Street Kids/Suburban Discuss 2009
South Bend, IN 11-2-08
by TJ Jorgensen
With many rumors circulating who is leaving, who is coming, etc, I thought it might be a good idea to talk
briefly about what direction the Street Kids/Suburban team is heading in looking into 2009.
I feel - perhaps even contrary to popular belief - that the SKS team had a good season in 2008. We had 138
wins, six tournament victories, and five second place finishes. A tourney won-loss record of 74-23 shows we
played well in big games, however failed to close out and win some of the tournaments we felt we should
have won. We had players with big seasons, some with less than average seasons, but we all knew we won
as a team, and lost as a team.
Looking into 2009, there are some areas that we need to improve on, and in order to compete at the most
competitive levels, whether thats NSA Class B or Class C, we know we have to improve some areas of our
team. At times our defense this season was amazing, and at times - usually at the biggest moments - our
defense struggled. In order to win state and national titles, we have to tighten up our defense.
The rumors that circle the message boards right now are the sudden departure of half the team from 2008 to
the new DeHarts team in 2009. While I try not to concern myself with other teams, it is exciting to read about
half our team already committing to DeHarts. I have spoken with several players who I guess you could call
"free agents" like Lanny Fisher, Jake Underwood, Chris Firebaugh, Joe Horvath and Jamie Everett and all of
them have told me that they have not committed to anyone as of now, but all of them want to know what we
are doing to improve the team for 2009.
I have made it no secret that my number one off season task is to bring Lanny Fisher back to this team.
Fisher is not only the captain of this squad, but one of the best pure hitters in the sport, the legal council for
the organization and one of my closest friends. Fisher can be replaced on the mound by any number of
people that can throw strikes and hit well, but there are few who can bring as many assets to a team as Lanny
does. Fisher and I spent 90 minutes face to face last week talking about the future and he knows how I feel
about him and I know what it will take to bring him back.
I have a list of players that have expressed interest to me about playing softball with the SKS team in 2009,
and many of them are players that would surprise people. I have pitchers, infielders, outfielders, home run
hitters, base hitters, veterans, youth, former baseball players, former professional athletes and even former
Major League players. But as someone once said, loading a team up with 10-15 talented players does not
make a talented team.
Nick Bishop said it best to me a few days ago. He said even though the season ended with just a Mishawaka
Fall City title, the team gelled well together, the team knew how to play together and the team was
comfortable with each other. Sometimes it takes a year of getting to know players before you can call
yourself a true talented team. If we were able to bring back the main part of the 2008 roster, and fill in a few
new faces to improve this team, I think we could have the makeup of a very good 2009 season.
I received a call from Jim Kimmel of the NSA on Friday morning and he told me not to make any decisions
on players or teams until about Thursday of this coming week as the NSA annual convention will be held, and
many changes could be in store. Of those changes, one could be the determining factor of what level of play
were are in for 2009. One rule book states that if a team goes 2-2 at a Super World tournament as we did,
its a mandatory move-up to the next class. Another rule seems to contradict that rule by saying the top eight
teams at Super Worlds is a mandatory move-up, and if you look at the list of mandatory move-up's for NSA
North, the SKS team is not on that list. So as of now, I can assume we are Class C in 2009, but we could be
Class B, or we might be in an entirely new division based on the new realignment of classes proposed for
2009.
One last thing I wanted to address is this new craze that is going on in softball of paying players. I was talking
with a veteran softball player from out of state that has won countless world titles, MVP's and has played at
almost every level in the sport, including major ball, and after talking with him and reading all of these posts
on message boards, I will make this bold statement: I will not pay people to play softball. Now that I said
that, I will take it a step further...
In todays world of traveling tournament softball, it can be an expensive hobby. I remember when I bowled on
a local tour years ago, and in the classic leagues I played in, I spent thousands of dollars a year on the game,
and depending on where I placed, I would get some of that back, but I am sure I never made more than I
paid out. But I knew that going in. With the economy the way it is now, it is safe to say it has affected the
sport of softball as well. With that in mind, the organization will do what it can to cover hotels and travel
expense to players on the tournament team, but that has to be worked out over the winter. Prior to any
agreement a player has upon joining this team, I will have it outlined for them what the details are. At this time
I have no more to say on it except this team will not pay a player a "salary" for playing a recreational game,
albeit a game we take to the highest level of competition.
If there is a team out there that is willing to pay players to play softball, I say more power to them, and if you
have that opportunity to get paid to play, I would jump on it. But this team will continue to play for the love
and passion of the game, not for a paycheck. In my personal opinion, I feel that it not only takes away from
the true nature of the sport, but it sells the competitive drive and willingness to win a little short. For example,
if you go to a big tournament, and finish a disappointing 1-2 or 0-2, but get in the car thinking "well that stunk,
but at least I got paid," then your head is not focused right. You need to feel that "agony of defeat", or the
pain that goes with not winning when you really feel you should have. Sometimes money can take away from
that because the next thing you know, even though you lost, you still say balance the loss with "at least I got
paid."
Now, before I close, I will say that if, and only if, there is a sponsor that comes along and wants to give out
bonuses at the end of the season to players for a job well done, then thats different. That is a bonus that the
players were never guaranteed, thus never affected the way they won nor handled the losses they
experienced.
For now, that is all I have to offer. I will update the readers of this page sometime in the next few weeks as
things come up.
Take care!
by TJ Jorgensen
With many rumors circulating who is leaving, who is coming, etc, I thought it might be a good idea to talk
briefly about what direction the Street Kids/Suburban team is heading in looking into 2009.
I feel - perhaps even contrary to popular belief - that the SKS team had a good season in 2008. We had 138
wins, six tournament victories, and five second place finishes. A tourney won-loss record of 74-23 shows we
played well in big games, however failed to close out and win some of the tournaments we felt we should
have won. We had players with big seasons, some with less than average seasons, but we all knew we won
as a team, and lost as a team.
Looking into 2009, there are some areas that we need to improve on, and in order to compete at the most
competitive levels, whether thats NSA Class B or Class C, we know we have to improve some areas of our
team. At times our defense this season was amazing, and at times - usually at the biggest moments - our
defense struggled. In order to win state and national titles, we have to tighten up our defense.
The rumors that circle the message boards right now are the sudden departure of half the team from 2008 to
the new DeHarts team in 2009. While I try not to concern myself with other teams, it is exciting to read about
half our team already committing to DeHarts. I have spoken with several players who I guess you could call
"free agents" like Lanny Fisher, Jake Underwood, Chris Firebaugh, Joe Horvath and Jamie Everett and all of
them have told me that they have not committed to anyone as of now, but all of them want to know what we
are doing to improve the team for 2009.
I have made it no secret that my number one off season task is to bring Lanny Fisher back to this team.
Fisher is not only the captain of this squad, but one of the best pure hitters in the sport, the legal council for
the organization and one of my closest friends. Fisher can be replaced on the mound by any number of
people that can throw strikes and hit well, but there are few who can bring as many assets to a team as Lanny
does. Fisher and I spent 90 minutes face to face last week talking about the future and he knows how I feel
about him and I know what it will take to bring him back.
I have a list of players that have expressed interest to me about playing softball with the SKS team in 2009,
and many of them are players that would surprise people. I have pitchers, infielders, outfielders, home run
hitters, base hitters, veterans, youth, former baseball players, former professional athletes and even former
Major League players. But as someone once said, loading a team up with 10-15 talented players does not
make a talented team.
Nick Bishop said it best to me a few days ago. He said even though the season ended with just a Mishawaka
Fall City title, the team gelled well together, the team knew how to play together and the team was
comfortable with each other. Sometimes it takes a year of getting to know players before you can call
yourself a true talented team. If we were able to bring back the main part of the 2008 roster, and fill in a few
new faces to improve this team, I think we could have the makeup of a very good 2009 season.
I received a call from Jim Kimmel of the NSA on Friday morning and he told me not to make any decisions
on players or teams until about Thursday of this coming week as the NSA annual convention will be held, and
many changes could be in store. Of those changes, one could be the determining factor of what level of play
were are in for 2009. One rule book states that if a team goes 2-2 at a Super World tournament as we did,
its a mandatory move-up to the next class. Another rule seems to contradict that rule by saying the top eight
teams at Super Worlds is a mandatory move-up, and if you look at the list of mandatory move-up's for NSA
North, the SKS team is not on that list. So as of now, I can assume we are Class C in 2009, but we could be
Class B, or we might be in an entirely new division based on the new realignment of classes proposed for
2009.
One last thing I wanted to address is this new craze that is going on in softball of paying players. I was talking
with a veteran softball player from out of state that has won countless world titles, MVP's and has played at
almost every level in the sport, including major ball, and after talking with him and reading all of these posts
on message boards, I will make this bold statement: I will not pay people to play softball. Now that I said
that, I will take it a step further...
In todays world of traveling tournament softball, it can be an expensive hobby. I remember when I bowled on
a local tour years ago, and in the classic leagues I played in, I spent thousands of dollars a year on the game,
and depending on where I placed, I would get some of that back, but I am sure I never made more than I
paid out. But I knew that going in. With the economy the way it is now, it is safe to say it has affected the
sport of softball as well. With that in mind, the organization will do what it can to cover hotels and travel
expense to players on the tournament team, but that has to be worked out over the winter. Prior to any
agreement a player has upon joining this team, I will have it outlined for them what the details are. At this time
I have no more to say on it except this team will not pay a player a "salary" for playing a recreational game,
albeit a game we take to the highest level of competition.
If there is a team out there that is willing to pay players to play softball, I say more power to them, and if you
have that opportunity to get paid to play, I would jump on it. But this team will continue to play for the love
and passion of the game, not for a paycheck. In my personal opinion, I feel that it not only takes away from
the true nature of the sport, but it sells the competitive drive and willingness to win a little short. For example,
if you go to a big tournament, and finish a disappointing 1-2 or 0-2, but get in the car thinking "well that stunk,
but at least I got paid," then your head is not focused right. You need to feel that "agony of defeat", or the
pain that goes with not winning when you really feel you should have. Sometimes money can take away from
that because the next thing you know, even though you lost, you still say balance the loss with "at least I got
paid."
Now, before I close, I will say that if, and only if, there is a sponsor that comes along and wants to give out
bonuses at the end of the season to players for a job well done, then thats different. That is a bonus that the
players were never guaranteed, thus never affected the way they won nor handled the losses they
experienced.
For now, that is all I have to offer. I will update the readers of this page sometime in the next few weeks as
things come up.
Take care!
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