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What I’m
Seeing While
I’m Watching
the Games
By Jim Fowler
While watching baseball games
on TV, and yes softball games also,
I’m seeing some things that have just
appeared over the past few seasons.
Like you, I’m sure, I’ve been watching
baseball for decades and I’m seeing
things now that I’ve never seen be
fore.
Progress? I don’t know. Let’s look
at a few.
Have you noticed that every time
the catcher or the manager visits the
mound they cover their mouths? Yep,
they use their hand or their glove to
make sure no one can read their lips.
When did everyone become so para
noid that they think their words are
being deciphered by the opposition?
Do they think that every team has
hired a “lip-reading” coach who is
hidden deep in the clubhouse, watch
ing a TV and relaying the other team’s
secrets to the manager? Oh, come on
now!
Next is the recent idea of using
wrist bands with some kind of secret
information on them. The catcher
will look to the dugout, get a sign,
check out his wristband and then give
the pitcher a sign. The pitcher will
then look at his wrist band to see
what pitch to throw.
Batters will sometimes take a look
at a wristband during an at-bat and
infielders and outfielders have their
own “information bands” that tell
them what their defensive position
ing should be for individual hitters.
Some players don’t wear a band, but
you will see them reach into their
back pocket and pull out a card that
gives them the same information.
Just think, some day you will go to
the Baseball Hall of Fame and see
some player’s wristband on display.
Silly?
And the eye-black! For as long as
I can remember, players have used
eye black under their eyes to help
with the sun’s glare. We used to reach
up into the chimney and get some
soot to smear under our eyes but now
they manufacture the stuff. Well,
some players have gone crazy with
eye-black. They not only put it under
their eyes, they smear it all the way
down their cheeks. They look like
some warrior ready to go to war.
Keeping in the eye department,
have you noticed that players and
even umpires wear sunglasses all the
time. I’m not talking about what
fielders used to flip when they were
catching a fly ball, I’m talking about
all the time. Batters use them during
an at-bat, catchers use them under
their masks, and umpires also use
them under their masks.
How can they see clearly when it
is so important to have perfect vision
when performing their specialties?
My experience with sunglasses is that
there is some distortion when wea
ring them. I’m sure that the ones that
major leaguers wear are far superior
to the ones that I can afford.
And how about those that wear
their sunglasses on the bill of their
caps? They never wear the glasses
they just style them on their cap bills.
Ah, the “bat flip”! It started at the
major league level, then filtered to the
colleges, and now you can even see it
at the high school level or even in
youth leagues. A batter hits a no
doubt home run and tosses his bat
high into the air as he begins his trip
around the bases. This is said to be a
form of joyful expression, but I see it
as a sign of disrespect.
If a player had done this to Bob
Gibson or Don Drysdale, they could
go ahead and lie down in the batters’
box on their next at-bat because these
guys were going to put them there
with a head-high fastball. I guess you
either like it or hate it. I hate it!
There are certainly other things I
could discuss but I don’t have the
space. Things like instant replay,
managers’ attire, starting extra-in
ning games with a runner on second
base, and total artificial-turf fields.
That’s enough for another column at
a later date. Give them some thought!
Holliday Discusses Future of Upson lee Volleyball
Photo by Jacob Stewart
Sydney Parker will be a key component for Upson Lee volleyball this Fall.
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
Upson Lee volleyball lost a
considerable amount of talent
when the Class of 2021 gradu
ated a few weeks ago. Without
the core that took the team to a
region championship in 2019
and the state playoffs in 2020,
the team has a lot of catching up
to do to continue to be a threat in
the region.
First year Head Coach Randy
Holliday is already on the right
track. Volleyball tryouts featured
over too athletes, all competing
for a spot on the junior varsity
and/or varsity squads.
Coach Holliday spoke with
The Upson Beacon to discuss the
future of the program:
Q: Tell me about yourself and
what you are looking forward to
in your first year as head coach.
A: I am Coach Holliday, I
teach sports medicine and essen
tials of healthcare at ULHS. I am
going into my fifth year of teach
ing at Upson Lee High School
and my first year as the volleyball
coach. I am looking forward to
working with a great group of
young athletes and watching
them grow as volleyball players
and as individuals. I want to use
this season to establish the stan
dards of ULHS volleyball and
hopefully produce a successful
season.
Q: The Lady Knights lost an
overwhelmingly important class
of volleyball players last season.
How important was it to see the
big turnout at tryouts?
A: The big turnout was a
huge thing for the program. As a
first-year volleyball coach, I did
n't know what to expect, but to
have over too students sign up
was quite incredible. It showed
that the success of the program
the past few years hasn't gone
unnoticed by the students. You
could really tell that they wanted
to be a part of this.
Q: What did you see from the
young athletes that may be en
couraging for upcoming sea
sons?
A: A lot of the young athletes
that participated in tryouts had
never played volleyball outside of
what they had done in P.E. class,
but they showed up and showed
a real desire to learn the proper
techniques and showed that they
wanted to compete. In fact, all
the athletes that showed up for
tryouts showed a desire to com
pete. The level of skills that they
showed was quite impressive.
Q: What do you think is nec
essary for a quick rebuild to take
place in the program?
A: I think for us to have suc
cess we need players to buy in to
what myself and Coach Hood are
teaching them. It is really going
to take a group of individuals
that are dedicated, motivated,
and driven to make this year suc
cessful.
IIIHS Hosts Two-Day Golf Camp
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
The Upson-Lee golf team held a
two-day golf camp for young golfers
to learn more about the game. Young
golfers played a couple of holes with
active team members as they learned
proper etiquette and ways to improve
their games.
Golf is a great game to become in
volved in early. Coaches Taylor Eng
lish and Brain Oglesbee are working
to put clubs in the hands of Upson-
Lee students before they arrive at the
high school. Last season’s top golfers,
Trey Kelly and Skye Perdue, both
began playing golf their sophomore
seasons.
The development at Upson-Lee is
working, but if upcoming golfers
began golfing at a younger age, the
program could take the next step.
Many young athletes are not introduced to golf until later in life, so the camp
is a great opportunity for the youth to grow a love for the game.
Photos by Jacob Stewart
UL Softball Working Out Early Kinks
Photo by Jacob Stewart
Sydney Parker will be a key component for Upson Lee volleyball this Fall.
By Jacob Stewart
sports@upsonbeacon.com
High school sports across
Georgia are ramping up smooth
summer practices for the first
time in two years. Upson-Lee
softball is working with a chip on
its shoulder after pushing to the
Sweet 16 last year but falling
short.
The Lady Knights are lifting
weights with UL Strength Coach
Logan Winkles three times a
week. Following weight room ac
tivities, the athletes take to the
field where they are currently
working on knocking off the dust
and becoming a cohesive unit.
“We are working with Coach
Winkles all summer to get the
girls better conditioned for play
ing games in the fall in Georgia,”
said Coach Taylor English. “Con
ditioning cost us down the
stretch last year, and we can’t let
it happen again.”
The Lady Knights lost a tal
ented core group of players in
the ‘21 class, however English
believes the program is going to
be able to have a smooth turn
over.
“We have another strong
group of seniors coming up this
year that have stepped right into
those roles,” English assured.
Upson-Lee was one of the
top-hitting teams in the region
last season and will likely repeat
that title. “I think we will hit the
ball better than we ever have
since I have been here,” said
English.
Since offense is not the main
concern, there is a lot of defen
sive shuffling that will take place
over the summer. Upson-Lee
will have to find its rock at
catcher and be able to pin down
the corner infield spots. The
Lady Knights played impressive
defense last season, so they will
be ready when fall rolls around.
After just one week of prac
tice, English is excited about his
team. The Lady Knights are in
troducing freshmen to coverages
and already working to plug
holes in the defense. Region 2-
AAA will be very competitive
once again, and Upson-Lee
hopes to come out on top after
leaving the region tournament
with a bad taste in their mouths
last season.