June 18, 2007
Volume 1, Issue 2
NPHS Baseball News
/
NPHS
Baseball camp
June 25-29
Jason Mills (2002)
9am-12noon
Mills an Oriole !
Future
Newsletters
will be sent
out every
other week
during the
summer and
probably once
a month during
the off-season.
We’ll see how
it goes during
the season due
to more time
restraints.
Send
comments,
suggestions,
and requests
to receive this
newsletter to
mccrear@npen
n.org.
has signed a
professional
contract with the
Baltimore Orioles!
Jason was drafted in
the Major league
draft last june but
chose to go back
to school instead.
After completing
an amazing year
with Kutztown
University the
Orioles had until
one week before this
year’s draft to sign
Jason or risk losing
him to another team.
The offer by the
Orioles was too
good to pass up and
Jason is now a part
of the Oriole minor
league system. He
will be send to
Sarasota, Florida
where he and others
will be evaluated in a
mini camp. He then
could be sent to one
of two Rookie
League teams or
maybe even one of
the two Single-A
teams within the
Baltimore
organization.
Interestingly, the
Sarasota complex is
the same place
Coach McCreary was
sent to after being
drafted by the
Minnesota Twins
back in 1989. Here’s
hoping that Jason
will have a long,
successful career
with the orioles.
Best of luck from
all of us!!
Alcott & Kuklick playing pro ball in jersey !
Two other former
NPHS players are
also in pro ball
this summer. Jason
Alcott (2000) is
playing
professional
baseball for the
Sussex skyhawks
and clay kuklick
(2000) is a catcher
for the new jersey
jackals in the same
cam-am independent
baseball league.
Jason, also a
catcher, has, like
clay, played on a
couple
professional
teams in
independent ball
(not affiliated with
mlb) where both
are trying to
impress scouts
enough to possibly
sign with a major
league
organization.
Jason should be an
inspiration to a lot
of young players
since he was not
considered a top
prospect after
NPHS. He attended
Albright College
where he
continued to
improve each year.
Clay started out
at West Virginia
and then finished a
very successful
college career at
Kutztown univ.
Best of luck guys!
NPHS Baseball News
Page 2 of 6
Ask Coach McCreary !
There are
three things in
my life which I
really love:
God, my
family, and
baseball. The
only problem once baseball
season starts,
I change the
order around
a bit.
E-mail questions to Coach McCreary at his e-mail
address: mccrear@npenn.org. A question will be
chosen from the bunch, reprinted, and answered in
future newsletters! Questions can come from anyone.
Feel free to ask anything that is on your mind about the
game of baseball!
~Al Gallagher,
1971
You make the call!
SITUATION: With a runner on first base, the hitter hits a
ground ball towards the second baseman. While running to
second base, the runner’s batting helmet falls off (a) and
makes contact with the batted ball, deflecting it away from
the second baseman, or (b) in front of the second baseman,
which distracts him and results in his misplaying the ball.
What’s the call?
Knights play in Carpenter Cup!
Trivia:
Jeff Bagwell has hit
more than 400 HRs in
an Astros uniform.
What former Houston
pitcher was traded to
Boston for the slugger?
E-mail your answer to
mccrear@npenn.org
Players pose with Coach mccreary after a 1 st
round 5-6 win over Berks County in the Phillies
Carpenter Cup Baseball Classic. From left to
right are: Chris Greenwood, wes Fertig, matt
quinn, and coach mccreary.
NPHS Baseball News
Page 3 of 6
Tryouts: What we look for – Part 1
The following information provides the areas and skills
that we look for as coaches during the tryout period.
Also included is information that can help players,
parents, and coaches determine how a player compares to
others who tryout. This is part 1 of a series that will be
printed in future newsletters.
Speed: As players get older, the game gets faster. The
players who are able to keep moving up the ladder from
middle school to high school to college and to the
professional levels are the ones who can keep up with the
faster paced game at each level. Players are evaluated to
see if they can perform at the speed needed to be
successful in high school. Speed, however, does not
simply mean running speed. It also means first step
quickness, the speed of catching and throwing, bat speed,
and the ability to think quick to adjust to changes in the
play and/or game. When we time players in the 60 yard
dash, we are looking at the player’s overall athletic
ability. Professional scouts look for times generally
under 7 seconds but it can vary due to the position you
play. If a player is slow compared to others, it doesn’t
mean he is at a disadvantage since we are more concerned
with what is called “usable speed.” A player might be very
fast in the 60 yard dash but very slow with his first step
when getting to a ball or getting a jump on the base paths.
We would rather have players with speed that will help him
in game-like situations.
Other middle school award winners !
Pennfield 8th Grade baseball
MVP – Peter Edgar and Eric Fisher
Coaches Awards
- Keith Reider, Matt Hickman, and Dan Hinchcliff
Pennfield 7th Grade baseball
MVP – Corey Ernst and Stephen Collins
Coaches Awards
- Tim Raszewski, Brandon Rauch, and Josh Cook
YOU MAKE THE
CALL RULING:
If the runner’s
helmet
accidentally fell
off, there would
be no penalty in
either (a) or
(b). Had the
helmet been
deliberately
removed, and
interference
occurred, then
the runner
would have
declared out for
interference.
The umpire
could also rule
out the batter
as well if he
judged the
interference
prevented a
double play.
(NFHS 8-4-2g,
8-4-1h)
vs
PA Legislature may decide on wood v metal
PA House of Representatives will be acting on a bill (#1482) which
proposes that all baseball and softball players in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania that are under 18 years of age NOT be allowed to use any “nonwood” bat during the course of a game. This obviously would impact every
team at every level in the North Penn area. Safety and cost are two of the
most prevalent factors that have pushed this movement in other places
around the country. New York City recently enacted a similar “metal bat ban”
due to these factors. Pennsylvania seems to be in the process of deciding as
well.
Proponents of this say that balls are traveling at too high of a speed
off the bat which does not allow fielders (especially pitchers) enough time to
react to a batted ball. They point to serious injuries that they say might have
been prevented if the fielder had more time to catch or deflect the ball. The
fact that wood bats are cheaper than metal bats is an issue also. Major
league Baseball scouts would love the metal ban since they have the difficult
job of predicting whether or not a good hitter using a metal bat would still
be a good hitter with a wood bat. Many players cannot make that transition
successfully. With the amount of money given to sign prospects to
professional contracts, scouts want to know for sure about their ability to
hit with wood before coughing up the money.
Opponents of this idea point to a few drawbacks. First, some believe
this should be an organizational decision (Hatfield, Nor-Gwyn, etc) and not the
job of the government. Second, some think poor field conditions (bad hops)
are more to blame for injuries than the bats. Third, costs, they say, will shift
as soon as wood bats are in more demand. Lastly, some point to the fact that
wood bats break and will be more expensive to keep replacing in the long run.
This, of course, may tax organizations and schools that already are short on
money.
If you feel strongly one way or another, call your local PA member of
congress. A copy of the bill is below.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1482 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY CARROLL, CLYMER, COHEN, MAHONEY, MANN, K. SMITH,
S. H. SMITH, THOMAS AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 5, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, JUNE 5, 2007
AN ACT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
1
2
3
4
5
6
Prohibiting the use of nonwooden bats in baseball and softball.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Baseball and
Softball Bat Safety Act.
Section 2. Prohibition of nonwooden bats.
(a) Players.--An individual under 18 years of age may not
use a bat which is not made of wood to play baseball or
softball.
(b) Organizations.--A person that organizes activity for
playing baseball or softball may not permit an individual under
18 years of age to use a bat which is not made of wood to play
baseball or softball.
(c) Penalty.-(1) An individual who violates subsection (a) commits a
summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to
pay a fine of $25.
(2) A person that violates subsection (b) commits a
summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to
pay a fine of $50.
Section 10. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
A Parent Talks to a Child Before the First Game
I This is your first
NPHS Baseball
1340 Valley Forge Rd
Lansdale, Pa 19446
E-Mail:
mccrear@npenn.org
Show up
Suit up
Shut up
& Play Hard!!
game, my child. I hope
you win.
I hope you win for
your sake, not mine.
Because winning’s
nice.
It’s a good feeling.
Like the whole world
is yours.
But, it passes, this
feeling.
And what lasts is
what you’ve learned.
And what you learn
about is life.
That’s what sports is
all about. Life.
The whole thing is
played out in an
afternoon.
The happiness of life.
The miseries.
The joys.
The heartbreaks.
There’s no telling
what’ll turn up.
There’s no telling
whether they’ll toss
you out in the first
five minutes or
whether you’ll stay
for the long haul.
There’s no telling
how you’ll do.
You might be a hero
or you might be
absolutely nothing.
There’s just no
telling.
Too much depends on
chance.
On how the ball
bounces.
I’m not talking about
the game, my child.
I’m talking about life.
But, it’s life that the
game is all about.
Just as I said.
Because every game
is life.
And life is a game.
A serious game.
Dead serious.
But that’s what you
do with serious
things.
You do your best.
You take what comes.
You take what comes.
And you run with it.
Winning is fun.
Sure.
But winning is not
the point.
Wanting to win is the
point.
Not giving up is the
point.
Never being satisfied
with what you’ve
done is the point.
Never letting up is
the point.
Never letting anyone
down is the point.
Play to win.
Sure.
But lose like a
champion.
Because it’s not
winning that counts.
What counts is
trying.
- Author unknown
Until next issue…
Good luck to all those teams playing!
Send me those ideas, commentaries, trivia answers,
etc. and maybe it will appear in future issues!!
mccreary@npenn.org