Time to change baseball coaching staff

[knowitall]

UThat's the headline on the reader's forum letter from Gary Welsh from Westmont.

"When is Westmont Hilltop High School going to consider changing the coaching staff of the baseball team?

After 18 years, the manager has amassed a 124-189 record (not counting this season).

Most schools would have replaced their coaches and found someone who is willing to develop a program of respectability..."

And on and on and on it goes.

I have been following local baseball for decades and have never heard of Gary Welsh.  Is Morris Buttermaker available?

[knowitall]

High school baseball teams are built in Little League. I believe West Suburban has had to combine with one or two other local little leagues just to be able to field a team. That ain't the fault of the high school coach!

[Crimson's Ghost]

What are the current little league programs left in town?   West Suburban, Ferndale, VE Ericksen, Arbutus, GJYL, St. Theresa, Johnstown Boys, Conemaugh?  

 

[Manfred]

I blame it on soccer.

[knowitall]

I think the only little leagues left in town are Arbutus, GJYL, ETJ (if you count that as being in town) and the CVYL/WSYL/Conemaugh Township partnership

[peytonsaturday]

I was reading this to a co worker, who lives in Westmont SD and has a son who is currently getting interested in baseball (he's only 6). He said that there used to be tournaments all over the area for LL?! Says he can remember Adam Twp, V.E. Erickson, Oesterburg, Central City, Johnstown all had their own tournaments. Unreal.

[12HankQB]

I blame it on soccer.

Agreed. When I was 9, Berlin had it's own Little League consisting of 6 teams. When I was 12, we couldn't even field one team and I had to play at Shanksville. AYSO took everyone.
At the high school level, track takes a lot away from baseball, but it's easier to get a track scholarship than baseball. At least that's what I've always thought.

[knowitall]

The Lorain-Moxham tournament was the little league version of the AAABA for years.  Both it and the league that hosted it are now ancient history.  Crimson named some leagues that no longer exist but missed a few:  Dale Boys, Hornerstown Boys and East Suburban are three more that come to mind.

A few weeks ago VE/Arbutus made an offer to Windber to buy its fields and absorb its teams.  I have no idea who Windber kids may be playing against   I can't imagine they have more than one or two teams of their own.

[knowitall]

Few kids will get a track scholarship or a baseball scholarship. Kids should be playing these sports for the reason they were designed. Fun. Too many parents who grew up playing two innings in right field in little league are engineering their kids to get athletic scholarships they never will and as a result many kids are giving up on sports long before they should.

[peytonsaturday]

I think a lot of it had to do with the lack of success the Pirates had until 2012/2013. I'm willing to bet; while it may never be what it once was numbers wise, the number of kids playing baseball will increase as the Pirates continue to have success. Just a theory. No facts to back up this at all. But when the local (or closest) pro team isn't relevant why should kids want to play? I'm sure there are a lot more kids who throw fly balls to themselves now pretending they're Andrew McCutchen than there were throwing those same fly balls to themselves pretending they were Tike Redman.