Softball: Temple City moves up a few notches in Top 10

Incredible hitting against of the weakest competition in Southern CA

Game 1:

La Canada 11
St. Bonventure 0

Game 2:

La Canada 16
Eastside 0

Incredible hitting by LC today!

Game 1:

La Canada 11
St. Bonvenure 0

Game 2:

La Canada 16
Eastside 0

Incredible hitting by LC today!

As with softball and the attendance at both are about the same with the same filtering in process.

Don't a MAJORITY of baseball games start at 3:15-3:30?

La Canada moves to 7 and 1 with win over Monrovia

Temple City shuts out San Marino. Home run by Jessica Loiacano.

JTOL,

Not just in the stands. I think if you looked in the outfield it was pretty much lined from left to right field. That is where a lot of people watch games at South Pas.

Mayfield 9 - Webb 1

Tom S, thanks for asking. Things are great in New Mexico. It's a great school to work with and I'd recommend it to potential student athletes.

Come on now chkyrslf, I myself was at the TC-SP game (having to leave work an hour early)and if you counted more than 50 people in those stands then I'm a monkeys uncle. Now remember, there are no home/vistor stands at SP, everyone sits together, one gaint melting pot, which makes it very uncomfortable to cheer on your daughter's team with an opposing parent sitting either to your left/right/behind or in front. I would agree with you that schools should look at scheduling games next season much later in the day,that would definately help in getting more fans in the stands.

Scott: I know that but it doen't take much to set things off on some of these blog posts.
Everything good in NM?

Tom S, Not trying to stir anything up. Just backing up a former co-worker as well as a friend.

Oh Scott:
Man, don't go there, just leave it alone!!

chkyrslf, I just had to come on and disagree with you on the rankings. Keith did the rankings last year and I rarely overruled him on a pick, if at all.

He had a lot to do when I was there and I'm sure he has even more to do now since he's vital in so many areas to the papers (Star-News, Tribune, Whittier Daily News).

He enjoys covering softball and does take the ratings seriously.

One knock on the polls is that Ramona Convent was in the rankings. Could go either way considering they're ranked No. 5 by CIF behind La Salle and Maranatha in their division.

So try not to put down Keith. He's been in the writing business much longer than I was.

He was a great help to me and I'm sure the same for Miguel.

Ok, stand by... I went to a TC v SP game and their was no shortage of fans. As is the case with most RHL games, not all. They usually start out with a few people and as people can get there they do and at the majority of the games there are at least 50-100 people by the end especially when the game is important. And when a game has a buzz, the crowd can really light up and the space can really fill in. It is really almost identical with how it goes in baseball.

Also, I want to point out that this isn't about softball getting more attention. It is about, if you're going to do something, do it right. And for a couple years, as well as this year, the person in charge of doing the softball Top 10 does absolute minimum and doesn't get it right. And I, personally, do not think it is about him having too much to do, although I do not walk in his shoes, I do, however, think it is about him not wanting to put in the effort. And the person I am talking about isn't Miguel. Miguel inherited this person. I do not know him personally, but every time a top 10 comes out his name is on it so he has the responsibility to get it done.

Just to be clear, I do not think he does much more than read maxpreps, look at the stats, and put the teams basically in the order of highest to lowest records. He doesn't take into consideration quality of play. And with such varying schedules, in order to be right, you have to do that.

Also, JTOL, It would be nice if teams started scheduling some night games whenever it is possible, I bet the attendances would skyrocket.

As a parent of a Varsity TC player I have to agree with comments on here regarding attendance at softball games. It’s very difficult for the majority of us (now I’m only speaking about TC parents) to leave work early, get on a busy freeway to try and make a 3:30 start time. If it weren’t for the dedication of the parents, some relatives, a few students, our players would be playing to near empty stands (at least on our side) I strongly urge CIF to consider changing the start times for high school games to at least 5, there would still be enough time (day light) to make sure all games are completed. I know that other sports need to be taken into consideration especially when we travel but I’m sure the logistics could all be worked out. Just a thought…..

I'd have to agree with the sentiment in favor of Miguel. Thanks for giving it the time and attention!

Write on, Miguel....

sp 4 mon 2

No Fans - why so negative on Softball, it is a very exciting and very popular sport that is growing quickly.

If you want more coverage for other sports then write stuff up on the blog and generate some interest. You are likely to see a positive response. You don't have to knock down softball to get more coverage for swimming and track.

LC 7 - San Marino 1

rclancy,

I agree.

We bloggers lurk and troll with our infinite wisdom and staunch anonymity but give Miguel and his like little accolade.
We freely make our particularized judgments with little to no concern to those kids of which we mention and sometimes denigrate.

We should consider the feelings of the student-athlete that arrives on these pages hoping to read about the sport which they give so much of their time and energy. Imagine the extreme thrill this same athlete would receive if mentioned by name by the Blogfather himself!
Whether football or badminton, swimming or basketball, ANY prep coverage by PSN is fair.

Miguel, your continued effort, however perceived, is frequent and attentive. Your blog shows an upsurge in participation and you offer all of us the chance to voice our thoughts and opinions, for that you and PSN should be commended.
Blog on my brother, blog on!

with most softball games played at 3:00 in the afternoon it is difficult for many to attend the games. Schedule the games later and you will have a bigger turn out.

I think softball is getting plenty of coverage thanks to Miguel. With maybe 50 people at a game, why does it deserve more? The games I've seen were lucky to get 20 parents. Bring track and swimming more coverage. Track packs stadiums. Softball can't pack one small set of stands at most high schools.

I would have to say that Miguel is making a genuine effort to change the status quo. The softball coverage has been getting steadily better and better and of course, I think today's coverage is absolutely fantastic!

Aside from today's coverage, there has definitely been very big efforts on Miguel's part to get more involved with the Softball coverage and to improve things. These changes won't happen over night, but they are happening and things are getting much better.

thats why i said i was stating the obvious

You guys are beating a dead horse.

It has been long since recognized, long before Miguel, that softball (and girls' sports in general) are very much last consideration in every regard with the Pasadena Star News. Sure there is the token softball article or blog thread. However, if you want an article that delves beyond the very surface or the lame statistical reporting, with some real human interest stuff, with thought provoking insight in softball ... you're looking in the wrong place. Sure, it's a darn shame because the Pasadena Star News is missing it. Softball is the fastest growing sport across the country, and locally there is some great play and some tremendous athletes. Also, it bewilders me how the softball games they choose to cover are typically amongst the weakest and lowest level competition. It's almost like they want to reaffirm to themselves that girls' sports (softball in particular) is a much lower level of athletics. For goodness sake, they can’t even fake a decent effort once a week to establishing the top 10 ranking of softball teams.

I personally am looking forward to the next half dozen threads the next couple of days on which area high school football coach is rumored to be moving from one high school to another. Or even better, which area high school football coach, who retired 25 years ago, died this week.

for once I agree with chcky one hundred percent....

ps. Miguel what is with all the football posts? Softball is not over yet focus on the in season sports!

Miguel,

The top ten is literally the top 10 records in the area, in exact order. That keeps it simple. You know that Keith isn't going to softball games, so how can he compile a top 10 besides simply adding up the top ten records? (I have to ask you because he does not participate here.) And, by the way, Ramona Convent, in the end, will play ten less games than almost any team in the area, certainly ten less than any team in the RHL. They have done well in their tiny schedule, but it really is comparing apples with oranges. I am not saying any team in particular is wrong (not even Ramona Convent), I just do not think it was, again, properly thought through. Am I alone?

Compare it to the boys top 10. I do not watch enough baseball to say who is better, but I can at least see that there are some teams with a worse record who are ranked above teams with a better record. That means someone (you) is paying attention to the actual quality of play and opponents as well as head to head competition.

No big deal, it is what it is, but I love to state the obvious.

Lauren Torres hit the home run.

FSHA 1 - Harvard Westlake - 0
FSHA hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 7th - don't know who hit it but it wasn't Ferri.