Milton took a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as an error led to a pair of runs as well as an RBI single by Ewing.
The Indians got on the board in the top of the third inning as Cameron Smith and Gemmel reached on consecutive two out walks with both advancing on two wild pitches by Cease to score the lone run for EC as Smith crossed home plate.
Austin Bellamy took over for Amtmann in the bottom of the third inning and he would struggle as all but one batter reached base with Thompson hitting a two-run triple as part of a four-run frame that ended when Brandon Ruston came into the game and induced a pop to short by Ewing.
Ruston would pitch to two batters in the bottom of the fourth inning and retired both before Jay Mann came into the game to pitch his final EC contest and he went out with a bang as recorded a strikeout.
The Indians were retired in order in the top of the fifth inning and the Eagles left with the series sweep.

Race between East Coweta and Milton for final four begins

East Coweta (28-3)

Milton 23-7-2

Around the third turn they go may be a term used in horse racing but it can be applied to the third round of the AAAAAA state baseball playoff series between the East Coweta Indians and the Milton Eagles.
The two teams are hoping to get around that third turn when they meet Tuesday afternoon beginning at 5:00 for an opportunity to advance to the final four to face either Colquitt County (the 2003 champion after defeating East Coweta) or Parkview (2000-2002 champion who was eliminated by the Indians in 2004).
The Indians (28-3) and Eagles (23-7-2) will meet for the first time since 2004 when the Eagles defeated the Indians for 2004 title in Alpharetta.
East Coweta has had an up and down run through the playoffs having eased past Rockdale County in two games by scores of 13-0 and 16-0 in eight innings while needing three games to defeat a strong Marietta team with Cole Amtmann pitching a courageous game in the finale as the Indians deeated the Blue Devil 3-2 last Thursday.
Milton, the top seed from region 5, needed three games with two played in extra innings to eliminate the Brookwood broncos and elimnated Lambert in two games by scores of 7-3 and 9-2 in round two.
On the mound, the Eagles have a number of players available including junior Dylan Ceese who has six wins, senior Payton Smith with five wins and several hurlers with two wins.
Cease is among several Eagles who are also adept with the bat in a lineup that includes senior infielder Ryan Gridley who had three hits in the Lambert series and junior first baseman Jack Thompson who had three hits in one of the playoff games against Brookwood.
Now it is off to the races for the final four.




                                                                

Indians survive Blue Devils behind Amtmann, win series

                         3   2

SHARPSBURG-The East Coweta Indians scored all of their runs in the bottom of the first inning Thursday afternoon and pitcher Cole Amtmann made the lead stand with a strong outing to lead the Indians to a 3-2 victory over the Marietta Blue Devils aned clinch the second round AAAAAA state baseball playoffs series.
The Indians improve to 28-3 and will host the Milton Eagles in a third round matchup tentatively slated for Tuesday in a rematch of the 2004 championseries with the latter winning the title in Alpharetta.
Milrton swept Lambert Thursday by scores of in their second series.
"I thought Cole did an outstanding job," head coach Franklin Deloach commented. "In the fifth he was able to minimize the damage after a tough start allowing only one run after Marietta had runners on second and third with only one out and their three hole hitter at the plate."
After Amtmann, in his second start of the season, breezed throught the top of the first inning, the Indians appeared to be off to a strong start against Blue Devils starter Evan Steele.
With one out, Bryce Gemmel reached on an infield single and stole second before coming home on a single to center field by Amtmann that eluded Bradley Piggie who had been an outfield menace throughout the series.
Jonathan Banks gave the Indians the lead they would have throughout the afternoon when he drilled an 0-1 offering from Steele over the center field fence for a two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Devills, who finished their season with a 22-9 record, got one of the runs back in the top of the second inning as he led off by hitting a 1-2 offering from Amtmann over the right center field fence for a solo home run.
Amtmann surrendered a single to Marcus Mitchell after the home run but left him stranded at first as he retired the next two batters on strikeouts and induced a groundball to third to end the frame.
As solid as Amtmann was on the mound, Steele threw a lot of pitches early but made a few count including in the bottom of third when he retired the first two batters on solid flyballs before walking Geremy Walton and allowing a single to Matthew Meyer before getting a strikeout from Stephan Cruver on a strikeout.
That would be the only threat the Indians could muster against Steele who surrendered seven hits and recorded five strikeouts.
Marietta had a scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth as Mitchell doubled and moved to third on a groundout by TJ Bulock but Amtmann recorded a strikeout to end the frame.
The Blue Devils broke through in the top of the fifth inning as Piggie Led off with a single and Mathis was hit by a pitch ahead of a sacrifice bunt and a groundout by Travis Wildermuth that brought Piggee home.
Amtmann retired the next batter on strikes then caught a second wind in the top of the sixth inning
After inducing a groundout by Henderson Amtmann ended the inning in short order as he retired the next two batters on strikeouts before the pivotal seventh inning.
After surrendering a walk to begin the inning, Amtmann induced a flyball to center by Piggee, a fielder's choice to Mathis and the final blow came when he recorded his ninth strikeout when he retired Wilson swinging.

Marietta gains split with EC in series, deciding game Thursday

SHARPSBURG-The Marietta Blue Devils took advantage of eight errors by the East Coweta Indians Wednesday night to come away with an 11-6 victory and force a split in their second round AAAAAA state baseball playoff matchup.

Marietta's win forced the deciding game to be played Thursday afternoon at 5:30 with the winner to face the winner of the series between Milton and Lambert.

The Indians (27-3) scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to win the opener 3-2 as the Blue Devils were guilty of an error.

Marietta (22-8) took the lead with two outs in the top of the first inning as Travis Wildermuth reached on a walk and brother Trent followed with a single.

On the play the throw to third from the outfield bounced away and courtesy runner Will Crowe was able to come home with the lone run of the frame.

After Indians starter Zack McCurry retired the first two batters in the top of the third inning, the Blue Devils took a 2-0 lead as Travis Wildermuth hit a solo home run over the right field fence with the ball hitting a window of a Mazda van.

The Indians, who had several chances to rally early in the contest came back in the bottom of the fifth inning Blake Lorow, Travis Williams and Tim Manning reached on consecutive singles that allowed EC to get on the scoreboard as courtesy runner Graydon Treadwell came home.

Cameron Smith followed with a fielder's choice that forced Manning at second and Bryce Gemmel followed with a ground ball that was mishandled at third allowing Williams to score the tying run and Smith came home with the lead run as the throw got away from the catcher.

The Blue Devils had a chance to regain the lead with one out in the top of the sixth inning as the Wildermuths reached on consecutive walks but McCurry responded strongly as he induced an infield fly from Eric Henderson and a strikeout of Marcus Mitchell to end the frame.

McCurry, who finished with a three-hitter recorded 11 strikeouts as he retired the side in order in the top of the seventh inning to end the game.

The nightcap got off to a rough start for the Indians as Jordan Mathis led off the bottom of the first inning by reaching first on an error and moving to third on an error before coming out on a sacrifice fly by Travis Wildermuth.

The Indians tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning as Williams reached on a dropped third strike, advanced to second on a single by Smith and came home when Cole Antmann singled to left field.

Marietta regained the lead after two outs in the bottom of the frame as Mathis walked, Wilson reached on an error and Indians starter Austin Bellamy threw a wild pitch that brought Mathis home with the lead run.

Travis Wildermuth reached on a walk and Trent Wildermuth followed with a two-run single that gave the Blue Devils a 4-1 lead and he advanced to second on an error.

The error hurt as the Blue Devils added one more run in the frame when Henderson followed with a run scoring single to left.

Marietta took a 7-1 lead with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning as TJ Bulock singled, Piggee doubled and Mathis followed a sacrifice fly to right field.

Wilson followed with a triple that scored Bradley Piggee and Bellamy was relieved by Brandon Ruston who retired the next batter on strikes.

East Coweta did not give up as they scored twice in the top of the sixth inning as Geremy Walton doubled and Matthew Meyer followed with a walk for Austin Jones ho followed with a single that loaded the bases.

Williams singled to right to score Walton and a wild pitch allowed Meyer to score but the Indians were unable to get any more runs as Henderson retired the next three batters to end the frame.

The game appeared to be decided in the bottom of the sixth inning as three errors led to four runs that gave the Blue Devils an 11-4 lead.

The final margin came in the top of the seventh inning Amtmann doubled and  Jonathan Banks followed with a two-run home run but that would be as close the Indians could get despite adding two more base runners in the frame.

 

Newnan finally has a second round opponent

Brandon Dawson had his normal game Friday night against the Newton County Rams as the senior allowed one hit over five innings and was 3-for-3 at the plate. He will pitch one of the games Thursday afternoon against Tift County at Joe Pope Field.

The Newnan Cougars may have been uttering the saying "Rain, rain go away" over the last five days since sweeping the Newton County Rams in the first round of the AAAAAA state baseball playoffs.
The McEachern Indians and Tift County Blue Devils met Friday in a first round matchup in Cobb County with the two teams splitting games and having to play a deciding contest on Saturday.
The problem was that Mother Nature did not get the memo as rain hit the Atlanta area and since GHSA sanctioned games cannot be played in Georgia on Sunday, the next available day was Monday.
Somebody stop the bus in Tifton as the field in Powder Springs was too wet to play on and the game had to be postponed to Tuesday evening at 5:00.
After a 90-minute delay, the two teams managed to begin the game with the Indians expected to win with their number one ranking against the fourth-ranked visitors from Region 1-AAAAAA who made the over 200 mile trip north to Powder Springs.
The scenario did not play out that way as McEachern's defense or lack of it ended the season for the Indians when they made five errors during the game and were defeated 2-1.
Expecting to need a bus for the series at McEachern Wednesday, the Cougars will get to stay home for a second round series at Joe Pope Field with the Blue Devils on Thursday at 4:00 as the Georgia High School Association allowed a one day delay in the series.
When the series begins Thursday, the Cougars, the number two seed from Region 3-AAAAAA will bring a record of 22-5 with them including a five-game winning streak and an 8-2 record in their last 10 games while Tift County enters the series with a 16-13 record and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
The Cougars will benefit to a degree in the erratic scheduling as they will be able to use pitchers Brandon Dawson and Thomas Sumner on five days rest while the Blue Devils will be unable to use junior Zack Bullard who won both games in the series with the Indians.
In Tift's win on Tuesday, Bullard allowed four hits and recorded one strikeout on a night in which his defense did the work while in his other start he allowed only three hits in a 4-1 win.
Meanwhile, the Cougars are coming off a series in which they won games over the Rams by scores of 15-9 and 11-0.
In game one, the work of Tanner Snellgrove was the story as he recorded seven strikeouts in three innings as the Rams scored six in the frame to mount a rally.
Dawson was the star of game two as he was 3-for-3 at the plate and limiting the Rams to a single hit in the five-inning contest.