Swordsmen Win a Wild One
I had hoped to walk away convinced from Thursday's championship game of the St. Paul Tournament of who was definitely the area's best team.
While St. Paul will certainly get the nod in next week's poll, you have to credit both teams for playing a great game won by the Swordsmen in the bottom of the seventh, 4-3.
Even though La Mirada struggled at the dish, the Matadores (10-8) were actually up 2-0 by the middle of the fourth without even collecting a hit.
Infielder Andres Rodriguez ended up producing La Mirada's lone hit off St. Paul ace Gabe Encinas, who fanned 11 and walked and hit four batters.
The storylines were abundant.
La Mirada's Karl Perez made a sensational diving catch in the sixth to rob Anthony Ybarra of a go-ahead double. It was an emotional return to St. Paul for Perez, who transferred last year.
While the scouts came to see Encinas, La Mirada's Daniel Poncedeleon made quite an impression on a few of the four major league scouts. One even asked, "where has this kid been hiding?"
The St. Paul offense, which has struggled all year to produce clutch hits, had a pair of two-out RBI singles from Nick Oddo in the fifth to tie the game and Andrew Chico in the seventh to win it.
Oddo, who had also slumped for the majority of the season, had a two-game renaissance in which he homered twice and banged out six hits.
Overall, it was a great finish to the end of the tournament.
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About this blog
Steve Ramirez is the prep sports editor for the Whittier Daily News.
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You out there that are inclined to "bash" the schools for whatever reason, the coaching staff, and the players by name should "zip it up". Keep your expert opinions to yourself; no one else is interested. They are all doing their best with what they have.
SP Homer, if all the talent are playing their very talented in making a lot of errors. They've taught that for the last seven years. With all the experience they have way don't they win . May be they should play the kids who have heart . Sometimes heart can out way talent,and lets not forget academics!!!
Don't ever go against a Swordsman's family ever!
Anonymous said:
As a SP homer I try and defend our school and our teams as much as I can. I know SP isn't perfect
Anonymous you are falling for the oldest trick in the book. You're talking about perfect, we SP have it right and more than any other school in the area. So shut up!
As a SP homer I try and defend our school and our teams as much as I can. I know SP isn't perfect but we have a bunch of great kids and I am proud of their success.
What I am not proud of is the supposed SP supporters who come on and rip the kids, coaches etc. I get the fact you are frustrated that your kid isn't playing but talent rises to the top.
And if you are going to come on here and rant....at least write it a way that we can understand it. Obviously some of these guys did not spend a lot of time in English class!
i have a kid on the team now and its obvious, just look a Wilson he cant hit and he isn't good enough for our weak division and league, yes amat is the leader but even than there not Edison or any other So Cal power house. hell favoritism is a standard because Sp needs money.
Hay Coach Morales is one of the worst coaches in prep baseball for favoritism. It is sickening. As a parent in the last 6 years he has lost a lot of good kids.The kids who left the baseball teams in those years quit the team knowing they would not play do to his favorites. SAME ON YOU COACH .
Wow hotter than a pepper spout, what about Him. Hum, or maybe it doesn't matter "Her"?, its all good, LoL. St.Paul isn't paying for any divorce papers.
WHY! Are you blogging about me? If you are, you think you are right, but you are way off. I was a good athlete in high school, lettering in Football and Baseball. I also played ball at Cal Poly Pomona and started, under the legend John Scolios, who is in the top 5 college baseball coaches for WINS.
I do not put down kids. Maybe some parents, some boosters, and once in a while coaches.
I was never the best but did play in over 200 college baseball games, and you do not start at a place like Cal Poly in the 70's and not be pretty good. You are definitely right about one thing though; I loved to play. And a lot did come out of those 3 to 4 hundred at bats in college. It was a beautiful experience. I learned plenty; I learned about all kinds of things that experience teaches.
What are you some Psychologist want to be? Mind your business, that blog was about me and one of those Anonymous's that I have had many serious disagreements with.
Sorry for all the disagreements, noticed St. Paul avg. on maxpreps are coming in. Does not look to good.... Keep your heads up kids....
Honestly it's not the fact you get on people's nerves, it's the fact that you havn't grown up yet and you wish you were back in high school. So the only way you feel apart of high school is by trying to talk about another high school kid. I guarantee you that your one of those people that tried to play a sport, and played it because you liked it. You knew nothing was going to come out of it, and you weren't the best guy on your team.
I think that's why you hate on these kid's, because they get more publicity around the area than you ever did. That's why you like talking about others, and try to act like you know those kids first hand.
i have a Gabe for two classes and my cousin has him for one, he is not there, just ask the over all faithful who want SP to be a academic school like in the 80's or 70's. look at the geographic make up today. we are sicking fast!
Why! -
That is what I've been trying to say...sometimes succesfully...sometime not. :)
Baseball Fan
Sports Fan Original-
I think we've taken a big step towards "making up"!
I got a proposition for you....regular season for baseball will be over in 2 to 3 weeks. How about when playoffs start, we pick a game (can be any local team) and we meet there, watch the game and talk babseball?
You can bring your perspective and I'll bring mine. Should make the game a lot more fun to watch.
Baseball Fan (AKA Anonymous)
Anonymous..I appreciate that. And, I will admit one thing to you (as much as I hate to)...I do have the ability to get on peoples nerves here and there!
Maybe if we keep trying we can mend some of our ill feelings toward one another.
I just don't understand how people could be talking about other kid's whether it's about sports or school. To say someone isn't going to graduate. That's not cool at all. Come on have you actually sat down and talk to Encinas. I have, and to say he isn't going to graduate, that's funny. He is and everyone knows it. Do you people get his report card, do you see his test scores, NO! Then why you going to put him down like that.
Also for everyone, doesn't matter what school your talking about and what player. You all should be ashamed of yourself. Your talking crap about a kid, wow, why don't you try and grow up for once? How old are all of you? Everyone just needs to worry about there owne business, and stop trying to make someone else look bad.
Sports Fan Original-
OK....you are right. When I make comments about you I am just as bad as the people I rail against. I'll take this opportunity to apolgize to you. I don't know you and I shouldn't be making assumptions about you and then posting them.
I still stand by my statement about making negative comments about the kids on any team and any sport. It isn't right. All these kids are out there because they love the game. I applaud them for making that effort and thank them for many enjoyable days and nights of watching our kids participate in sports.
As I mentioned before many of these kids in the area grew up together and I make the effort to go see as many of these kids play as is possible.
Yes Anonymous...and you know a lot about negatives and "demons". Who are you, "Miss Goody Good?" When you put others down, you do not even realize that YOU are being negative.
What? Your rules do not apply to you?
Listen anonymous or SP faithful you habitually show up here with a shopping cart of rocks heave them towards everyone and everything, and when one is thrown back, you cry fool. I think Sports Fan Original is right!
Sports Fan Original-
For once you are making lucid comments that I actually understand instead of your rambling rants, even though you are completely off base about my comments. My issue is about making negative comments about the kids. I get that life is about positives and negatives but is really necessary for people to make deragatory comments about kids in a forum like this?
What is being accomplished by that?
Yeah, I know....you like to tell it like it is, right?
Some of these comments made hinge upon the absurd. Why are league alignment and strength, team stats, individual stats, and who did good or bad so darn important and worthy of comment? What is important is that the same local youth we write about are in high school getting and education and working their way to a diploma as well as putting in a great amount of extra hours after school competing in a sport they love.
He or she (one of those Anonymous's) knows alot about negative. Plenty. Great baseball? Try good.
This Anonymous thinks it knows enough to "shame" others and does not seem to comprehend that life is about positives and negatives. She (or he) relates negative to hate. That is how it sees it.
I would not want to hear this Anonymous's political outlook. The other party are probably "negative" not others seeking different values.
Mr Hillmen:
First of all I don't think most of the negative comments that are supposedly posted by St. Paul Faithful are actually someone associated with St. Paul. For those few that might be....well....they do not reflect how the rest of us feel.
As far a reliable tactic.....demonizing local school systems and bringing them to SP...are you serious? Oh yeah....posting negative comments on a blog is really going to drive kids to our school.
I think you miss my point. I find it distasteful that anyone has to resort to bashing kids anonymously on a blog. I've seen it here and on other blogs. I don't care where that person is from or who they root for. To bash ANY kid regardless of school affliation is not right. In this particular thread someone has gone after kids I know and I am using this forum to express my displeasure with that. Keep the kids out of it.
Anonymous why is it appalling and ignorance, negative now, when 99&3/4’s of those comments is coming from St.Paul Swordsmen faithful. Isn’t this reliable tactic that St.Paul uses to acquire kids away from their communities? To demonize their local school system and neighborhoods and bring them to SP.
I also find it appalling that you posters have to resort to making negative comments about individual players. I know these kids. They are great kids and we at St. Paul are proud of them and their successes.
Why do you people find it necessary to bash everyone and anything? We should be celebrating these kids whether they are from St. Paul, Santa Fe, Whittier, Montebello or whatever city or school they are from. We've got some really talented kids in this area. Many of them have played together. Go out and enjoy watching them while you can. You are missing some great baseball being played in our area.
You all should be ashamed of yourselves. I have to agree with Her&Him....what a bunch of negative people. I'll take it one step further....what a bunch of losers.
What is the big deal about entering stats in MaxPreps? Have you seen how many schools DON'T enter stats in MaxPreps? Why is SP being singled out?
How about the schools that enter stats and inflate the stats? No one is saying anything about that?
And no....I am not an SP coach.
And to the guy posting under "no balckhoe". It is obvious you are from Amat with your reference to slime and how SP has lost so many to Amat. You downplay SP and your beloved Lancers in the same breath saying that LM is an more competitive league. The Del Rey is a far stronger league than the Suburban. The Del Rey has a higher power rating than the Suburban, Del Rio, Almont and Freeway.
Your ignorance is showing again.
It's about time he stats hitting it makes up for all the error,s he makes.
answer about way s.p. dose not post max prep avg. Coach might expand avg. to his favorites.also of all the errors the team have.
It's true,........Encinas wont graduate nor go to college, hey it justs keep happening at SP. Encinas will go about the 5 round in the draft.
He is not a classroom guy, but why punish him if has the talent to play at the second and highest level and make a good living that a degree won't give him. my kid has a class with him and he's not up to par and maybe no fault of his own, in the off season he plays alot of baseball.
Now I know why I stopped blogging on this site. What a bunch of negative people we have living in the community!!! Why not be upbeat and be thankful we have a group of talented students who want to participate in extra curricular activities and give the fans some really great games to watch.
My two kids love St. Paul - they wouldn't change schools even if I offered them a 2010 Mustang!!
Great game Swordsmen and Matadores. Keep it up through the season. Stay above the dirty talking fray out there. We love to watch you young athletes play!
They SP wont reveal the students GPA, athletes forget it.
4 Comments
high school fan said:
Does anybody have any idea why St. Paul does not post the players avg. on maxpreps? Could not find their teams avg. Curious to see the avg. of the players.
April 9, 2010 4:20 PM
Encinas wont graduate nor go to college, hey it justs keep happening at SP. Encinas will go about the 5 round in the draft.
la serna is the weakest of the next teams, the slime will win second again for about 17 losses to amat. At least LM wins it league, a league that is more competitive sp's league.
Does anybody have any idea why St. Paul does not post the players avg. on maxpreps? Could not find their teams avg. Curious to see the avg. of the players.
with cantwell, la serna, and montogomery in their schedule he should be hitting .800. so yeah, he is slumping. LOL
oddo hasnt been slumping!
what are you talking about?
hes almost hitting .500
if you think hes slumping then what do you expect him to hit?
hes leading SP in hits, hrs, avg
come on now
That was a great game. Two very good high school pitchers went at it and made for an exciting championship game. Good luck to both teams and I'm sure both will have success in the playoffs. Go Swordsmen