March 27, 2014
NEW HOME FOR CENTRAL SHOW
After a couple of trial runs, we now have Johnny’s Pizza House, Wax Road in Central, as our new home for The Central Sports & Business Report. We thank the fine folks at Johnny’s for stepping up and urge all Central fans to patronize this outstanding establishment frequently
Tonight’s show airs 5:30pm—6:30pm, (as you know) broadcasting live from Johnny’s Pizza, Wax Road, in Central, on WPFC, 1550AM, Baton Rouge and on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com. Host Steve Johnson will be joined by CHS powerlifters Reagan Cress, Cole Holden and Sam Russell.
BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
Thursday, March 27: 5:30pm—6:30pm… with Steve Johnson … broadcasting live from Johnny’s Pizza in Central
WPFC, 1550AM, BR
Internet: JonFineProductions.com
SportsRadio 1310 Radio, Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com:
Saturday, March 29: 9AM—10AM: All Things Football with Scott Holtzman
Monday, March 31: 8AM—10AM: The Locker Room with John Goodman and Jim Gazzolo
WE THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR UTMOST TO PATRONIZE SPONSORS OF OUR PROGRAMMING. THIS HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY IN SUSTAINING OUR WEEKLY LINE-UP AND WILL ASSIST US IN ADDING MORE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE. KINDLY MAKE AN EFFORT TO LET SPONSORS KNOW YOU HEARD THEIR BUSINESS MENTIONED ON OUR BROADCAST(S).
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High School
I am glad I had a different topic to discuss last week (the NCAA Tournament) after LSU’s series against Vanderbilt. Two weeks is still not long enough to make final conclusions about a college baseball team by any stretch, but we have a lot clearer picture.
LSU’s pitching staff is very good and will get better with experience. Nola, Poche, Buggs, Person, Fury, Bouman, and Broussard are very good. Glenn’s issues are obviously more from the mental side of the game than the physical, and hopefully he can figure those out at some point this year.
The concern for Tiger fans is of course the offensive side of the ball. LSU will not hit.200 in SEC games all year, but there is definitely reason for concern.
Here are a few things we know. There is little to no power in the lineup. Many people equate power with home runs. Power hitters don’t hit home runs every game. But, they consistently drive the ball in the gaps for doubles, which produce a lot of runs. LSU hitters don’t get many extra base hits. That means the team has to string 3 hits together in an inning to score just one run. Obviously, this method doesn’t score many runs against SEC pitching.
So LSU needs to be able to produce runs with situational hitting, and playing to their strength. Coach Mainieri tried to downplay this reality after the CWS last year and the Vandy series this year. Yet, his actions this weekend reveal that he has a great understanding of the limitations of this lineup. At this point, the players are not executing or playing to their capability, and it must be as frustrating for the coaches as it is for the players.
Hitting isn’t the only issue. Obviously, the Tigers have to run the bases better than they did Sunday against Georgia. LSU must advance runners 90 feet by any means necessary because the hitters don’t hit for extra bases. The extra bases may come through stolen bases, bunts, infield hits, hitting to the right side with a runner on second, walks, etc.
As a result, the lineup should be made of players that can move 90 feet as many ways as possible which includes the bat and their legs. For this reason, I expect Jake Fraley to find a spot in the lineup at some point as do many Tiger fans.
Right now, Mainieri has tried generating offense by keeping the lineup balanced from top to bottom. Maybe that will work eventually, but I think it is time to try and make the lineup top heavy.
Here is my “out of the box” lineup that would hopefully produce runs in SEC games for the time being.
1. Bregman. This spot will assure he gets the most at bats possible. Even though he isn’t as fast as Laird or Stephenson, he is a better base runner. When he starts to hit like he is capable, then he should hit third again. He also may see some better pitches because pitchers don’t like walking the leadoff batter.
2. Stephenson. Has the speed to stay out of a double play, and showed last year he can bunt a little bit. He is handling the bat much better this year as well.
3. Laird. Has shown he still has a tough time with the sacrifice bunt. Yet, he has the speed to score from first on any double, and makes contact.
4. Scivicque. At this point, he has the most “pop” in his bat to drive in runners that aren’t in scoring position.
5. McMullen. He is experienced, and is the other hitter that may be able to drive balls in gaps to score Scivicque who lacks speed.
I freely admit this lineup is not ideal, and I would only want it for the short term. But, at this point LSU consistently gets runners on base, but doesn’t move them over or get them in. They only need a few runs to win, so bunching the lineup may not get 6 runs a game, but it may get the 3-4 runs necessary to squeeze out some wins through this rough patch.
The good news is Coach Mainieri will probably have an even better idea than me by the time you read this article.
HEY REF
Though I’m not in any way, shape or form a basketball fan the countdown to the final game is a cherished tradition in “Hey Ref’s” world. Why? You may ask. Simply put I use the crowning of a new NCAA Basketball Champion as a wakeup call to get my football rulebook out and begin getting ready for the upcoming season. Have been doing it this way for more than 20 years. Unlike coaches and/or players the officials aren’t allowed to get in mid-season from.
No, we must be at the top of our game starting from the first scrimmages, spring games and then the jamborees. A word to the Baton Rouge Football Officials Association: this year we start year number two under assignment secretary; John Langlois. He’s cut his teeth, so to speak, as a former B. R. high school official and now works in the SEC.
Some have judged him too harshly after just one year on the job. Some just refuse to understand a simple fact; he was hired to do one thing and that is to get our association back to the top! It will take everyone’s best efforts to achieve this and I hope all members will give him a chance to make them a better official. He’ll only be successful if each of us gives him and our schools 150%.
It’s going to be an uphill battle for him to succeed knowing what I know from “being there” last year. The association has changed and I’m sad to say it’s not for the better. A totally new attitude must be adopted and then practiced not only in the classroom but also on the field.
Just about every sport has a shortage of game officials. It’s getting much harder to recruit new officials and keep them interested enough to stay in it for more than a year or two. Also the quality of new candidates is declining because more and more of those new candidates see a career in officiating as a way to subsidize the low salaries they receive in their regular full time jobs. First and foremost any person thinking of starting a career officiating games needs to realize this stone cold fact; you’re not going to get rich working games.
By the time you factor in the cost of uniforms, books, travel, clinics and the hours of studying rules you’re losing money at every turn. So, you might ask just “what is the so called reward of being an official”? I can only answer that from my own perspective and say it’s because I love the game I work. If an official doesn’t love the game and only sees things as dollars and cents then he’s doing a huge injustice to not only the sport but the kids playing the game.
So with that out of the way I hope that I’ve got your attention so I can now get to the thing that I believe is harming many games that has to be the behavior of all involved on Friday night. Many athletes, parents, fans and family members in the stands have gotten out of control in the way they act after walking through the gates. I’m not about to single anyone out but if you “see” yourself then please try and fix the problem BEFORE the new season begins.
When so many people are scratching their heads trying to figure out why their children’s behavior has hit rock bottom all they need to do is look in the mirror. Parent’s behavior at some games leaves me to wonder how these people go through life away from the football field. Many fan’s attitudes have gotten so horribly bad that a bill has been introduced in the legislature trying to address fan misconduct. It’s an embarrassment when our lawmakers have to take time away from more serious problems our state faces to try and curtail the shameful way people act at the game sites.
Parents you’ve got to know and understand that your kids learn from you. When they see and hear you acting like a fool they must think that’s normal behavior to act that way at the games. If I had my way each and every parent would spend an entire season without the benefit of a check after the game. This way they might actually learn the rules. There are so many experts sitting in the stands that I feel you are hurting the game by staying in the stands. Jumping up and down trying to tell everyone the rules and how the officials on the field really don’t know what they are doing accomplishes nothing.
So, please do the game a great service, get off your behind and try working on the field. This way there won’t be any doubts as to just how good you really are and how well you know the rules. And if you feel that the quality of the officials calling games has declined then join an association and improve everyone’s game time experience. Many of the best that have put on the striped shirt have left the game entirely. And I feel it’s due to the lack of respect given them by parents, coaches and the media. For whatever reason the games are suffering because so many good officials have hung up their whistles and aren’t returning year after year.
So, I’ll close by asking all the great officials instead of sitting in the stands please put on the uniform and help the sport you know so much about by getting involved and start at your earliest convenience and start calling real games and not those video games on your TV!!!
Till next week… …
The Rotary Club of Livingston Parish
Rotary Bull
By Ivy Graham
Will return next week
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLSHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL SULPHUR HS FOOTBALL BROADCASTS AND BARBE HS BASEBALL PLAYOFF BROADCASTS.