Been a while, I know...

Since my last post, and hopefully, a break that long won't occur again.  The last couple of weeks have been good for us, as we've started to get some rough edges cleaned up and I think we're getting to a point as a coaching staff where we can really see our team shaping up.

This next two weeks is going to be vital because as we finish the Black and Blue playoffs and wold series, we're also seeing the last few opportunities for some players to either take hold of a position, establish a role, or even just make the spring roster. 

Here's the long and short of it.  Right now, we have 32 players.  Reality is that we will only carry 24 or 25 players in the spring, and of that 24 or 25, only about 18-20 will see alot of action.  In a given season, assuming there will be platoon or two, only about 12 position players will get on the field a whole lot, and maybe 6-8 pitchers will throw often enough to be considered regulars.  That leaves around 3 position players and several pitchers on the roster that will only perform in limited duty.  Where does that leave the remaining 5-7 guys that aren't on the roster?  Well, a couple will likely be off the roster because they are injured and will require a medical red-shirt.  With the remaining guys we will evaluate their performance and make a decision:  Either we feel like they will eventally have a chance to start for us, whether it is next year or the following, and offer them a red-shirt, or if we don't feel like they have a chance to win a job in the future, we'll let them go.

I guess that's why this next two weeks are so important.  Close to 20 guys have already made the roster, and there is a job or two that is sewn up, but these next two weeks will determine where the rest of the team winds up.  Every year, someone wins or loses a job in the Black and Blue, and I have little doubt that this year will be the same.  This is the part of the year when the guys on the bubbe get to prove which of them has the stomach to face the pressure and the challenge of competing at the collegiate level, and which are going to cave in to the pressure or be outshined by another athlete.