BASEBALL: Monrovia advances to championship of Northview tournament, but loses in final to host Vikings, 4-3
Northview wins on squeeze in seventh inning, ending McKiernan's 11-game win streak dating back to last season.
"I've had better days," McKiernan said.
SURPRISES
Gabrielino: Biggest shock by far. This is a team that's never won a Mission Valley League title and is tied with Arroyo in the MVL with a 6-1 record. They also have only been to the playoffs once since 2000, and with a new field in place, could be a program to contend with for years to come.
Monrovia: We're only putting the Wildcats under surprises because it appeared early on they couldn't compete against good teams without Eddie McKiernan on the mound. But look what the Cats have done in the Northview tournament, winning three games without their star throwing a single pitch. Junior Jeff Wallick has two wins in the tournament and Richard Kilbury and Allen also have pitched well. This certainly helps their chances of winning back-to-back CIF championships.
Temple City: The Rams were 11-13 a year ago, but started to 10-2 before a pair of losses in last week's San Diego tournament dropped them to 10-4. They Rams lost their first meeting against Monrovia, but still have a good shot at an RHL title with a 4-1 record to remain tied with the other boys in green.
Above: Wildcats Erik Allen isn't only doing it at the plate. He pitched a complete game shutout in the Wildcats' 8-0 win in the opening game of the Charter Oak tournament.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
Pasadena: The Bulldogs were 11-12 and 8-7 in the Pacific League last year and appeared to be a team on the rise after opening the season with a 4-3 win over St. Francis. But it has been all down hill since. The Dogs are 3-12 and only 1-5 in the Pacific.
Rosemead: The Panthers are 3-12 and 2-5 in the Mission Valley League. There was talk of the Panthers winning the league title when the season started, but now a playoff berth is the only thing the Panthers are shooting for.
SURPRISE AND DISAPPOINTMENT
South Pasadena: Look, the Tigers were 4-16 overall and 3-12 in the RHL last year, so to start the season 5-1 was a huge step in the right direction. But now they're 1-4 in the RHL with only a victory over struggling Blair. This totally mirrors the football season, so while it's nice they already have two more victories than a year ago, it's disappointing how they've done in league.
Star-News top ten
1. Pasadena Poly (12-1)
Only loss in season opener
2. Monrovia (13-3)
Look who’s making a charge
3. Alhambra (10-3)
Pounded 11-0 by Capo Valley
4. Temple City (10-4)
Lost three of last five
5. St. Francis (11-4)
Swept by Chaminade
6. San Marino (8-3)
Idle last week
7. Gabrielino (11-4)
Tied with Arroyo in MVL with 6-1 mark.
8. La Salle (10-7)
Wins Bishop Gorman tourney
9. La Canada (6-7)
Spartans are 4-3 in RHL
10. Arcadia (7-8)
Lost four of last five
CIF Polls
Division III: 1. Westminster La Quinta, 2. Alhambra, 3. Cajon, 4. Quartz Hill, 5. SA Calvary Chapel, 6. South Hills, 7. Paramount, 8. Paloma Valley, 9. Nogales, 10. St. Francis
Division V: 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Monrovia, 3. Sultana, 4. Woodcrest Christian, 5. Temple City, 6. Carpinteria, 7. Gabrielino, 8. Cerritos Valley Christian, 9. Grace Brethren, 10. Duarte.
Division VI: 1. Pasadena Poly, 2. Bishop, 3. San Jacinto, 4. Beaumont, 5. Vasquez, 6. Lancaster Desert Christian, 7. Windward, 8. Twentynine Palms, 9. Bloomington Christian, 10. Hesperia Christian.
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About this blog
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
Does anyone happen to know the dates of CIF games?
Thank you
Robbie will not be drafted in the first two round if drafted at all. There are olny 30 round this year. There are many more prospects thoughout the State let alone the country. IF you look at any of the top prospect ranking his name is no where to be seen. He will be an oustanding college pitcher and might get drafted after his three years of college. Do you guys realize how many guys hit 90plus on a regular basis in SoCal?
Can we all agree not to talk about the length or girth of player's tools? This is an ensightful blog that has a much greater than not positive take on the pasadena sports world. I appreciate Mr. Robledo's dedication to ALL the sports. I have visited other blogs where people talk just about the one MAIN sport and it really undermines the efforts of people who play anything other than football, baseball or basketball. Please don't ruin this for others. Thanks!
Jimmy J
TomS...I'm sure the men's softball blog can get nasty but do you remember the girl's soccer blog? That was NASTY!
when are the new rankings coming out? shouldnt monrovia move below sf since sf won their tournament and monrovia lost theirs?
It is impossible to say if Rasmussen will be in the show or not. There are hundreds of stories of players who were predicted to be automatic major leaguers and never make it out of college or low minors.
Fred: Hope you can clean up the posts. Let me know if I can help. I’ve been a moderator on a men’s slow-pitch softball blog site and you think things here get raunchy just imagine what is said by the stereotype beer guzzling slowpitch softball player has to say.
Thanks for the suggestions, we're working with the blog techs on this. There might be a way to block comments that have inappropriate words.
Fred,
I am glad you deleted those horrible blogs by local clowns that should be in a circus. Thank you.
Fred: You might want to consider giving 3 or 4 of us long time trusted bloggers the ability to delete objectionable posts. This would help you to get rid of the unreasonable posts that make in on. You can’t be here all the time and this might help you control this site that so many of us have come to enjoy reading. I hate to see that a very few might ruin it for all of us.
I just finished deleting more than 20 of the most inappropriate comments ever posted on these blogs. Whoever you're, go somewhere else. If I have to start releasing comments individually like back in September, I will. You can critique players and coaches on this blog, but you CAN'T attack with foul-mouthed comments.
dude, cut the shit, don't ruin a good thing for everyone else
why would sf practice
its against CIF rules to practice on sundays
and whoever said sf sucks
yeah i guess being 15 and 4 is just horrible
I guess St Francis isn't practicing today.
Monroviachica -ask your mom.
Mr. Robledo, thanks for addressing so many issues on your site. Its nice to be able to talk about more than just one thing like on other blogs. You think you could make a top 10 list of pitchers and teams in the area? I'd be interested to see where Monrovia would match up on a top 10 with Covina or Amat.....and where Demitri De La Fuente would rank on your top 10 with Rasmussen, Dearth and the boys. It would make for some very good conversation. For all I've heard and read, De La Fuente at South Hills, Rodriguez at Northview, Ponzo at San Dimas are the cream of the crop out that way. De La Fuente is undefeated with a less than 2 ERA. Anyway, it was just food for thought.
The feature story about Rasmussen that appeared the Star News on Friday was excellent. It’s true that there are so many variables that effect whether or not any player makes it to the majors…and most of them are things that the player has no control of. Even the most talented and driven athletes don’t make it because of those variables. But if there is anyone in high school in this area that has a legitimate shot it’s Rasmussen, and we should all be pulling for him.
Bottom line is: Rasmussen nor McKiernan nor Emmons ever bash players at their level...or even those below them because they're comfortable with themselves as people and players. Anyone who could seriously rip any of these three, namely RR and Eddie Mac haven't seen their work ethic, dedication and will to win. These kids all root for each other, even when they're opponents. I've personally seen it. I wish there were more guys around like Eddie and Double R. Ask any parent, teammate or friend of these guys and they'll all say "winners on and off the field."
you cant judge a player's ability to be a pro ball player in highschool wait til l he goes to the next level and see how he does maybe hell do really well maybe not
everybody that is knocking Rasmussen is jealous or has a problem with themselves. That also goes for people who say that SF has a reason to disrespect robbie. I know many of the SF players personally and they have nothing but the highest respect for rasmussen. He has a very legitimate chance of playing MLB. Everything about the guy shows that he is a ballplayer. A lefty with the dominance and control that he has will play major league ball
Rasmussen will be a first or at worse a second round pick this year - unless teams really believe that his parents will make him go to UCLA for at least a couple of years as he has told all the teams that have inquired. That still doesn't stop major league team from showing up at every game he pitches.
I remember a 1-9 Hoover football team in the 70s had 2 players play in the NFL - one for 10 years - the other in the Super Bowl. So the competition Poly plays against doesn't matter - you either have or you don't and he has it.
Anonymous,
Go to a game Rasmussen is pitching and see how many MAJOR LEAGUE scouts are there. I guess they just like hanging out in Pasadena. You are completely clueless.
anonymous wet blanket: It's a good thing Rasmussen doesn't have a motivational speaker like you for a parent. No one gets where they want to go without being confident about getting there. It's called a dream. You might want to look it up.
o my god are you guys being serious? how are you going to compare a high school kid to ron guidry and john franco whether you are being sarcaastic or literal. will everyone just get off this kids nuts! he is yet to win a big game in his entire life! he pitches at poly technic high school a D6 program. he is good, but to be talking about him as a major league pitching prospect are you kidding me? the odds are so far against him its scary. they are against any kid regardless of how many glendale players he strikes out or how high his batting average is. i bet next year there will be a new sensation that everyone will really think they have a shot at being a big leauguer. well guess what, major league players don't sprout up from a town every year. christian bergman who had a better pitchers body at 6-3 about 175 and threw equally as hard as Rasmussen with a good curve and change and led his team to the cif finals in D2 didnt even get drafted last year. the last big leaguer to come from this area went to high school eight years ago, and his name is jason hirsch. before him the last one was both greg zaun and mark loretta both from st. francis in the same year a really long time ago. you people need to realize how unfrequently towns produce big leaguers. and this kid rasmussen has not played hard competition so i dont think he will ever be one because in order to be the best you have to develop, win, and lose against the best so we will see what happens six years from now when he thinks he will be "in the major leagues"
SF BEATS OAK PARK 14-0, this gets their win streak to 5
Ron, you're right. He'll neve be a good reliever either. I should know, I'm 5-10.
yeah I agree that at 5'11" Rasmussen is too short to be a starter in the majors.
Regards,
Ron Guidry
anyone on that knocks McKiernan or Rasmussen as non team play or kids that don't have a shot at the majors is either jealous or doesn't know what they are talking about or both.
The kid knows what he could do how can you blame him he has a ton of talent and could seriously grow, if you have ever seen his dad. No one can call out Robbie anymore the kid has proved to every kid around here he can throw the rock. He is definately respected by all the real ball players around here. As for coach Solar he works a system thst needs everyone to do their job always so his first couple years with ballers like MArquardt can be excussed becaused those teams did not understand the meaning of team work. Lets just remember thst he also switched solely to baseball after leading the senior class to an undefeated freshman football season 3 years ago.
Its amazing how this bench jockey for St. Francis has nothing to do but rip McKiernan or Rasmussen or anything that isn't St. Francis. I can assure you that coach Solar wouldn't condone this monday morning quarterback bs. Solar was and is a winner and never talked smack about his peers. Learn from your coach. Rasmussen is as good a kid and pitcher as there is in the area, period. Ask local coaches, players and scouts. Whether he is a major league baseball player or not, he will be a winner in life because he cares about all the right things....which don't include going on a blog and talking trash about everyone that isn't your school or teammate. Grow a set and shut your mouth.
An athlete stating that he has a "legitimate shot" is not the same as stating "I am the best".
great article on Rasmussen - great pticher - great kid - great family - great to see. Nice to to good bright kids finish first. What a great family to send the kid to Poly - a great school - likely the best academically - for sure - not a jock factory. I don't know or think they can beat SF. But it is a great story.
You sir, are a fool. Rasmussen's competitive mindset is part of what keeps him so sharp. Have you ever even read one of his post game interviews? He is always the first one to credit the team for the win. Poly's one loss this year came against Monrovia; Rasmussen gave up 0 runs. He was pulled after the fifth because his coach didn't want to overthrow his ace in a practically meaningless game.
Finally, why would you think Poly would get out in the early rounds of the playoffs? It was this same Poly team that won the Arcadia Elks Tournament making them the unofficial WSGV champs. Even last year without Rasmussen Poly made it to the quarterfinal round of playoffs.
and the attitude any competitor has is not that "I'm the best". All great competitors care about their teammates before themselves because great athletes make everyone around them better and are not focused on how far they are going.
considering that i am only in high school you are right i havnt yet but i will be next year and i no that attitude that you have to have because my dad played pro ball all the way in the majors for six years so why don't you quiet down sir.
You obviously never played college or pro ball. Rasmussen has the attitude that any competitive athlete must have. Anything less and you get eaten alive and sent home quickly.
With command of a fastball, slider and curveball, and on occasion a change-up, Rasmussen likes his chances of playing in the big leagues.
"If I can continue to improve the way I know I can, I think I have a legitimate chance of playing (in the major leagues)," he said.
Could this kid be any more full of himself? There are 750 men that get the opputunity to play in the major leagues each year, and none of them have this kids mindset that they are the greatest thing since Jesus Christ. Sure you get the occasional Pedro Martinez but he backs it up with a 96 MPH fastball and 75 MPH changeup. You don't hear Johan Santana talking about how great he is. Rasmussen is too small to be a starter so his "shining big league career", if there ever is one, will be a bullpen pitcher. Dominating at Poly does not mean someone can dominate in the Bigs. The one hard game this kid had all year he lost. Doen't matter if he was pitching in the late innings or not, his team lost. Enough with the Rasmussen hype. So once Poly wins there trash league and loses in the second or maybe even first round of the playoffs the conversation better not be about how great he is. This kid gets way to much credit for what he is actually doing, beating kids in a league that are more worried about going to ivy league schools than swinging a bat.
No one visits that site more than once
Wow...you St Francis guys are too smart for me! And thanks for visiting my site. It proves that even angry monkeys are still curious.
McKiernan was 90-92 even in the 7th (Pasbaseballfan) you need to get the facts straight or keep ur mouth closed. The scouts said it.. the people that actually mean something. ASSHOLE
i second that last comment. BYE BYE pasadenapreps!
pasadenaprep.com - go to your website and keep posting to yourself there under different names - get off this site. Why are you even here if you have a competetive web-site - just keep posting great things about your La Salle son and putting down SF, Poly, Monrovia, Temple City and so on all who have players your son couldn't hold a candle to. Stay off this site everyone is on to you.
Pasadenapreps.com and sgv are the same guy.
There we go Gabrielino. Get it done!!!
sgv...to me, the fun of being a "fan" is the debate and PS....I don't have a son at Flintridge Prep or La Salle!
I enjoy your honest opinion PasadenaPreps. Being as I am not a SF supporter I appreciate the fact that you call things as you see it regarding their squad and all other teams for that matter.
Alex Varga with the walkoff 2 run HR against TC SM wins 5-4
I have no allegiance to any high school baseball team and have not ripped on all of them. We have posted game pictures of St Francis and Poly baseball games on our site and welcome discussions about any school or sport.
I state my opinion about what is posted here. If you want a site that only has positive posts about your team then maybe YOU shouldn’t post here anymore.
To show that I have absolutely no bias against God’s gift to high school baseball, I will post more pictures of the G-Knights last game against Loyola. I’m sorry that most of them are of Solar walking to the mound to change pitchers but that was what was going on most of the game.
Actually, I have heard that PasadenaPreps is a Flintridge Prep parent and being how terrible their baseball team is, none of this really matters to him. He seems to be one of the more objective posters on this board. I've seen his posts rip on almost everyone in the top 10 at some point or another. Honesty is key.
Golden Knight,
Pasadenapreps.com is run by the father of a La Salle player - now do you get it.
wat about beating loyola 10-3 two days earlier? wat about WINNING a tournament unlike monrovia? pasadenapreps.com, i think its time for you to stop posting on here. all you do is rip on teams. not just SF, you have ripped on monrovia, temple city, maranantha, alhambra, la salle, and on and on and on. who do you support? your just a hater without a team and NOBODY likes a hater. move on buddy get a life.
anonymous:
5-17 against Loyola would shut most big mouths up for at least a couple of weeks. What's your problem?
sf loser? I think they won monrovia lost...
Congrats to the Alverno Boys....Crespi played in a tougher tournament...next up a split with Crespi and the battle for the wildcard.
Anonymous: yeah, that's the ticket. If someone loses one game since last year and is a CIF champion, lets demean his one loss. Analyze every word of every sentence to make sure you can find something that isn't literal. Whether you like it or not, McKiernan is a winner. Deal with it. St. Francis can be good without having to rip someone else. True sign of a loser.
My Ass 90-92!!!!!!!!!!
SF wins the atascadero easter tournament for the second straight year. They beat El Segundo 14-6 in the championship. El Segundo by the way lost in the D4 championship last year and is a solid program. This is the beginning of the Knights picking up where they left off last year. They are finally starting to play like the talented team they are. To bad about Monrovia but like the guy before me said, winners don't lose in championship games.
"hes a winner from start to finish"
but he didnt finish. he lost. therefore he isnt a winner. losing isnt winning and winners dont lose in championship games. and dont come back saying stuff about last year. its over. and too bad about that great 11 game winning streak against teams like temple city and la canada. thats quite the competition.
SF is playing well at the tournament up north. I heard they are in the championship game today
Eddie is a stud. He lost, yes, but, he battled his ass off the entire game and didn't make any excuses nor did he demean the Northview victory. Winners accept all their fate and this kid is a winner from start to finish.
What's a "hole game?"
Noe Ramirez K's 17 yesterday
Coach Hertel is in the process of changing the way of thinking in SP baseball, it will take a while but he will get them there.
mckiernan was 90-92 the hole game. he shouldnt have lost the wildcats just didnt swing it. GOODLUCK the rest of the way CATS!
mckiernan was 90-92 the hole game. he shouldnt have lost the wildcats just didnt swing it. GOODLUCK the rest of the way CATS!
the guy in the picture isnt hitting the ball
Congrats GHS!
Northview beat Monrovia 4-3, scoring on a squeeze in the 7th to beat the Wildcats for the title. It was McKiernan's first loss since losing in the season opener his junior year against Alhambra...
mckiernan is throwing today against northview. the kid needed sometime off with throwing. he has pitched 4 of the 7 league games