Where has Duluth GM been
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 4:51 pm
Thought I would go here and post where I have been the last two months. My nephew plays American Legion Baseball for Renner Post 307 here in South Dakota and the Post had so many guys returning and so many guys aged out of Junior Legion they formed a second Senior Legion team and I coached that team this summer--dragging my cranky body around for a couple months. I had a really good time. All the guys were first year senior legion players and only one had been a regular on the high school varsity team.
The guys did pretty well and I was very happy with the way things went. After over 20 years coaching college baseball I was not sure how I would like the teenager thing but we got along nicely and the guys gave great effort. Season ended with our making the playoffs and traveling across the state to take on Rapid City Post 22. The "Hardhats" are well known nationally in the American Legion World with their 44 state titles and frequent appearances in the National Tournament. Renner is in it's 10th year of existence so it was New kids against Old Guard.
They got a run in the bottom of the 7th of Game 1 to beat us 3-2. We just missed a double play to end the inning when the ball got stuck a bit in the short stops glove. He was really down on himself.
Game 2 was 3-1 and we had bases loaded when the bottom of 6th ended. Top of 7th, they got 3 after a play at the plate where we had the guy out but the ball trickled out of the catcher's glove. We got 2 in the bottom half and left runners on again, losing 6-3.
That experience will serve the young guys well next year and that was an experience they will always remember. Playing the first playoff game in the Hardhats newly renovated stadium (over $5 million). The other Renner team (my nephew's team) won the state tournament and will start regional play Wednesday.
I had a really good time and jury is still out what the Post will do next summer. Can't believe the American Legion regular season is only 48 days long when high school teams make their playoffs. I've recommended the Post start playing in April and the guys can skip high school ball--it's not a sanctioned sport in our state anyway. Teams could get double the games in with the same coaches instead of doing the high school thing.
So, that's where I have been. What did I miss??
The guys did pretty well and I was very happy with the way things went. After over 20 years coaching college baseball I was not sure how I would like the teenager thing but we got along nicely and the guys gave great effort. Season ended with our making the playoffs and traveling across the state to take on Rapid City Post 22. The "Hardhats" are well known nationally in the American Legion World with their 44 state titles and frequent appearances in the National Tournament. Renner is in it's 10th year of existence so it was New kids against Old Guard.
They got a run in the bottom of the 7th of Game 1 to beat us 3-2. We just missed a double play to end the inning when the ball got stuck a bit in the short stops glove. He was really down on himself.
Game 2 was 3-1 and we had bases loaded when the bottom of 6th ended. Top of 7th, they got 3 after a play at the plate where we had the guy out but the ball trickled out of the catcher's glove. We got 2 in the bottom half and left runners on again, losing 6-3.
That experience will serve the young guys well next year and that was an experience they will always remember. Playing the first playoff game in the Hardhats newly renovated stadium (over $5 million). The other Renner team (my nephew's team) won the state tournament and will start regional play Wednesday.
I had a really good time and jury is still out what the Post will do next summer. Can't believe the American Legion regular season is only 48 days long when high school teams make their playoffs. I've recommended the Post start playing in April and the guys can skip high school ball--it's not a sanctioned sport in our state anyway. Teams could get double the games in with the same coaches instead of doing the high school thing.
So, that's where I have been. What did I miss??