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.