Final four to stay in Binghamton through '10
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- June
- 16
The Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin wrote a story this morning saying the public-school state baseball final four will remain in the Binghamton area through 2010. As you can read in the story here, final-four play started there in 2003. The city’s bid ran uncontested this year.
I have to say, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed covering games in Binghamton the last four years. All fields are within 10-15 minutes of one another and you never have to worry about hotel rooms (except for ‘07 when Billy Graham spoke at SUNY Binghamton the day of the games).
This year, I:
A) Didn’t even book a hotel. B) Watched three games and was so close that I had something to eat during both breaks. C) Had a traffic-free ride up and back.
My only contention with the current setup is that the tournament should be played over two days. There are rumors they may change it, and I’m 100 percent sure they should. The teams are dog-tired, both physically and emotionally, by the end of the final. I believe the biggest game of the year shouldn’t be decided, in part, by stamina.
Thoughts?
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on Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 11:42 pm by Josh Thomson.
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Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in
March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of
2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has
since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting,
Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his
fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning
fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and
insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh
graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University,
where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in
history. 
Jake Thomases has covered baseball, hockey, girls basketball, and girls soccer for the Journal News since arriving in 2003. He previously interned at The Poughkeepsie Journal while attending Vassar College. He is socking money away under his mattress to buy the Knicks, at which time he will trade Jerome James to Cleveland for a ham sandwich.
Josh,
Has Section I ever considered making a bid for the state baseball finals? Do you think that Section I could be successful in something like that? I've never been to the places in Binghamton that are used for the state tournament, but I'll take your word that they're pretty nice. I know that there was an article a while back (winter maybe?) about how difficult it is to host the state championship round in most sports. I don't remember all the specifics of it, but I would think that it would be something that could probably be done in Section I in baseball.
What do you think?
Compared to the other area in the state that could host the state finals, Section One is probably the least equipped to do so. There is not one stand out facilty except for Renegade Stadium. The Section stopped using it for its sectional finals about five years ago. WE are the only Section in the state that does not use nuetral sites for its sectional finals.
To host an event like the state finals there would need to be at least three lighted fields, where are they? Binghmaton is the best place.
I do know this I am hearing that Westchester County is going to make a bid to host the Federation BAsketball Tournament.
Here are the final state rankings:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20080616/SPORTS31/80616037/-1/rss02
Final state baseball rankings – updated June 16
Chapel Field top-ranked in Class D June 16, 2008
Here are the final 2008 New York state high school baseball rankings as of June 16, as compiled by poll editor Dave Iorlano.
*=State Champions **=Runner Up
Class AA
1. MAMARONECK-1* 30-2
2. Massapequa-8 ** 23-7-1
3. LaSalle-2 27-1
4. Hilton-5 25-5
5. West Islip-11 22-5
6. Vestal-4 18-5
7. Suffern-1 21-7
8. Hamburg-6 17-7
9. Minisink Valley-9 17-9
10. Commack-11 18-10
11. Horseheads-4 20-5
12. Clarence-6 17-8
13. Columbia-2 18-10
14. MacArthur-8 17-8
15. Auburn-3 17-8
16. Patchogue-Medford-11 22-4
17. John Jay Cross River-1 21-6
18. Utica Proctor-3 14-13
19. Greece-Arcadia-5 16-12
20. Kingston-9 14-12
Class A
1. MAINE-ENDWELL-4 * 22-2
2. Islip-11** 25-5
3. Pittsford Sutherland-5 23-6
4. Malone-10 12-6
5. Cornwall-9 24-2
6. Division-8 20-9-1
7. Whitesboro-3 22-6
8. Dunkirk-6 22-8
9. Somers-1 21-8
10. Ichabod Crane-2 20-9
11. Pelham-1 22-6
12. Clarke-8 20-7-1
13. Mexico-3 21-6
14. Harborfields-11 18-9
15. Albion-6 19-2
16. Mohonasen-2 15-6
17. Lewiston Porter-6 15-9
18. Aquinas-5 17-11
19. Corning East-4 14-10
20. Saugerties-9 14-11
Class B
1. JOHN F. KENNEDY-1 * 27-3
2. Chatham-2** 26-4
3. CBA (Syracuse)-3 24-4
4. Gowanda-6 22-6
5. Chenango Valley-4 21-2
6. Bath Haverling-5 23-5
7. Oyster Bay-8 17-10
8. Potsdam-10 15-5
9. Marlboro-9 20-6
10. Mattictuck-11 18-9
11. Saranac-7 19-4
12. Pine Plains-9 21-4
13. Ogdensburg-10 16-3
14. Lansing-4 24-4
15. Adirondack-3 20-5
16. Granville-2 19-7
17. Alden-6 16-6
18. Putnam Valley-1 15-9
19. Bayport-Blue Point-11 13-13
20. Southold/Greenport-11 16-7
Class C
1. KEIO-1* 16-11
2. Thomas A. Edison-4** 22-5
3. Ft. Plain-2 24-4
4. Honeoye-5 24-6
5. Frewsburg-6 21-7
6. Beaver River-3 19-6
7. Port Jefferson-11 18-6
8. Brushton-Moira-10 10-5
9. Alexander-5 22-5
10. Ticonderoga-7 16-5
11. Lyons-5 20-2
12. Candor-4 20-5
13. Millbrook-9 14-9
14. Friends Academy-8 18-11
15. Pulaski-3 15-2
16. Cooperstown-3 19-5
17. Westfield-6 18-2
18. S.S. Seward-9 20-8
19. Corinth-2 20-5
20. Cattaraugus/Little Valley-6 19-7
Class D
1. CHAPEL FIELD-9* 14-7
2. Rome Catholic-3** 20-6
3. Crown Point-7 20-1
4. Notre Dame Batavia-5 20-7
5. Fort Ann-2 16-8
6. Edmeston-4 20-2
7. Pine Valley-6 17-6
8. North Collins-6 18-8
9. Northstar-5 18-8
10. Heuvelton-10 16-1
The entire "stamina" debate is just another testament to the championship run of Kennedy Catholic. They played games in Wednesday, Thursday, and two on Saturday. Kudos should be given to the catcher, Luis Gonzalez, who caught 3 of these games in a row. Also, this proves how good the "Big 3" of Kennedy Catholic were. With Tatnell starting on Wednesday, Modico in relief Wednesday, Lennox with a complete game Thursday, and then Tatnell and Modico both throwing complete games on Saturday on two days' rest, it is hard to deny the caliber of the Kennedy Catholic pitching staff. It should also be noted that none of this could have occurred if not for the timely, clutch hitting of so many players like Jon Humphrey (Comeback Player of the Year – Section I), Mike Mercurio (All-Section), Anthony Corona (MVP – Section I Conference III), and especially Joe Santangelo (SEVERELY UNDERRATED). These boys really put together and unexpected, unprecedented run that will be hard to duplicate.
My opinion is that starting with all the section semi-finals, there should be 4 umpires. There is no reason I can think of to NOT have a 4 umpire crew except cost. It is so minimal the cost, and even if it were cost, the 2 high schools could chip in to get the 4th umpire. I mean the state playoffs had 3 man crews, makes no sense.
Does anyone know if they used 4 umpires in Binghamton?
Has a double elimination set-up ever been suggested? Baseball is a weird game in which one player can truly dominate a game, I think with a double elimination it would stop teams with just one filthy starter from ending team's seasons. I know they do it in the Catholic league, so why not section 1?
Catholic High School has a lot less teams. There is no time to have a double elimination in public schools. I like the single elimination anyway, the pressure is on every game, hih intensity.
The semi finals and finals should be done Saturday then Sunday. To have both games on the same day is flat out retarded.
There is time for a double elimination tournament….The truth is that the losers bracket plays on the same days as the winners bracket…It adds NOTHING to the calendar other than more games at different venues…....This year Moore Catholic beat Xaverian in the 1st championship contest coming out of the losers bracket…Xaverian beat Moore the next day to win the CHSAA…...Could not have happened without double elimination…..Mamaroneck would have won the section last year if they followed the CHSAA format…..Only laziness and a desire by some AD's to get it over is the reason that Sec 1 does not have a better playoff format like the CHSAA..
To answer a few questions…
1. I don't know if Section 1 has ever bid for the final four. I will ask though.
2. No, Section 1 could not host the event. The drive from Manhattanville to Pace, two likely sites, would be longer than any of the drives in Binghamton. Down here, that might be the closest drive. It'd be five different tournaments that were totally unrelated. I don't think that's what the state is going for.
3. They used three umps in Binghamton, not four. I agree wholeheartedly that the state should use four umps (the more eyes the better), although I think fans at games who believe their teams got the short end of the stick are often way, way wrong.
I have a very strong opinion on this. I think fans, players and coaches use the umps' performance as an excuse more and more. I didn't see an ump cost one team a game all year.
Hey Josh,
Do you think Tatnell and Modico of Kennedy Catholic will get all-state honors? Dan Tracy of Somers received such honors with an 8-1 record, 65.1 IP, 1.5 ERA, 52 Ks, and 21 BBs. This year Tatnell was 9-0, 51 IP, 1.510 ERA, 31 Ks, and 18 BBs. Modico was 9-1, 70 IP, 1.3 ERA, 83 Ks, 14 BBs. What's your take??
I don't know. I don't have anything to do with all state picks. I don't know who has imput down here.
Josh when are you going to let us know about the all league players and the all city players from the chsaa, or do they just combine all the leagues?
josh..are you forgetting the Kennedy / Mahopac game when the ump called the runner safe at the plate when it was totally obvious he was way out of the base lines…that was the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs and tied 2 – 2. I cant remember if it was you or your coworker who seen it and agreed he was out.
Modico pitched against all the big teams this season. he was terrific and deserves a lot of credit. Look at the numbers against teams non league.
To blame last years loss to Carmel by mamk because of the single elimination tournament is dumb. IF there are 16 teams in the tournament, the winner could possibly play 12 games , are you kidding me?
You know what? If the Super Bowl was double elimination, most likely the patriots win the super bowl. You can make up all sorts of scenarios like this. Hey, Maybe Mamk does not win the state this year if it were double elimination… you just dont know what would have happened.
Bottom line is there is no time for it, and it is unecessary, will there be upsets? yes, sometimes, but that is what makes it so exciting. Mamk was very good last year, this year they were outstanding and it did not matter if it were single elimination.
The catholic schools play by a whole set of different rules than the public schools, so don't expect public to adopt private school rules.
If you believe that a 16 team double elimination tournament could possibly involve 12 games you are an idiot of the type that probably is the reason it does not exist…...Get back in math class and you will see that if a 1st round loser in a field of 16 were to win the section it would take a 6 game run….Losers bracket plays almost every day and winners brackets skip….Little League does it? Why can't section 1….It takes about 10 days…
What rules do catholic schools play by that publics do not?
I thought they both used the national federation of high school rules?
is anybody ever going to post the all section players..
the chsaa All league and all Archdiocesan teams have been posted on their website.