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Show 2 THE GREEN SHEET Thursday, April 2, 1987 Is Our National Pastime Really All About? Just What caused either by pitching too much too hard for too long or by trying to or by throwing tle league elbow, (Editors Note: Associated with the American pastime most of his life, Bob Burkett was introduced to basebail at the age of 12, played amateur and semi-prball for 18 years. In various managerial roles the past 35 years here in the Salt Lake Valley, he coached WBBA teams during the leagues early years and, in recent years, has coached a team in the Salt Lake throw "curves and sliders before their arms were are rules for a ready. I know that in little league there of growing boy to pitch only a certain number innings, boy but in that number of innings, a 10 to pitches, which is about twice or might throw three times that allotted to a fully grown, mature professional pitcher. I dont believe that all the physical, mental and verbal abuse of ball players comes just from coaches, but I am sure that a lot of it comes from astounding parents who have to be aware of the amounts Major League players make. I hate to be a kill-jobut the actual odds against making big money in baseball are astronomical and a recent article boys who start in brought out that of 1,500 Babe Ruth baseball that only one of those 1,500 will ever play professional baseball, let along Major League baseball. One of the regions in high school baseball started two games a league play on March 24 and is playing week. I don't know why this schedule was made, but I do hope that no coach in this region who has one outstanding pitcher will try to pitch that young man nearly every game. I can already hear the argument that major leaguers might pitch a couple times a week, but the truth is, a major leaguer might pitch on Tuesday, then Saturday and again on Wednesday, but in all probability, he would start on Tuesday, Sunday and Friday. Then too, there is another glaring difference the professional will pitch only - he will not play shortstop or third base or even outfield in games between pitching starts. So what is my point? Purely and simply that I would like to urge all coaches, all parents and everyone involved in any aspect of baseball to use common sense in a game that I have enjoyed dnd loved for many years. I would also like to suggest that every age group in baseball, from little league right through Legion and high school baseball, set up rules for innings pitched, even better pitches made, both in regular season and tournament play, so that the abuse of willing young players, especially pitchers and catchers, could be stopped. Lastly, I would like to quote from a book by Robin Roberts, great pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in the Fifties and Sixties, who told how he would excitedly run home to tell his dad how many strikeouts or how many hits he had gotten in his youth league games, only to be met by his dads constant rejoinder, Thats fine, son, but did you have fun? Lets all of us, parents, coaches, spectators, remember, this is really what amateur baseball is all about-- - to have fun. o Valley American Legion League. 250-30- 0 ) by Bob Burkett Green Sheet Staff II riter g MURRAY. Spring officially arrived cn March 21 but even before that date one of the sounds of Spring, like the voice of the turtle, could be heard throughout the land. That sound is the sound of bat against ball and for the next five months baseball will reign throughout the area as high school ball, peewee, little league, Babe Ruth, Automotive, Bonnett Ball and Legion baseball, is being played by hundreds of young men and women. Baseball has been a big part of my life for more years than I like to remember, as a player, as a parent of players and as an amateur coach at all levels, and I would like to make a few observations based on ex- perience as another season begins. -- Analysis baseman. All of us are against child abuse, but I have seen many examples of it in more subtle ways in the years I have been associated with this great game. I have sten little boys cringe while being bawled out by coaches; I have seen other little boys hang their heads in shamt while being ostracized by, of all people, their parents over some minor thing like striking out. I have seen older boys pitch two, three and even four games in a week, directed to do so by coaches who should know better. I have seen catchers overworked by catching double hearders and other catchers being put in pitch for seven or eight innings in a game after having already caught for several innings. I have seen young men put in to pitch time after time without proper time to warm up and I have seen young men who might have had futures in baseball ruined by over zealous coaches who either didnt knw better or who were only interested in one thing - to win whatever the cost. I read in a book that in one recent summer, 10,000 boys were treated by doctors for what is known as lit The Jags costed to a 12-win Friday amidst periods of sunshine and snow flurries. BACK IN TIME . . . Ray Wilkes of West Jordan darts back to first well ahead of toss to Judge first 1 Competition Continues For Bulldogs Pre-Leag- ue SALT LAKE. Judge Memorial lost its first game of the season Friday, when fell before a good West Jordan team The Bulldogs also lost to Granger in a Monday slugfest (See Granger story). Judge will play at Grantsville today (Thursday) and has a practice game with Granite set for Saturday. The Bulldogs will then entertain East at home on Wednesday, April 8. They will open league play at home against Murray on Thursday, April 12-- 1 16-1- 5 9. Judge head coach Dan Medina said that since the contest with West Jordan was Judges first, he experimented a great deal, used all of his players and had five of his pitchers throw to get them ready for league play. Seeing action on the mound for Judge were Robert Chacon, Jayme Leyba, Troy Zupan, Chad McCarty and Ben Soto, all against West Jordan. The Jaguars Guy Fowlkes was the winning pitching, working the first five innings, striking out two, walking two and giving up four hits. Robert Ryan provided much of the offensive spark for West Jordan, belting a triple and a single for three rbi's. Shane Carlson and Travis Jessop drove in two runs each for the Jags. West Jordan also hurt Judge with its baserunning. Brett Molen had two singles, beating out close tosses to first on both hits. Once on base, Molens jack rabbit quickness netted several stolen bases. Warriors Hold Off Titans 13-- 6 HOLLADAY. A seven-ru- n innings. Brent Burton singled in Bill Ogden in the first then Jeff Davis and Burton added rbi singles in the second. Singles by Jeff Geertsen and Alan followed by an error accounted for the third inning run, while in the fourth Geertsen singled in Burton. itself in Taylorsville the top of the sixth, scoring six more runs, two on a double by Todd Willberger. Steve Wooley and Mike Brown also ended the game with two top of the first and a sixth paced Taylorsville's baseball team to a victory at Olympus Friday in Region Three action It was the Warriors second win of the young league slate and the Titan's second loss Tomorrow (Friday), Taylorsville hosts Cyprus, while Olympus On entertains Granite, also Tuesday, the Warriors will be at Granger and Olympus at Cyprus. Region Three games start at 3:30 six-ru- n 13-- 6 1 rbis. Olys last run came home in the sixth as Brian Hill reached on an error, advanced to second and third and scored on a passed ball. Dave Littlewood, who threw the first four and innings, got the pitching win, striking out five. p m. Kevin Quinn provided much of the spark in the opening inning for Taylorsville, belting a solo home run and. later in the same frame, adding a two-rudouble. Leon Facer added a two-rutriple. Olympus fought back to within two a scoring once in the bottom of one-thir- n d Mark Tolbert finished. n runs were scored Taylorsvilles off 16 hits and the Warriors gave up three errors. Olympus had nine hits and committed five errors. Top Titan hitters included Burton, who was 2x4 with two rbis and scored once, and Geertsen, who was 2x3 with one rbi and scored once. We had people in scoring poscommented Olympus coach tion, Mark Lyons, but we just couldn't bring them home. After that big top of the seventh, they (Olympus) really pecked away at us, noted Ron Rushton, Taylorsvilles coach. Then we pulled away again in the sixth. 13 the first, twice in the second and once in each of the third and fourth THANK YOU would like to thank you for participating m oui vu'onary pay program Much of our carriers wage comes from your payment, and if they do a good iob we hope you reward them we greatly appreciate your support The Green Sheet 151 E 4905 South Murray, Utah 04107 We 262 6662 Office Hours Friday, Sam 5pm Peter Bernhard, Publisher Robert Pnnce, V P Operations Bill Olson, V P Marketing Donald Robinson, Editor Ethel Bradford, Editor Monday AN AD in Classified will bring quick Karen Egli, Circulation Pat Robinson, Circulation Jan Brown, Business response and the results you want. 262-668- 2 -- Schedules Region Three Friday, April Region Three 3 Warriors Edge Pirates, Granger, Kearns Tie Up Kearns at Cottonwood Olympus at Cyprus Taylorsville at Granger Skyline at Granite Tuesday, April 7 Skyline at Kearns Granger at Olympus Cottonwood at Taylorsville Granite at Cyprus MAGNA. Wrapping up Tuesday afternoon action in Region Three baseball, Taylorsville, in a real pitwith ching dual with Cyprus, won a bottom of the seventh run, Skyline edged past Cottonwood Olympus pounded Granite 13-- and Granger and Kearns ended up knotted at when the game had to be called in the bottom of the eighth inning due to darkness. In a practice contest from Monday, Cyprus fell to Weber All Region Three games will Region Six 0 6 7 Murray at West Thursday, April 9 13-1- Tooele at Jordan Murray at Judge Region Six games will start at 3:30 p.m. Taylorsville Soccer Team Takes First WEST VALLEY. name, Contrary the Nightmares teams championship to its soccer win in indoor play this season has been a dream come true. Playing in the Under 10 division of the Salt Lake Recreation League, team members each had a trophy presented to team on March 14. This West Valley team has been together since the Fall of 1985. All were new to competition soccer and each player was recruited from a recreation soccer team. Prestine James, stop Dunyon and catcher Bills of Kearns. Olxmpus 2 start at 3:30p.m. Tuesday, April - Wrap-U- p Nightmares along with Sidney Wade, assistant coach, organized the team knowing it would take a while to have a winning season. They wanted to have the players learn from experience the benifits or working together to win. Their philosopthy has paid off. During the team's first season, the Nightmares didnt win a single game, but took third in its second year. Now team members have earned the indoor championship. Team members include Eric Nyberg, Chad Lassig, Nathan James, Wade Christensen, Curtis Magleby, Brent Bailey, Andy Bird, Robert Clegg, Spencer Mulford and Michael Jordan. coach, 3, Cyprus2 Taylorsvilles Mike Brown slapped a bottom of the seventh single that brought in pinch hitter Dave Littlewood and gave the Warriors their third victory in league play. The real story of the game was the dual between Taylorsville hurler Mark Tolbert and Cyprus pitcher Preston Lohmeyer. Tolbert, the winner, struck out nine, walked two and gave up five hits, while Lohmeyer notched six ks, three hits and three walks. Both teams played solid games in the field, according to Warrior coach Ron Rushton. Kearns 6, Granger 15 Granite 0 Brian Hill pitched five innings of perfect baseball for the home team on Tuesday as Olympus won its first league game against two losses. Doug harris finished for the Titans and allowed the hit by Tony Moulton. Eric Richards started for the Farmers with Moulton finishing up. The Olympus attack, which gave them a first inning edge and an lead after three, was led by Ryan Losser who had two triples in his 3x4 day and Steve Ogden went two for three for the game. Hill struck out eight during his outing and the Olympus team had 12 hits against the one for Granite. infield played great Olympus defense and this, as opposed to the 0 8-- 0 Granite defensive problems, especially in the outfield, and along with the disparity in hitting, made for the large margin of victory. Sk line 4 Cottonw ood 2 Skyline won its first league game of the season Tuesday afternoon when they beat Cottonwood Skyline's Todd Heugley and the Colts Tim Kinder hooked up in an old fashioned pitching duel with two runs in the first by the Eagles being the winning margin The home team went ahead by in the second only to see Cottonwood in the third on John come back to Harris double and Kinders single. After the Eagles increased their lead to the Colts scored another in the sixth and had several chances in the late innings but could not cash . 0 1 in. Tim Kinder, pitching his first game of the year, allowed only five hits in five innings with Bob Helm pitching the sixth. Heugley allowed seven hits but struck out 11, a lot of them at crucial times. Smith doubled and Hughes homered for the winners while catcher John Harris had two doubles for the Cottonwood team. Weber 13Cjprus Continued on page 8 10 6 WORTH BLUE DOT After finishing regulation play tied at Grangers Jonas Hamlin belted towering home run in the top of the eighth to give the Lancers the lead, temporarily. But in the bottom half of the inning, a sacrifice fly by Kearns Monty Perea evened things again. The game was called due to darkness and will be finished when next the two teams meet. Mike Peterson pitched all the way for Kearns, while Kelly Peterson threw for Granger. Granger had 10 hits, including Hamlins round triper, two doubles by Rich Fratto and a pair of singles by Peterson. Kearns also had 10 hits as Todd Funderberk went 3x5 with a triple, John Brown and Perea had two singles each and Daren Bills and Glen Dunyon also hit well. 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