Every now and then we pull together letters and e-mails we’ve received which we believe will have some interest to the general public. 

Many are in response to articles on the site… for example:

 

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In reference to the article, Should pitchers & catchers call games?

This is a sad state. As a former collegiate catcher, I cannot believe that coaches are not teaching catchers and pitchers how to call a game. That catcher should be trained to call a game. It’s sad to see the most important position on the field reduced to the equivalent of a slow pitch catcher. It’s not that complicated to teach the mechanics of it and I’m certainly glad my high school, travel ball, and college coaches encouraged my learning. I guess it’s easier for you guys to be in control bc the poor little girls might not be able to handle the pressure–puh-lease!!

— Melissa

 

 

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In response to the article, Can Pacifica Make A Run? reader Jeff was blunt in thinking we’re covering the SoCal team too much:

This article seems like overkill. This is at least your third article during this HS season singling out Pacifica. Why not talk about the teams that are ahead of them more or even the teams that have beaten them?

You guys do a great job there and I appreciate your work, but honestly, it makes you guys look impartial which I think is not good for a site like yours.

— Jeff

 

I (Brentt) e-mailed him the following e-mail (excerpts):

There are several reasons: 2) they were preseason No. 3 so they were expected to do big things, 1) is there a team in the country that has this much talent (at least college-level commits)? Stanford, UNC, Northwestern, Florida, Arizona… etc.  To me it’s a story… but can they still pull a championship out? 3) Pacifica is a traditional power and there is a lot of interest in them.

— Brentt

 

Jeff wrote back the following very interesting comments and points:

What would be interesting is maybe to ponder who is actually the best team between Mission Viejo and Amador Valley (assuming they complete undefeated seasons).  You could talk about what a shame it is that these two teams will never face each other because there is not a true CA state championship.

I personally think that Amador Valley would be hard pressed to make it thru a CIF championship playoff in So Cal.  It looks to me like Joanna Grauer is probably the best pitcher in the country, but I think she would eventually lose against the gauntlet of teams like MV, Pacifica, Chino, Esperanza, Corona Santiago and many more.

Along the lines of Grauer being the best pitcher in the country, here’s an interesting topic…Who’s going to get the lion’s share of innings at UCLA when Grauer gets there next season…Carda or Grauer?  My opinion is that Grauer is the better pitcher and will eventually be #1.

But wait…what happens when Rachel Garcia gets there the year after and she, Grauer and Carda are all there?

A great problem for Coach Inouye-Perez to have for sure!

— Jeff

 

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Finally, got this e-mail last week from reader TJ who is pretty opinionated when it comes to recruiting coverage including the 5 Sophomore Infielders to Watch (5/16)…

I like a lot of what you do on the site, like the human interest features and the spotlight on players and teams but I HATE the recruiting coverage!

Not that you are doing it badly, it’s just that I don’t think 13 and 14 year old girls should be getting publicity and attention at such a young age.  You can argue all you want about the evils of early recruiting, but I don’t think media like you should be putting these athletes in the spotlight when all it’s going to do is add undue pressure.

Not to mention all the overbearing moms and dads who think their little Sallies should be having UCLA or Florida beating down the door.

I understand why you do it, because college fans care but I think you should seriously consider not “honoring” a player simply because some college is throwing dollars at her in the form of a scholarship and the odds are the coach won’t be there when the athlete shows up anyways.

We as Americans love lists like your Hot 100’s, but I think you should consider stop doing them so the players don’t get big heads and don’t end up being prima donnas who rest on their newspaper clippings and become headaches for the high school and club coaches!

— TJ

 

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If you have a comment, thought or critique, please send along to Brentt@StudentSports.com…