The Curiocity Factor

Regardless of how many days he is been the official football coach at Rocky Mount High Jason Battle is in his second day of football practice.  Optimism  is high that Battle can turn the ship around and make Gryphon football contenders again.

I would suspect that the first home game of the season there will be a big crowd on hand.  First of all it is the first game in the brand new football stadium and there is something to be able to say I was there for the first game ever played there.  But, for more than any other reason people will be watching just to see what kind of coach Jason Battle will be.

I can assure you that of all the complaints I have heard about last year's team all year long is "I can't believe even in the last game of the season they could still not get the ball back to the quarterback in the shotgun".  If Battle  can get the ball in the hands of the quarterback without losing five yards then there will be instant improvement in this team.  To me that sounds like an achievable goal.

One of the places where the pressure will be on Jason Battle this year is last years team didn't lose any of their non conference game early.  The Gryphons will have to come out of the gate and win just to keep up with what last years team started out doing.  If right off the bat it looks like this team isn't any better than last year all those people who came to be part of the first game ever will not come back.

You can take this for what it is worth.  Those who come to the first game just to say they were there for the first game ever, if they leave that night thinking I just don't see where this team is any better than last you know where they might go to see their next football game?

Rocky Mount Academy!  Yep    After not winning game at all last year if RMA can win one pretty early  then everyone is going to start saying " Old BW can win any where can't he!.  Some of those die hard Gryphon fans who are still loyal to B W Holt will venture down to watch his eight man football team.   If he puts 50 points up sometime(eight man football that is not that hard to do) early on regardless of whether they win the game or not then fans will flock to see exciting football.

Jason Battle's job is to get his first team off to a good start.  Holt's first year at Rocky Mount  he started out by winning what five in a row and they played exciting football.  Battle doesn't have to win them all early but they sure do need to be exciting.  The well is not dry by any means with some nice talent returning.  Jason Battle did not follow the legend B W Holt.  Somebody else bore that burden Battle's problem is the legend is coaching just down the street for somebody else.

Legion State Tournament Begins Wednesday

Pitt County 18-6 fresh off their sweep of Apex 20-6 in the Area One finals  will join Apex in the 2012 American Legion State Tournament that begins Wednesday in Lenoir.  Caldwell County the host team will bring a 26-8 record to the tournament are joined in Area four by the defending State Champion Cherryville  34-10.  Area Two will have Whiteville 19-6 along with Wilmington 28-7.  Area three will send High Point 29-7 and Randolph County 30-9 to this years tournament.  Pitt County will see their first action at 7.30 Wednesday night against the host Caldwell County.

I know the Nash County 13 year old Babe Ruth boys lost twice in the State tournament to Greenville's  Babe Ruth Team.  It is no shame to lose to a good team.  How good was Greenville's 13 year old Babe Ruth?.  Tonight they have a chance to win the Southeast region of the 13 year old tournament.  If they do they will have gone through the regional undefeated.

Today is the first official day of sports in North Carolina High schools.  All of our local teams regardless of what sport they might be can start trying to put together what they hope will be a State Championship team.

 North Carolina State is the first team to get a Penn State player to leave Happy Valley.  He is a Cardinal Gibbons players who red shirted last year at PSU.  He will begin practice with the Wolfpack Tuesday when the Pack hits the practice field for the first time this year.   State didn't send any coaches to camp on the door steps of Penn state players like some others have.

Update on Cousin Lauren Doughtie:  She finished 14th at the Futures stop this weekend and in the process moved up to 7th on the money list of the LPGA Futures tour.  Her goal is to finish in the top ten to get her LPGA card for 2013.

Last night I turned on the Olympics for the first time and the only thing on was the synchronized diving and my first thought was find something else to watch.  I saw just enough  to become fascinated  with it and couldn't turn away. When I realized that a Duke Diver was going to   win silver it made it even more worth watching.

The Vultures Are Flying

The recent sanctions given to Penn State University's football program gave permission for any player that wanted to leave to go play somewhere else they could do it without having to sit out a year under normal transfer rules.  Other colleges were given permission to pursue those players.  What is happening at PSU is nothing more than Vultures going after dead meat laying in the middle of the road.

I don't have a problem with a player announcing that he is interested in going somewhere else.  If a player does that then schools interested in said player should invite that player to their campus to look them over and for that school to make what ever pitch they need to make to sign that player.

There is only one player at this point that has proclaimed an interest in leaving and that is their tailback who visited Southern Cal last week.  I don't have a problem with that at all.  What I have a real problem is like Illinois sending eight coaches to Penn State and camping out as if they were at a yard sale trying to entice players to come on over to them.  This is a real bad situation at Penn State  and I think  the University got in my way of thinking proper punishment for the misdeed they committed.

I do not however feel that they should have to allow other schools and almost every one of them competed with them in recruiting for the players they have now that they have to let everyone that wants to come pick and choose right on their door step.

What we are really seeing is how recruiting really is.  The vultures or coaches are showing no respect at all for the weak.  They are like the lion in Africa when there is a wounded animal then they are easy picking and right now Penn State is a wounded animal and has no defense to stop the vultures.

I don't think the NCAA was wrong in their actions they took against Penn State but allowing  this rampant running roughshod for players that just might want to stay at Penn State is a mistake and they should Put some type of rules in place that gives more respect to the players who don't want to leave  but  those coaches are after anyway.

Coach K And Coach D?

I don't care what level you coach  all you really enjoy is seeing someone blossom when they follow through on what you have taught them.  This morning a high school runner from Green Hope High School took part in the USAT Aquathon National Championships in Seattle Washington.  This requires a one mile swim and a 10K run.  This young ladies name is Shannon Scovel and this morning she won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.  Her coach is Brooks Doughtie.

Now just like Dean Smith, Coach K,  Rocky Mount High School and N C State  graduate Brooks Doughtie will always carry the label of a National Championship coach.  Brooks is in his fifth year of coaching long distance athletes and somewhere  he has something going for him in his style of coaching that seems to be just what those looking to excel in running are looking for.

What did Dean Smith have that nobody else in his time had?  What does K have that means so much success?  Brooks in his short time coaching has found that having a runner run up front brings on questions to his athletes from others who while racing against  them want to know why are they so good.  Yes the athletes  he coaches have the God given talent to do what they do but they also have the ability to follow through on instructions  and from that get better.

Shannon has now qualified for the World Championship in New Zealand in October.  Living in Raleigh Brooks has been a hands on coach with Shannon as he runs with her, bikes with her an even swims at times with her.  He requires one of her parents to be at every practice and you know the way I feel right now knowing that Brooks has coached a champion how do you think her parents are feeling?

Lauren Doughtie Update:  Going into this weeks Futures Tour Tournament Lauren was eighth on the money list as the season has hit the halfway point.  If she can finish in the top ten she will win her LPGA golf card for 2013.  What does it mean to your game to win one tournament as Lauren has done this year?  Her overall scoring average is not as good this year over last but her winning pay check one week has kept her in the top ten.  After one round of this weeks tournament she is 23rd going into today's second round.  Boy only of she could win one more tournament this year LPGA here we come!.

In case you didn't hear this the Greenville N C Little League team won the State Little League title yesterday and are heading to the South East Region in Warner Robbins GA.  This team is one that is in the Williamsport PA Little League and if they make it to the regional finals next weekend we just might get to see them on ESPN.

Mike Fox Has The Touch

Just in case you haven't heard former UNC pitcher Matt Harvey made his major league debut last night for the New York Mets struck out 11 batters in winning his first major league game.  North Carolina under Mike Fox has made several trips to the College World Series since Fox arrived from Rocky Mount and NC Wesleyan.  His main stay every year has been his pitching.  Fox must know a good pitcher when he sees one as he has been to Rocky Mount and plucked up Hobbs Johnson and Benton Moss from the Gryphons.

There is nothing like success and when Mike Fox walks into a pitcher's home and says I can get you to the major leagues boy he sure does have a resume' to back it up with all the pitcher he has put out over the last five to six years.

Game one of the American Legion Area One championship went to Greenville's Pitt County team 6-2 over Apex.  Game two is tonight.  Both teams are headed west August first as the State Legion Tournament is in Lenoir.  Next year it is about as close as it can possible get as Fleming Stadium in Wilson will be the host team.

The Olympics start tonight and all of those that have seen a preview of the show  are glowing about the it.  Remember London is five hours ahead of us so what you see at 8pm is taped delayed to the USA,  Still having a hard time making myself even care about it.

I know I went through it back in the sixties but can you imagine  getting out in this weather and running wind sprints.  I must be getting old or something because I don''t even want to get out in this weather to watch anybody else sweat.  Tell me when it is time for the kickoff of the first game.

Visitation for Rossie Tyler Gryphon JV Girls softball coach will be held Sunday night at Cofield Mortuary in Weldon.  His funeral will be Monday at noon at First Baptist Church in Weldon.

The Olden Days

Ever since June the 10th which was graduation day in Nash County maybe every day except Sundays you can find some athlete at a public high school in Nash County practicing some kind of ball.  It wasn't that way way back when I use to have to walk uphill both ways to school and back home..  When baseball season ended that was it for baseball.  Now days they have seven on seven in football.  Basketball teams go to camps as a team. Where am I leading with all this?

Well, Monday is the official start day for fall sports practice at all high schools in North Carolina.  Three weeks from tonight there will be a JV football game.  Where has the summer gone?  If you plan on playing a sport at Rocky Mount High you had better get that physical on Friday.   No physical no play.

Soccer will be the first sport to hit the practice field as they will be doing those dreaded two a days.They will hold their first practice at 6AM and last until 8AM.  They will do it all over again at 6PM.  Cross Country will practice for two hours from 730-930AM.  Volleyball will hit the gym floor at 9am and will dig and spike until noon.  Girls tennis will for the first time in a long time play on school property  from 10AM until noon. 

Jason Battle will put his first Gryphon football team through the paces starting at 6PM and go until 8.30pm.  The only sport at Rocky Mount not starting Monday is Girls golf which will not meet until August 8th at NorthGreen County Club at 9.30am.   The excitement is building as all sports for the first time ever will be played on campus.

If it is on Face Book then it must be True.  Rising Gryphon  Senior baseball player Jeremy Johnson has committed to play baseball for High Point University in 2013. 

Two teams representing Rocky Mount a Midgett and Little league team start their quest for State Championship titles tonight.  Both won district titles a couple of weeks ago. 

I have not had the honor to explore the New Rocky Mount High but I was told by a father of a Nash Central football player that Nash Central is now jealous of what Rocky Mount has over Just ten year old Nash Central.  That just happens to be the benefits of how fast our world changes.  Can't wait to see it.

Gryphon Nation Mourns

I have just heard of the death of Rossie Tyler.  Those of you who only know the Rocky Mount athletic life he was the JV Head Softball coach.  Those that walk the halls of Rocky Mount High every day know that he taught in the business department.  Kids who see teachers every day or in some cases are around coaches you family grows to know through time.  We in the Doughtie Household have heavy hearts tonight as Morgan is deeply hurting with the lost of Coach Tyler.  Morgan was manager for the softball team the past two years  and just about every day Coach Tyler has been there with her.  Our prayers go out to his family.

I don't know whether he is crazy or what but you have to admire Ryan Kalil all pro center for the Carolina Panthers.  Wednesday he ran an ad in the Charlotte Observer telling all Panther fans that the Carolina Panthers were going to win the Super Bowl this year.  He thanked the fans who have hung with the Panthers through a 2-14 and 6-10 seasons.

The truth is that I would want every player to think the way Kalil is thinking.  Pro football training camps are opening this week and if you get paid to play or you or on a junior high team you should always go into every season think we are going to win it all.  If you don't think about climbing the mountain you never will.  I hope the Panthers do play in the Super Bowl this year against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.  If that were to happen life couldn't be any better.

Progress time for Brian Goodwin who is approaching a week now with the Harrisburg Senators.  I last reported Brian was 0-4 with three strike outs in his first game there.  Since then Brian has stroked two home runs an in an afternoon  game today raise  his batting average is up to 173.  You know when you don't have many plate appearances only a couple of two hit games and he could be to 300 quickly.

If you go to the Washington Nationals Website or Google Brian's Name and read about what the upper management of the Nationals are saying about Brian  they are planning on Brian Goodwin to be the starting center fielder in Washington when ever they think he is ready.  Now when is ready when you play in the minors?  From what I am reading it is my opinion that if they could start Brian out in AAA next year kind of like what they did with Bryce Harper this year and Brian plays the way they need him to play don't be surprised that Brian gets a shot or two next year in DC.  Remember this, injuries or not developing like they would like to see could slow this process but right now Brian has the Washington Nationals  full attention as he is their top prospect in the minors.   Way to go Brian!!!!

Mother Nature Has A Hand

Tonight the Area One State Championship teams were declared in American Legion Baseball and nobody got on a field.  Both Pitt County and Apex were declared the winners as both lead two games to none as for the third time in five days baseball has been washed out.

Pitt County had beaten Wayne County 18-4 and 9-2.  Last night Wayne County held a 1-0 lead  early when the rains came and with it their chance to top Pitt County. They had scheduled a double header tonight but once again no way to play and with a 2-0 games lead in the series Pitt County was declared the Eastern Division of Area one Champion and with it  a trip to the State Legion Tournament August First in Lenoir.

The same is true for Apex as they lead 2 games to none but weather keeps Garner from getting on the field tonight and by rule if a series is not completed the team that wins game one in each series is declared the winners.  Pitt and Apex will start a two out of three series  on Thursday but both are already in the State Tournament.  If for no other reason this is for the East title but more than anything else it keeps the teams playing instead of having a  week off before the state tournament starts.

The Olympics start on Friday in one of my favorite cities(London)and I could care less. I watched less than thirty seconds of today's  basketball game between Spain and the USA.  I'm sorry but I just don't give a hoot about whether this team wins the Gold or not.  I think they will but they just might lose a game along the way.  Kobe thinks this teams could be the Dream team  from 1992.  No way no how.  1992 by 25 every time they played.

Speaking of London I have made one venture in my life across the big pond I have have to say other than New York City London is a great town to walk.   I could not believe how old everything is over there.  We think something is 200 years old it is an antique but over there every thing is a thousand years old.  Now that's an antique

It has already started those supporters of Penn State are falling by the way side.  Advertisers are asking their names be removed from the stadium.  I think what you will see is instead of 90,000 at games this year there will be plenty of empty seats and by year four when they will be fielding a division 2 team they will be lucky to have 50,000 at games.  Just goes to show we all love a winner and will run for cover when times get tight. 

Slippery Slope

Today the NCAA spoke and it was in a clear deep voice that Penn State would pay the supreme price for not having control of it's football program.  $60 million dollar fine, five years probation, Four years of reduced scholarships from the normal 25 per year to 15.  In essence Penn State can play football but they will do it at the rate of not of a  BCS school but a FCS or division 2.  They will play with one hand tied behind their back.

Penn State had to give up all their football victories since 1998.  111 which dropped Joe Paterno from first on the list to 8th.  As we all know for the past 15 years or so almost every year the question came up when was Joe Paterno going to retire.  Using 20/20 hindsight vision we can see that Paterno was more concerned with himself over the perception that Penn State gave to the world .  Every discussion of retiring was rebuked by Paterno and there was not one person including the Board of Regents or what ever Penn State calls them that would stick his neck out and say Joe it's time to go.  The problem was any one who did lost their job.

Looking back these past 15 years or so Penn State has had good football teams but they are no where near the dominance they had in the 70's and 80's .  In fact 2002 and 2003 were the worse two years of Paterno's time in Happy Valley.  Those there now must suffer for the misdeeds of others.

North Carolina is a college basketball hotbed and Dean Smith was almost at the same situation as Joe Paterno and he upped and said goodbye  from right out of the blue.  He saved the Tar Heel Nation from having to possibly going  through with  what Penn State was drug through  with their legendary coach .

 Could Duke be next?  Mike Krzyzewski right now today is what Joe Paterno was to Penn State.  Coach K is approaching his mid 60's and already there  is fear in Durham about when he leaves who could possibly come close to accomplishing what K has done.  If K takes the Dean Smith  route within the next five years then there will not be a worry that he stayed too long.

Somewhere along the way college athletics has got to be down sized and sports put in it's place of being part of the college life but not in such control that the administrator of a university can't tell the coach you got to go.  That responsibility needs to go to the Athletic Director not the fund raising group of any university.  Any one who has ever complained about  the play that happened and what was the coach doing to call that play is just as guilty  of letting college athletic get out of control.  I hope that this case, the Penn State case will be the turning point where a college education is the method to help kids get high paying jobs that can last a life time over we need a fast running back to score touchdowns.

The Statue Comes Down.

It was 50-50.  There were those who supported Joe Paterno and wanted everything to do with football to stay in place.  The other half wanted everything related to Joe Paterno  gone from Penn State.  Today before sunlight the statue of the man with the most wins in the history of college football was taken down and put in a warehouse until they can figure out what to do with it.  Tomorrow regardless of what might come down it will be the first time in the history of the NCAA that they dole out punishment that has nothing to do with a sports program under the direction of the NCAA.

My personal opinion is since this is a criminal case punish those who helped cover up but I see no reason to punish football players in 2012 for something that has been going on at Happy Valley since 1998.   Just seems the wrong people will be punished.   Maybe make everyone who pays to go see a Penn State football game this year pay and extra $10 per ticket and that money goes in a fund  much like the cigarette industry  makes people who smoke pay into the fund for Golden Leaf Foundation.

There is an old NASCAR saying that if you run up front enough you will win one every now and then.  Today Ernie Els ran second all day but stayed close and when Adam Scott started leaking oil the last four holes of the British Open Ernie was there waiting to take the tournament handed to him.  I don't care what sport you play you want to be able to say you won it but when it is handed to you, you are not going to give it back.

Pitt County Post 39 is on the verge of making their second trip to the State American Legion Tournament in three  years.  Remember they hosted the first year that Post 58 made it (2009) when it was played at ECU and Guy Smith in Greenville.  Post 39 beat Wayne County Friday night 18-4 in seven innings.  Saturday was rained out but this afternoon they took care of business beat Wayne County 9-2.

This series is a three out of five so Pitt could end it in Wayne County Monday night.  The winner of this the third round is an automatic qualifier for the State Tournament in Lenoir.  There is still one more series left when Area One East Division and West play each other but both would have already qualified for the state tournament.

The Power of the MIC

I have over the years had an opportunity to meet many people who when you hear their name you eye brow raises just a little.  The US Olympic Basketball is in London this week and Nate McMillan former product from Broughton High and Chowan College is one of the assistant coaches on that team.  He became famous when he played for Jim Valvano and N C State after he left Murfreesboro.  He played pro ball in Seattle and if they still had a team his jersey would hang in the rafters but they are now in OKC.  Just this year he was fired after coaching both Seattle and Portland in the NBA.

I had the pleasure as the play by play man for Chowan College to cover his two years playing for the Braves.  His senior year in Raleigh one of the civic clubs in Murfreesboro got the Traveling ACC All Stars to come to Murfreesboro.  This was 1986 which was Coach K's first final four team at Duke and he had four seniors who graduated that year.  Jay Bilas, Mark Allarie, Johnnie Dawkins and David Henderson.

This just happened to be the Thursday night after the Duke boys lost in the championship game on Monday.  The gym at Murfreesboro held about 800 folks and it was packed.  Nate was the one player that everyone came to see since he was back home at Chowan.  Just to come along for the ride was another State player who had nothing else to do that night so he came with Nate.  Derrick Whittenburg.

I was asked to play in the game representing the news media.  I really know the reason they needed some shooters and I was neighborhood famous even then at about 33 years old for being a great h-o-r-s-e player.  If you could compare me to an NBA player when we played two on two in the back yard I was Steve Nash, all offense no defense.  Don't leave me open just because I was short I could drill it.  But guard somebody four or five inches taller than me and they would score all game long.

The game started and it wasn't before long I am standing alone about 20 feet from the basket so I fire up my first shot of the night.  Out of no where I feel this whirl wind slap at the ball and it is heading right straight back at the bridge of my nose.  Mark Allarie  has swatted it away.  I still have a dent in my nose today.  The news media guys hung tough for a while.   Finally late in the game I think I am 0-3 shooting  I have now backed away from the basket far enough nobody is going to block my next shot.  B I N G O a three pointer  which cuts into the ACC All Stars 70 point lead.  I think the final score is something like 119-49.

As they say in the song when CBS signs off after the National Championship game my shining moment to be on the court at the same time as Nate McMillan who I have a feeling is going to be working in Charlotte before long.  Jay Bilas  who is all over the TV during college basketball season.  Johnnie Dawkins who just might be the next Duke basketball coach. Derrick Whittenburg who is seen every year during the NCAA tournament when ever the 83 Pack team is talked about.  David Henderson and Mark Allarie two legends of Duke and college basketball.

I was there right on the same court with them.  I know if I didn't talk on the radio I would have never been there.  That's just the power of the MIC.

Acting Like the Jeffersons (Moving On UP)

Brian Goodwin is doing just like George and Weezie as he has  received the news that all baseball players want to hear.  The big club wants to send you to the next level.  Brian who has spent the spring in A ball in Hagerstown Maryland  will now head north to Harrisburg PA and start all over in AA.

The object for every player is to impress at one level and move up start all over and impress again.  Brian certainly did his part in Hagerstown as he hit 324 belted  nine home runs drove in 38 rbi.  Walked 43 times and stole 14 bases.  I know as a 14 year old Babe Ruth player Brian Belted a home run in the state championship clinching game that just about went out of sight but I never thought of him as a power hitter.  His high school coach Pat Smith has said all along that Brian would hit homers in the pros and that has proven to be right.

Harrisburg is called the Senators  and for those that would love to see him play Richmond will be as close as he will get while in AA.  If the idea is he now has to prove to the Washington Nationals that he wants to move to Syracuse which is the Nats AAA affiliate then he must almost have the same numbers again in Harrisburg.   His first game didn't quite go all that well as he went 0-4 and struck out three times.  One game doesn't make a career as he will have rest of the summer to prove to the Nationals that the best place next spring for Brian Goodwin will be in Syracuse.

This week daughter Morgan is off with other youth of Sunset Avenue Baptist Church participating in World Changers in Columbia South Carolina.  She has teamed up with  Alexander from Nash County and she is in a group of eight others from other parts of the world working on repairing a 85 year old woman's home.  Wednesday afternoon the CBS station  WLXT  in Columbia was on site  and interviewed Morgan  and Alexander  and a couple of the others in the group.

If you are interested you can go to WLXT.com and look for World Changers in the Midlands.  You can bet if you are on Facebook you can go to Morgan's page and of course it is up there.  There is probably no better reason for being proud than knowing one of your own is out in the world spreading the word of Jesus Christ.

The Writing Was On The Wall

Coleman Pitt American Legion team for the second year in a row is knocked out of the playoffs in the second round.  If you look back just a couple of weeks I made reference that our division was very weak and rolling through our division was not getting us ready for the playoffs.  Yes, we took care of New Bern in two straight in the first round.  New Bern of course was the weak sister in the Southern Division that won only twice all year.

P 58 was 14-1 during conference play.  Wilson was the only member who had a winning record during the regular season.  The only game P 58 lost during the regular season in conference occurred as a second game of a double header which was the sixth game played played in seven days.  Then lost by only one run.

I can assure you that this years team was a good ball club.  They played every game on the schedule and gave it all they had in trying to win everyone.  The quality of our conference this year just did not prepare this team for the road ahead.  It was almost like the regular season conference games were JV games and the second round of the playoffs we moved up to the varsity level.   If we use that same analogy in our eight non-conference games we were 3-5  so when we played varsity level competition we didn't run through those games like Patton's tanks ran through France in World War Two ( Using a little American Legion Reference here).

This year there were ten teams  in the Area One North and South Divisions.  North was Albemarle, Edenton, Windsor, Ahoskie, Rocky Mount and Wilson.  The Southern Division was Pitt County, Wayne County, Kinston and New Bern.

I suggest that next year Rocky Mount and Wilson move in the division with Pitt, Wayne, Kinston and New Bern.  This in no way guarantees that the Southern won't have a down year next but what it would do is put both P 58 and P13 in with a division when we would have more rival games.

Wayne County and Wilson would be a big Conference game where Rocky Mount and Greenville have always been rivals.  It surely would put Albemarle, Edenton, Windsor and Ahoskie  where the longest conference travel would be Elizabeth City to Ahoskie of about fifty miles.  Our trip to play a double header in Elizabeth City was over a 100.  We live in economic times when a penny saved  means something these days.

All you have to do is look at who shows up when we played Albemarle and who showed up when we played Pitt County.  Here we go again saving pennies and there were more people from Greenville at our regular season game with them than any two conference games we had with Albemarle or Edenton put together.

We all hope next year that every team is better including Rocky Mount but I think we just plain are suited more to be in the Southern Division.  Who cares if six teams in the league only four make the playoffs.  All that does it makes every conference game whether you finish first or last worth something every time you play.  When the game has more meaning more people are interested in watching.  It helps put people in the seats when the team coming to your place has a few people added to your crowd.  The only people from Rocky Mount  who went to Elizabeth city was  a couple of parents.  The big EC is simple too far for the person who just loves to go watch baseball to ride but he might ride to Greenville.

I hope next year all the teams get together and do what is good for all and they realign the leagues.  It's better that way for everybody.

The Cover Up

Have you ever heard the statement that life is 10% action and 90% reaction.  That statement could never be any truer than it is in the fiasco call the sex scandal at Penn State.  Last week the report was   released on the findings of the committee put together to find out what went on for the last fifteen years or so at Penn State and the report does not paint a pretty picture for anyone who was in authority.

Only if when the first hint of a scandal was going on had someone , anyone spoke up this story would be fifteen years in the past  instead in is headline news  almost every day.  Yes if action had of been taken one coach would have lost his job and probably swept under the rug.  Resign and get out of Dodge and we will never tell what you did or  why you quit.  No, Penn State chose to ask him to resign but gave him the key to the University complex to do as he pleased.

Joe Paterno looked the other way because the coach in question was his best friend.  Paterno made a decision to protect his friend, but he also made a decision to protect the University, and even went a step further  to protect the image of Joe Paterno which had reach GOD like status in Happy Valley.  All of the others  the University President, the Athletic Director  all tried to protect  the University and Joe Paterno's  image and yes themselves too..

He who has no sin may cast the first stone. There is always something within all of us that we hope the general public never knows.  The only thing that I am sure of nothing in my closet will require jail time should it ever be exposed.  The Penn State Case everyone who took an active part in the coverup are criminals because while they were protecting  Penn State and Joe Paterno's  image not one ever thought about the victims.

What is it in our nature  when we do something that might not be up and up the first thing we do is deny it.  We lost a president who had to resign from office just because he helped cover up and not tell the truth.  One political party was stealing secrets from the other and got caught.  Fess up get probation and move on with life but instead a coverup lead to a month of national investigation right in our living rooms which eventually lead to a Nixon Resignation.

Lying isn't just from one political party but another president told us he never had sex with that girl.  The lying and coverup is the most remembered  thing of eight years of Bill Clinton.  I don't think there is one person in this country who remembers Clinton as a bad president but they sure do remember the name Monica Lewinsky.

Even closer to home more information keeps dribbling out every day about the University of North Carolina  and the academic coverup and athletic fraud that went on just to protect  "The University Of North Carolina" image.  Nixon, Clinton or Carolina  the coverup was worse that the initial infraction.  That is not the case at Penn State.  Federal and  State  laws were broken.   Everyone who took part in covering up a crime should go to jail.

You know back when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of Life God Punished all of us with sin.  All sin is, is a submission to self.  These coverups were protecting self.  Make sure I don't get into trouble.  Joe Paterno thought about himself, the University President, the athletic director all thought to protect themselves .  Not once did any of them while protecting themselves thought about the victims.  They who covered up to protect themselves is just as guilty as the acts committed.

The Fat Lady Sings

 Coleman Pitt Post 58 down one game to none in a two out of three series with Pitt County needed a victory tonight in Winterville and Post 58 comes up short losing 12-3. Jeremy Sloop took to the mount for Post 58 and P 58 bats gave him a 2-0 in the first.  PC responded with three in the second to take their first lead of the night. Coleman Pitt tied the game in the fourth at 3. PC retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth and lead 4-3 when CP58 had the bases loaded with only one out in the sixth.  A wild pitch strike out had the P58 runner on third trying to score but was tagged out at home to end  the Rocky Mount threat and with it a chance to either tie or take the lead.  From that point on it's all Pitt County

Post 58 needing to keep it close were not able to do it as Pitt County added four more runs to lead 8-3 after seven innings.They added four more in the eighth as for the night P58 had 8 errors  and Coleman Pitt Post 58 is knocked out of the State Playoffs 12-3.  PC outhit RM 10-7 so it is pretty easy to see defense failed to make the season continue.

This is coaches clinic week in Greensboro as the North Carolina High School Athletic Association prepares for the upcoming athletic season for 2012-13.  Part of the entertainment each night is the all-star games and last night basketball was front and center in the Greensboro Coliseum.  Rocky Mount high School had three players in both games and none of the three were able to say they played for the winning team as West dominated both the boys and the girls game.

The West girls beat the East 82-65 as Alexus Cooper was the second leading scorer for the East.  Tia Hudgins played for the East squad  but the East fell behind early and almost caught up late in the third quarter until the West stretched  the lead again in the fourth.

The boys game saw the East squad couldn't hit anything from the outside in the first half as they fell way behind  and were never able to catch up.  Terrill Hilliard scored 16 for the East as he also was the second leading scorer for the East.

One Foot In The Grave

There are those nights when the other team does wrong and it turns out right and that was tonight for Post 58.  Pitt County Post 39 banged out 17 hits in which only three could be considered solid hits the other 14 had eyes and went where Post 58 players were not.  Ten never even  left the infield. Then their pitcher  probably never threw a pitch all night that hit 80 miles an hour but in seven inning he never struck out one P58 player,  he only gave up four bleeding hits and when he left after pitching seven innings he was ahead 8-0.  Jarrett Ozimek was a pitcher P 58 was glad didn't come out in the eighth inning.

P39 used a three pitchers to finish up the game and they surrendered four walks two hit batters and only two hits a Coleman Pitt scored 6 runs to make it a respectable score but let me assure you this was never close  as Pitt County wins 11-6.  P58 now must win Tuesday at Pitt CC or the season is over.  Should they win Tuesday they then get another shot at home Wednesday night.

Jordan Taylor got two hits for P58 and Matthew Berry's Base loaded double in the ninth brought home three runs,  Speirs Miller, TylerWooten and Kyle Pratt found the other three P 58 hits.  P39 had two players with four hits Dalton Britt and Aaron Clark. Charlie Herring collect three while Austin Chang and Gray Dixon had two each.

Jeremy Lucas was the hard luck loser as he gave up seven runs but he pitched into the seventh inning scattering 12 hits but only two were hit in the air to the outfield. Spenser Ramsey, Chase Johnson and Aaron Crum finished up on the mound for P58 but they had about the same luck Lucas had.

There is no doubt about it P39 was the best team on the field tonight and Post 58 has to hope that they get their share of hits and can draw even in the series Tuesday night or the 2012 Legion season finishes Tuesday with a lost.  The lost drops Post 58 to 20-7 on the season

Playoff Plot Thickens

Round Two of the State American Legion playoffs start Monday night in Rocky Mount as Coleman Pitt Post 58 will host Pitt County Post 39 at 7PM at Gryphon Stadium.  The first round the Southern Division won three of the four match ups as only Rocky Mount is left standing representing the Northern Division.

Pit County finished second in the Southern Division and they split two games with P58 during the regular season.  This series is also a two out of three  and barring any weather issues Monday and Wednesday are the scheduled days for games in Rocky Mount.  Tuesday's  game two would be in Greenville.  The winner of this series will play the Wayne County-Kinston winner for the Area One East/West Finals.  This series is a three out of five.  The winner of that series earns a spot in the upcoming state tournament in Lenoir in late July and early August.

Even though the winner earns a spot in the state tournament there is still one more series to play as the finals of Area one would be against the teams from the Triangle area.  Both of those teams would already have earned spots in the state tournament so that series is back to a two of three.

To say the   least this was a very long weekend for the Junior Legion team from Post 58 after losing the opening game of the tournament Saturday morning in extra innings and falling into that dreaded losers bracket.   They were able to fight off elimination Saturday night with a ten inning win and this afternoon at Doak Field at N C State won their first game of the day beating a team from Cary called the Cary Colts 7-3.

They made out a new lineup card and stayed right on the field and in this game took on the Cary Bulls a Junior Legion team who this is was 27-0 and in the three games for them so far in this tournament had not had a team to stay as close as 13 runs in any game.  Post 58 took this game to extra innings as it was 3-3 after seven.  The Bulls were the visiting team and put seven runs on the board in the top of the eighth and P58 could not cut into the seven runs and lost 10-3.

Post 58 fails to qualify for the State Tournament but it is obvious that they gave this Bulls team a run for their money and it would have been very interesting to see if we had another shot against them what kind of result would have happened in another game.  Junior Legion games are seven innings but since three of their four games went  extra innings  P 58 played what amounted to five games in thirty two hours.  That will test any bodies pitching staff.

P 58 Advances To Round Two.

Post 58 got the job done tonight in  New Bern as they swept Post 24 for the second game in a row to win round one with a 11-4 victory.   Tyler King got the start for P58 and if the defense had of turned a double play New Bern may not have scored but any time you give a team extra outs if they are worth their salt they will hurt you and P 24 plated four runs to lead 4-2 after Four. 

P 58 has proven this entire year  that they will respond when pressured and tonight Matthew Berry homered in the fifth to tie the game and Jeremy Lucas,Tyler Wooten and Kyle Pratt all double to put P 58 ahead 7-4 and they never looked back.  Spenser Ramsey, Aaron Crumb and Jeremy Lucas shut down New Bern from the fifth inning on.

Coleman Pitt will now host Pitt County Monday night at 7PM as round two begins.  PC beat Ahoskie las night and Post 102 forfeited tonight's game setting up the round two match up with Pitt County Post 39.  Each team won at home when they played each other during the regular season.

P58 Junior Legion had a long day today as they opened the Area One Championships in Raleigh.  This morning at10AM they met Chatham County and lost in eight innings 3-2.  That forced the Junior team to play in the losers bracket at 5.30 again at Athens Drive High School.  Once again an extra inning game that took 10 innings but this time P 58 is on the W side of the ledger with a 12-9 victory over a team called Tri County from Oxford.

Winning tonight moves the Junior Legion over to Doak field at N C State where they will play at 3PM.  If they win that game they play again at 5.30 at the Doak.  The top two teams from this tournament qualify for the state so P 58 Juniors must win twice on Sunday to still be alive for Monday where if they win once they would be declared the winner of the losers bracket. 
There is no such tournament winner in this tournament because the winners bracket team that wins three straight automatically qualifies for the State Tournament and will not play on Monday

Legion Fails to Clinch First Round

A 9-0 win at home on Thursday night puts Post 58 in a great position to close out New Bern Friday night in round one of the Area One Legion play offs.  However the best team on the field this night was mother nature and a storm cell that passed just south of our area drenched the Kinston -New Bern area and tonight' game has been reset for 5PM Saturday afternoon at New Bern High School.  Rocky Mount wins they advance to round two while a loss will force a game three in Rocky Mount Sunday night.

The Post 58 Junior Legion team is set to compete starting Saturday in a Tournament in Raleigh that is a qualifier for the State Junior Legion State Tournament.  P 58 JR team starts play at 10:00AM at Athens Drive High School  they take on Chatham County.  Rocky Mount is the #2 seed in this tournament while Chatham is the #7.

The way this qualifer works is two teams of these eight make the state tournament so you only have to make it to the championship game.  An eight team tournament means that if you  win  three games you should be no worse than second.

Members of this team are Christian Arrington  from Southern Nash.  Arthur Carson from Roanoke Rapids.  Ryan Barham represents Nash Central.  Northern Nash's first player is Tyler Barrett.  Chandler Clontz hails from Rocky Mount High.  Tarboro has Will Dupree.  Linwood Jones who got in a couple of senior legion games in has a Rocky Mount connection.  Hunter Moore is from Northern.  Andy Morris who also got a couple of senior legion games under his belt is a rep of Rocky Mount.  Nash Central has Christian Perry.  Faith Christian only team member is Chase Roupp.  Another Bulldog is Kyle Taylor. Micah Varnell is the fourth Gryphon on the team.  Nick Vester  is the third Knight of Northern and Garrison Vick is the fourth player from Nash Central. 

Former Legion, Northern Nash  and active NC Wesleyan star Tyler Clark is the head coach with assistants Cameron Ramsey and Chad Womble.  Should P 58 win the first game the winners bracket games with be played at Doak Field at N C State and their second game would be at 3PM.  Should they lose that opening game they play  at 5.30 at Athens Drive.

HO-HUM

Tonight Coleman Pitt Post 58 opened the 2012 American Legion Playoffs and as conference champs of the Area One Northern Division hosted the #4 seed from New Bern Post 24.  New Bern's Legion team has won only twice all Legion season but they did have on the mound tonight the All State Pitcher in 4-A high School baseball Trevor Pence from New Bern High School.

Pence pitched well going six inning and gave up only two hits but despite a good outing left losing 4-0. P 58 took advantage of every base on ball and two errors played a big part in the four runs P 58 scored.  Pence was not the best pitcher on the field this night a Cam Webb took to the hill and Webb goes seven inning  he allows three hits and strikes out 10 New Bern Batters as Post 58 does just enough to come home with an opening playoff win 9-0 over Post 24.

Spenser Ramsey and Jeremy Trevathan preserved the shutout getting an inning of pitching  each as Post 58 wins theirs second straight home game in shutout fashion.  Their last home game of the year they beat Pitt County 10-0  Game two will be Friday night in New Bern and if P 58 wins they take the first series of the playoffs and await for the winner of the Pitt County-Ahoskie series that was rained out  tonight.  If New Bern Wins Friday at home  the series championship would be back in Rocky Mount  Saturday night at 7PM.  If Rocky Mount wins Friday round two starts Monday night at 7PM at Rocky Mount.

Kyle Pratt got two of the five P 58 hits on the night and lead the way with two rbi.  Also getting hits were Speirs Miller, Jay Aparicio and Jeremy Lucas. Matt Towernicky collected two of the three hits that New Bern had for the evening as Matt Bowman had the other.

There are never any guarantees in life but If P 58 plays well Friday they should end the series as they beat the best Pitcher New Bern had tonight and won comfortably.  There was a nice crowd on hand and hopefully if P58 continues for a couple of more weeks the crowds will get bigger and bigger.  This Legion teams is most of the All Star high school players from Nash County, Edgecombe, Halifax and even one from Wake County.  If you haven't seen them play they are playing a good brand of baseball and a good night's entertainment come on out Saturday if they play or Monday when they start Round two.

Shift In Have To Do's

There was a time in my life when I felt in order  to be a good sports announcer I needed to watch every game that was in season.  That was thirty years or more ago and I have over the years settled into watching only the teams I care about or players who I either know or have a personal interest in.

I use to watch NASCAR regularly and pulled for Ricky Rudd because I met him at  a Jaycee meeting one night when he was the speaker.  I am a Philip Rivers fan due to his State connection and he had classes with my son Brooks.  I watched parts of some of the NBA playoffs but the brand of basketball played by the NBA bores me and I don't think I watched a complete quarter without moving on to something else.

Last night was one of the few times in my life I didn't see one out recorded during the All Star game played in Kansas City.  I flipped the dial once and when it was 5-0 in the first inning I never went back again all night.  I don't have any personal connection with any player and if I was going to watch it would have been to watch Josh Hamilton, but already down  5-0 I didn't want to watch that badly.

It will be interesting now that Morgan has graduated from Rocky Mount High to see how much effort to go to games will be.  Now that Morgan is manager of the Campbell Volleyball team we are already looking at weekend trips to tournaments for the Fighting Camels.  I will be back to do the PA f or JV football but right now our focus is shifting 75 miles away.

If the Lord is willing and he lets the sun shine Coleman Pitt Post 58 will start the first round of the baseball playoffs at Home Thursday night at 7pm at Gryphon Stadium.  We have reach the time where this could be the last home game of the year if they were to get swept by a 2-11 team.  Regardless of how many  they have left or wind up playing for the rest of the playoffs the next game could always be the last.  So why not got out to the old ball park Thursday night as baseball is close to being over in the area until fall ball.

2012 Legion Playoffs Set

Rocky Mount has a home playoff game at Gryphon Stadium Thursday night against New Bern.  Post 58 the #1 seed from the Northern  Division of Area One East will play The #4 from the Southern in 2-11 New Bern.  Rocky Mount won 75% of their games this year are 18-6.  This opening game is always very important in the Legion playoffs as the winner of game one wins the tie breaker should weather not allow a team to have won two games by the end of Sunday.

Let's say New Bern upsets Rocky Mount Thursday and Rocky Mount won game two but both Saturday and Sunday games were rained out then New Bern wins the tie breaker.  Game three will be played in Rocky Mount so you  would think Hank Jones will do everything possible to play Sunday even if the meant having to play Sunday morning and wait all day if need be.

We are in the same bracket with Pitt County who is the #2 from the South.  Rocky Mount split with Pitt during the regular season.  PC is 12-5 on the season and will match up against Ahoskie who swept Windsor Friday and Saturday night in three games to earn the #3 spot from the North.  Ahoskie's regular season record finished at 9-15 but they were 8-7 in league play which is the first time that they have had a winning conference season since they returned to Legion play in the mid 90's after not sponsoring Legion ball for some 30 years.

The two winners from this bracket will start play Monday night at the highest seeded team that is still alive and we certainly hope that is in Rocky Mount.  So game one is in Rocky Mount Thursday and if needed game three would be here Saturday.  Then if P58 is still playing game one in round two would but Monday night at home.

The other bracket has the #1 from the Southern Division Wayne County 11-6 hosting the #4 from the Northern which is Edenton and their record is 5-9.  Wilson Post 13 #2 seed from the North will host Kinston the #3 from the Southern and the two series winners meet starting Monday in round two.

 The two winners from both round two series begins round three a three out of five series with the winner heading to the State Tournament .  Round three starts July 20th and there is a round four but if you win round three you are headed to Lenoir and the State Tournament.  That round four series will be against the West champion which is all the Triangle area teams that are in Area one but they too will have already qualified for the State Tournament.

Another Home Game Gone

The final regular season game  for Coleman Pitt Post 58 was lost by 4PM Monday afternoon.  Yes it was hot but not a rain drop any where to be scene.  The past few years Post 58 has had a bad habit of not getting return games with teams who are scheduled for a home game and an away game.  Last week they lost a home game with a very good Wayne County team for possible legit reasons conference games are more important and tonight no game with Apex after we went there Saturday.  Yes as I write this tonight near 9PM the bottom is falling out outside so any game would probable not gotten past the 6th inning anyway but six innings constitutes an official game.

Just might be that over the years Rocky Mount is a tough place to come get a win as P58 is 10-1 at home this year while they are a very good 8-5 on the road.  Hank Jones has not had any fear of any team since he has been to perennial powers Rowan County and Cherryville  and a very good  Wayne County team where they played four  games between them.  Only one has been here Wayne County.  Between those four teams P58 is1-4. 

The playoffs begin Thursday night at home against New Bern who was our first round foe last year who decided to forfeit and never came here and P58 advanced to the second round with out throwing one pitch.  Despite getting the easy advance to round two New Bern did not do P58 any favors getting  a week off  and rusty while everyone else got into the playoff mode.


New Bern so far this year has won only one game while losing 13 times. This is a two out of three so if P58 shows up Thursday and Friday they should take New Bern out in two games.  Monday the 16th starts round two.  A home game Thursday and a trip to New Bern Friday could end round one  and a couple of days off to get ready for round two.

Jeremy Sloop has been P58 best Pitcher and I would suspect he will get a few innings in Thursday  until P58 has control of the game and then there will probably be a carousel of pitchers until, the series is over.  I would think Sloop will be the starter next Monday night in round two when a much better quality foe comes to town.  Funny thing about sports of course we are almost giving P58 the first round but I think we all know that P58 has to come out focused or they could get in deep trouble early.  Some times teams that are suppose to win dig such a deep hole that they never crawl out of the hole and wind up going home before they thought they would.

Nash County Babe Ruth Knocked Out

Sunday afternoon Nash County 13U Babe Ruth team played for the District title in Farmville and was beaten for the second time by the same team from Greenville.  Today's game was 9-3 and for the weekend the 13u team goes 2-2.

Also in Farmville was the 14U tournament  and if you read me last night I told you they were playing then to be able to play for the championship in 14U if they could win last night.  Last night's game did not start until 10PM and an 11:30 curfew they had to stop last night and go back today and play an inning and a half and lost.  Seems as if there was a major scheduling problem as the 14U team had played at 10:AM Saturday and did not play again until 10PM while the 13U Nash County team played back to back games Saturday afternoon while the 14U watched.

About a week ago I told you that I needed to find out what the word was on Xavier Macklin.  I had heard he was injured and I did confirm that at the last Legion home game against Pitt County with little brother Khalil.  Khalil confirmed for me that X while throwing a ball back towards the infield during spring training tore ligaments in his elbow and underwent Tommy John Surgery.

Those of you non baseball fans, Tommy John a pitcher back in the 70's was already a veteran pitcher for the White Sox when he tore his elbow ligaments while pitching and Dr James Andrews the famous sport doctor took ligaments from Johns leg and put them in his elbow and he pitch for at least another ten years or so after his rehab.

It is almost unheard of for an outfielder like Xavier to have this kind of injury because this is a basic pitchers injury.  Still rehab for a pitcher takes a full year  and even as an outfielder I doubt X makes it back on the field this year  for the Oakland A's.

Also Lets look and what Brian Goodwin is doing in Hagerstown for the Washington Nationals.  He is hitting 316 with six home runs 32 rbi in fifty games.  Those are really good numbers for a top prospect for the Washington Nationals.  Where do you think Brian goes from here?  You must remember that Washington is leading the National League East Division and the trading deadline is July 31st.

A couple of situations could develop for Brian.  He could get called up to  AA because they trade some of their top AAA prospects in order to solidify their major league club in Washington for the stretch drive.  AA players would then move to AAA making room for Brian.  He could just as easily just move up to see if he can do just as good at the next level. Who knows he could easliy be trade bait himself since he is proving that he will not stay in the lower minors long.  I suspect by the end of July Brian will be out of Hagerstown one way or the other.

Don't forget Post 58 Legion's last regular season home game is Monday night at 7:PM against Apex.

Apex Bops Post 58

Coleman Pitt Post 58 American Legion team spent a hot night in Apex tonight playing baseball and by the end of the seventh inning Apex had secured a 16-3 victory of P58. 

Since the return from the high school graduation break which is almost a month P 58 has lost only twice.  Both were by double digits.  In fact four of P58 losses on the season have been big time double digit losses.  The good news since during that same time span they have won 12 games and even after tonight's loss stand at 18-6.  The regular season ends Monday night for P58 when Apex comes to Gryphon Stadium.

Post 58 begins the playoffs Thursday night against New Bern and it is a two out of three. New Bern  looks as if they will be the #4 seed  from the Area One East Southern Division. Should they advance from there the second round is another two out of three that starts on July 16th.  If they are still alive by round three that series jumps to a three out of five.  If they win that one they are headed to the state tournament but there is one more series  before that and that would be against the Area one West winner but they too would also already be in the State Tournament that starts August 1st.

Both of Nash Counties Babe Ruth 13U and 14U teams are playing in district play in Farmville this weekend.  This afternoon the 13u team lost 19-2 and had to turn around and play again and won tonight so they play for the 13U district title at 3PM Sunday.  The 14U team is playing as we speak and if they win they are in the finals of the 14U on Sunday afternoon.

Our household spent Friday and most of the day today in Buies Creek as Campbell University held their orientation day for incoming freshman.  Our baby bird in this house flies from the nest on August 5th.  Students don't arrive until August 19th but Morgan will be one of the managers for the Campbell Volleyball team and practice begins on the 5th.

She got measured for all the different warmup suits and volleyball gear that players wear she gets too.  All of a sudden our house has gone from blue and gold to Orange and black overnight.

All Star Teams Continued

Today will will give you the list of the Midget 9-10 old National League all stars and both  the Little league 11-12 teams:

National League Midgets  9-10 year old All Stars.

Aaron Angel representing the Rays.  Hunter Bailey from the Orioles.  Conner Davenport  the second Ray on the team.  Colby Freeman from the Braves.  Colin Legaj comes from the D'Backs.  Also from the D'Backs Brock Leonard.  From the Braves Andrew Lewis. Another Brave Foster McAdams.  Even another Brave Conner Powell.  Austin Ramsey represents the D'Backs.  Woodall Rose is from the D'Backs.. Austin Summerlin  from the Rays and Logan Wall make up the National League Midgets.

The coaching staff is lead by Johnny Ramsey along with Scott Rose, Paul Legaj all from the D'Backs and Ivey Powell from the Braves.

The American League 11-12 year old Little League All Stars:

Matthew Dickerson who hails from the Marlins.  Eli Ess from the Athletics.  Representing the Braves Cody Fuller.  Another Brave Aaron Gerlach.  From the Athletics Garrett Killebrew.  The Marlins also have Dylan King.  The Yankees have two reps Joshua Pittman and Matt Raynor.  Tyler Sherrod comes from the Braves.  Will Stewart played for the Marlins.  Caleb Whitaker was another Yankee.  Trey Whitley hails from the Athletics.

The coaching staff is Jeremy Stewart from the Marlins.  Don Whitley and Tim Killebrew from the Athletics

The National League 11-12  year old Little League  All Stars.


Bailey Beddingfield  from the Phillies.  A couple of Pirates Colby Carter and Colton Cruz.  Another Phillie is Dwight Daniles Jr.  Since each team member is listed in alphabetical order we now have three Cardinals Silas Gonzalez, David Harrison and Chase Hollowell.  Trevor Mills will represent the D'Backs.  Another Phillie is Aubrey Mitchell Jr.  From the D'Backs is Zachary Patterson.  The final two all stars are Phillies J D Reid and Chris Warrick.


The head coach is Tim Ozment and Joey Ozment from the Phillies.  Tony Gonzalez was a coach for the Cardinals and Ronnie Beddingfield is from the Phillies.

Good luck to each and every team as they represent us all over the district  and just maybe another sign or two can hang along the walkway heading into the Sports Complex which bares  the name of all the past State Championship teams, players and coaches.

Rocky Mount Recreation All- Stars Begin Play

If you are a parent of a athlete who has made an all -star team in baseball then you know that right after the Fourth of July all-star competition begins and that could mean on the road some where for the rest of the month as long as you win.  Pee Wee, Midgets and Little league a state championship is as far as you can go but if you are involved in Babe Ruth and you are as successful as several teams have been from this area in the last decade you may play ball almost to the end of August.

Here is the Pee Wee squad who will represent Rocky Mount in district play. These players are seven and eight years old.
Brody Brice who played for the Pirates during the regular season.  Jay Bullock who played for the Braves.
Chandler Cockrell from the Rays.  Coleston Dempsey  from the A's.  Conner Freeman representing the D'Backs.  Jake Fuller who during the season played for the Mets.  Malik Hill from the Braves.  Brendan Lewis another Pirate.  Ashton Rhodes who played for the Nationals.  Will Varnell  comes from the Mets.  Conner Whitley another Ray and Jordan Wright from the Nationals.

The coaches are Chad Womble and Josh Driver from the Pirates and Fred Fuller and Matt Varnell from the Mets.

The 9-10 year old Midgets from American League

Brandon Gay representing the Phillies.  Jack Henninger from the Marlins.  Ben Lewis from the Athletics.  Andrew Page another Marlin.  Kyle Rich from the White Sox.  Joesph Roach from the Athletics.  Charlie Rooks the second White Sox player.  Jackson Tedford another Marlin player.  Daniel Varnell our second Philly.  Victor Ward Jr  from the White Sox.  Zachary Warrick from the Athletics. Jonathan Weeks  from the Athletics and Griffin Wingfoot from the Marlins.

Their coaches are Mark Henninger, Scott Wingfield and Craig Tedford who all coached for the Marlins during the ragular season.

Tomorrow will will give you the 9-10 year old National league team as well as the 11-12 two little league teams.

It was announced this week that Wilson Post 13 will host the 2013 State American Legion Baseball Tournament  in Fleming Stadium in August of next year.  Host team gets in the tournament regardless of their record.  The 2012 Legion State Tournament this year is in Lenoir and Next Thursday Night Post 58 from Rocky Mount will try to go to the tournament for the third time in four years.  P58 still has two regular season games left Saturday at Apex and Apex comes here Monday.

Salute To Mayberry

Wednesday North Carolina lost it's #1 promoter of the State with the death of Andy Griffith.  October third 1960 the Andy Griffith show first appeared on CBS at 9pm and after eight years the show has been shown on TV somewhere in this world every day since.  Mayberry the hometown  of the show gave us life the way it was suppose to be then and should still be today.

I never had the privilege to meet Andy but my wife Pat was during her career with Carolina Telephone working in the business office in Manteo back in the 70's and 80's when Andy would come in to pay his telephone bill barefooted.  Sounds like Manteo may have had some Mayberry in it too.  Today as we have a holiday to celebrate the birthday of our country I want to pay tribute to Andy Griffith who in my opinion lead the best show ever in television history.  Here is my top ten all time  Shows.

1.  Opie The Birdman:  After killing a mama bird Opie raises the three chicks until it is time for them to fly away.  In the final scene after Opie has released the birds  and they are chirping in the trees and Andy says as Opie and Andy stand on the front porch "Don't the tress seem nice and Full".  To me that is the best scene in TV history.

2.  Barney and the Choir: This is the show where Barney can't sing a lick and they turn his microphone off.  Barney lip lincs  the song.  This  was  Don Knotts finest acting effort of his life.

3.  Convicts at Large:  Three women prisoners escape prison and wind up capturing Barney and Floyd.  One of the prisoners thinks Barney is and old boy friend named Al.  In order to catch the main crook Barneys starts dancing with her.  While standing on the porch after the captured Floyd comes out on the porch eating a banana  and tells Barney (Al) that he is not going to be responsible for the hamburgers which are still in the kitchen cooking.

4.  Barney's First Car:  While taking everyone on  their first ride in Barney's new car the steering wheel starts coming out like a Cobra.  Barney is so depressed that Thelma Lou has to drive while Andy, Opie Gomer and Aunt Bea push.

5.  Aunt Bea The Warden.  There are too many prisoners in the jail for Otis to stay after a Saturday night drunk.  Andy take him home when Aunt Bea  makes Otis think he's in Alcatraz.  He tries to escape from the ROCK.

6. Opie and The Bully:  Opie keeps borrowing nickels for milk  when Andy finds out a bully is getting his nickels.  Andy teaches Opie about how to defend yourself even if it means getting a black eye.

7.  My Fair Ernest T:  Andy and Barney try to make Ernest T into a Gentleman.  " How do you do Mrs Wylie?"

8.Andy and Barney in the Big City.  When Barney signs in at a Raleigh Hotel he signs in Benard P Fife MD(Mayberry Deputy).  Barney mistakes the hotel dick for a jewel thief.

9.  Aunt Bea's Pickles:  Aunt Bea's kerosene pickles are replaced  when Andy and Barney buy store bought pickles.  Aunt Bea is so happy that they love her pickles she decide to enter them in the County Fair.

10.  The Christmas Show:  They only made one Christmas show in the eight year run of the show.  They figured they could never get it as good as the only Christmas show.  Old man Weaver standing on a pop crate looking in the jail as everyone inside is having a merry Christmas.

Honorable Mentions:all shows with Gomer, Otis, The Darlings and Ernest T.  That just about covers all of them doesn't it.    God Bless You ANDY

Playoff Primed

The ideal game for any coach is get seven innings from your starting pitcher and let the bullpen finish it off.  Tonight Coleman Pitt Post 58 got seven strong innings from starter Jeremy Sloop as he went  seven innings and was ready to give the ball to Jeremy Trevathan in the eighth but Post 58 put seven runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh to sent every one home early with a 10-0 whitewash of Pitt County Post 39.

Sloop allowed three hits struck out five and only let two batters get on base with either a base on ball or hit batter.  P58 scored three times in the second when Jeremy Lucas single went to third on a Khalil Macklin double.  Lucas score on a ground out by Kyle Pratt.  Two more runs scored when Andy Morris who was brought up from Junior Legion just to catch tonight's game singled down the right field line to get two rbi in his first Legion at bat.

The scoreboard had zero's for both teams until the seventh when Macklin, Kyle Pratt singled after Jeremy Lucas had been hit by a pitch. Then three straight walks pushed the lead to 6-0 and with the bases loaded Jay Aparicio hit a grand slam home run to end the game 10-0.

Post 58 lead batters were Khalil Macklin who had three hits.  Jay Aparicio had two hits and four rbi when one of those hits left the park with the bases loaded.  Jeremy Lucas had a couple of hits Kyle Pratt had a hit and one rbi while Andy Morris had one single and three rbi.

Post 58 wins game number 18 on the season and this was a good test tonight since Pitt County Post 39 is in a battle for first in the area one Southern Division and just might be a second round playoff foe in the future. If you own a printed Legion schedule there is suppose to be a home game Thursday night but that is done for.  Hank Jones has done some scrambling today since he found out about the Thursday game being dropped and didn't want tonight to be the last game of the regular season and then wait nine days to start the playoffs so P58 will travel to Apex Saturday night and Apex will return to Rocky Mount on Monday night July 9th.

  First round playoff action starts Thursday July 12 at home in what now looks like New Bern will be the playoff foe.  You might remember we were suppose to play New Bern in the playoffs last year but they forfeited and we advanced to the second round without playing.

Monday The 13th

I know the calendar says today is Monday July second but after the events that have happened within the last few hours  it would be hard to tell Hank Jones and Coleman Pitt Post 58 that is not the 13th.   First item on the agenda P58  found out that  Albemarle the team that P58 beat twice last night has played the entire season with an eneligible player so they have had to forfeit any wins they had this season.  That doesn't help P58 one bit since P58 swept Albemarle in three games.

Tonight P58 was set to host Windsor in the final conference game of the year and about 6.20 or so the coach for Windsor tells Hank Jones that two players who were suppose to be here are not coming and Windsor only has 7 players.  The good news is P58 gets a win.  The bad news is Post 58 lost one of the last three gates of the year since up to this point most of P58 schedule had been on the road and they were finishing this week with three home games before the playoffs.  Despite no game guess who got paid but the umpires who never finished getting dressed.  P58 is in the hole on this one.

Bad news for Andy Morris rising junior at Rocky Mount who had been brought up to catch today.  He was in the starting lineup as Hank Jones was letting several players rest who were effected by the heat Friday night at Wilson.  Morris will probably be in the lineup again tomorrow night when P58 host P39 in a non conference game.  More bad news, the Thursday game set with Eastern Wayne  has been cancelled since EW has had several games rained out in the past week and needs Thursday to play conference makeup games so Thursdays game is gone.  The final game of the regular season is Tuesday night at 7PM against Pitt County.

P 58 needed both the Pitt County and Eastern Wayne games this week to get the feel of how the playoffs will be starting on the 12th .  This point in the season wins and losses are not as important as getting into the playoff mode and being prepared for the level of competition that will start next week.

The forfeit puts P58 at 13-1 in conference play and 17-5 overall on the season.  Albemarle's forfeiting the season has thrown the playoff picture into a loop as Windsor and Ahoskie still play each other three times this week.  Once Thursday and a double header Friday the team that wins two out of three will be the #4 seed from the Eastern Division Joining Rocky Mount , Wilson and Edenton in the playoffs.

This time of year a thunder storm can get a ball game ended in a minute but on a beautiful night like tonight there no ball game at Gryphon Stadium.

Post 58 Is Rolling

Thunder off in the distance Post 58 traveled to Northeastern High School Sunday night to play a double header baseball  games in which Post 58 could lose both and still have first place to themselves when the night was over.  Whether the excessive heat from Friday's game against Post 13 and some of the heat was not weather related it was decided before Rocky Mount ever left to go to the game that Sunday night's game would only be five inning affairs.

Game one of the DH saw Chase Johnson take the hill for Post 58 and after three innings Albemarle lead 2-1.  If there is one thing that Post 58 has done this summer is hit the ball and the second time around the order P58 did just that scoring nine runs in the fourth and win game one by a score of 10-2.

So far this summer P58 has just about dominated every game they have been in in the middle and late innings.  Why would that be and the best way to answer that is I don't see too many teams that P58 has played in conference play have all that much depth on the mound.  Every team has at least one guy who can go five innings but those last four innings who do you put out there against a team that hits average pitching like batting practice.

Looking at the future I would think there will be several teams as the playoffs progress that will be able to hold P58 to five runs.  Then the pressure will be on the P58 pitchers to keep them in the game.  There have been moments where the pitching has been great and then moments that we are glad the offense can score ten runs  or more a game.  I don't think our conference has done P58 any favors this year getting Rocky Mount ready for the playoffs that begin July 12 at home that night.

Now for  game two.  If the thought is true that most teams in our league don't have quality pitching that can get past five innings then we need to look at game two being the 6th,7th, 8th 9th and 10th inning of one game.  The result Post 58 15-0.

Overall now P58 is 17-5 and 12-1 in league play and they get a chance Monday night at home to meet the only team to beat them in conference play in Windsor.  Tuesday they again play home hosting P39 Pitt County who makes the return trip to Rocky Mount after the opening night rain out in the 3rd inning way back in May.  The last regular season game is Thursday against Wayne County and then there is a week off to rest.