2016 Hackettstown Varsity Baseball
We're a few weeks away from tryouts. We lost some good players from the class of 2015, but we still have talent coming back this year. Here's a video my son put together from videos I made from the Fall 2015 season. Thought it would be a cool way to kick things off.
https://youtu.be/7BtEggQzG2g
Metsman Although it appears that your son has talent, a video of all HIS "at bats" set to music isn't an indication of the returning "talent" you speak of, just a proud papa bragging about his son.
Hopefully Jake remembers that there's no "I" in "Team" and has been taught the importance of good sportsmanship and being supportive of his teammates.
Wishing him ( and the whole team) a great season!
Dogmom Yes Dogmom he's a good teammate. He's not a Bryce Harper wannabe. Just thought it was a cool video to share.
The team has 2 seniors John Franco and Anthony Carrida to lead the pitching. The lineup and defense should be pretty good too. A couple of key guys Castellano and Snyder are coming off injuries from football season, so hopefully they'll be ready to go. Jake replaces the power lost from John Pezzatto graduating. If everyone plays together and are hungry like they were last year, then it should be a good season.
Whenever I got to a game, Carrida was always making outstanding plays in the infield. Really enjoyed watching him.
Andy Loigu Do not get your Point .....Metsman......Coach Poyer would not either......Good luck to your SON......and the TIGER BASEBALL TEAM !!! Go Tigers !!!
LittleRascal Coach Poyer would certainly get my point. His team has a good chance to make it back to the Sectional game. That is the point. Good day to you sir/ma'am.
Metsman, where are his high school at bats? I have to say I'll post a video of myself playing football and say it's a team video. That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen and Poyer would laugh watching that. How do you get a sectional title thought by watching your son hit. How many rbi's did he contribute last season. Poyer is a great coach and I would lay off the videos of your son. It's going to be team wins that gets it done.
Tiger lily It's February 12th, our boys and girls basketball teams both earned nice seeds in the state sectional tournament, our wrestlers have fought hard all year, despite being decimated by injury and illness, and the districts are coming up. We have quite a few wrestlers with the potential to make it to the regions, if not higher! How about we focus our attention on these athletes, and address baseball in baseball season!
deviljetHere's the schedule.
http://www.nwjerseyac.com/g5-bin/client.cgi?cwellOnly=1&G5statusflag=view&schoolname=&school_id=7&G5button=13&G5genie=235&vw_schoolyear=1&vw_agl=2-2-10,&category_sel=&category=
Wrestling will definitely reign supreme in this region the next few weeks.
If either of the basketball teams from Hackettstown wins a sectional title, that would be cause for celebration, because that's something which hasn't been happening around here.
North Warren won the sectional and reached the state final in girls basketball in 2000. No basketball team in the county has generated that kind of sustained excitement, that deep into March, ever since.
I'll talk baseball anytime -- spring can't get here soon enough.
A lot of the players have been doing a workout every Wednesday night working on hitting, pitching, and defense. 3 more weeks till the first real practice.
Point is, why don't you let the winter sports end first! You're the only one talking baseball right now!
Hot corner AMEN Deviljet.......and Andy......we are Hackettstown Fans.....nobody cares about North Warren and what happened in 2000......
Metsman......the success of the Tiger Baseball Team all depends on Pitching. .....really hope that the Baseball Team continues being successful. Coach Poyer does a Great Job !!
Franco and Carrida are solid pitchers. Hall throws hard and has good stuff but can be wild. The 4th pitcher is the question mark. Someone needs to step up. Arcona can throw strikes, he might be that guy but he will give up hits. And there are a couple other guys that can pitch in relief.
Why is everyone cranky? Did you not get enough at bats when you played in your Glory Days? Even Al Bundy didn't take it out on the kids! I mean I know this is the kinda town where everyone "peaks" their senior year, but c'mon. If you wanna talk about winter sports open a thread. It's easy. Good luck to the boys this year!
jimmysmommie247 Because people on Hackettstown Life have no life so they have to find a reason to complain over nothing. LOL
I'd love to know who disliked the video. Too many haters. When he saw someone disliked the video on YouTube he laughed.
I didn't dislike it but I should have. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that you started a thread about the 2016 Hackettstown baseball team (in February mind you) just to show off a ridiculous highlight video about your son (newsflash: he's a d3 athlete at best pops). Your ego is too big to try and conceal here, and you're fooling no one. The fact you continually go back to that video and check for likes is a sad, sad thing to do for a man over the age of 16, let alone 40. If I'm you Metsman, I just log off the internet for a long, long time. You've been embarrassing yourself here for too long.
Jon Fishman yeah I bet you won't be at any games fishboy. You're the one who sounds stupid.
He plays for a former D1 coach. I'll take his word over yours meathead.
I started this thread to celebrate this years team. If you want to be a jerk and get upset over a video that shows a players skill then you're just a hater and need to get a life...
You're an adult man who uses the word 'hater'. There's nothing left I can say. Good luck to your son in baseball, but for his sake I hope you stay off the internet in the future or at least go with a name change. People are going to link your behavior to him and that will only damage his potential prospects.
Mr. Fishman, why is talking baseball in February any different than talking football in July or hockey and basketball in August?
I thought the video was a good recruiting tape that most schools (even D-3's) want or require from their incoming athletes.
I really hope this mild winter will help get the boys out on the fields soon. Last year was nasty and think it hurt the team defensively.
Wishing many victories for the Tigers!
WFAN is airing a Sunday morning show called Talking Baseball, in February.
The phenomena is called Hot Stove, anticipating the coming of spring. Pitchers and catchers are reporting in Florida, love it.
Trivia question, who scored more runs against Cole Kimball, the Mets or Warren Hills? LOL ... Yeah, Cole got his pitching act together by the time he faced the Mets.
Care about North Warren or not, I'm waiting for Hackettstown to do what they did in that 2000 basketball season ... I'm waiting.... waiting. Baseball has reached section finals and state final four, so has wrestling, both soccer teams ... but it has been a long time coming for hoops.
Good luck to the lacrosse program, the excitement is building.
What the heck is wrong with some of you people. SO WHAT if it was a video mostly about his son. He has every right to be proud of him. You negative butts are disgusting and should keep your asinine comments to yourself. Who the hell do you think you are to criticize. Why don't you leave that to the coaches and professionals. You are the people that take the fun out of sports.
On a side note, keep an eye out for Anthony Carrida's little brother. He is also pretty talented.
Jazzykatt Here's another players YouTube video. John Franco and Jake Hall are going to be lethal in this batting order.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd9FFKCyVtY
Anthony Carrida will continue to play a good SS and leadoff.
https://youtu.be/q3FPbRZdW64
Jazzykatt they are weak minded individuals. If they'd like to talk to me at the baseball field when the season starts I'd love to hear their criticism. Maybe while we're talking one of the boys will plunk a ball off their head. LOL...
Metsman - you keep right on posting videos! I am the same - my son played and I took many videos and posted a few on this forum. My favorite that I will post forever is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J81atS28biA
mtrucksess Last I checked, Alex Carida was 22-4 at 120 pounds and Anthony was 22-7 at 145 pounds.
They'll be in shape for baseball, maybe they could even stand to put on a few pounds, so they can hit with some power.
Here's a video of a guy Metsman described as a "scrub."
http://www.ovguide.com/video/-922ca39ce10036ba0e11bde24d80fee7
The pitcher that served up the meatball looks like a Little Leaguer. Ichiro would tower over that guy, lol.
ianimal That's not true, Metsman.
Many Americans have failed miserably over there, like Shane Spencer and Gabe Kapler, to name a couple. Do some research before you comment.
Sayonara means "It's Outta Here" ...
Besides Alex O had 13 dingers with Cincinnati in 2000 in just 244 at bats ... and 58 RBIS ... a fabulous ratio.
He hit for the cycle as a Met, and also got one in Japan, the only player to do it on both continents.
As I've always said, he wasn't as bad as you think, and he's got a ring.
It's my understanding that Alex Carrida (the young one) wants to take his speed to the track field. I hope he changes his mind!
Well, I've seen the older one, and he's a player.
Does young Alex have similar potential? I'd need a scouting report here (-;
And just now saw Tiger Lily's post. Wtf is wrong with some of you? Lol... Poyer would be laughing at the people who are trashing a video designed to show to colleges. It shows you're ridiculous people. the other 2 videos I posted should show these are normal videos that players aspiring to play in college use. Congrats to John Franco who is committed to a Division 2 school.
Good Luck to Gary, the Coaches, and most importantly, all the Boys on the team this Year.
Jete 22 Sorry to say Metsman but I do agree with Dogmom. The first video does not reflect anything about the "team" and all about your son. I do wish your son all the best this year as well as Franco and Carrida as all 3 players look to have nice swings.
I am not going to say that any of these 3 hitters are not D1 players but just be careful with that. I have seen many players end up at D1 schools and never play or go to D1 school and then proceed to transfer to many schools as a sophomore and junior. Do not rule out D3 schools. In about the last 10 years or so at Hackettstown HS, to the best of my recollection, there have been two D1 baseball players and they were Jon Lucas and Matt Reynolds. Jon had a very good college career at Wagner. Matt Reynolds did not play much at Monmouth due to an arm injury. Even Cole Kimball who had a short stint with the Washington Nationals finished at a D3 school.
Again Best of Luck to the Hackettstown Varsity Baseball TEAM this year as well as Freshman and JV.
So what is it only ok to post a video unless every single player is addressed in it? I think some of you need to calm down. You're reading too much into it.
I am not reading too much into this. I am reading what you wrote in your first comment. You state that the team still has talent coming back and you elect to showcase your son in a video with no videos or comments about any other teammates until you apparently felt compelled to comment on them after Dogwoman's comments.
I really do hope these 3 boys have a great season as well as their other teammates and the team has a magical season.
If people have videos of other returning Varsity players or younger players, feel free to post them. I like to see what's coming through the pipeline.
Haters goin to hate ( ooopppsie there's that word again).
Andy- Alex is a good contact hitter, and is very very quick around the bases.
Metsman- not sure about videos but there is talent in the pipeline. If the JV's can gel into a team they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Cole Kimball had velocity, something you either have or you don't.
I remember seeing the scouts with their radar guns at his Centenary games.
Once he learned how to be a pitcher, and not just a thrower, he made the big leagues. It took a few years, but he stuck with it and made it.
I heard Tim Legler use the term 'hater' on ESPN ... and he's a professional sports announcer on a national network. And he's an adult.
Some people are haters --- a fact of life.
Not everything in this life is sunshine, roses, and lollipops.
From what I have heard Cole didn't have velocity till he hit college. The program my son is in ITZ they have a guy who helps out that is in the Reds system. He barely pitched in High School and got drafted in college throwing well into the 90's.
Never saw Cole play high school ball, but work with a guy who played with him. He said that he was a great hitter too and could put balls into the parking lot with ease, when they were messing around.
Did you know he could THROW a ball from home plate into the parking lot? I found that hard to believe but I hear from others that it can be done.
It's a good challenge for the boys (after the season of course).
The boys should challenge each other and see who can do it. I know my son would come close at least. He gunned down half a dozen kids at the plate from the outfield last year.
Not an easy task as that is about 290 to 310 feet to get it into the parking lot from home plate and one would be throwing the ball up the right field hill. There are many college and major league outfielders who cannot do that. This is not as easy as one would think. As Hot Corner states, this is certainly something players should not be trying at all during the season.
Unfortunately after playing 12 games with the Washington Nationals, Cole Kimball was released by the Yankees in 2014 and is out of baseball sorry to say.
big sports fan Theo Epstein said, when he was an intern with the Orioles, that he saw Alex Ochoa throw the ball over 400 feet several times, from home plate over the center field fence, just doing "long toss."
AO was nicknamed The Cuban Missile for a reason. An announcer in Cincinnati called him The Ochoa-constrictor. The fans of the team he played for in Japan called him Laser Beam.
The guy had a cannon. There were others, too, I just happened to see a lot of Ochoa in the minors. The athletic ability of major leaguers is just amazing sometimes.
Andy: I am sure there are plenty in the past and present who could do it like Roberto Clemente, Rocky Colavito, Al Kaline, Roger Maris, Dave Parker, Jesse Barfield, Dave Winfield, Ichiro Suzuki, Bautista, Puig, Cespedes, Choo, etc. However, if we look at the NY Yankees present roster of veteran outfielders of Ackely, Ellsbury, Gardner, Beltran, the only one who has a shot is Beltran. Therefore, this roster only produces 1 out of 4 who could throw a ball 300 feet.
Vladimir Guerrero could probably do it too in his heyday. He was fun to watch throw from RF. That and hitting homeruns off his shoelaces. LOL
You are absolutely right. Raul Mondesi also comes to mind as someone who could sling it.
Alex O became a minor league coach in the Red Sox system and I caught up with him in Trenton. I asked him why are there so few great arms in baseball anymore?
He is too nice a guy to ever publicly criticize anyone, but he said, "I just don't think they work at it the same way we did. Nothing good ever comes without doing the work."
Terry Francona was one of Alex's minor league managers and wanted him to join the Red Sox organization. "He wasn't satisfied with just having a rocket arm, he worked long and hard and improved his accuracy, to the point where you just didn't take a chance when he was out there," he said at a press conference when Boston announced some organizational moves.
When Francona was let go, new manager Bobby Valentine (a guy who managed Alex as a player in the minors and majors and also saw him in Japan) took over and put Alex on his major league staff.
What does this have to do with Hackettstown? Just this, work hard, improve your skills and it pays off ... people remember a hard worker.
Ask Mr Poyer who had the best outfield arm he's coached or seen. The answer (if I'm right) I think could make that throw.
He'll probably say Cole Kimball. Guys a former Major Leaguer.
2 more weeks till the season gets under way. I'm excited. Have been bummed out this winter... The dome at Diamond Nation got damaged and they cancelled the season after week 3.
HHSFan, who is your guy?
The most recent player that I think could make that throw would be Matt Engles. ...but I may be wrong....
I saw the player I'm referring to, road game against Somerville, make a throw from the warning track on the fly to homeplate- in fact the throw came in high, catcher had to jump to catch it. On the fly. Runner on third actually only went half way and retreated back to 3rd base. On a fly ball that reached the warning track. You could hear the bench yell to the baserunner "oh god, get back!". I think he could reach the parking lot at HHS.
Kimball and Trucksess did it. Engles probably had a good shot at doing it. Matt Reynolds who threw the ball in the mid to upper 80's, I am sure he would have been able to do it. I doubt he tried.
Yes, Trucksess is who I saw make that throw in Somerville; Yes, I'm his dad; Yes I'm in vicarious glory mode and can't stop it! Metsman and all of the other parents - enjoy your kid's sports and other activities - take all of the photos and videos you can and keep them and post your favorites! It's great to be able to look back now and then. Now I'll apologize in advance, and in total vicarious glory mode I share my 3 favorite son videos, all 3 from HHS 2007 playoffs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J81atS28biA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450olGK3v4M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fg94bU8MnQ
That was a great Team of Team Players - we're proud of that whole bunch! A lot of senior vets and a handful of sophomores - the vets welcomed the young guys in right from the start and it was an awesome season! Best of luck to all the players in 2016 for HHS TEAM!
"Great team of team players" thats a mouth full of knowledge.
It's a great thing to see when it happens, my son has only been on one of those type of teams. They didn't have any "superstars" but they knew each others strong and weak points, and fought hard. They lost only one game that season.
To gel into great team is hard but it's a beautiful thing to see when it happens.
Mr Fishman, 2 division 2 coaches are coming to watch my son tomorrow. Not sure why you were taking shots at him.
In what season did Hackettstown only lose one game? I'd like to know. That's history. We're talking about baseball, right? Not football teams from 30 or 40 years ago? In the time I've been around here, I just remember the 2011 baseball team losing twice, to Hunterdon Central and West Essex, both highly ranked.
Critics of that team were saying, yeah, but they didn't play in the Skyland Conference, etc. etc. That was going on during the season, not just afterward.
Was surprised to hear people here in Hackettstown slamming their own team. Just didn't get that one bit.
metsman,
how many varsity at bats did your son get last year. I don't recall seeing him on the roster.
I can tell you his stats from the Fall. .368 average, 3 Homeruns, 16 RBI, 10 doubles, 4 triples in 30 games played between Legion and his college showcase team.
Oh and he did get 2 varsity at bats last year. One of them was a homerun. The kid for Hillsborough that gave it up pitched around him when they played each other again in the Fall. They walked him 3 times that game. So I know that was supposed to be some kind of rip tiger4life. Thanks for the laugh...
Andy:
I believe the 2011 Hackettstown Varsity Baseball team set the school record for Winning % at .913 with a 21-2 record. That team was loaded with talent. I think 5-6 players went on to play college ball.
2010 / 2011 teams were awesome! I think 2010 also won over 20 games - over 40 wins in 2 years!
Best of luck to 2016 Tigers!!!!!
MTrucksess (aka HHSFan)
Colleges are looking for players who are well rounded and not one dimensional. They are not looking for a kid who may hit an occasional long ball yet lack the ability to excel in situational hitting and strikeout at a high rate. They look for kids who excel in the field and play fundamentally sound defense rather than a kid with a good arm who occasionally throws out a kid but lacks focus and more often than not misses or overthrows cutoffs. They look for intelligent base runners who are not necessarily the fastest yet they make appropriate and beneficial decisions for their team and never miss a coaches sign. Colleges also have academic standards which far exceed the one's of yesteryear where if you were good, well you get a pass. Students at a minimum need to Earn a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses; and Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68. Student athletes who do not academically qualify at HHS will certainly not qualify at the college level and therefore will not be eligible to play Div 1,2 or 3 nor will they be eligible to receive any compensation/financial aid from colleges should they not meet those standards.
Just food for thought, hope the TEAM does well this year!
AyeOfTheTiger Just sit back and enjoy your popcorn Andy. Not sure who ayeofthetiger is talking about. None of our good hitting kids strike out a lot and are all very good in the field and on the bases. Their grades are up to snuff. One Senior is committed to a division 2 school. Yet, I've heard people in the past speak negatively of how he plays. Guess what, if he's playing baseball in college, then he must be pretty damn good. If a kid has schools coming to look at him, he must be pretty damn good.
That aside, lets focus on the collective group. Stop crying about videos and whatever other nonsense. Coach Poyer already has most of his starting lineup penciled in. Nothing wrong with showcasing some of those players to build up some excitement for the season.
Good idea - "Focus on the collective group" - Go Tigers - Players must be itching to start and hoping there is no more snow so they can get on that field real soon.
Best of Luck to Coach Mike McDonough and the Hackettstown Varsity Basketball Team in the State Playoffs.
Good luck to the boys starting Friday. I heard there are 40 or so Freshman trying out. Any players stand out? I don't know anyone in that class.
I can think of about 7 that I know of. I'm sure they will do well.
There is Engles in that group, throws hard and is a lefty.
Does JV/Varsity even have a southpaw???
Varsity could use a lefty. My guess is if they are that good some will play JV and if someone stands out will move up during the season. Franco and Carida are the only proven Varsity pitchers right now. Everyone else who can pitch will get looked at, but they have to throw strikes.
Sorry ahead of time for posting about basketball under this baseball topic. I've tried twice using a different heading to do so under basketball and I keep getting told I can't and I can't find another thread on basketball for this year.
At any rate, congrats to the girls for their 41-31 win over Fort Lee and the boys 78-41 win over Madison. Both play tomorrow at HHS with the girls playing at 5PM against Caldwell and I think the boys are at 7PM against Whippany. You can follow the bracket for both team under basketball-2016 NJSIAA North 2, group 2 tournament. So far the boys time hasn't been listed but at last nights game they said at 7.
Good luck to both teams and hope to see them advance to the next round.
Magpie I've got no problem with Tiger basketball posts on this thread. Nothing wrong with school spirit.
POP's concert is tonight also.....parking lot will be full.....get there early :)
POP's concert is tomorrow night also.....parking lot will be full.....get there early :)
40 freshmen going out for baseball? That's pretty impressive considering enrollment is about 225 per class and girls make up about half of that. So, that means that about one in every 3 freshmen boys are going out for baseball. Sounds like the program is going to be making some noise for the foreseeable future...
It is called tradition, kids want to be part of a winner. Ian, you certainly know about tradition since you're from P'burg. In baseball and soccer, Hackettstown has that and it is no coincidence that it grew with coaches who kept their jobs, even after the occasional "down year."
I grew up in a town where everybody was playing basketball, morning, noon and night. Kids would walk to school dribbling a basketball.
We sucked in football but we were top ten in the state in basketball. I remember the pride I felt when I saw in the Star Ledger that Neptune was 15-1 and ranked second in the state, and I could tell everybody " that 1, was us."
I definitely get a sense from being around the boys this offseason, that they are hungry to win. They've been getting together on their own and hitting as well as their weekly winter workout that was arranged. I don't think chemistry will be an issue. Looking forward to the first scrimmage in 2 weeks.
Definitely a good group of guys. Can't wait to see Coach Poyers starting lineup.
Good morning baseball fans, I have a young son that is turning 4. I am going to start bringing him to see some tigers games this year and would like if someone could tell me where I could find a schedule for home games.
nythunder One thing I've always found interesting about high school baseball is the fact that pitchers play positions on the days they don't pitch, since they usually are the best overall athletes on the team.
That means, to win consistently, you've got to have guys available who can fill in at a position and not hurt the team.
Cal Ripken was a pitcher at Aberdeen High in Maryland, who played shortstop on the days he didn't pitch. When Cal was drafted by the O's he had to decide whether he wanted to concentrate on pitching or being an infielder, he chose the infield because he "could play every day." Yeah, he sure did that alright. No more prophetic words were ever spoken in the sports world.
Point is, the guy who filled in for Ripken when he pitched, played more SS at Aberdeen High than Oriole backups did for 15 years.
My son asked me once, "how many pitchers would you carry on an allstar team?" I replied, "15". He said but thats the whole team, I just smiled and said, thats right. ;)
Major league teams started using 13-man staffs when complete games went out of style. Teams have very thin benches now.
Earl Weaver got through some seasons with just eight pitchers -- that's when the starters threw over 70 complete games.
nythunder........Go to Hackettstown High Web Site and log onto Athletics Page....there is a Calendar Schedule for all Athletic Events
Enjoy the games with the little guy!
Why is this thread disappearing then reappearing?
Oh well first scrimmage is tomorrow! !!
I've got a roster from last spring. Does not say who were seniors, so maybe someone can help me out. Who isn't back? I know Carida and Arcona wrestled and played basketball over the winter, so I expect them to be back, and I know Pixley went to college.
Who graduated among the following: Engels, Pezzato, Franco, Castellano, Snyder, Prouflias, Lake, Bordi, Buchannan, Desai, Iannone, Kendra, Stewart.
I know Hall is new, anyone else?
Engels, Pezzato, Proufilias, Lake, Bordi, Desai, Iannone, and Kendra graduated last year.
They're finalizing the roster still as far as I know.
Lost but it's all about getting the work in before opening day. Carida had two hits. Hall threw 3 scoreless innings and struck out 7 and also hit a triple. Kovarik looked pretty good behind the plate and threw out a runner at 2nd. Overall they just need to get reps in.
I heard Jake's longball ended up in the JV'S field. Why only a 3 bagger? Is he injured?
Your right about the reps, I think both teams are struggling defensively but they are a great group and will come together by the start of the season.
He hurt his ankle the first week. I think it's still a little tender. He got under it anyway. If he had gotten it all he could have walked home.
The boys scrimmage today at home, and its going to be a nice day so come on out and show your support! Go Tigers! :)
A bit of a lopsided win yesterday. I think it was 14-2. 2 homeruns by a couple of players , Buchanon and Evans, who will probably be coming in off the bench when other guys pitch. Other guys who are projected as bench players joined the hit parade too. If anything it gives them confidence when they get a shot to play.
I won't be at the scrimmages next week since they are earlier in the day. Someone else will have to post about them.
Final scrimmage against the Dover Tigers ended with both Varsity and JV winning big.
JV's started a freshman who hit a homer to center and did well behind the plate.
Their shutout was preserved by the right fielder gunning a guy down at the plate.
The season starts this Friday but it looks like rain :(
GO TIGERS!!!!!
Who is the Freshman? Hopefully this young crop of players are ready to go next year. We need pitchers. We're losing 3 of our 4 potential starters.
Wish these games were at normal times. I missed the last 2 days.
It's sprinkling now, but the forcast shows some promise.
we will have to wait and see. I know the team is ready to go.
It is really important to keep bumping this thread up with nearly meaningless info, so that Jake Hall's highlight video stays at the top of the forum.
Reggie Voter You're the only one thinking about the video Reggie. We're just chit chatting. Don't be a hater.
No hate at all, hope they do well this year, and your son is a good player, best wishes for him too.
Just poking a little well deserved fun at the OP.
Ok I like sarcasm. ;oP
If the pitching holds up they should be just as good or better than last year. They have good hitting and defense.
Congrats to the Tigers for their first win of the season!
Way to battle!!!!
Next game is Monday......hope the weatherman is wrong again :)
Infield defense was a little sloppy, but they tacked on some late runs to seal the deal. Anthony Carida pitched a good game. John Franco and Jake Hall are going to be exciting to watch all season. Each had a double and Jake had a clutch 3 run homer that they ended up needing after a rough bottom of the 7th in the field.
Metsman,
Nice win, no doubt! Glad you posted the pitcher was throwing in the upper 80's. Pitching speeds at the varsity high school baseball level are greatly exaggerated. If I had a dime for every time I heard a pitcher threw 90, I'd be rich. At 90 a pitcher probably has a documented Perfect Game profile and is at least on draft radar.
I would estimate that only twenty pitchers in the state throw 90 mph and twenty may be too many. A few mph above the typical 78 to 82 for varsity pitchers looks a heck of a lot faster than it actually is. Good luck this season!
Congrats to the team today!! I come to as many games as I can to support the boys when my son does not have a Lacrosse Game.
Lets have another winning season.
Tony D'Innocenzio It's a good thing God invented baseball for kids not athletic enough for lacrosse (-;
LOL.......Im not going down that road. But most of you all do know the best natural athlete to ever grace a athletic sports was Jim Brown. He favorite sport which he played at Syracuse was Lacrosse. At that time it was a game in its very early stages.
Tony I have no problem with lacrosse. I hope it does well. Enjoy the season. Rational people will know I hope it does well.
I would personally say that ice hockey is the most athletically demanding team sport out there, but LAX definitely ain't no joke. I wish my school would have offered it 25 years ago... it might have kept me out of trouble in the springtime (-;
Danza (a freshman) hit another home run for the JV's as they 10 run ruled their opponents.
Great job Tigers!!!!
Just finished watching the Florida lady Gators beat Bama. I don't hear much about HHS Varsity Softball. How are they doing? Are there any D1 prospects? Anyone know?
Wish them luck too!
Go Tigers!!!
Yep and the weatherman is calling for more rain on Thursday.....at least the LAX kids can play in the rain :)
Jefferson will be one of the better teams Hackettstown plays this season. Good early test.
Jefferson has a guy named Brian Turton, who batted .440 last season -- 40 hits, 11 of them were doubles.
Just Hackettstown's luck --- the top ranked team in Group 2 is Barnegat -- they have Jason Groome, who hits 96 on the radar gun with pinpoint control and is expected to be the number one pick in the MLB draft.
Well, if the Tigers go far enough to face him, they will have had a great year.
The Phillies are 100 losses waiting to happen --- they'll probably get that first pick.
They are following the Sixers' "model" LOL
I heard about him. I think Jake Hall faced him at the winter league at Diamond Nation. There was some lefty in that area that the Phillies watched.
Well, not many high school kids would even get the bat on a ball thrown 96.
I would hope, for Jason Groome's sake, that he wasn't throwing maximum velocity during the winter.
I don't think it was Jason Groome. No way was the kid throwing 96, but I was told the kid we faced had a Phillies scout watching him pitch. I'd say he was in the upper 80's.
And here comes the rain... Doubtful if they get this game in today...
Jefferson is 3-0. They had 2 kids hit solo homers yesterday. Looks like it'll be a good rivalry again this year.
The Phillies need all the pitching they can get.
When the Mets traded R.A. Dickey, they got Noah Syndergaard.
When the Phillies traded Cliff Lee, they got Phillipe Aumont. He served up a bomb to Duda that I remember, a not-real-fast fastball right down the middle. Duda crushed it.
Kinda says it all, right there.
At the Legion state playoffs in Trenton a few years back, a Phillies' scout was watching a lefty from North Warren --- the kid ended up pitching at Lehigh, I'll see where he shows up next -- Nick Macaione.
I used to play with Nick Macaione, he was a very solid pitcher and had a nice career at Lehigh. Had a no-hitter there. Also, I see games down in the Shore area all the time and will likely see Groome pitch April 16th at Red Bank Catholic. Will update how he looks.
sportsfan1 How did the guys do today vs. Newton? Saw the score was 5-4 for abit.
JV's got hammered by a good curveball.
Congrats to the Varsity Boys! Maybe one day they will play when it's not cold and raining :)
Great job Tigers!
JV's lost but hear the Freshman won.
Keep plugging those holes and it will get better ;)
Any word on makeup date with Jefferson?
The two games with the Falcons are likely to decide the division.
Kneedragger Hopefully they are going over fundamentals in practice today. So many throwing errors yesterday. That game should have been 9-2. When you're 9 hitter hits a 3 run homer you know you have a good lineup.
Was NJ.com correct in the 9 errors they reported on Hackettstown. Wow- if that's correct they are lucky they pulled off a win. Hopefully just a bad day that they will put behind them. GO TIGERS!
studentofthegame Yes. Every infield position threw the ball away at least once. It's been a problem all 3 games so far. They need to work on their throws.
In high school the "home book" is the official scorebook, so you never really know what was an error or not, which is why scouts go by what they see in film and in person, rather than batting averages which appear in the 'official' statistics.
Whatever, it sounds like the Tigers out-hit their sloppy defense. I was in Mendham yesterday watching West Morris leave 10 men on base and get shut out. They had men at first and third, one out, and the runner got picked off first. That's why coaches grow old before their time.
You see some strange stuff in high school games, especially early in the season.
You have MLB players that are making Millions of Dollars.....that have throwing, fielding and catching errors.......give the Tigers a break.....don't be so critical......they will improve I am sure.....It's early in the season.....they are High School kids
Go Tigers !!
The Phillies still have problems with the infield fly rule! twice in the last week they were doubled up on an infield fly!
waldo The Phillies had a play where the umpire called the infield fly on a ball hit to left field.
What a screw up that was.
Anybody who thinks I'm hard on high school players hasn't been reading my stuff in the media for the last 40 years, or listened to me on the radio for the 12 years I did that.
Had a 3-2 lead with 2 outs top of 7. Infield defense couldn't get it done on a ball hit to SS. High Point tied the game and won in extra innings. This team is beating itself. They should be 4-0. Carida pitched a gutsy game. A shame he got a no-decision.
For those who think the errors are ok, last years infield made less errors the entire season! Typical major league game has 2 or less errors so don't use that argument.
JV's won but have their "issues" as well.
I know hitting is important but if you can't play defense........your giving what your taking.
It's still early. Time to become a solid unit.
Go Tigers!
The team is missing the leadership they had last year. The group of seniors who graduated were team centric and cared only about winning. This years group seems more interested in trying to get their friends in the game while the 4 juniors who play regularly are out performing the seniors aside from Carida and Franco. The senior parents embarrassed themselves at Lenape Valley by literally belittling a junior who was in collision with a senior in the outfield while catching a fly ball. It was shameful. On the field First base is an issue as no player has performed competently. Senior parents are openly campaigning for their kids to get playing time without earning it and it is coming back to bite them. One of the junior infielders has struggled with his throws in particular and was replaced by a senior yesterday and his replacement in turn cost the team the game with an error at short on a routine ground ball which he booted for one error then compounded the issue by throwing it away after the fact which allowed the tieing run to score in the top of the 7th with 2 outs. It's almost comical that the thug group of senior parents can be heard ripping apart any junior who makes an error yet when a senior makes an error, and they have made a lot of them, there is silence from the peanut gallery. Coach Poyer has his hand full and the season hinges on his ability to bring this team together as one unit as opposed to 2 classes pitted against each other. My son is a sophomore, I will be glad that he won't have to deal with this group of seniors and their parents. He is enjoying his season on JV and should be ready to help this years juniors out on the field next season.
Well I agree all players should pull together as a team and they should all play the all worked very hard all winter to get ready I think we need a new coach power needs to go he promised these kids playing time they are not going to the major leagues there's a few parents that join booster clubs school council this and that for their kids to play and be up coaches ass all the kids should have playing time they sit and then you expect them to go in and hit when they're angry they didn't play and then they strike out or fell out it's just not fair it's time for new coaching
Tighter mom two The problem with the collision was that Arcona ran into left field to catch the ball when Castellano was already under it ready to catch it. Arcona is a decent center fielder, but you can't be overly aggressive like that. Anything in the gaps Arcona has the right to call guys off. But when you're running into left and right field to catch balls that your corner outfielders have easily caught, it's a problem and can cause an injury. Hopefully he learned from that and it won't happen again. All I can think of in that kind of incident is when Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron slammed their heads together in the outfield in 2005.
I can see what you're saying about the seniors. Carida and Franco are the only ones of that group that play club baseball, which is why you see a drastic difference in the level of play between them and the other seniors. I think yesterday made it clear who should be playing shortstop when Carida is pitching. Desiderio is actually a very good fielder despite the throwing errors. He was the JV shortstop last year and was very good in the field. He's also hitting the ball.
In my opinion the solution for first base is Arcona. He would make the plays and catches there that aren't being made and would save some errors. He has a weak outfield arm, so to me it's a no-brainer. You shift Hall to center field. He's played center field several times for his club team and rotated with Arcona there during the Legion seasons last year. You could stick Stewart in right field. He's a better outfielder than infielder. Second base should be Desiderio when Franco and Carida are not pitching, and then throw Renne there when Desiderio has to shift to the left side.
You never know what’ll happen. Sometimes teams take time to gel together. Randolph was a .500 team last year then took off at the end of the season and won a sectional title. I think the coaches will figure things out.
It's not just the seniors parents that trash talk. I too find it shameful. It is baseball though and anyone you talk to has their opinion, you can never please everyone at the same time.
It's the trash talk in the dugout that will break a team (which usually stems from the parents), and that is what needs to be curbed.
There is plenty of time left in the season, let the coaches coach and let the boys play.
Just my 2 cents
GO TIGERS !!!!! PLAYBALL!!!!!!
Guys......relax and watch the Baseball games........this years Team.....is this years Team......the Student Athletes who are playing THIS YEAR.....do not care about last year.......stop speculating and move on and hope for the Best for this years Tiger Team......these comments are ridiculous
Go Tigers
Tighter Mom Two, your statement is ridiculous. This is how high school sports go. It’s not recreation sports. Coaches are trying to win. You can’t win by playing kids who can’t get the job done. The kids on the bench will get pinch hit at bats, pinch run, and play when there are blowouts. That’s just how it goes. Coach Poyer has done an excellent job in his time as head coach. Be realistic with your kids. Don’t tell them they should be playing if there’s clearly other kids who are better than them. Coddling kids leads to kids becoming delusional adults where they think everything should be handed to them.
wow, this thread is getting interesting! I can see nothing has changed since my sons were at HHS. Loudmouth parents raising hell! probably the same parents who complained about the football coach, CJ Robinson, and tried to get him out! Luckily coach Robinson cares about the students and his job, and won out in the end! Now parents want Gary Poyer out? Come on folks!
This is a side note from an earlier conversation about Jason Groome when I said I would be seeing him this Saturday. Unfortunately, he was just ruled ineligible by the NJSIAA because he did not sit out 30 days or half the season after he transferred back to Barnegat from IMG Academy in Florida.
It appears he will be able to return later this season, but not until he sits out the appropriate amount of time.
Therefore, I won't be seeing him tomorrow and won't be able to update how he looks. Sorry.
Anyway, as a former player myself, I hope to hear the infielders shore up their defense. So much of playing the infield is a mental game. If you're thinking too much, your fundamentals break down and mistakes happen; especially with throws.
I'm confident the kids will get their reps in practice and in the game and get that mental edge back. Coach Poyer is very good at getting that point across. And it's always better to see errors in the beginning of the season as opposed to in the state tournament.
sportsfan11 When it comes to sports, the least objective people are the parents.
You think being a sports reporter is a fun job?
You have to listen to parents. Ugh.
I find it comical anyone would want Poyer out a year after he guided a team to a sectional final game. I think he's been there 4 times in the past 10 years and has one title. That's a pretty successful run.
In my opinion parents should not be posting their “scouting reports” on players from their own son’s team. Publishing their names on a public forum and “rating their abilities” is an embarrassment to the players and the poster. Parents are not qualified and should keep their “scouting reports” to themselves and let the coaches do their jobs. And when these kids recognize their own parents are doing this ridiculous posting, they want to hide and get a new last name! Please stop posting these totally unqualified scouting reports.
formerfan Metsman that's aimed at you. Stop talking about who should play where and rating players arm strengths. Just sit back and watch the season and hope for the best not where each person should play and why. You talk about coach knowing the good of the team and yet you post where players should be out in the field and why. Stop being the backseat coach and just watch your son play. You should really go up to Poyer and tell him your suggested moves that you like to post.
Formerfan, actually many dads are more than qualified to make an opinion of where kids can play. Before you make a comment like that, know what YOU are talking about. Many of us are certainly letting the coaches coach. You want to talk about letting the coaches do their jobs, how about the senior parents that wait for Poyer to walk up the hill after games to complain about a move or wonder why a kid isn’t playing. I hate to break it to some of these parents, but the 4 Juniors that have been starting on the team have earned it. They all have multiple hits and while a couple of them have been shakey on defense, they are the best options. And anyone that knows anything about baseball would agree with the opinion I shared about where to play these kids. The coaches don’t have to listen to that, not like I’m sharing it with them anyway. They know what they are doing and if that’s the configuration on defense they want, then the boys need to make it work.
It's ok to speculate about major league teams but if you put your two cents in about a high school team it's no good? LOL... Just like your name, you are funny...
I think mets man thinks he is a coach maybe the travel boys should go else ware and let the kids play high school baseball it's a great experience not the professional league have fun tigers
I've watched many of these High School players grow up and know the main player in "question" here CAN and HAS played anywhere on the field. Maybe he chose his position in tryouts? Who knows?
I also believe after 40 plus years of watching, playing and coaching baseball my "unqualified scouting reports" tend to be very accurate.
(Reread top of thread about defense)
To the kid posting about replacing Mr. Poyer......time to grow up son.
Will be a tough game today boys! Play hard! But remember to have fun! After all it's baseball!!!! :)
Tighter mom two please stop... High School baseball is travel. If you take the core players who play and practice all year long off this team, it would be horrible. Your son should be glad to be part of the team and should just accept his role. Going into the season it was obvious only 2nd, 1st, and catcher needed to be filled.
My son is a freshman and glad your son and your comments will be long gone grow up
metsman is right about that -high school ball is not "everyone gets equal playing time". it's about winning baseball games. i just don't think public forums should have postings from parents that say "the current 1st baseman can't throw" or "the right fielder is too slow". I'm paraphrasing but I hope you see my point. That's what I meant about not posting "scouting reports". Perhaps I should have said "stop posting negative scouting reports about players currently on the team" in a public forum. Positive reporting is fine!
I know that I am a little late to this party; however, "Tighter Mom Two" are serious making such a ridiculous comment: "I think we need a new coach, Poyer needs to go. He promised those kids playing time." I seriously doubt he promised anyone playing time.
Coach Poyer has been a very successful Varsity Baseball Coach at Hackettstown. Are you aware of this? He has won 4 Coach of the Year Awards; won 2007 State Sectional Title (one of four final Group 2 teams remaining in State tournament); coached 3 other teams that played in the state sectional final only to lose twice to the eventual number 1 rated team in the final state rankings; in 2011, team finished 21-2 and attained a .913 winning pecentage which ranks as the highest in school history and this team finished ranked number 6 in the state for all Group 2 teams; the 2010 team finished ranked number 3 or 4 in the state for all Group 2 teams; and his teams have won several Division titles.
Coach Poyer, a former college baseball player, is assisted on the bench by 2 very capable coaches. Ryan Scheifler, Assistant Varsity Coach, has extensive experience coaching baseball. He was as a Varsity Baseball Coach at Hackettstown for a couple of years and has been coaching baseball at H-Town for about 15-17 years. Matt Feci, Asst Varsity Coach, has been on the staff for about 6-7 years and is a former college baseball player.
I think Coach Poyer and his staff have done a very admirable job coaching this team and past teams. He has a proven record of success. LET HIM AND HIS STAFF DO THEIR JOB - PARENTS LET HIM COACH. Coach Poyer coached my son so I know how some parents can be and some can never be objective when evalauting their son's ability. I agree totally with Andy Loigu's earlier comment: "When it comes to sports, the least objective people are the parents". Kudos also to "formerfan" and "Metsman" as I also agree with them. High School Varsity sports is not recreation sports. It is not about "everyone getting equal playing time", it is about winning baseball games.
Coach Poyer: Keep up the great work. Congrats to the Boys, Coach Poyer and his Assistants for a nice win today. BEST OF LUCK THE REST OF THE SEASON!
Hey did you hear? The boys are getting together TODAY at McDonald's and are going to wash cars until 3pm. Who needs a car wash? Who is going?
GO TIGERS !!!!!!! :)
Amen Jete 22 !
Although I feel that I have previously posted nothing but positive remarks about the program, this will be my last post.
GO TIGERS ! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU !
HHS is blessed to have a Coach like Mr. Poyer and his Staff teaching and leading the young men on the baseball team. He is a man of honesty and great integrity which is exactly what we all want in our student athletes. Coach puts the 9 best players on the field....the 9 players who give the team the best chance to win.....It is not recreation anymore......where everyone must play. High school athletics is the beginning of a Life Lesson.....preparing for success and failure.....perseverance ......not giving up when things do not go their way.
Going to support the Tigers Baseball Team now......Car Wash
Go Tigers !!!!
Hot Corner- I hope your decision to no longer post is not due to my "parents scouting report" comments. They were not directed at you as your scouting reports are positive and constructive. And "here here" to the positive comments about the staff from Jete 22. HHS Tigers have had quite a successful program for 10 years now going back to the Lucas teams and carrying forward from there!
My scouting report is accurate formerfan. If you found it negative I don't know what to tell you.
LittleRascal: What a wonderful post! Your comments are right on point. HHS, the present players, and past players are/have been very fortunate to have Coach Poyer and his staff as coaches. Great Job LittleRascal!!
Playing Kittatinny today. Lets keep the momentum going! The Tigers exploded for 8 runs in the 4th inning Saturday against Morris Hills. That's the kind of hitting that was expected before the season started. Carida and Franco have pitched well so far. I would imagine Buchanan or Hall or both will get the ball today to save our aces for the County tournament games Wednesday and Saturday if we win Wednesday. NJ.com has Walkill Valley slated for Wednesday.
just curious is "Tigernomtwo" and "Tighter mom two" the same person? And if so does that mean she failed to spell "Tiger Mom two" twice???
And not that I am one to agree with Metsman, but Varsity sports are for the best players to play, not the kids whose "turn it is" because they are seniors. No one was "promised" playing time, it is EARNED at that level.
Darwin Darwin some of us had some fun with that over the weekend. Probably someone drunk messaging. Lol
Carida ended up pitching a complete game shutout 10-0. He was on normal rest so he can still pitch Saturday if we win the first tournament game Wednesday.
I see they won 2 -0 in the tri-county tournament yesterday! Awesome! Go Tigers!!!!!
Was a great game. The defense was great and Carida pitched a gem. Vernon had their ace on the mound so it was a great job by all 9 guys on the field to back up Carida. They play Delaware Valley in the next round of the tournament next weekend.
Technically, there are only supposed to be eight guys on the field besides the pitcher, 7 behind him, one in front.
LOL... Wise guy. Here's a good article about the game.
http://www.njherald.com/article/20160424/article/304249975
Gave your guys some love in the Sports Chatter column. Go get em at Del Val tomorrow morning.
http://www.insidewarren.com/?p=1191
Andy, you should come to more games. The senior parents like to diminish the value of what my son does even though he’s batting .485 with 4HR and 19 RBI in 10 games and has hit in every game. They think the senior playing 2B is the most valuable player with his .200 average… I’ve never seen a game where people cheer more loudly for a kid getting his first hard hit of the season over 2 homeruns hit in a game.
Maybe they really like the "senior playing 2B" ! He is a very good 3 sport athlete, and a great young man as well!
That kind of parental behavior is nothing new.
One night I'll always remember (I won't use names to protect the guilty) was at a basketball game in Belvidere ... a father kept yelling at his son on the court ... you've got to take over ... you've got to dominate.
Belvidere wasn't even running any plays for him ... the father didn't know the game well enough to even see that.
Going back nearly five decades, the high school basketball team I was on was 12-1. As we're walking off the court following our 10th straight win, a parent walked up to our coach and started complaining about his son not getting much playing time. I didn't say anything, but I'm thinking, "but we're 12-1, what the h*** is he talking about?"
Andy-please don't feed into Metsman madness. I enjoy reading how the team is doing and all the contributions the kids make. Don't call out certain kids-that's just rude and immature. The second baseman is an outstanding athlete that excels in 3 sports for the past 4 years. If he's doing well then great for him. Your sons batting average may be impressive but realize that he plays baseball all year round so he should be batting and playing well. Perhaps the senior parents don't give your son his "props" because they think so lowly of you and your comments. It seems as if you are turning into one of those "senior parents" yourself.
Benn4 I'm sure your son is having a good year based on what I've seen, but I also wouldn't expect people to go bananas in the crowd watching anyone hit two home runs against Sussex Tech---a glorified recreation team.
Also, don't make a kid on the team look bad while pumping up your son. If I didn't know better, I'd start rooting against your son based on your antics, but for all I know, your son could be the most humble kid out there.
It's a shame that you're potentially ruining something good for him by the things you're posting.
There is no I in team. Hackettstown's baseball success if they come together as a team. Parents bragging about their own stats and degrading others will only lead to the teams demise. The 2nd baseman is a great athlete and a leader. Obviously "Metsman" your son is a good individual player.
PV Man Making the point that some of those parents aren't about the team. They kept pushing for that kid to play and he's done nothing. I bet if my son played 2nd base they'd want that kid playing over him just because he's a senior.
I enjoy good outfield play, going back to watching Paul Blair play for the Orioles. People today don't know how good he was because he didn't hit 500 home runs.
Anyway, 11 a.m. at Del Val tomorrow?
Whenever I go to Del Val it feels like I'm driving through Indiana.
The Tigers upset 2nd seed Del Val today behind the pitching of Anthony Carida, winning 3-1. Congrats on to the semi-finals next week vs Newton.
Metsman no one is saying stuff about your son so why do you need to say stuff about other people's children no one cares about your opinion on what it should be you should be a coach then since you have so many opinions
Daddyball WAY TO GO TIGERS !!!!!! What an awesome victory !!!!
Keep it going !!!!!!
( wanted it all in caps but site considers it as shouting)
Well thats because I AM :)
Yeah, shout it from the mountaintops.
Carida really kept his cool out there, even after a first-inning run that scored because the Tigers' leftfielder lost his footing on the wet grass, when he was about to catch a fly ball.
Carida throws strikes to good locations, also has a cut fastball to go along with the old number one, and he works quickly, keeping the fielders on their toes.
Great win on the road in tournament play. The team is looking quite good.
Daddyball tell that to the good ole boys in the stands. Theyre the ones talking to Poyer after games questioning moves.
Great game today. Carida is having a great season on the mound.
You older Kids need to start playing nice !!! Let the young kids play on the field !! The season is winding down........enjoy it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great win for the Tigers after a disappointing loss vs Hopatcong. Congratulations !!!
Good Luck vs Newton......Go Tigers !!!!!!!!
The 1 and 2 seeds got knocked off by the 9 (North Hunterdon) and 10 (Hackettstown) seeds. This is definitely a winnable tournament for Hackettstown this year.
NH is tough with Wilson on the mound, ODU commit. Newton beat PJ, don't know if was regular season or tournament.
http://www.njherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20160430%2FARTICLE%2F304309792#
Great write up about the game! Great job Anthony!! Oh-and look at the nod to the second baseman from the coach himself. Good job Joey! Keep going Tigers! Would love to see you win it all!!
I gave the guys some love in my sports column. Great game, Hackettstown.
http://www.insidewarren.com/?p=1207
Coach Poyer, Asst Coaches Sheifler & Feci & most importantly the Varsity Players: CONGRATS ON A TERRIFIC WIN ON SATURDAY! Good luck this week in getting some more wins to get better seeding for the State Tourney and Best of Luck Saturday against Newton.
Are we now resorting to making derogatory comments about other players and pumping up one's own son when it is obvious that this player is a very good player. I am not naming names but it is obvious who I am referring to. Attacking parents and fans for cheering for a player who gets a hit to knock in a run! Are you kidding me? Comparing the loudness and extent of cheering for one player vs another and then writing about it. Seriously?!?
PV Man, you are right on; there is no "I" in team. Let's hope these players have more of a sense of team than some parents.
GO TIGERS!
They definitely look like a real unit to me. Good teams rise above the distractions, which in many cases are squabbling parents.
Nice. The boys cracked the top 10.
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/8032976160528155285/northwest-jersey-athletic-conference-baseball-rankings-for-wed-may-4/
The Tigers beat the number six team on that list yesterday -- the Beatles sang a song about the trip to that place, The Long and Winding Road LOL (-;
http://www.insidewarren.com/?p=1278
A congratulations needs to go out to Jake Hall for breaking the regular season home run record which I believe stands at 9. Nice accomplishment young man!
I saw one lastnight to dead away center, someone needs to tell him if he hits them down the line, that it's usually alot shorter and he would not have to hit it so hard. Lol ;)
Tigers are on a roll !!!! With States around the corner !!!
Keep it going Tigers your Awesome !!!!
He's got the lead in the entire state with 9. 3 other boys have 8. Hopefully he keeps the lead.
If you hit the ball to all fields, you won't go into extended slumps.
A guy who hit a lot of homers to center, who you guys probably don't remember, was Brooks Robinson. He never was a pull hitter, hit the ball up the middle a lot and was hard to strike out. Ended up hitting a lot of homers, many after fouling off six or seven pitches.
If the pitcher "put one in a bad spot" he'd hit it out, but he could also ding a good curve ball to right field. Was as "clutch" in RBI situations in close games as anyone I've ever seen.
Ron Swoboda's famous diving catch an inch off the grass in WS Game 4 in 1969, came on a ball Brooks hit the other way.
State Brackets North 2 Group 2 - at home on Monday
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/tournament/56159/
Another run to a section final is quite probable, but it is baseball ... nothing can be taken for granted.
Exactly Andy. This team is good, but it's fallen asleep some games. How we lost to Hopatcong still baffles me. Hopefully they are pumped and play some crisp ball. I heard there's a team dinner tonight.
Interesting bracket and definitely can be won. Madison and Lodi will be tough, and I don't know much about Harrison. Madison has a stud pitcher in Jack Donald, they play solid defense, but are not a great offensive team. Lodi gives up runs, but scores many runs too. The bottom of their conference is extremely weak, so batting statistics are inflated. They are very fast and are probably among the top hand full of teams in stolen bases in the state.
Go Tigers - Best of luck in the States! Team had a great week of baseball going 3-1; getting 3 solid wins. They beat 2 very good teams in Warren Hills with their ace and Jeffferson.
Carida just continues to outpitch aces on other teams. He has done a terrific job on the mound this year.
I got assigned Bernards at Del Val. Teams H-town is familiar with ...
I write for more than one place because there are bills to pay, y'all know how the world works.
Go Tigers, hopefully I'll see you guys later in the week.
Harrison could easily lose to Caldwell first round.....I truly believe that. As for Lodi, they are not a threat. Whippany Park could take them out first round as well.
This is a fairly weak section overall, with the departures of Bernards and West Essex, who were perennial powers in N2G2 for the last decade.
Hackettstown actually got a tougher draw than they could have. They will likely face Hanover Park in the second round and then Madison in the semis.....more difficult in my opinion than facing the likes of Parsippany, Lodi, Dover or Whippany Park in those rounds.
I assume Carida will be lined up to pitch second and third round.
The top seeds got knocked off early in 2007, but nobody in Hackettstown is apologizing for winning the section title. You just play the other team on the field, worry about what you can control.
What's been learned this season, is don't take anyone lightly. Anyone can pull off an upset. If the boys pitch well and don't make mistakes in the field, then they should make a run.
The boys looked good yesterday both offensively and defensively.
Who do they face next? Do they keep home field advantage?
They're the number 2 seed, games will be home until the finals, if they keep winning. They could even be home for the finals if the number 1 seed gets knocked off.
Looks like NJSIAA is even more ridiculous when it comes to baseball than they are with football, even. Ridgefield Park at 6-16 makes the playoffs? LOL... why do they need 16 teams in each section?
Agreed, especially in a sport that isn't a money maker, where people just show up and watch for free. I don't even bother bringing my media tag for baseball games.
The only thing I could say is there are some teams out there who have losing records (example: Hanover Park at 10-11) who play a much more difficult schedule than a team like Newark Tech (who was 15-6 and the #6 seed).
Newark Tech lost 15-0 first round, while Hanover Park won first round. Back in 2009, Hanover Park wouldn't have been able to qualify for states because they were below .500. However, Newark Tech would have qualified.
It's kind of a double-edged sword. They should really just use common sense when selecting teams, especially when they seed the teams. Power points is beyond stupid.
I like power points. they're not perfect, but at least they reward teams for playing bigger, better schools. going just on wins-losses, a team is rewarded (at least to get seeded, not talking about whether it helps the team itself develop) for playing the easiest possible teams (and, those top teams then find it hard to schedule other teams).
as for sub-.500 teams, I thought each team could elect to not play in the playoffs. I've known 3-15 (or whatever their record was) teams choose not to get killed. so, its really the school who chooses to play.
Ken E, unfortunately that's not the case. The NJSIAA will say it's the case, but it doesn't add up.
Newark Tech (no. 6 seed) played terrible teams that were also small in size. Caldwell, on the other hand (no. 16 seed) played one of the toughest schedules in the state, routinely playing teams like Seton Hall Prep and Millburn.
Caldwell barely even qualified for states via power points, while Newark Tech made it in easily and was labeled an NJ.com "Dark Horse." The "Dark Horse" then proceeded to lose 15-0.
You wonder why NJ.com's headline for today was "UPSETS RULE DAY 1 OF STATE TOURNAMENT..."
There is not going to be a Senior American Legion team this year in Hackettstown? Can anyone tell us why not?
Because there is not enough interest Reggie. Hall, Arcona, Desiderio, and Stewart are going to play with Belvidere. If anyone wants to latch on to that team let me know and I'll talk to the coach.
I agree that teams with a .500 Record and below do not belong in Playoffs. But the Power Point System is needed for the seeds. Here is my Proposal.....Do not have Individual Group Playoffs like Group 1, 2, 3 and 4. In each Section have the Group 1 and Group 2 schools with Winning Records have a State Playoff together and the same for 3 and 4......all teams must have a Winning Record.
North Jersey Section l
North Jersey Section 2
Central Jersey Section l
Central Jersey Section 2
South Jersey Section l
South Jersey Section 2
All six sections would have a Group l,2 and Group 3, 4 State Playoff for a Champion in each......
In addition......there may be a Team with a losing record that has more Power Points than a Team with a winning record.
Teams must have a Winning Record to make Playoffs........any other suggestions?
Hahaha talk to SS? No thanks! I have his number!
The real Belvidere coaches got suspended by the League president (who is also the Flemington coach and the does the scheduling and lords over the umpires) and so did two of the Belvidere senior players (although one of them has been re-instated.) Possible motive? Eliminate any and all competition so that Flemington can go undefeated again and make the state finals!
So the Belvidere team that exists now isn't sponsored by the Post and is actually an independent team. They somehow figured out how to enter an independent team into the Legion league against the wishes of the Belvidere Post. Not truly Legion ball. Then they pulled some of the Hackettstown players over. That's why there is no Hackettstown team!
The whole thing is a mess and will be investigated by the American Legion National HQ very shortly.
No Reggie, there's no Senior Legion team here because there are not enough players to fill a roster. We were told that before the high school season started. We didn't even know about Belvidere needing players until a month ago. Our boys just want to play.
Little Rascal, your proposal still wouldn't eliminate garbage teams like Newark Tech from making states over more quality teams that happen to have a 10-11 record.
There's no easy solution, but now that the first round is over, Hackettstown can focus on Hanover Park, and the best teams will eventually prevail.
I love how other schools pick up games to stay sharp and our school is cheap and doesn't do it. Take some of Grauso's inflated salary to pay for it. The guy is overpaid as it is...
Boy, I miss the days when kids played sports just to have fun and parents enjoyed just watching them having fun
Crankyoldlady I agree with Cranky, somehow, somewhere down the line we managed to create mini professional athletes out of our kids. I guess it's because we have turned into a "success" driven society.
MBFA
Okay Metsman, the boys lost yesterday to a good team, with a very good starting pitcher. Now it's the athletic directors fault? Who was he going to pick up a game with? all the other teams that are not still alive in the tournament are done for the year....How about just congratulating our team for a real good season, and move on!
Yeah, just move on. It is what it is, as the old proverb goes.
As for legion play, North Warren assembled a veritable Warren County All-Star team in the summer of 2010 and went all the way to the state semifinal at Mercer County Park, officially finishing third in the state.
I also remember the Alpha Braves being a mix of Pburg and Belvidere kids. If a kid wants to play, there should be a team for him. And playing for Hackettstown High carries a bit of cachet now. The program has built a good reputation and gets a lot of respect.
Hate to see another season come to an end.
Wishing the best of luck to all the Seniors!
Well you are wrong Andy and maybe you should look into it a little. The president of the Pyramid league is also the coach of Flemington, and the whole league is run so that he can get to the states every year. Just about everyone is afraid of him since he is a lawyer and threatens to sue people at the drop of a pin.
He even schedules his own team to have a week off in the middle of the season so that they can go to a tournament. When our kids including my son (a starter on Belvidere) had to go away to a tournament, he would not let our legion team re-schedule their game.
At the end of last summer, he issued an email suspending indefinitely the Belvidere coaches and two returning seniors after a player on his team started a verbal dispute in the last game of last season (which was being played after the end of the season by the way because his team was away for a week and unable to make up a rainout) thereby eliminating what would have been strong competition for him this year. Nobody on Flemington got even a one game suspension, surprise!
The result of that was that Belvidere would have to play without either Thornton cousin, Plante, Lebo and Farina and several others.
Belvidere Post 131 protested and decided to not field a team this year. So the Pyramid League helped some of the folks in Belvidere field an independent team over the objections of the Belvidere American Legion Post. It is being coached by someone whose son didn't make the team last year. The State Chairman is involved at this point, and American Legion National HQ has already been requested to do a deep dive into this situation. The players and coaches that were suspended are being considered for re-instatement, one of them already has been cleared to play.
Meanwhile, the independent non-legion team in Belvidere has grabbed a bunch of kids from Hackettstown so Hackettstown has no team this year (this was in the works since early last fall) and now the kids that have been re-instated have nowhere to play.
How's that for American Legion, hot dogs, apple pie and fair play?
RV
Reggie what don't you get? There wouldn't have been a Senior Legion team. Most of the Seniors wouldn't have played and who knows how many juniors would have committed to the team. The lower classmen are playing 17U. The Hackettstown players would have had to go outside the area no matter what. I have no clue what went on with Belvidere last year. I just know some of the boys were offered to play and we took them up on it. I thought Plante and Farina graduated last year? Tell them to go play in an 18 and over Men's league.
You telling me the 2010 North Warren legion baseball season didn't happen?
Read this, my friend, especially the part about them beating Flemington.
http://www.nj.com/warrenreporter/index.ssf/2010/08/north_warren_places_a_solid_th.html
Andy, nobody is too interested in ancient history (or the Orioles for that matter, except for Davey Johnson's very last out of the 1969 season!)
Metsman, recently the rules were changed to allow college freshmen players to play on their Legion team for one more year. Which is part of what was behind the league president/Flemington coach/lawyer guy's actions, in my opinion.
Hackettstown could have had a senior team because the players that I mentioned from Belvidere could have played on it along with the Hackettstown players that are now on the independent Belvidere team, and that team would have probably won the league.
I just wanted my son to play games during the week to keep him fresh for his tournaments on the weekends. I have no control on the structure of the team or who is coaching. I get what you're saying about the Flemington coach. I know he pulls kids from all over, which is ridiculous.
Now that all the drama of the HHS Boys season is done ( Have to admit, it might have been more entertaining here than on the field)and you Baseball Fans are still jonesing for some ball action the Hackettstown Girls Softball team is still alive in State Playoffs. The Tigers play semi-finals in Lodi Tuesday 5/31/16 at 4:00 p.m. a trip to the Finals at stake. GO TIGERS!!!
Jim O'Brien Nicole Carter has been a real pitching ace for the girls.
http://www.insidewarren.com/?p=1297
Unfortunately Flemington has absolutely destroyed Pyramid Senior Legion. Clinton Township, Alpha, North Hunterdon, and Bridgewater have all folded. They were solid Legion teams and most importantly they kept their players from surrounding high schools. Now Flemington is able to poach players from five or six high schools. As other programs are bringing in freshman and sophomores, Flemington is able to grab the 2015 conference player of the year from North Hunterdon.
North Warren always hangs with them and are well coached.
It's always great to win, but summer baseball really should be simply an op for players to keep playing and improving.
It helped Cole Kimball tremendously, in developing into a future major league pitcher.
Warren Hills has been able to maintain a program that develops players for the following year's varsity, guess the coaches really deserve a lot of credit for getting the players out there.
In the summer, guys who play multiple sports tend to spend most of their time on the sport they like the best, or the one that holds the most promising future for them.
Family vacations also present problems for summer sports teams, sometimes teams have actually had to forfeit games, or play with a lineup that isn't their best.
the serious players plan vacations around baseball. I'm one of those parents who doesn't go away during peak times. August is usually the best time to go away.
BTW Andy I was only kidding about ancient history - a big part of baseball is the remembering and honoring of the past at all levels. Plus 2010 seems like just yesterday to an old guy like me!
As far as the Orioles, I really don't follow them too much but Camden yards is one of my favorite stadiums. It's great to go to the Inner Harbor and spend a weekend with the family shopping, eating and seeing a few ball games.
I go way back to Memorial Stadium, which saw the O's play in six World Series ... they went 3-3.
Camden Yards hasn't had a World Series yet, the ALCS a few times, but no World Series to date.
I enjoy watching Hackettstown play due to the black and orange colors, and the seats atop the right field hill offer a cool vantage point.
Be thankful I'm not a Yankees' fan with 27 series titles to go on and on about.
Metsman -- a shame Jake wasn't included on that Northwest team that's playing at Diamond Nation today.
I was planning to go, so I could talk to him and do a nice column for www.insidewarren.com and this morning I find out he won't be there.
At the risk of burning bridges with my friends at nj.com ... how the heck did he not get picked?
Don't expect a response... Metsman told me last week that he can't post on here anymore because the moderators have him on lockdown. Maybe he'll PM you like he did to me.
You'll have to ask Poyer that.... The guy was sent an email to nominate guys and obviously didn't respond. I mean how can you deny Jake that honor with the season he had. And if he did respond and Jake still got snubbed, I don't know what these people are looking at when they make a team.
I spoke with the Northwest coach.
Thats a crock.....people attack but can't be attacked back? Today's society :(
I agree Andy, Jake should have gone, and also wonder why not.
Whether or not you like or dislike metsman it should not in any way distract from the fact that his son is an outstanding baseball talent with a bright future. I hope that he continues to improve both on the field and more importantly in the classroom.
tigerfan Thanks. LOL...
But yes Andy I am pissed at the situation. What more does Jake have to do?! a .455 average 10 HR and 37 RBI isn't good enough?! He was 2nd in the state in homeruns and in the top 5 in RBIs! The kid who was #1 in HR got drafted in the 5th round last week in the MLB draft! Jake carried Hackettstown offensively. He drove in 1/3 of the runs that the team scored! He only scored 13 times which tells you no one after him was driving in runs.
and there goes metsman once again putting down his son's teammates in a public forum. Never ceases to amaze me how classless this man is. you can prop up your son's excellent season without picking on his teammates you know. You did not have to point out that "no one after him was driving in runs". I would hate to be on your team!!!!!!!!!!!
Get over it formerfan. You want a tissue? What are you one of those parents who insist their child get a participation trophy? Just pointing out a fact. If you view that as bashing then I don't know what to tell you.
I checked out the four All Star Teams and the Northwest is the only team with three outfielders. Hall could not make a fourth? I wonder what the criteria was for selection to the team. Was there a Selection Committee of some sort? It is very hard to believe that Coach Poyer did not respond to the Email for nomination.
Coach Poyer just told me no one contacted him, so something isn't right. Whatever, Jake proved he's one of the elite players in the state. The picks for the team are obviously politically motivated.
metsman - this is my last post to you as you just don't see my point. So here is my last try: please only post about your son and don't bash your son's own teammates in the public forum. He probably hates that he you do that. As for that participation trophy - wrong. My man-cave is filled with real trophies and newspaper clippings from when my son played at HHS - all Warren County and All West Jersey junior and senior years.
I do say Congratulations to Jake on a great season! Did he set the HHS HR record?
I see that you're overreacting that is what I see.
Yes he did. The record is now 10.
Yes, he did, but what impressed me most was his RBIs and how he was always getting on base. I saw him hit to all fields, hit the ball where the defense left a hole, and go the other way when being pitched outside. That's good hitting, hitting for the team, unselfish hitting.
Numbers are numbers and while guys in the lower part of the order did come through with some big hits, in games that were kept close with pitching and defense, their numbers were, to be polite, pedestrian.
That's true on most teams at all levels, the guys in the middle of the order are there for a reason.
The most you can reasonably expect from the lower part of the order, is that they turn the lineup over, and give the top of the order more at bats.
Even if a kid is a top ball player, best teams won't take them if they come with baggage (meaning an over the top parent)! Just my thoughts. FWIW!
Let your kids talents speak for themselves.
We all want the best for our kids, but sometimes our "actions" as parents actually hurt our kids.
And remember there is no "I" in the word team. A team works together.
OriginalRealist Andy....you saw Hall hit to all fields? Hit the hole that defense left open....and going the other way when pitched outside......How many Tiger games did you see....if any? Hall is by far the most productive on the team.....best player.
I saw them play Newton, Delaware Valley, Jefferson and Hanover Park ... two at home and two on the road. 2-2 in the games I saw ... and, of course, read all the nj.com and new jersey herald reports ... I kept up.
Watched them practice a couple of times from the right field perch, too. You can hear Gary Poyer's voice loud and clear from up there.
I covered more Morris games because, frankly, covering Morris pays better money.
Also covered some softball, boys and girls lacrosse, track ... got around and saw all kinds of stuff.
I believe Metsman and LittleRascal are the same poster. Give it a rest! Your son is definitely a talented athlete
, let his talent speak for itself. I understand you love your son, but when are you going to finally see you as a parent are ruining it for him?
No team out there wants to hear "I" for again there is no "I" in the word team.
There are many astounding athletes from Hackettstown, but you wouldn't know for their parents have no need to boost them up on HL!
Give your kid a break n stop embarrassing him! IMO!
They are not the same poster. I chatted with Metsman whenever I went to Hackettstown games, always had something nice to say about his son. Little Rascal didn't know I went to any ... I would have no idea who he is if I crossed paths with him.
I'm actually the guy who brought this issue about Jake's non-selection onto this thread this morning. Could not believe Jake wasn't on the Northwest squad.
Originalrealist what are you even talking about? Andy brought the subject up. I don't want to hear the no I in team crap. Jake was taught the right way and wanted to win this year. Coach Poyer will tell you himself he was a great teammate. Excuse us for being a little disappointed that he got snubbed after having a monster season.
He's not talking about Jake he's talking about you! As I've been saying you just don't seem to get it that it's a team and all you talk about is your son (which in itself is fine) while at the same time putting other members of the team down. Just talk about your son and don't put down the other members of the team. He (and I) are saying YOU don't get that there is no I in Team - not your son. I'm sure he is a great teammate and is certainly a very good player. I'm fairly certain he probably cringes when he sees you posting about other players and how they are not as good as him.
Andy I'm surprised that you don't seem to get what this point is about either. You are a fine writer and seem to be a good guy - don't you agree that bashing other teammates while propping up your own is just plain bad?
Keep talking nonsense formerfan... Pointing out that 5-9 in the lineup didn't drive in runs isn't a bash. It's just a fact. That doesn't mean they didn't make other valuable contributions. They did.
This has gone far enough, there are games, seasons, and when it is all over, individual honors.
Baseball is a much more stat oriented game than, say, football or basketball.
Nobody ever hit a homer because a teammate made a good block, or because a teammate set a screen or made a good pass. Baseball is hitter against pitcher, one-on-one battle, at its most essential level.
Sure, sometimes a hitter will make a productive out to move a runner over in a close game ... but ... how many of Babe Ruth's teammates besides Lou Gehrig can anybody name without looking it up.
Fans celebrate the big bats ... we appreciate role players, team guys, the coaches certainly do, but we're talking about all stars and statewide recognition now.
Don’t even bother trying to get through to some of these people Andy. You’ll burn more brain cells trying to argue with them than what it’s worth.
You're right metsman, it me, not you. You just keep creating that baggage and let's just hope your son is able to carry it for you.
formerfan, please define bashing for me ! I can't see where Metsman is bashing anyone !!
Mariann No need to elaborate any more, I'm done with that subject. Definitely would rather talk HHS baseball and stick to that going forward!
Speaking of high school baseball - did anyone catch that story about Parsippany HS? They ended up winning the North 2 Group 2 title and it's the same 7 core players that went to the Little League World Series when they were younger. That's a pretty cool story line!
Andy, Mr Grauso looked into the situation. Apparently the state doesn't sanction the all-star event, Diamond Nation does. So there you go... It's rigged. A player who hit .455 with 10HR and 37 RBI and an OPS over 1.500 not getting selected is an absolute joke. It'd be like Bryce Harper or Mike Trout not making the MLB allstar game.
if you take a look at the roster for the northwest team http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-1136737059836490933/underclass-talent-on-display-wed-at-diamond-nation/ the schools represented are all for the most part bigger or more successful than HHS. I think it may have come down to the level of competition. HHS does not get much state-wide recognition for it's players due to not playing a better schedule. I've also always felt they should schedule more games - 20 is just not enough! They moved to the new league which is fine - but why not also keep the local rivalries in place like North Warren, Del Val, and Belvidere? And add in N. Hunterdon and Voorhees every year too. That would give them 25 games and give their schedule more credibility.
Jake had a great season - enjoy the memories and best of luck to him next year.
Formerfan there could be something with that, but it's all about who's pitching. Good schools have average pitchers too. They're not all D1 pitchers.
Notafan yeah cuz I'm just the most rowdy guy at games... Such a stupid comment.
The harper / trout mention is a bit over the top. HHS does not face anywhere near the top levels of pitching that the bigger schools face.
The NJSIAA limits the number of games a school can play. The Pitchers can only throw a certain amount of innings per week.......do smaller schools like HHS have the Pitchers to play more games a week........no
They are students first.....
Well, I'm with Metsman on this one ... a player with Jake's numbers should not be overlooked. It still was varsity baseball and Hackettstown did play Del Val on the road and win ... I remember watching. And Jake hit a homer in the state tournament, where you can't choose your opponents ... it broke up a shutout, so you can't say the pitching was bad. ... I remember watching ... that ball was out-ta-he-e-e-ere.
He's hit homeruns off plenty of good pitchers. He hit a homerun last week off a college bound pitcher. He played two games at Rutgers today and hit one 329 feet off the left field fence and another ball 360 feet to left center. It's 385 feet out there.
I think the biggest "problem" with baseball is that while it's stats-based in the majors, it's a seen-'em before then. Short season, very different pitchers, up and down streaks, varied fields, some luck ... many baseball all-star selections are based on who has seen who play well.
I didn't get to see Jake play, but I would agree with some of the postings that HHS does not tend to generate a lot of interest usually. If he isn't pledged somewhere already, I hope he's got some great tournaments lined up this summer for scouts to really take notice. Used to be they were in Atlanta for the East Coast ... where are they now?
All the showcase tournaments draw in scouts, just that some draw more than others. I think Diamond Nation in Flemington and Baseball Heaven in Long Island draw the most. Few people know, but there was a pro-scout from the Miami Marlins at the state tournament game against Hanover Park.
They probably saw that 11 of his 37 RBI and 4 of his 10 HR's came against Sussex Tech, one of the worst teams in the state.
Not Jake's fault that Hackettstown played them. And not his fault that he did some heavy damage there. It's just the only reason I could come up with why he would be overlooked.
Got to play better competition, otherwise things like that can happen. Either that or have him transfer to a school that plays better competition.
Jake is young for his grade. He won't be 17 till September. Now had he done that as an older Sophomore I'm sure people would have been amazed. Yeah Sussex Tech stinks but how many other kids even hit more than one homerun against them? They play several teams.
One of those teams they play is Jefferson who made it to the group 2 state title game.
I remember that game also. I never saw so many players (Jefferson) move back and forth from the JV to the Varsity game. It was a steady rotation. I remember thinking to myself "what in the hell are they doing".
That was a big win for the boys!
I don’t get where people think the schedule was so weak. Played 2 teams who won their section, Del Valley and Jefferson, and beat them. Played Newton who went to the County Tournament Title game. Played Warren Hills with a D1 pitcher on the mound. Played West Morris and Morris Hills who are group 3 schools. Played against High Point and Vernon with college bound pitchers on the mound. Hanover Park had a good pitcher on the mound. Lenape Valley, Sussex Tech, Ridgefield Park, and Hopatcong are the only bad teams that I see. I’m sure every team in the state plays at least a couple of bad teams. You don’t get to pick who is in your conference. Plenty of good teams play bad teams in their conference.
as I've heard many times ... your club gets you to college, your high school gets you in the paper.
I heard fourth hand, so can't validate, that if a scout wanted to see a kid play at diamond nation was as much of a reason to invite a player as was availability, position and perceived skill level.
as for high school competition, numbers in high school don't matter much. heck, some schools don't even have reliable numbers (intentionally or unintentionally). scouts come to watch kids who they saw at a club showcase as a rising sophomore or maybe as a rising junior. the best reason to play a "good" school is if they have a player who scouts are following ... then maybe you'll get seen too, though scouts prefer to watch when there are kids on both teams that they are scouting, to cut down on how many games to watch.
You are correct ken e. The kids who get scouted play on club teams. The summer season is the biggest season of the year, not the spring high school season.
My final column regarding the high school season, giving Jake the credit that is due him. Recognition like this is good for his resume, will get noticed by college admissions people who value extra curricular activities and successful outcomes.
http://www.insidewarren.com/?p=1410
Nice article Andy, thanks for writing it. The numbers are a little off though. He hit .455 with 10HR and 37RBI. NJ.com counted one game twice.
How is the Junior Legion team doing? Any standout players? We need pitching and someone to hit behind Jake next year. Arcona looks like he might be a pitcher next year. He pitched a complete game against Delaware Valley last week for the Belvidere team. He doesn't throw hard, but his motion throws hitters off.
They haven't won a game yet :(
Not sure what Coach Poyer can come up with next year from this group.
From what I see there is talent at spots here and there but can't seem to put all together.
Still alot of baseball to be played maybe they can turn it around.
As far as a knock out pitcher coming out next year, I personally don't see it. You may see any one of three giving it a go though.
Some players are "late bloomers" and become pleasant surprises, if they dedicate themselves to working hard.
Some multi-sport athletes may not be playing baseball during the summer because they are doing something else, like a summer basketball league or wrestling.
Just like I usually say a great record for a developmental team does not assure future success, I also don't easily write off developmental teams with a poor record, either.
Kids keep changing and growing, some get complacent, others start working harder, like Michael Jordan.
Let's start talking all time best hitters. I think Jake has it because he used the bbcor bats unlike anyone pre 2011.
They should have taken potential varsity players and mixed them with current players to form a senior team.
I agree Andy, about late bloomers, there is one kid that is really dedicated that pitches but it's "my opinion" that he still will not be able to handle the Varsity route next year. He struggled at the JV level.
I really do hope he proves me wrong, and you know what they say about "opinions" ;)
How does Jake do with the wood?
A sweet swing is still a sweet swing with or without bbcor.
All Time ?? Come on man......nobody cares....Enjoy your Sons Tiger Baseball Career...Best of Luck next year to the Tigers!!!
He hits homeruns with wood too.
Little Rascal just making a point. He broke the school record with a bat meant to restrict players from hitting jam shot homeruns. He should be up there in school history.
"Let's start talking all time best hitters" ? Come on Metsman! Although your son is.very good, you know very little about old time HHS baseball, which goes way back. The individual who the field is named after batted over .500 one year! Plus with the new bats used the last 10 or 15 years now, it's comparing apples to oranges. When we played at HHS in the 70's, and many years before and after my time, we used regular wood bats. BIG difference! No cheap hits, and if you hit it wrong, it stung like hell! Your son has had one very good year of varsity baseball, but you need to relax and enjoy it and stop with your arbitrary awards and historical placements.
Metsman, anytime you start off a talking point with "let's talk All-Time HHS hitters" and mention your son, that's a red flag right there.
Here are some of the players who (correct me if I'm wrong) you've never even seen play that I have seen in over a decade of following H-Town baseball:
1. Art Dimiceli---during his career set all-time batting average record at .513...don't have any other stats for him, but they named the field after the guy
2. Jon Lucas--- clubbed 8 home runs one year (with no fence)
3. Mike Rothman---broke Dimiceli's record after hitting .526 with 4 or 5 home runs in 2009 (no fence)...saw him hit a ball that traveled about 400 feet
4. Adam Young---hit .500 as freshman and finished with 110+ hits for all-time record...also hit 9 HR senior season
5. Mark Feci---led the 2011 team (perhaps the best offensive team in HHS history) with a .476 average and also had 7 HR
Those are just some players from the last decade (and Dimiceli from a while back) who you neglected to even consider in favor of your son, who as someone mentioned earlier did the majority of their offensive damage against Sussex T.
I'd love to hear more about some players from the 70's and 80's because I'm sure there are a lot....I just am unaware since I did not follow the team at the time.
facts The U-17 Legion season ended lastnight on a high note. The boys shutout two tough teams to end the season with a 5-9-1 record. They missed the playoffs by one game but beat the three top teams Del Val, Pburg(3-0 Tuesday) and Huntington(2-0).
Great job to all the coaches and players! Can't wait for next year!
GO TIGERS! !!!
5 - 9 - 1 is a record that makes the playoffs?????
Why have a season if a winning record means nothing and just about everyone makes the playoffs.
Good job on a strong finish though.
No problem with losing teams making the playoffs on this kind of a level, because it is basically about keeping them playing and developing.
I really loved watching the Hackettstown teams of 2010 and 2011. A lot of people complained that their great records came because H-town switched over from the Skyland Conference to the Northwest Jersey loop.
Really surprised me to hear Hackettstown people disparage a good Hackettstown team. Surprised me and also disappointed me.
Greg G, I thought it was a very balanced division, without a real powerhouses. I'm not sure what the final win/loss for Del Val was but when we played them last they were 8-2-1. I believe they lost again at least once if not more. So no one really ran away from the pack.
Just proud of the boys who battled hard and were able to have back to back shutouts against tougher teams.
Just checked, I stand corrected. Del Val finished 11-2-1, so they did "run away" from the pack.......but we still beat em!!! Lol
Guess we'll get a preview of next spring with the Fall team. It's a mix of current Varsity players and younger players. I would have liked to see them play together over the summer just to get them used to playing together, but things around here are pretty unorganized.
Only makes sense to have your best players play together to form a chemistry. Kids you know who going to play JV in the Spring and incoming Freshman should be on a junior team.
First practice was lastnight, not all the players could make it. Next practice is scheduled for Thursday.
It's a good mix and should be an interesting season.
Jake and I were visiting the coach and campus at Montclair State University. That's why he wasn't there.
Didn't mean to sound negetive about missing players. I know they work and vacation. Hope Jake's visit went well!
Why don't you 2 just send each other emails? The 2016 season ended in june, and quite frankly, no one cares about fall ball. It's time to talk hhs fall sports now!
He'll be one of the leaders on the team, didn't want it to seem like he brushed off practice. Visit went great. Yoggi Berra stadium is a nice ballpark to play in. Tuition isn't crazy either. He's one of their top prospects so we'll see how the process goes. We both walked away with a good feeling. He seems like a good fit there. He'll probably make a decision after the Fall season.
Deviljet, it's a baseball thread. If you want to talk about Fall sports then start another thread.
I hope kids play sports in college for money only - either because they truly believe they will have an opportunity to make a living playing after college, because they will get more money from the school they would otherwise want to attend, or because they can get into a "better" school then they would otherwise be able to get into which might translate into a better post-graduation.
Ken e, I would hope all student athletes seek a degree first, most pro careers are short lived and they will need it in the future.
Deviljet, kids have been playing fall baseball for years now. Not sure how your comment enriched our discussion, but I'm sure you will chime in again, have at it. It's a freedom of speech thing, I get it. If you feel the need to put me down you may e-mail me directly.
Greetings!
I photograph sports/events for NJ Advance Media/NJ.com. Does the Hackettstown-based team play any teams from Hunterdon County (my coverage area)?
Also, can someone please post the game schedule or provide a link to view the info. online?
Thanks
Nick Scalera Photo Here is the site from last year. Northjerseyfallball.com. There's nothing updated for this year yet.
deviljet must not like baseball because he/she got all twisted in a knot when I created this thread during the winter sports season. Baseball is played year round now. My son is off maybe 2 months out of the year.
September and October usually have better weather for baseball than March and April.
I could brag about my kids all day, but I taught them that there is no I in the word "team"! It takes a team to win. It isn't all about you! Support your fellow teammates!
Hint! Hint! Metsman!
What are you talking about Realist1? No one is bragging. Ride off into the sunset on your high horse...
You want your kid to play ball down the road. Move to a state they play 180-200 games a year. It's not happening in NJ. Been there done that.
CraftBeerBob This thread was started by you! Showing your son's achievements in baseball with a Youtube video! While all along you put down his teammates. It was never about HHS baseball team instead it was always about your son! And will always be about your son!
You don't see other parents on this thread speaking/bragging about their kids who play for HHS Baseball team! Only YOU!
Just remember there is no "I" in the word "Team"!
Take up tennis and golf if you want it all about YOU!
This thread should be renamed to "Metsman Son"! for it has nothing to do with The HHS Baseball team! IMHO! FWIW!
This thread was started by you! Showing your son's achievements in baseball with a Youtube video! While all along you put down his teammates. It was never about HHS baseball team instead it was always about your son! And will always be about your son!
You don't see other parents on this thread speaking about their kids who play for HHS Baseball team! Only YOU!
Just remember there is no "I" in the word "Team"!
Take up tennis and golf if you want it all about YOU!
OMG PEOPLE! Go start a new bashing thread, you can call it " my kid is better than yours" or "na, na, na boobie". Who cares!
The Seniors should be leaders just like they were lastyear and all the years before and all the years to follow.
I see alot of guys out there on the practice field and they don't seem to concerned who is the better player. I see them helping each other, cutting up and just having fun.
I see new and old faces giving it there all out there. I see coaches throwing their arms out, getting knocked down by line drives ( coach S. hope your ok) picking themselves up and throwing somemore.
This is baseball it isn't about individuals, it's about team.
If any of the players are reading this thread (you probably shouldn't) just go out and have fun, keep playing with passion and all the side garbage will go away.
The greatest years of your life are about to begin.... ENJOY THEM!
Go Tigers!
So, maybe Metsman brags sometimes, but so what ! It's better to be a parent who is involved in their sons/daughters life's than one who doesn't care. He's proud of him and that's the way it should be! My son played many years ago and I never could understand the parents that never showed up. My husband used to tease me that I probably didn't know what happened with the big play in the third inning but I could tell you every move my son made!! That's what parents do !!
+1000 Mariann
I can't believe someone brought up something that was said in 2011!
Really? Seriously?
Well, I could give y'all a long, long, LOOOOOOONG list of MLB players who played high school ball in New Jersey "small schools" (including Cole Kimball) it can happen, and there is nothing wrong with making that a goal .... as long as you don't ignore your education.
37 players were drafted from NJ this year. They didn't all accept but that's how many were. The kid who led the state in HR got drafted in the 5th round. Jake was 2nd. A Miami Marlins scout came to one Hackettstown game to watch Jake. He is on the radar.
Andy how about from the Shore Conference early 70's...Denny Walling, Wall HS played for the Houston Astros, Cass Logan, LBHS, played for the Mets, Kevin Bova, LBHS, played in the minors and John "The Count" Monte fusco, played for the SF Giants then the Yankees and Ed Helecki (sp?). I pitched against some of them in the Shore Conference...
Towny Yes, Jersey Shore sports are great, a long tradition there.
Dick Estelle of Lakewood pitched for the San Francisco Giants, with Willie Mays in the outfield. How cool is that? Lakewood's second major leaguer was Preston Wilson (outfielder Mets and a couple of other teams).
Later on, Toms River produced Al Leiter and Andy Messersmith, also pitchers, and Todd Frazier! Bob Sykes, another pitcher, was from Neptune.
Al Downing and Bill Dillman (pitchers) were from Trenton. Former Orioles' outfielder Curt Blefary was from Mahwah ... the list goes on and on. Mike Trout ... from Millville, Willie Wilson of Summit.
On average per year approximately 1 in 200 HS baseball players will get drafted. Thats about 0.5%.
I believe thats an achievable goal for anyone willing to put in the work and has talent for the game.
Depends what round you're drafted in too. The kid who beat out Jake for the HR lead in the state, Joey Rose, was a 5th round pick and got a $400,000 signing bonus. If you go in the low rounds you won't get much so you're better off going to college. Then you have guys like Matt Harvey who could have signed out of HS with the Angels for a couple million, but apparently wanted a lot more than was offered and went to college.
Joey Rose played at Toms River North - one of the top Group IV schools in the state. So they get lots of exposure. I'm not sure that it's the same here in Hackettstown. I hope more local players do get drafted! But you may want to temper your enthusiasm when comparing what round Rose was drafted in.
baseballfan You don't get much exposure in high school nowadays. Joey Rose played on a club team like Jake does and they travel to places like Diamond Nation, Baseball Heaven in Long Island, and various college sponsored tournaments and play against the best players in the northeast in front of scouts during the summer and fall. No one is going to come to a high school or legion game unless they're invited or have seen a kid at a tournament or showcase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BX9ykUUqYk&feature=youtu.be
Jake Hall's 9th homerun which broke the single season record for those who didn't get to see it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHLgu9_RNJg&feature=youtu.be
Homerun #10, the official record.
Real nice swing and he will probably get stronger. When did they put a fence up at the home field?
Chris OConnor I think someone said 2009. Not sure. He did that as a 16 year old so he's not done growing.
https://twitter.com/CCMBaseball/status/810963850069766147
Ranked 19th in the nation in 2016. Definitely a good program to start out at before transferring after 2 years.
19th best D2 junior college for baseball in the whole nation??
WOW that's impressive!!!!!
I found this thread from last year, so i guess I will post here and not on the " venting thread", or at least until they remove this one.
100000 points to htownnewbie's husband and the other fans for supporting the boys.
States mean a lot to those kids who have grown up looking for a chance to one day play in them day.
Go Tigers!
Omar Moreno Sad news, the Tigers lost to Rutherford 3-1.
I tip my hat to all of the Seniors, your a great bunch of young men and will really miss watching you play ball. I will also miss talking to all you dedicated parents, your the best!
Still plenty of ball to be played this summer and fall but for now as Andy would say "Elvis has left the building".
Take care
Congratulations to the 2017 Tigers on an excellent season! I think the final record was 13-7, plus a State Playoff win against Lodi! Best of luck to the players that graduate in June, and to the returning players - best of luck next year!
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