2013 Johnstown Colt Baseball

[Crimson's Ghost]

The Colt Baseball season will be starting up tomorrow. There are 5 teams, and a few changes to the league this season. The age moves from a 15-16 year old league, by adding 17 year olds. This was a corresponding move to AAABA expanding their age limit. Also, Somerset school district is now allowed into the league, with a couple teams taking advantage. Not sure if dual rosters are allowed. But with the Colt league having been using wooden bats before, it definitely has taken thunder away from Legion in the Johnstown area.

The season schedule can be found here.
https://sites.google.com/site/johnstown ... t-schedule


In my opinion, of the five teams, three are truly capable of taking the league....

1. Breakers
2. Clippers
3. Delweld
4. Johnstown Construction
5. Cernic's

[deerslayer]

I understand this is a very fine league. Just cant understand why some kids chose to take a step backwards.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I'm not so sure it truly is taking a step backwards. Johnstown area legion programs just aren't there, I wouldn't expect any local kid to play legion, because the Colt league is simply better.

[deerslayer]

I was referring to kids from Somerset legion who are now playing colt. You cant even in your wildest dream tell me that these kids are taking a step up.

[Crimson's Ghost]

No, I thought you meant Johnstown area kids.

Somerset legion is really good in itself, the league they play in, isn't getting better any time soon though.

[bomborivera]

For Johnstown area players, Cernic's is fielding a team in Legion ball. The majority are from Conemaugh Valley; however, there are also players from Johnstown, Westmont, Ferndale and Blacklick Valley. Teams, from what I've heard, can dual roster players from either Colt or AAABA. I agree that the Colt League may have more of the areas "top notch" players, but I think it's a number's game as well. There are a finite number of spots in Colt. You could probably field at least three more teams with the 15-17 year olds playing Legion ball. In my opinion, baseball is baseball; I'm glad that it's being played. Can't let soccer take over...

[say_oww]

I watch plenty of both. Colt is a big step below legion. Especially when you get outside of Cambria County. The Cernic's and Richland legion teams may not be good, but how do you get better playing two bad Colt league teams every other day? Same as Pony. That Boilers team has no local competition at all, and not much regional competition either. Johnstown, McCandless, Puerto Rico and one or two other states? Look, the the American Legion programs are over 15,000 teams strong, with the only limiting factor in team size being a zone limit of 49,000 or less in population. Definitely a little more competitive.

The reason the Johnstown Colt and Pony Leagues are a little stronger is that Somerset folks came looking for competition. They got tired of beating up on each other and playing for some rinky dink Senior Little League trophies. Too bad Johnstown doesn't take the advice from the top down.

Only in Johnstown, PA can you play all of your baseball career living in the "host" zone for a sport and have a shot to play for the "National Championship" every year. So, no team from any of the local areas can win a state championship, but the Johnstown summer teams compete for national championships every year??? Amazing! It feeds egos, but not players to major college programs or pro ball. And by the way, as long as the AAABA recruiting zones are setup to feed Delweld and Martella's, they aren't winning that thing either. Its ironic that there are more Somerset products who have won AAABA national championships with Baltimore and DC than anyone from Johnstown. Two words, "unlimited recruiting". I've posted this before, but it doesn't change.

As a follow up, my next posts will be on terrible umps, and the bogus Bedford legion recruiting zone.

[say_oww]

By the way, how does the Johnstown Colt League circumvent the National Colt League rules for post-season competition.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4thpFV ... l=en&pli=1

Colt is only 15-16 year olds. According to Pony's website, 17-18 year olds should be playing Palomino like they do in Pittsburgh. http://www.nhaasports.com/

Was the 17 year old increase move made with the intent of keeping players away from legion, and in place for the limited AAABA recruiting zone so that the teams who now have 21 year olds can get the 17 year olds next year?

[Crimson's Ghost]

Well, the thing with Colt and Pony regionals....it is pay to play. So any one of the local teams are able to go to a tournament if they so choose. Its much harder for a Colt team to advance than Pony, because the first stop in Colt actually has 10-12 teams from Ohio and PA, then next stop is North Carolina with plenty of zone winners, and then its on the World Series. So, all things considered....it is much tougher to advance for the Colt teams than it is for the Boilers.

I think the 17 year old rule was to benefit local players, and get them ready for AAABA. Colt has long been using wood before Legion, thus making it more attractive for a local player to play there, then legion.

I was involved with a team for 3 seasons, and we stepped down before this year, I wasn't a big proponent to keeping 17 year olds to be honest.

But again, Cambria County and some parts of Somerset county have weak legion programs. The Breakers, Delweld, and Clippers are a pretty good place to send your 15-17 year old kid to play 25 games in the Summer if you ask me. The best players from those parts are McCort, Township, and North Star in my opinion, and their best players have stayed Colt over legion recently.

[say_oww]

Strength is relative to competition. Legion has better competition. How can a pitcher playing on a good Colt team get better by pitching to inferior hitters with wood bats? Its not a realistic gauge for AAABA or anything else. Nothing against your coaching staff or anyone else involved in it, its just a matter of opinion shared by many in the coaching/scouting world. Legion levels the playing field by having zoned recruiting areas for each team and prevents a stacked team from dominating against weaker teams.

Despite what anybody on this board claims, politics was definitely a factor in the decision. Why is Somerset now part of the zone when it was always off-limits?