SOFTBALL: No style points, but Spartans win again
After winning just one game in league a year ago, La Canada off to a perfect 3-0 start
By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
SOUTH PASADENA — There is something different about the La Cañada High School softball team.
The Spartans seem to have fun, in the field or in the dugout. They play, for the most part, solid defense. And then there’s the big thing: They win.
La Cañada took a firm hold on first place in the Rio Hondo League with a 3-1 victory over host South Pasadena on Wednesday. The Spartans, who won one league game last season, are 3-0 in league play.
“This team, we have a lot more team bonding,” said Amanda Ulf, whose two-run double gave the Spartans the lead in the sixth inning. “We have a lot of fun together. Everyone works well together. Everyone is friends.
“I definitely did not think we’d be 3-0, especially since we have a new coach every year. But (coach K.C.) Matthews, all the way!”
The Spartans remained undefeated in league play with some timely defensive plays and by taking advantage of their best scoring opportunity.
“They’ve come together and they believe in each other[BODY],” Matthews said[/BODY]. “We all believe in each other. We don’t look pretty. We’re not a pretty team, but we’re the only one that is 3-0. Three down and nine to go. We’re checking them off the list.”
With South Pasadena leading, 1-0, La Cañada’s Kylie Mulligan led off the sixth when she was hit in the foot on a Nichole Parada pitch. Parada then got a strikeout, but Lucy Filippone drew a walk, in which South Pasadena coach Mike Williams was thrown out of the game for questioning the strike zone.
Anna Applebaum loaded the bases when a grounder went underneath third baseman Brittany O’Dell. Ulf then sent a 1-2 changeup just over the outstretched mitt of center fielder Mackenzie Johnson to score two runs. Ulf scored on Abby Ulf’s groundout.
“I actually was expecting (the changeup) because she pitched two outside and she hadn’t thrown it in like four batters,” Amanda Ulf said. “She has a really good changeup. We did a lot of changeup drills (on Tuesday) and that helped a lot.”
It seemed like only a matter of time before Williams might be tossed. He sought a catchers interference call earlier and then complained when Parada was thrown out at the plate in the fifth inning, which would have given the Tigers, now 2-2 in league, a 2-0 lead. He said it was the first time he had been ejected in 12 years of coaching at South Pasadena.
“I let them down by getting tossed,” he said. “It truly doesn’t matter. My catcher was asking, ‘Where?’ and he takes offense to that. I’m going to protect my girls. But the bottom line is we lost. He didn’t lose the game, we did.”
The Spartans had runners on first and second bases in the third inning and Abby Ulf reached third with two outs in the fifth.
South Pasadena scored its lone run in the second. Amanda Castro led off with an infield single despite a great play by shortstop Filippone. She was sacrificed to second base, took third on a Lauren O’Leary wild pitch and scored on Kelsey Hertel’s bloop single into center field.
With two outs in the fifth, Parada singled and stole second base. Katrina Skogsberg hit a grounder at Filippone and, with Parada charging off the bag, Filippone failed to judge the ball and it skipped off her glove into center field. But it careened right to Mulligan, whose throw to catcher Anna Edwards was on the mark and Parada was called out.
“We made a couple of errors that obviously we shouldn’t make,” Matthews said. “It’s like they let them come off the back of their head, but it doesn’t bother them.”
The Tigers threatened again in the seventh. O’Dell and Laura Parada singled and leadoff hitter Nichole Parada then hit a sharp, low-flying line drive down the first-base line that would have appeared to put her on second base with a double. But first baseman Devon Zerebko made a diving catch and beat Laura Parada back to the bag to end the game.
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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. |
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Anon 9:08 probably right -yet another wimp trust baby from LC
You are attributing Anon 1050 to being a SP fan, I believe it is an LC fan. I don't think SP fans care that much about that guy.
Jim M. is not hated in football circles. He is celebrated, what is hated is a LC coaching HC and adminstration that is so bad that the last 3 years any talented football player in LC went to SF, LS, L or other local schools. It has happened again this year with 7 or 8 top football players in LC going to SF. It is pathetic that gutless trolls like anon 10:50 are allowed to post such complete lies. Jim M is the best softball coach and fotball coach in LC and that is not to take anything away from the job the LC softball coach is doing (which I think is excellent) but without Jim M and all his contributions over the years and working with the girls in the summer and taking these girls from LL to tavel ball I doubt LC wins a game. Look what happen to the LCHS football program once he got out of coaching youth football - has LC won a football game since? So thanks Jim M. and pay no attention to what morons like Anon 10:50 post. Anybody with half a brain know the truth and thanks for all your contribution to softball and football over the years. Thank you again Jim M and as the SO Pas softball coach says just "do what you do".
Anon 10:50 the joke is on you - you lost and are 4-8. Just like last year over - rated!
I don’t think I'm giving up the secrets of the Holy Grail, but I’ll try and give a change-up discription.
What is the right “situation” for a change-up:
* The very best time for a pitcher to throw a change-up is when the batter is a strong and aggressive hitter and is swinging hard and expecting something fast.
* Also, it is a bad time for a pitcher to throw a change-up when the batter is a strong and aggressive hitter and is swinging hard and expecting a change-up. (You’ll even see very advanced batters who are good hitters fool a pitcher into throwing a change-up by swinging out of their shoes on a pitch to fool a pitcher into throwing a change-up their next pitch and they’re looking for it.)
* The very worst time to throw a change-up is when the batter is a weak and unaggressive hitter and has a slow swing.
* Pitchers and/or coaches with inexperience or lack confidence will only throw change-ups when they are ahead of the batter in the count or runners are not in scoring position. Pitchers and/or coaches with experience and confidence will throw change-ups with any count and it doesn’t matter whether there are runners on base. (The exception to this is it is a bad time for a pitcher to throw a change-up when the batter is “taking” or “swinging-to-miss” with a runner on base (generally 1st Base) and the runner on base is stealing, especially if there are less than 2 outs.)
As for the “experience or confidence” discussion, that’s where the characteristic explanation comes in:
When talking about characteristics of a pitch, that is what is refered to as a pitcher’s “command”. The best pitchers, have the best “command” of their pitches which is a combination of:
* Being able to locate a pitch to a very specific spot at or around the strike zone.
* Having the exact movement of a specific pitch on demand.
* Having the ability to vary pitch speed on demand.
Command is the most important overall characteristic of any type of pitch. The command characteristics specific of a great change-up are:
* Being able to control it to hit any specific spot around the strike zone.
* The best movement is that at the plate it tails-out, flairs-in, or drops-down. (Also, there is no hump in the path of the pitch from the pitcher to the plate.)
* Speed drops in a good change-up are -15% to -30% off of the pitchers hard stuff. (Also, not really a “change-up” but the best pitchers can throw “off-speed” speed variations of every type of pitch of -5% to -15% off of their hard version of a type of pitch.)
A body mechanics characteristic of a good change-up is that pitcher has no change or slow-up in their motion. Actually, a good change-up is thrown harder (and takes more energy to throw). The ball speed is slower, but the ball spin is much faster, giving the split-second illusion to the batter of more speed.
You may be able to get by the so-so high school competition, especially at 40’, with primarily speed. The reality is good batters love speed and they hit it. But if you want to be successful at high level travel ball, and college, which are both at 43’, you have to have development of the 3 command characteristics on each of your pitches. Adding in a “3 command characteristic” change-up is a big plus to any pitcher’s repertoire.
One last point, pitching to a specific batter is not a bunch of single events pitch-by-pitch. The greatest pitch callers (coach, catcher, or even the pitcher themselves) view that one pitch leads into the next pitches and ultimately comes up with a desired result on a single batter (at least that’s the goal). A credo in major league baseball is that, “great hitting is timing, and great pitching is the interruption of that timing”. Strike-out Pitchers will start with identifying the specific batter’s weakness and the umpire’s strike zone, and then call a series complementary of pitches with total command that keep the batter off balance and that series will culminate with a pitch that is that 3rd strike (or ground out pitch, or fly out pitch). This is the reason why command is so critical to advanced coaches.
A great example was the Women’s College World Series last June between Arizona and Tennessee. The only pitchers in the final best of 7 series were the 5’4” change-up throwing Taryne Mowatt and the 6’4” 70+ mph flame throwing Monica Abbott. Arizona resoundingly beat Tennessee, also beating all of the odds-makers, lead by Mowatt’s pitching. Mowatt also won the ESPY being named the “2007 Female Athlete of the Year” by ESPN (not for just college softball, but for all athletics, including both amateur and professional). Another example is the #1 Ace on the USA Olympic team is Cat Osterman – she is not a flame thrower by any means (throws in the low 60’s) but her command is amazing and does that ball ever move (movement diminishes as speed increases).
If you think it is me that is posting things about Jim M. (which you are inplying) you are wrong. I have spoken with Jim in the past and we have had a decent relationship. In fact,I have stood up for him. Unfortunately at the game this last week I let him get under my skin, because I thought he was too close to the fence and his voice was the most dominant thing happening in the game and I didn't like it. It might also have to do with the fact that were about to lose a very close game to a much improved La Canada team, our head coach was kicked out of the game and I was a little uptight. I work hard every week to be a better coach as our kids work hard every week to be better players.
That being said I would appreciate it if you would leave my daughter out of it. She is completely innocent in this picture and she is dealing with plenty trying to cope with college softball and college academics. Plus it must be hard having an evil dad.
PS: She is doing pretty good with a .318 batting average and now seems to be in the starting rotation, but in college ball you have earn it every week.
A good change up is thrown when it is least expected and should be low and just outside of the strike zone. It should mostly be thrown against pretty good hitters.
A good pitcher should have at least two off speed pitches, it keeps the batters off balance and makes up for a lack of speed against great hitters.
Did someone mention changeup again? In an effort to steer the discussion away from LC and SP, what makes a good or not so good changeup, or am I asking for the secrets of the Holy Grail?
Last year's SP catcher is doing very well as the starting catcher for South Caroline in the SEC as a freshman. She was even on TV 3 days ago playing a doubleheader against the Florida Gators. Who knows who your talking about.
I guess I would spend time posting in blogs with ill will and mean spirit if my daughter got a division one ride and quit too. Leave Jim M. alone and leave your comments to yourself if you just can't have fun in here.
How does South Pasadean let a coach like you continue while you have so much evil in you. Let go of your childhood memories of daddy not playing with you and get over it.
Move on you coach girls focus on them.
Same thing happened last year. LC came away with a few of unlikely wins early in the season. Baby Blue Jim M started claiming dominance which was fine but he also started posting insulting posts. Then the tides changed seriously for the worst for the team. The other sad thing was, so did the LC blog posts, the poster went anonymous and started calling out their own coaches, and sin-of-sins, he started calling out LC players by name. As was the case with the 2 previous LC coaches, the same guy openly criticized his newest victim/coach early on this season out of some weird jealousy, but now with the last few early wins he's flip-flopped again jumping on the bandwagon proclaiming the new coach as the next Tommy Lasorda. Actually, the new coach is doing a great job and is the biggest reason for the LC victories this season, but unfortunate for him, he has 2 opponents, the other teams, and Baby Blue Jim M when the team isn’t winning. Truth be told, this character was a joke in LL constantly embarrassing himself, he’s hated in football circles, he thinks he's a travel ball coach with a joke local summer team, and the LC administration doesn’t know what to do with him. Please stop embarrassing LC, put your ego and neuroses aside, and just let the team play.
The kids and parents at attendance at the games should start recording the behavior of the fans and coaches. Post them on youtube and spread the word. Send the links to everyone and hopefully embarrass them enough to curb the ridiculous behavior. Some idiots might enjoy their minutes of "fame", but this will also provide proof and cause to ban these "adults" from further attendance.
Anon1022pm,
If SP is overrated over the last few years so is TC. You guys are 5-5 in your last 10 matchups and TC, like SP, lost to LC this year.
The funny thing about Anon 10:14's comment is that thaere are no new players on the team this year. The only freshman that I know of is Laura Parada, the pitchers sister,and I don't think that is them. This sounds like the same voice as anon10:00pm speaking with a forked toungue.
You might want to do your research before you make a comment like that.
The Spartans started the game with several errors and that cost them early and then they settled down. I don’t think they made an error after the third inning.
The Spartans finally caught up to the Titans pitcher and started spraying line drives to all fields. All of San Marino’s runs were unearned. The Spartans had several bases loaded opportunities that they capitalized on. Amanda and Abby U. had key doubles with runners on as did third baseman Lucy. However the single thing that got the Spartans going was Devon Z. (LC’s First basemen) hitting an over the fence home run in the third that narrowed the lead to 4-3. Every batter batted in the fourth where the Spartans pick up four runs to make the score 7-4. They added a run or two every inning until the seventh.
San Marino switched pitchers in the late innings but it didn’t matter because the Spartans went “gap”, “gap” against the second pitcher as well.
San Marino had their head coach back for this game and the lady assistant coach between the top and bottom of the seventh started kicking the bats in the dugout like a mad woman. It caught everyone’s attention and it went on for over a minute. The lady Titans were afraid to enter the dugout.
It didn’t help either side that the home plate umpire in madly in love with change ups and would call any change up anywhere for both pitchers strikes. When you have umpires calling slow pitch looking change ups strikes the batters really have to start swing at anything close. Who know this may have help the girls hit, but it was another plate ump showing everyone it was about him that day. The ump on the bases did an outstanding job as he had to make several call as their were 14 runs scored.
Looks like La Canada beat San Marino 10 - 4. San Marino led 4-2 at one point. Anyone have more info?
how about that changeup discusion? any opinions?
Here we go again with the same stuff as last year. Can't you just let the kids enjoy their successes as they come. No one cares to hear anymore about the off the field stuff from that game a couple of days ago. Let it rest whoever you are. I have no tie with either school and there was inappropriateness from select individuals of both sides and it's time to move on. Posting anonomously pretenting to be someone your not is ridiculous and to try and provoke continued discussion and further a false point-of-view pretenting you are someone is insulting.
big deal you beat a team that is 4-8. SP has been overrated for years; the worst fans for years: the biggest babies for years. LC will go down hard this week when TC come to LC - just like football - Just like last year. Then you can join SP in the crying and belly aching section.
This is my daughter's first year playing for SP and I am embarrassed at the way our fans behave. There was nothing the LC fans did but cheer for their team and point out correctly calls on the field. Why are our coaches concerned with fans from the other team - is thsi his first year coaching? I know all the good coahes coach travel ball - but can't we get someone who dosent have rabbit ears? The glee we take when young ladies strike out on an opposing team is a complete embarrassment. We should just cheer for our team and not failure of the opposition. I know we have some parents who were athletes in the past or have exceptional daughters, but if they saw a video of themselves they would be be very embarrassed. I think all the fans show be put in the outfileld and away from the infield. I am not sure I am going to allow my daughter to play next year. Very sad for the SP community.
Ha, ha ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsx6tEXHi44
You're right it's "Jim M" 40 years ago!!!
It's all over now, Baby Blue
Pitching is all about location and changing speeds. A change up in a 1-2 situation needs to be off the plate and low, basically unhittable.
Enough on that game yesterday. Someone answer the 11:27 questions? I think many would be interested in hearing opinions if not answers.
I think bloggers and "adult" fans are getting away from the fact that the kids can just plain play good ball. Weird parent(s) & short-fused coaches have an unwelcome impact, the players deserve some respect. That might mean shutting up and letting both teams settle it inside the fence. Both teams are good teams and they will have several more chances to show their stuff. So do the fans.
I think bloggers are getting away from the fact that the LC kids just plain outplayed the SP kids yesterday. Weird parent(s) & short-fused coaches aside, the LC players deserve some respect. SP is a good team and they will have two more chances to show their stuff.
Have we heard enough on this stuff now? I say lets put it to rest.
On the same vein but to evolve the discussion to on the field commentary, I have a few question.
Situationally, in a game when is a change-up a good pitch or a bad pitch?
Characteristically, what makes a great change-up and what makes a bad change-up?
What player around has a great change-up, both situationally and characteristically?
This was a great game with both sides cheering for their teams. I think the SP coach may need a Kleenex.
There was nothing the fans did that would warrant a coach even looking that way.
Just coach and be quiet.
It's just a high school softball game and not travel tournament game.
I hope the kids are writing in this blog and not the coaches for SP who should have the focus on thier players and never on the fans.
But you don't understand. Membership to the Booster Club and/or a couple of thousand dollar donation buys you the right to publically and privately slam your own coaches, provoke opposition coaches and players on the field, coach from outside the field of play, and be an obnoxious parent/fan at your kid's game. Furthermore, it buys the right to have school administrators to turn their backs and not deal with the issue.
Ya right - For shame La Canada!
After reading several blogs about interfering parents and unethical coaches- I ask this question. Why are they allowed to continue? School adminstrators are aware of the problems that both of these groups cause. I'm sure the CIF gets tons of complaints. But still it continues. Put rules in place and then enforce them Administrators support your coaches when they are right. Correct them when they are wrong. Tell parents their proper place and role on the field and when they violate their privledge to watch their kids play at your school, take some action, action with and impact. Not just a spank on the hand. Have some guts. You are the educators not them. Until then continue to let them ruin high school sports. I cannot tell you how many "QUALITY" coaches will not get back into coaching for those reasons alone. No adminstative support and to many parent problems. I hope someone fixes the problem soon!
After the ejection of the SP coach, the SP catcher was calling the pitches. I saw things a little differently, although I do believe the ejected SP coach went over the line with the Ump and it was he who set a bad trend of thinking for his players that I think cost them the game, I think the coach that stepped in after the ejection did an excellent job of trying to get the kids composed and refocused. I also think if the argument was over a so called shove at home, they were arguing the wrong point. But it definitely wasn't an arguement over the strike zone (I have no idea were the PSN got that?). For the most part, I think the fans from both teams were very good sports in what could have been heated, especially with the configuration of the SP stands with everyone being together in stands on the 1st base line. The SP fans are certainly very passionate about softball. However, the only fan actions I'd question, was the guy dressed in baby blue who squeezed himself up against the fence between home and the visitors bench. He definitely feels compelled to involve himself in the field play and offers commentary to umpires, coaches, and players on the field. That sort of interaction with field play from fans shouldn't be allowed by the Umpire and coaches (from either team). On one hand, it's somewhat humerous to watch because many times he makes his comments to umpires, opposing players, and opposing coaches under the guise of cheering for his own players. On second thought, it's more embarrasing than humerous. Nevertheless, it's inappropriate and not good sportsmanship and reflects badly on the scrappy and much improved LC team and coaches. His actions could be seen to be potentially dangerous provocation and it shouldn't be allowed. It's a disaster waiting to happen. The man in baby blue should be told by the LC Coach or Umpire to stop and if he can't stop he should be moved. Or if he is going to constantly coach the play on the field the LC coach should put him in the dugout or tell him to curb his comments.
Now their is a good one. An assistant high softball coach calling the parents idiots? Change up, 1-2 count runnes in scoring position and the parents are the idiots? Wow.
What would youth sports be without the idiot parents trying to make themselves part of the game and live through their kids.
The SP coaches on the field were not arguing the call, they were upset that there was an extra shove made by the La Canada catcher after the play was over and that the umpire didn't call her on it.
The dynamic of a game can often change when an adult fan leans against the fence on the field and constantly screams at the top of his lungs at players, coaches, and umps. The previous comments (Anon 4:08am) ring of that person who normally calls himself Jim M. He spent the whole game up against the fence practically on the infield with his voice being the loudest of everyone involved, drowning out even the players. It seems as though that was his plan. I would say that if anything got under the coaches skin it was him. Although many parents would love to influence a softball game, this one finally found a way to get in the game. I don't think it will happen again.
I agree with the coach getting tossed equals the South Pasadena girls losing all their composure. The third base coach who took over for the head coach seem preoccupied with the La Canada fans and getting the girls to rally to an "us against the ump's" mentality. I believe this coach was the same coach who took over the pitch calling and even the rec ball coaches know you never throw a two strike change up over the middle of the plate with runners in scoring position. That would have been the only pitch the LC batter could have hit at the time.
The SP players are so good and work so hard, but to see them questioning calls and maybe saying things to the blue when the left the field they shouldn't have been saying makes me think the apple didn't fall to far from the tree on that team. If the coach doesn't get tossed and the girls don't focus on the umpires we may be talking about a totally different outcome.
The South Pasadena Softball experience is amazing. They're fans make it very difficult to be a visiting team. They're very loud and very supportive and the girls rally around them. It would be fun to play for South Pasadena because of the home field advantage the parents bring. It's really to bad the people on the field couldn't keep their focus between the lines because South Pasadena is a very good team. Their short stop is awesome and a great leader, the pitcher is awesome, catcher is a solid as any catcher in the league and the first basemen in nails.
However La Canada made some very big plays and none of them were better than their center fielder throwing a strike to home to nail the runner and watching the South Pasadena Head Coach goes nuts, yelling at the umpire and bumping him down the first base line clearly showing his impressionable players what not to do when dealing with people of authority. I'm not sure that strategy worked on Wednesday.
The SP coach wasn't tossed for arguing balls and strikes. He was tossed for his protest that "catchers obstruction" was not called on the LC catcher on what would have been South Pas's 2nd run. I think it was a mistake by the Umpire, as was the earlier "catchers interference" which was missed by the Ump, but neither of those Umpire calls were what lost the game. The SP coach was right in the above article when he said, “I let them down by getting tossed”. It was the 5th inning and South Pas was leading 1 - 0 at the time their coach was ejected. But after his ejection, the South Pas players got very emotional and they lost focus on who was their opponent. Instead of focusing on holding on to their lead, and closing out the game, they mistakenly viewed that the Ump was their opponent. This was especially true of the South Pas Pitcher and Catcher. The South Pas pitcher, who was pretty dominant to that point, then hit a batter, and walked a batter. Then after dominating a batter and sitting ahead of that batter with a 1 - 2 count - she threw a change-up. To make it not only a terrible pitch call, she threw it over the center of the plate. The worst pitch and location she could have chosen, and probably the only pitch that batter could have hit. The result was a 2-strike double with 2 RBI's. South Pas made some critical mistakes, and to give credit, LC capitalized on those mistakes.
The SP coach, showing a lot of class, told the PSN, "we lost". I'd add one thing to that statement, "LC beat us".
The Umps weren't the issue, LC was, and the rematch should be fun!