2007 County Champions!!!

2008 Whitfield County Early Bird Champions

Remember to bring your camera to each game to take action photos

Forward these pics. to cubspics@westsidecubs.net

2010 Game Schedule Now Available

Cubs Batting Leaders:Logan Hilton .532, Jackson Bell .500, Drew Guffey .486, TRey Hasty .412

Cubs Pitching Leaders: Logan Hilton 34 Innings -71 K's, Jackson Bell -29 innings 44 K's, Drew Guffey 21 Innings -37 K's,

Cubs Vs Varnell Braves

Cubs 7

Varnell Braves 6

Some parents may not realize that the Antioch game (last week) was called by umpires too soon. There is a 1 hour 20 minute limit on all games, but all innings started must be completed. A new inning starts by rule when the last out is made in the prior inning. Some may recall that we had 40 seconds left in the first Early Bird game against New Hope which forced us to play an extra inning. While we were not happy about it, the umpire made the proper call and we played another inning. Fortunately, we managed to hold on and win that game, but it was shaky.

Antioch entered a protest (in our last game) because of the short timer issue and the decision went to the Executive Committee. While the Committee never ruled, I emailed the Rec last weekend to inform them that it was only fair that we play the extra inning at our next Antioch game at Westside. I had no idea that The Cubs would be placed in the same situation in our very next game. Am I ever glad that I had enough integrity to admit that Antioch had been wronged and voluntarily agreed (without a ruling) to play the inning; otherwise I could not have argued the timer issue last night. Most times it's better to do the right thing and hope everything balances in your favor in the long run, rather than keep quiet and allow boys to be cheated. I hope this is a good lesson for our boys. Fair play and good sportsmanship is a primary objective of our teaching.

The Varnell Game was a real nail-biter and Varnell will likely be the team to beat for the County Championship this year, especially after some of their players rejoin the team after middle school ball.

Our Cubs looked good in some areas and not-so-good in other areas. The Cubs stranded 11 runners on base in 5-innings. We must learn to move runners around and hit the ball if we are going to be successful this year. We must learn to ask ourselves what we are going to do with the ball when it is hit to us, and we must learn to watch the game we're playing rather than other games or girls in the stands.

Our Cubs logged 12 hits in the game against Varnell which was our best effort this year. As we continue to work with the boys, I think all of them will begin to hit. We want every Cub to go to the plate looking to hit the ball-not looking for a walk. If a Cub walks to the plate and takes 7 pitches without swinging and strikes out, he may be making an appearance in his next at-bat without a bat. There is no need for the extra weight of a bat to carry, if he doesn't intend to use it. Hitting wins Championships. At 11 years old, these boys may only see one really good pitch to hit and if they get it, we want them to be ready to hit it.

Logan Hilton led off the game with a single and was caught stealing (trying to stretch the single into a double). Our coaches sent him on to second as we should try to do each time. If the opposing team has to throw the ball to make plays, they will eventually make errors. Forcing the other team to throw us out was how we eventually won the game. Drew Guffey followed with a walk and was erased by a fielders choice on a hit by Jackson Bell. Trey Hasty then tripled to drive in Jackson Bell. Paxton Bennett singled to score Trey Hasty and Cody Ware singled to score Paxton. This was Cody's first of three hits and first of 4 RBI's for the night. Ryan Townsend walked and was left stranded on first base.

Cub 3 Braves 1

Most of Varnell's runs scored as a result of walks and passed balls. Either we were just missing the plate or the umpires forgot that they were officiating 11 year old baseball. In travel ball, we have learned that if umpires realize a team is going to the plate, looking for walks, and not swinging the bat, the strike zone will grow from the chin to the toes and one foot on either side of the plate. This prevents the game from becoming a walk-fest and forces the boys to swing the bat. Logan walked 7 in this game--he had only walked 5 batters in 4 games prior to this game. In the Varnell second inning Logan walked three batters (one scored) and struck out 2.

Cubs 3 Braves 2

In the Cubs second inning, Dakota Ware and Tucker Burns walked. Logan Hilton singled to load the bases and then Drew Guffey singled to score Dakota and reload the bases. A strikeout with the bases loaded ended the inning.

Cubs 4 Braves 2

In the Varnell third, our infielders went to sleep and were obviously watching some other game besides ours. While we count all balls that are hit in which the runner reaches safely a "hit", we had dropped force outs, players were hit with thrown balls because they were looking at "girls" in the stands, made throws to the wrong bag, and had players that did not reach above their head to catch easy tosses. Varnell was credited with three hits, but all three were fielding or throwing errors. We finally had to rearrange our infield in order to get the third out and limit Varnell to 3 runs. We cannot expect to give any team 6-7 outs in an inning and hope to win.

Brave 5 Cubs 4

In the Cubs third inning we managed only one run on a double by Trey Hasty, who was then singled in by Cody Ware, his second hit and second RBI of the night. Ryan Townsend walked for his second time and was erased on a fielders choice at second base. We left two runners stranded in scoring position with the final out of the inning.

Cubs 5 Braves 5

Jackson went in to pitch in the Varnell 4th inning. Jackson pitched well, surrendering only one run on one hit and one walk. This runner scored on three passed balls. Jackson struck out 2.

Braves 6 Cubs 5

After Dakota Ware walked in the bottom of the fourth, he was stranded at 3rd base and the Cubs did not score in the fourth. Jackson came back in to pitch in the fifth and walked one and struck out three to hold the Braves scoreless with a one run lead.

Braves 6 Cubs 5

At the top of the 5th inning after our Cubs took the field, the game was called due to the 1:20 timer, just prior to the first pitch. I had always been confused as to when an inning officially started/ended in as far as the timer issue. I knew that the New Hope Early Bird game had been extended with 40 seconds left, but I assumed that was umpires discretion. Four days after we notified the WCRD that we had voluntarily agreed to play the Antioch (an extra) last inning in our next meeting (due to the same issue), I was looking up pitching rules a couple of hours before today's game. I came across the rule that stated the next inning begins immediately when the last out is made in the prior inning. When the umpire stated time was up and stated the first pitch of the next inning was the anchor point, I knew this was an improper ruling. Since he ruled it this way, I knew there was more time left on the clock when the last out was made, so it was simply a point of proving the anchor point should have been the last out of the inning by rule. Barbara Hasty (the task master) always carries the rules everywhere she goes and produced the rule. Barb is now our official Legal Representative from this point forward.

In the bottom of the last inning, Jackson Bell singled and was followed by walks to Trey Hasty and Paxton Bennett. Cody Ware line the ball up the middle to score Jackson and Trey was caught at the plate on the throw from center field. Paxton had gotten hung up between third and home and scored on a wild throw to third base. This was the game winning run and Cody was named player of the game.

You never want to win or lose a game because of a rule interpretation. You never want your team to walk away feeling cheated and you never want the other team to walk away feeling cheated. Even having to argue the issue of a timer makes both teams feel cheated. I'm sure Varnell felt the game was over and our players felt that since we had to argue "just to play 3 more outs of baseball", it diminished what they accomplished. There are no winners when this happens.