Changes in the 14u world?

[lvtwft]

Since you consider the best to be playing up, what are their names/teams??

[CrushersDad]

Um, no names, this is not the place for that.

2 teams have awesome freshman pitchers:
Roseville Heat
Foothill Gold

6 between them and at least 3 are among the best in the valley.

[dittoz]

This really depends on how you're categorizing these "best" pitchers...

Best success rate in tournaments?
Lowest ERA?
Highest speed?
Best spin?
Able to control any (ANY!) game that they enter?
Sac Valley or Central Valley? If you're talking Sac, does that include Stockton metro?

At 14's and 16's, there are only a few that I would rate as "best" and all but one are playing outside of the Sac Valley. Others are decent, but you said BEST.

If your team isn't consistently playing teams from outside of the Sac valley - i.e. Stockton and the Bay Area as well as SorCal, you're just not seeing anything to compare the local "best" to...

[instiga8tor]

INstiga8tor agrees with Dittoz.

Foothill Gold having the best pitcher in any age division outside of 10u is probably unlikely. If Foothill Gold does have those kind of arms, they will quickly be gobbled up by the other teams in the age division.

INstiga8tor does not remember seeing either of those 2 teams striking fear into the top teams in Norcal, nor does Instiga8tor see those teams listed in the Stockton tournaments as winning.

[lvtwft]

I might be going out on a limb here, but I think it is pretty safe.
Lady Magic beat the defending 12U national champs # 5 team from the south in the 14U's (per brackies rankings). Lost to the #1 or #8 (whichever one they might be) team in the finals of a tournament where you might see most the teams on championship day at 14 nats..I am going to have to say any one that wants to be known as the best 14u team out of the north probably has to go through them..IMO
Where did these girls come from that are on the Gold and Heat?? Were they there last year??

[xxxYerOut]

This really depends on how you're categorizing these "best" pitchers...

Best success rate in tournaments?
Lowest ERA?
Highest speed?
Best spin?
Able to control any (ANY!) game that they enter?
Sac Valley or Central Valley? If you're talking Sac, does that include Stockton metro?

At 14's and 16's, there are only a few that I would rate as "best" and all but one are playing outside of the Sac Valley. Others are decent, but you said BEST.

If your team isn't consistently playing teams from outside of the Sac valley - i.e. Stockton and the Bay Area as well as SorCal, you're just not seeing anything to compare the local "best" to...

I agree with everything, but the "r" in South. Not sure if you are thinking of the same pitcher in Sac that I am, but IMO, only the one pitcher resembled anything close to dominant and (to me) a rare treat to watch (without a 6 hour drive anyway). We all have our favorites and I can only opine on mine.

I have not included Stockton Metro in my ratings as I only know of a few and not sure where a couple of them ended up after the purple team. Sting and..? Sorcerer? SoCal?

In 16u, the FH Gold has great kids and good pitching as do the Rapids. I would have liked to see these girls in the 14u bracket for one more year. It is difficult enough for the local teams to go South and compete. This dilutes the pool even more - IMO. I will never understand giving away your 2nd year in an age group, taking away any legitimate shot at having a National caliber team. (again - IMO)

[PDad]

I might be going out on a limb here, but I think it is pretty safe.
Lady Magic beat the defending 12U national champs # 5 team from the south in the 14U's (per brackies rankings). Lost to the #1 or #8 (whichever one they might be) team in the finals of a tournament where you might see most the teams on championship day at 14 nats..I am going to have to say any one that wants to be known as the best 14u team out of the north probably has to go through them..IMO
Where did these girls come from that are on the Gold and Heat?? Were they there last year??

They lost to the #8 CA 96 team. The #1 CA 95 team played up in 16u.

[CrushersDad]

This really depends on how you're categorizing these "best" pitchers...

Best success rate in tournaments?
Lowest ERA?
Highest speed?
Best spin?
Able to control any (ANY!) game that they enter?
Sac Valley or Central Valley? If you're talking Sac, does that include Stockton metro?

At 14's and 16's, there are only a few that I would rate as "best" and all but one are playing outside of the Sac Valley. Others are decent, but you said BEST.

If your team isn't consistently playing teams from outside of the Sac valley - i.e. Stockton and the Bay Area as well as SorCal, you're just not seeing anything to compare the local "best" to...

As you all know, it is very difficult to rate the success of a pitchers 14 years old and younger due to many variables, most of which are uncontrollable (late starters, parents, bad coaching, geographic location, etc...).

I am talking about the BEST in the Sacramento Valley, not including Stockton. Central Valley pitching is a completely different animal as is SoCal pitching. I am also talking about ’95 pitchers that are currently Freshmen and could be playing 14U (and should be IMO). Two of these pitchers in particular would do well pretty much anywhere.

Best success rate at tournaments isn’t in my calculation due to where some of these pitchers came from; the same goes for being able to control games that they enter as well as tracked ERA (the few that come from outside of ASA were dominating in these three areas). How they do in ASA 16U will be seen this summer.

Highest speed? Not all of them but one in particular.
Best spin? I doubt any of their spins have been clocked, but most of them have very good movement pitches.

These observations are only my opinion and since I am fairly new to the ASA scene they could be way off, they are based on personal observation.

[dittoz]

Well, as an example here's what I'm looking at when I see a pitcher and decide that they're in a class called the BEST...

1) As a '95, they're throwing mid-high 50's (at a minimum)
2) Their fastball is a seldom-used pitch
3) Movement pitches have very obvious movement - not just an "I guess I think so" effect...
4) The "Out" pitch is a screw, curve, rise - not a fastball or changeup (never mind Tayrn Mowatt!)
5) They give up no more than 1-2 legitimate hits and no runs against opponents who often run-rule others
6) See point #5 and add in that they're opponents who are also consistently playing against known high caliber teams
7) Other high-caliber teams are constantly trying to recruit this one
8) Lastly... she has the "aw crap!" affect when teams face her

As stated before, I can only think of one playing in the Sac area that fits all of these points and she's actually a 14u '96. There are other '95s that live around Sac that fit most of these points, but they don't play in the Sac area. Hence, the need to see tournaments and play outside of the area...

Man, this post got way off target, didn't it?

[lvtwft]

Team of the 96 and 95's you are talking about?? Curious