Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2008
SPORTS NOTICES
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3B
• 2008 Deer Hunt For The Handicapped[ Dec. 7 9-20
The DNR announces that applications are being accepted for the inaugural Banks County Deer
hunt for handicapped hunters. The hunt will be held at the Windmill Farm location. Applicants
must possess a hunter education certificate before applying.
The hunt is planned for hunters permanently confined to wheelchairs, but other disabilities
may be considered. Additional requirements can be found on the application forms. Deadline
for applications is 4:30 p.m., Dec. 3, at the Banks County Extension Office located at 413 Evans
Street in Homer.
Applications are available at the Banks County Extension office, the Wal-Mart at Banks
Crossing, and at Shuler’s Great Outdoors at Banks Crossing.
For more information contact the Banks County Extension Office at 706-677-6230.
• Christmas Tree And Wreath Sale
The BCHS football program is sponsoring a Christmas tree and wreath sale to benefit the 2008
Season Banquet for the athletes. Orders are open through Friday, Nov. 21.
Orders can be picked up between 5 - 9 p.m. Dec. 5, at the Ag Barn at the high school, or
between 10 - 2 a.m. Dec. 6.
Also on Friday, Dec. 5, there will be an evening of fun for all Banks County children. Enjoy a
visit with Santa, craft table, cookie decoration, cake walk, jumping machine, hay ride and more.
Parking is on the Ag bam side of the school as the festivities will take place on the bus ramp
side.
AMERICA’S GAME
The Evolution of Baseball — Part IV
I have endeavored in parts one,
two and three of this series, to
examine how various aspects
of baseball have evolved
throughout the last century. Part one
examined the development of the hu
man body over the past one hundred
years by comparing the starting ros
ters of the Braves from 2008, 1958
and 1908. Part two examined the size
of ballparks since 1908. Part three
examined other aspects of the game
such as travel distance and time zone
changes, sports medicine and the ath
lete’s body, safety equipment, free agency and
various means to create “part time” ballplay
ers. In the final series, Part Four here, I’ll draw
some conclusions as to fundamental changes
which have taken place in the game over the
past 100 years.
First, players are bigger and ballparks are
smaller. Obviously, that means that more
balls are flying out of the ballparks through
out America. Players are taller and arm exten
sion is greater. Increased weight of the players,
coupled with greater arm extension produces
a greater ability to drive the ball further. Fenc
es have been contracting at an alarming rate,
perhaps as much as twenty-five feet since the
1950s. Twenty-five feet may not seem like
much, but it is a tremendous amount in a game
known as the game of inches. In 1901, only
.59 home runs were hit for every 100 at bats.
In 1958 that figure had grown to 2.67. In 2008,
2.97 home runs were hit for every 100 at bats.
The long ball is getting longer.
Second, it is difficult to conclude one way
or another if travel distance significantly af
fects players. While it is true that players travel
more often and at greater distances than be
fore, comfort in travel has also improved. Ho
tels offer luxurious rooms and facilities, with
much greater amenities that in the 1950s, and
certainly greater than 100 years ago.
Third, ballplayers are playing longer. Jamie
Moyer, who pitched in this year’s World Se
ries, was forty-five years old when he let go
of the first pitch to start game three. It is get
ting very common to see players now at forty
plus years of age still contributing. Old timers
Ralph Kiner retired at 33, Joe DiMaggio at
37, Warren Spahn at 34, and Whitey Ford at
39. However, older generations did have a few
that went into their forties - just not as often
as we see today. Ted Williams was
42 when he retired. With the advent
of sports medicine and its entourage
of specialists, and more protective
gear, today’s players are more likely
to be able play longer - if they want
to and if they are good enough - than
players of the past.
Fourth, despite the ability to play
longer, performance and physical
health cannot trump management’s
growing discontent with “bad boys”
in the game. Here, Barry Bonds is a
good example. Many teams could
have used Bonds in the 2008 season. Bonds
was always good for 150 walks even if his
home run days were numbered. Not one team
touched him. The prospect of losing fans who
disliked the trial-bound Bonds was not worth
the money. Even Ty Cobb may have had trou
ble landing a team in today’s environment.
Fifth, and here’s a real mystery: every team
holds a battalion of pitchers, each individual
hurler having his own specialty and pitching
only a few innings each week. We should see
these individuals playing not into their forties,
but into their sixties. Yet pitchers come and
pitchers go. Here today, gone tomorrow. Or, in
the case of some we’d like to see go (like Jo Jo
Reyes), they hang on like a cancer. The horde
of pitchers coupled with the DH rule and pla-
tooning signals longer careers for many play
ers.
Perhaps the starkest difference in ballplay
ers from forty years ago is their growing inde
pendence from management. With free agency
and the proliferation of professional agents for
ballplayers, teams are unable to, and sometimes
unwilling to retain players who are asking too
many dollars and, in some cases, unreasonable
peripheral terms. The Manny Ramirezs of the
game are able to command just about what
ever they wish in a contract. Players now move
frequently and have less loyalty to a team and
their fan base. And more and more, those fran
chises willing to shell out mega bucks for top
players, like the New York Yankees, are able to
stack the line-up with an all-star team.
What has not changed, mercifully, is the ba
sics of the game, DH and interleague play not
withstanding. After one hundred years, bases
are still 90 feet apart, three and two is still a full
count, and no matter what any politician says,
you get only three outs.
Banks County resident John Rieken is an avid baseball fan. E-mail comments about this
column to jrieken@windstream.net.
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Football continued from page IB
PROTECTING THE QB
Lyn Hester (68) keeps a Calhoun defender from
breaking through on QB Chris Porter (10).
Photo by Justin Poole
By The Numbers
The Calhoun game didn’t
offer much in the way of
favorable stats for Banks.
Chris Porter’s seven
attempts at passing were
canceled out, and the rush
ing game was hampered as
well.
Justin Beasley was the
workhorse carrier, handed
the ball for 25 carries and a
gain of 130 yards. Demetric
Dempson did a share gain
ing 19 yards on six carries,
with Dylan Lackey’s four
carries picking up another
19 yards. Clay Frink aver
aged 8.5 yards per carry
on two carries for 17 yards
total.
On the defense Billy
Pinson picked up nine tack
les followed by Bill Redmon
with eight, and Tyler Hulsey
with seven. Kane Duncan
and Matthew Patton each
picked up five tackles.
BCHS
Season Stats
Wins
6
Losses
5
Region seed
4th
Total points - score
306
Total points - allow
277
Passing att.
107
Passes comp
48
Interceptions
15
Rushing
att.
yds
TD
Beasley
271
2161
24
Bonds
102
624
6
Special
PATs
FG
Hulsey
13/20 1/1
Ewing
4/5
Hester
8/9
Receiving
rec.
yds
TD
Duncan
19
298
6
Beasley
13
205
0
Smith
6
108
0
Defense
tac. TFL sacks
Pinson
117
4
3
Patton
73
3
2
Hulsey
71
5
5
Duncan
69
1
Redmon
45
2
Armour
63
1
2
Hester
52
7
9
Frink
38
6
Season:
528
29
21
Basketball continued from page IB
region wins in the process.
Boys’ coach Mike Ruth was
unable to be reached for com
ment on his expectations for the
team this year.
With several returning players,
many having to shed the football
pads for shorts, the roster has
several key players.
The boys get on the court
Monday and Tuesday at the
Jackson County Thanksgiving
Tournament. After the holi
day. Banks County will return
to the court against Lakeview
Academy. The Leopards host
the Dec. 1 game with tip-off for
the Lady Leopards at 6 p.m. with
the Leopards’ game to follow.
Date
Opponent
Nov. 24
@
JCCHS Tourney
Dec. 1
VS.
Lakeview
Dec. 5
@
Rabun Co.
Dec. 6
vs.
Jackon Co.
Dec. 9
vs.
Union Co.
Dec. 12
@
Prince Ave.
Dec.16
vs.
Rabun Co.
Dec. 19
@
Piedmont
College
Jan. 7
vs.
Riverside (boys)
Jan. 9
@
Union Co.
Jan. 13 @ Oglethorpe Co.
Jan. 16 vs. North Oconee
Jan. 17 vs. Stephens Co.
Jan. 20 vs. Jefferson
Jan. 23 @ Dawson Co.
Jan. 27 @ East Jackson
Jan. 30 vs. Fannin Co.
Feb. 3 vs. Oglethopre Co.
Feb. 6 @ North Oconee
Feb. 10 @ Jefferson
Feb. 13 vs. East Jackson
Feb. 16-21 Region Tourney
Grapplers continued from page IB
The returning grapplers
from last year include:
Sophomores
Justin Fincannon, Viet
Pham, Bret Wood, Jordan
Waters, CJ Pilcher, Cody
Turner, Avery Tench,
Jeremy Greenway, Josh
Miller, Isaac Mayfield, Jon
Gailey, Matthew Patton
and Nathan Mathis.
Juniors
Nathan Holloway, Paul
Newell, Clint Caudell,
Jacob Bolton, Evan
Gossitt, Jared Gregory,
Travis Betts and Jorge
Diaz.
Seniors
Wesley Angel, Demetric
Dempson, Stephen Giles,
Tyler Goodson, Tramane
Mayfield and Simon
Hurtado.
QUAUIFIERS
Returning state quali
fiers include Dempson,
Gregory and T. Mayfield.
Last year, Dempson and
Gregory placed at state.
NORTH GEORGIA
ORTHOPAEDICS
General Orthopaedics Surgery
Joint Replacement
Arthritis Treatment
Sports Medicine
Fracture Care
Office hours:
Monday - Wednesday
Friday
Ronald A. MacBeth, M.D. Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Brian Hamon, Orthopaedic Physician Assistant Certified
"Always acceptlwy wewpatlewts"
638 HWY 441, DEMOREST
I ACROSS FROM HABERSHAM MEDICAL CENTER I
706.754-8400
SATELLITE OELICE AT TOCCOA CLINIC ON THURSDAYS