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jkates

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Everything posted by jkates

  1. This is the first year (coaching 9/10s) that we're really trying to get into the details of baseball. At ages 5/6 - 7/8, most of our coaching was positive, general, and fun. Our goal was to teach the kids high-level fundamentals so they could experience some improvements, but mostly to make sure they wanted to play again the next season. I rotated kids all over my infield and outfield during both practices and games. I silently judged the coaches who put the same kid at P and 1B every freaking inning, especially when we beat them. It's too easy to overcoach, but it can be so detrimental. Some of the kids I ended up with this season have only ever played for coaches who didn't help them, instead choosing to focus on the 4 good kids. Meanwhile, my kids are scattered throughout the league and contributing. Keep it light and fun, boys. It's a game. Let the boys play. You might even see better results.
  2. I hated that as a kid, and I hate it now. I had a coach that used to give hand signals....with no explanation. I guess he thought they were clear as day, but many guys on the team didn't agree. I try to be very clear, simple, and direct with the 9/10s I coach now.
  3. #TakeItBack
  4. Industry rumor is a "grounding issue." Electrical.
  5. Great first game of the series. Way to battle.
  6. A close relative of mine is a recently retired SWA pilot. Here's a text he sent me when I inquired about the MAX. "There's a switch to disengage the MCAS system (pitches nose down at max electric trim motor speed if AOA sensors sense nose is too high). Boeing didn't put it in the pilot training manual that a faulty AOA sensor would put the nose down 17.5 degrees and trigger the stabilizer trim motor into the high-speed mode. Pulling back on the yoke is the natural reaction when this happens, but the correct action is to reach behind yourself to the back of the center console and disengage a switch that sticks up less than an inch. The Indonesian pilots fought the elevator for 17 seconds before crashing, but it doesn't matter how hard you pull on the yoke, the 17-degree dive mode is going to return until you disable the trim motor. Now, after November, everyone should have been made aware that the MAX has this fatal design error (It should never have been certified to do this), but it's not an easy process to redo the entire software design of the MCAS when there are so many systems, autopilot functions, fly control components, and interfaces together. It was supposed to have come out in January, but it got pushed back to April. They can say all they want about the government shutdown not delaying this, but I don't believe it. The FAA is responsible for signing off on every design change Boeing makes. The parameters of this MCAS system are way out of kilter for what its purpose should be. 17.5 degrees nose down command with full high-speed trim going is a handful of airplane for one pilot to handle with both hands. If the other guy doesn't get that switch turned off, they are going down. SWAPA said before Trump's announcement that the MAX was safe to fly. Yeah, because this thing has been pounded into everyone's head since the first crash, so US pilots are keyed to disengage the system. It's still my opinion that it's a design flaw (software fix). Boeing is gonna be on the hook for all the lost revenue for these canceled flights." I sent another text saying that as a non-pilot I don't understand it all but get what he's saying. He replied again, "The new engines have so much more power, which causes a pitch up from where they're located when the power is advanced, hence the MCAS system. They just decided not to tell anyone what it did, so some idiot marketing decision maker left it out of the training manual. They're lucky one of those crashes didn't happen in US airspace because the victim liability claims are unlimited here for willful negligence."
  7. Though not true LL, evaluations for my son's league (SBMSA in Houston) run this Thursday-Sunday (2/7-10). We "get" to sit around and watch 400+ 9 and 10-year-olds take hacks, run, field, throw, and pitch. Then next week, we will draft them all into ~37 teams. Practices can start on 2/24. Ready or not, here it comes....
  8. I was there in August for the Yankees series. It was neat but not amazing.
  9. I miss Carlos Correa. I like that the A's are winning. Keep pushing us, Atleticos!
  10. Jose Abreu is an old slugging .441. No thanks.
  11. We wrapped up our select baseball run last night by winning our final tournament. Last game ever of coach pitch for my son and his buddies, and they won on a walk-off. These boys struggled last summer as a 7UAA team, but they were a strong 8UAA team this summer. We entered 4 8UAA tournaments and won 3 of them, going 17-2. We entered one 8UAAA tournament and went 0-3 in it. Time to rest the arms and look forward to football or soccer or something else.
  12. This is what we try to do. Our local rec league ends in mid-late May, and it offers a summer league in July. We did both of those when he was 5 and 6. The past 2 years, ages 7 and 8, we have played on a select team in June. This team was designed to be June only with no travel. We want to expose the boys to a) better coaching, b) elevated expectations, c) new friends and d) better competition, but we don't want to spend a ton of money or burn anyone out. In 7U we played 3 June tournaments. This year our 8U will play 5. Then we're finished with baseball for a while; none of these kids are doing the local rec league in July. They'll all go play football or soccer, then basketball.
  13. Not me. Since we don't play true Little League, we don't have that. My son is playing a few select-ball tournaments in June. We've played 3, 1 more to go, possibly a 5th to close it out.
  14. Bases loaded with 0 outs = 1 run. Ouch. The game is nowhere near over, but that was a big missed opportunity.
  15. Got away with another crappy bunt. I'll take it, of course. Let's capitalize, Horns!
  16. Runners on 1st and 2nd again with 0 outs. Hamilton up. DON'T BUNT PLEASE! Hamilton is 3rd in both OBP and SLG among the qualifiers. Let him swing the bat and ride with the results. We need at least 3 runs and it's the 5th inning. Play for them.
  17. Asking Masen Hibbeler to intentionally make an out is gross.
  18. I am a head coach during the local league play - and this year was league coordinator. Bumping down to just an assistant coach on our select team is sooooo fun. I don't have to make a lineup, figure out scheduling, create a practice plan, etc. I just show up and help. And, because the head coach and another played professionally, I learn a lot that I can use later on.
  19. I coached with the coach of the Irish - Johnnie Randolph - last summer. Fun guy.
  20. I caught a couple of POLL championship games on Saturday night. I was pulling for the Irish (PeeWee) and Sea Dogs (Minors) and both won. Some YMCA member chewed me out for where I parked. Saw some old friends from high school. Solid little night.
  21. Not many verbalized the Mexican thing, for sure. Trust me, I'm not overblowing it because I'm not saying it's a huge issue. I'm simply saying it exists. And, given the facts I have in my possession, I'm quite comfortable stating that. First you've heard because, as I said, first time they won. Nobody bothered to care when Connor and Brice were winning. Many of those same kids were on the same team (Barnstormers) with the same coach in Rookie. But they went 4-7 or something so nobody cared. I think it was great for the league and am happy for the kids that won. The concerns about the downside are what is overblown. 100% of the Board examined this issue and was fine with it. Most of them, to their credit, said something along the lines of, "Good for the Royals."
  22. Y'all are taking the "little" too literally.
  23. It's mostly a ton of fun, of course. I played in SBMSA 30 year ago. I'm sure there were crazy parents then too.
  24. Many did not complain and that is good. I certainly can't stop anyone from feeling how you stated you feel about it. The fact remains that teams are formed like this every year at Rookie and Midget and nobody batted an eye until the Mexicans won.
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