Our All-Area baseball team according to our Readers…

Jake The Snake said,

Freshman of the Year – George Carter – Grimsley
Sophmore of the Year – Ben Fultz – Ragsdale
Junior of the Year – Hunter Ridge – SW Randolph
Seniors of the Year – Cam Cockman/Austin Moyer – Southeast Guilford
Most Valuable to his Team – Ryan Dull – East Forsyth
Best Player in the Area – Wil Myers – Wesleyan

All-Area Team
1b – Austin Moyer – Southeast
2b – Ben Fultz – Ragsdale
3b – Ray Crawford – Dudley
ss – Cam Cockman – Southeast Guilford
of – Matt Netteshiem – Grimsley
of – Wil Myers – Wesleyan
of – Tyler Burchett – Rockingham
c – Alex Swim – Northwest Guilford
p – Ryan Dull – East Forsyth / Michael Dimock – Wesleyan
ut – George Carter – Grimsley
dh – Hunter Ridge – SW Randolph

*****Honorable Mention from our readers include Justin Venable, Jeff Medley, and Josh Tobias from Southeast Guilford(many fans/readers think that Tobias is the area’s top freshman)…
Robbie McIntosh and Glen Clemmons from Northwest Guilford…
Roby Swab from East Forsyth…*****

What do the rest of you think? Come up with your own All-Area high school team and we’ll print it and give us your thoughts on the current selections.

We have Zach Kornblum(P) and Nick Jones(CF) both from Page HS nominated to be on the All-Area team. What are your thoughts on these two young men getting a spot on the team?

*****Another reader’s All-Area HS baseball team*****
Coaches Dream said:
1b/ Austin Moyer (SE Guilford)
2b/ Ben Fultz (Ragsdale)
ss/ Brett Underwood(SWGuilford), Cam Cockman(SE Guilford)
3b/ Robbie Macintosh(NW Guilford)
c / Jeff Medley(SE Guilford), Alex Swim (NE Guilford)
of/ Justin Venable(SE Guilford), Nick Jones(Page), Jeremy Hall( SW Guilford), Will Myers(Weslyan), Davis Turner (NE Guilford)
p/ Michael Dimock (Weslyan), Ryan Dull (East Forsyth)
DH/ Gray Goley(Page)

Another’s reader’s team and this would be his Dream Team for the All-Area squad:

2006 Colt World Series team that made it to the Championship game in Lafayette, IN . All of them are Senoirs this year and listed on someones dream team . The roster would be Austin Moyer , Jeff Medley , Michael Dimock, Nick Jones, Cam Cockman , Aaron Jones, Davis Turner , Frankie Johnson, Blaine McGraw, and Caleb Shelton .
Coach-Alan Ashkinazy

Here’s the SportsFans List, it just came at 5:03pm:
C-Medley (SE) and Sanders (HPC)
1B-Moyer (SE) and Hickernell (Wesleyan)
2B-Fultz (Ragsdale)
SS-Underwood (SW) and Cockman(SE)
3B-Meyers (Wesleyan)
OF-Jones (Page), Hall (SW), Swim (NW), Venable (SE)
P- Dimock (Wesleyan), McCraw (SW), Moyer (SE)

My area player of the year would have to be Dimock

137 thoughts on “Our All-Area baseball team according to our Readers…

  1. Jake the Snake did a great job………….I’ll throw out some additions to think about.

    1b/ Austin Moyer (SE Guilford)
    2b/ Ben Fultz (Ragsdale)
    ss/ Brett Underwood(SWGuilford), Cam Cockman(SE Guilford)
    3b/ Robbie Macintosh(NW Guilford)
    c / Jeff Medley(SE Guilford), Alex Swim (NE Guilford)
    of/ Justin Venable(SE Guilford), Nick Jones(Page), Jeremy Hall( SW Guilford), Will Myers(Weslyan), Davis Turner (NE Guilford)
    p/ Michael Dimock (Weslyan), Ryan Dulle (East Forsyth)
    DH/ Gray Goley(Page)

    The above are the best I saw locally…………….and if Jake “the snake” wants to play………….I’ll take him also.

  2. I dont think anyone on SW Guilford can be on this list because they underachieve every year. They are like Bobby Cox’s Braves in their heydey, best pitching staff around but cannot win in playoffs.

  3. I think Robbie McIntosh at SS or 3rd…he’s a ball magnet….Glen Clemmons in the outfield…I’ve watched this kid and he finds ways to catch the ball…We agree with both lists except Coaches Dream left out Clemmons..he’s a must in the out field

  4. Glenn Clemmons doesn’t belong on an all area team. He shouldn’t even play on his own team. Mike……. I’ll take Jeremy Hall and Brett Underwood …….you must like losing not just in the playoffs but all the time.

  5. Like with anything in today’s society someone or some people are going to be upset that they were not on a list or did not make a team. (THAT IS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY AAU AND USSSA TRAVEL TEAMS NOW!) I know the teams and players pretty well in this area and I can understand arguments for Medley, Venable, Tobias, Swab, McIntosh, McBride, the guys at Western even Tyler Hickernell (Wesleyan), Connor Scarborough and Kevin Sanders (HP Christian), but who is Glenn Clemmons at NWG? I have never seen him play or heard anything about him. Although Jones and Koornblum may be good players they did play on a team that had a losing record. I also have never heard of Goley from Page.

  6. Who would be the Coach of the Year? What coach did the most with the least talent and what coach did the least with the most talent?

  7. Coaches Dream…you must be bias and know nothing about baseball or the players in the league….and to talk bad about a particular player shows no class.

  8. Bob Clemmons aaaaa I mean Dream Team…………..Is this about an all area team based on talent and numbers or is this about a dad promoting his son??? There’s already enough of that at NW!! He’s a great kid I’ve heard, but no all area player this year. As far as the no class thing……….sometimes the truth hurts!!

  9. No one mentioned Logan Self (NW Guilford)..He’s one of the best pitchers in the Metro 4A conference.

  10. A lot of good opinions on this thread. It just goes to show that there’s a lot of talent in the area. You couldn’t go wrong with all of the players named here plus a lot more that aren’t listed.

    Dream Team, don’t forget that to be on this list a player had to do it offensively and defensively and not just in one or two games but all season.

    As for coach of the year I would vote for Alan A. from Grimsley in the Metro 4A. Out of the three top teams in the league, he probably had the least OVERALL talent to work with-no real studs. I believe he just out-coached his peers.

  11. If you are looking for a dream team just ask Alan A. to line up his 2006 Colt World Series team that made it to the Championship game in Lafayette, IN . All of them are Senoirs this year and listed on someones dream team . The roster would be Austin Moyer , Jeff Medley , Michael Dimock, Nick Jones, Cam Cockman , Aron Jones, Davis Turner , Frankie Johnson, Blaine McGraw, and Caleb Shelton . They all had a great year and have consisitently played at an all-star level. I believe they all are playing college ball next year, their teams made it a least to the 2nd round and they will all probably make their all – conference team for the 2nd or 3rd year in a roll . This group would get my vote and Alan A would be the coach . This is fun

  12. That Colt World Series team was as good a team as this area has seen I think. I see “Dream team” mentioned Logan Self, last year he was surrounded by seniors (a great group of players) who made him look good. This year with a younger less experienced team he didn’t have such a good year. He doesn’t belong on the all-area team. Robby Macintosh and Alex Swim from NW do belong , they are both better than Logan Self. No knock from me on the Northwest team this year…….but the team last year was special. I’ll vote for Alan Ash also on the coach of the year……………

  13. First of all, I agree dweeb, there is a ton of talent in this area and it makes it tough to choose.

    Second, Mike, I’m not quite sure your criteria for under-achieving. If you consider under achieving to be making the third round in consecutive seasons (2006, 2007), and the second round (2008), Ill take that. I know that does not seem like much, but let’s look at the projections for each of these three years…in 2006 the very young SW group was supposed to have a rebuilding season and went to Piedmont and West Rowan, two higher seeded and more talented teams, and got a win. Last year, the Cowboys were more experienced but still expected to lose in a second round matchup with the tigers from Ragsdale. However, they won that game and went on to the third round. In case you didn’t know, the mid-piedmont conference (supposedly the best 3-A conference around) did not have a team make it to the third round in each of those two seasons. Yes Ragsdale made it to the state championship in 2006, but lost out in 2007 to these under-achieving cowboys, and SE made it to the State Championship last year, but failed to make the playoffs in 2006. Looking at this year, while SW did lose to a Lake Norman team that was not as talented as them, they were not favored to make it out of the second round anyways because they were supposed to square off with the pre-season State-Championship favorite, SE. Yes, I am a SW fan, but just looking at the facts it is hard to see what your definition of under-achieving is. Well you know, looking back I don’t think we can have an all-area team this year, no teams from Guilford County will be playing this Friday night. Since I guess winning in the playoffs determines how good a player is, there are no good players from around here. What do you think about that Mike?

    Third, Jake..I can’t buy into not being chosen if your team has a losing record. If that was how it were done, Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, etc. would never be on an all-star team. I can’t deny a great player recognition just because his team didn’t achieve.

    With all that being said, here’s my list..
    C-Medley (SE) and Sanders (HPC)
    1B-Moyer (SE) and Hickernell (Wesleyan)
    2B-Fultz (Ragsdale)
    SS-Underwood (SW) and Cockman(SE)
    3B-Meyers (Wesleyan)
    OF-Jones (Page), Hall (SW), Swim (NW), Venable (SE)
    P- Dimock (Wesleyan), McCraw (SW), Moyer (SE)

    My area player of the year would have to be Dimock. He has been great on the mound and swinging the bat.

    I am not sure what ‘area’ includes. Depending on how far you want to go Livengood from Ledford would have to be considered as a P as would Bryan Mitchell (junior comitted to UNC) from Rockingham. Glenn also has talent with Stewart Wright (3B ), Corey Parker (SS), and Parrish (P/C).

    It’s a great area to be a baseball fan with so many talented players to follow. I am looking forward to watching many of these mentioned playing at the next level. Our area is well represented and we should all be proud of these young mens accomplishments.

  14. dweeb brings up a good point but I am not sure what his definition of a stud is:

    As for coach of the year I would vote for Alan A. from Grimsley in the Metro 4A. Out of the three top teams in the league, he probably had the least OVERALL talent to work with-no real studs. I believe he just out-coached his peers.

    I want everyone to read between the lines because Bob Clemmons is not in the boat by himself. Some kids play this game just because they love baseball. All the individual accolades could mean nothing at all. Grimsley has six graduating seniors and all of them will be going on to some very respectable Universities: UNC Chapel Hill (two of them), Appalachian State, Citadel, UNC Greensboro and Greensboro College. Only one player will be going on to play college ball, the other five will be aspiring to become professionals in something other than sports.

    So when you guys are sitting around debating your all area team think about who really cares? I know there are other area schools that have success stories to tell, I would like to read about them one day while I sit back drinking my capo chino.

    To Ash, “its funny how life works”, you go from being the worst coach to the best coach hands down. Congratulations!!!! But don’t get to complacent, you still have some studs (my definition of studs) coming back next year and they are hungry for what has eluded you guys, a State Championship.

  15. Grimsley Fan…I agree about wanting to read about the ‘success’ stories, beyond athletics, of area teams. For some reason, the print media doesn’t seem interested. One of my sons past coaches tried to get them to do a story on the academic success of his team, but they wouldn’t even listen. On my all area team, many of those young men aren’t just great baseball players, they are honor students and great young men. Maybe one day the media will realize what is truly important in life. I told many of our young men and parents who lost on Tuesday that I’ll take great young men over great baseball players any day.

    Great baseball players last a season…great young men, a lifetime!

    Coach Wish..I agree you listed some great players, but I think only 4 of those men were playing in the second round this year. Dudley, SE, and Western were all eliminated in the first round. I would think however that they will be on their all conference teams.

  16. I HEARD LAKE NORMAN DOES NOT HAVE AS MUCH TALENT AS “THE GUILFORDS”. LAST I CHECKED THE SCOREBOARD , LAKE NORMAN TWO – GUILFORD COUNTY ZERO. MAYBE BOTH TEAMS OVERLOOKED THE WILDCATS. “DON’T JUDGE A TEAM BY ITS RECORD”….REMEMBER THIS IS BASEBALL.

  17. sportsfan: You make a valid point about good players on losing teams but Page was 6-14 entering the playoffs! (which is 49-113, if you are comparing this to the major leagues. Griffey, Sosa, Bonds, never played on a team that bad and if they did they would not make any All-Star team) If you are truly a great player and put up big numbers you should make your team better which leads to a better record. If they had, in other peoples opinions, 3 all-area players, maybe it is the coaching.

  18. Just wanted to point out that Alex Swim from Northwest had only one strike out all year in about 80 plate appearances against some excellent pitchers (Dull at East Forsyth in 3 games for one.) Are there any other hitters in the area that can post a strikeout rate like that? Alex had a very high batting average, on-base %, and slugging %. He is a very disciplined young man who should be on the “dream team”.

    Robbie McIntosh from NW was 7-1 on the year with the only loss coming in a game where a couple of fielding errors made the one run difference. His walk to strike out ratio as a pitcher is probably one of the best in the area. He pitched excellent in the East Foryth-NW 4A Metro Conference Tourney Championship game. Robbie also hit very well this year and made some excellent fielding plays on the corner at 3rd. He is a very good young man as well. He should be on the “dream team”.

    I won’t comment on other area team players because I didn’t see the other teams play except when NW played them. Their coaches will have their stats when it comes time for the decisions to be made by those who choose the team. The area is overflowing with excellent baseball talent.

    One last comment on graduating seniors as mentioned in the previous blog. Four of the five NW seniors will be majoring in Engineering at NCSU. The fifth senior is attending Appalachian State to become a Physical Therapist. They are a sharp group of student-athletes.

  19. Jake the Snake: We are talking about baseball, not football or basketball. Baseball is more of an individual sport as I’m sure most would agree. It’s a bit harder to make the players around you better in baseball. Page also won a first round game. Does that make them better than most of the area teams that lost in the first round? NO I don’t think so. The 49-113 analogy isn’t a good one.

  20. Thanks For All the compliments but the achievements of my team makes me look better. Congrats to all Guilford County State Play-off Teams. The great thing about baseball at all levels is any team can beat any team, any given day. Southeast, Western, Southwest, Ragsdale, Dudley, Northwest, Northeast, Southern and of course, Grimsley (sorry if I forgot anybody), all had GREAT years but came up short. All those teams have terrific talent coming back so next year should be very entertaining. If you want a preview, just keep your eye on this years Colt League in Greensboro and the Colt All-Star Team beginning in July which I will have the honor of coaching.
    I totally agree with everyone about the Colt All-Star Team of two years ago. Don’t forget the others on that team…Clint Moore (Recording Breaking Season At Army), Warren Slack (UNCG), Brandon McKinney, Chad Hockaday, Alan Craven (GTCC). Brent Young (Southern) was also on that team. WOW! I think any coach could have had success with that team. Am I missing any players?
    All the players being mentioned for All-Area are all deserving. Keep posting you are missing some.

  21. George Carter in the 6th inning in the second NW-Grimsley game at Grimsley. The count was 1-2 before the K. I want everyone to know I am no relation to Alex Swim or Robbie McIntosh. I go off of the facts.

  22. To Grimsley Fan…I meant no offense with my “no studs” comment in referring to Coach A. Grimsley had a number of “studs” this year that competed at a high level game after game. I’m sure they will go on to great things after high school baseball as well.

  23. When is the voting for all – conference and all – Area . The selection process might be done already . Hopefully it comes out soon.

  24. Coach Ash…where can we see the State Game rosters for underclassmen and seniors? Can you list the names here for us?

  25. baseball fan…can’t speak for SE, but SW in no way overlooked Lake Norman and has a great deal of respect for them. One young man had a single, a double, and a triple for the night. The left fielder and right fielder both made diving catches. They played well and deserved the win and I wish them great luck throughout the playoffs. On Tuesday night, they were the better team. However, the team with the most talent doesn’t always come away with the win. I don’t think you would hear anyone say that the Tigers are the least talented team in the AL central, but they find themselves in last place…just another example of a team with loads of talent not getting the wins. Same thing could be said for the Yankees. Lake Norman is a good team and have peaked at the right time. Congratulations and Good Luck to them.

    Jake…agree a team with a losing record probably wouldn’t have 3 all area players, but I do think they could have one as I reflected in my picks. If they had 3, I doubt their record would have been that bad.

  26. page didnt have any pitching other than zack. i’m wondering if he was the winning pitcher in all thier games?

  27. SPORTSFAN… THANK YOU . YOU ARE A CLASSY PERSON. ANY TEAM CAN WIN ANY GAME ON ANY NIGHT. THAT’S BASEBALL.

  28. I recently heard that the new Proehlific facilitie is putting together an all-star baseball team . Have the team been picked and is any of these baseball players on the team ?

  29. Wish List…this is the team and it is very talented. It is not only made up of area high school players, but as you can see some college players as well. There are a few who have been mentioned, Dimock, A. Jones, N. Jones, Kornblum, McIntosh, Swim, Self, but many of those mentioned were asked to play and chose to pursue other things this summer.

    Players Pos. High School College
    JB Brewer LHP Lee County Lenoir
    Jacob Cadle LHP/IB Westchester Wingate
    Timmy Dezearns RHP Page Louisburg
    Mike Dimock RHP Wesleyan Wake Forest
    Lyle Donaldson C‐INF Northwood Greensboro
    Zack Howard 3B Davie County Louisburg
    Aaron Jones 1B‐LHP Gospel Light UNCW
    Nick Jones OF Page Undecided
    Zack Kornblum LHP Page Undecided
    Robbie McIntosh INF‐RHP Northwest 2009
    Esterlin Paulino LHP Southwest NC A & T
    Zach Reffey INF Page 2009
    Logan Self INF‐RHP Northwest 2009
    Eric Simmons OF Northwest 2009
    Alex Swim C Northwest 2009
    Michael Wall INF North Forsyth UNCG
    Travis Woolen OF East Forsyth High Point

    Head Coach: Justin Smith (8th Year) Assistant Coach: Bob Sublett, Johnny Smith, Jeff Wilson

  30. I think we can all agree on that coaches dream has a good point, that would be a tought team to face but offensivly and deffensivly. Michael Dimock Ryan Dulle and Austin Moyer are tought and great pitchers not to metion Tyler Burchette who has great offspeed stuff. Dont forget that Alex Swim is one of the toughest catchers i have sceen and he is a great hitter with only one strickout the whole season,Amazing you can san!

  31. This is a good looking team and they should do well throughout the summer. Zack is going to Louisburg and Nick to ECU

  32. Thanks Pirate fan for the update on Nick and Zack. I had just copied and pasted from an earlier article and I wasn’t aware they had made a decision. Will they be playing baseball, going for academics, trying to walk-on, etc? It’s great to keep up with all the local guys.

  33. I’m not sure if the State Games Underclass Roster is posted anywhere but I’ll try to list it by memory.
    Tyler Kloc, Hunter Ridge (SWR), Ben Fultz(Ragsdale), Seth Mahaffey(Parkland), Seth Holderfield, Kevin Sanders(HP Christian), Chaz Frank, Zac Macaneny(Western Alamance), Bryan Mitchell(Rockingham), Dairio Little, Bradley Holland(Randleman), Parrish from Glenn HS, Connor Scarborough(HP Christian), Alex Swim(NWG), Logan Self(NWG), Ethan Ogburn(SWG), Jo Jo Hughes(McMichael), Jason Groce, Mat Batts(Mt. Tabor), Kyle Hackney.

  34. Zack is baseball scholarship and I heard Nick past on local schools to focus on his major ( Sports Management ) and opt to be an invited walk-on at ECU. What I know about Nick is he a focused kid and coaches love his approach to the game. He has the potential and desire to make it. Good luck Nick

  35. Seems like the only attention above goes to Homeruns and Pitchers so I would like to mention some defensive standouts that belong with above mentioned. Gabe Dimock Jr catcher at Grimsley, by far the best defensive catcher that I saw this spring, only had one throwing error all season in tough 4a conference, hit very well early but struggled offensively late. Cal Sutphin Grimsley sophomore shortstop, had one fielding error in first game of the year, and no throwing or fielding errors the rest of the year!! Solid hitter and power is coming, so one day someone will notice.

  36. This is a very good topic all the players are well noted for all there good bark barks!!!!

  37. What I noticed of Cal Sutphin this year was not that impressive. He can field when the ball is hit right at him. His batting is suspect, strikes out way to much to be a 2 hitter.
    His sportsmanship is about the worst I’ve seen all year. He should have been taken out of several games for questioning umpires calls and the use of language on and off the feild, but his coaches (one being his dad) seemed to overlook these infractions. Earlier in this thread George Carter was mentioned as Freshman of the Year. Again just someones opinion. George is a good pitcher. But his play at first is suspect and lazy at times. Several missed catches at first and multiple fielding errors in key games (First EF game and against Hopewell just to name a few).Hitting is fair when he stays under control. (1 for 9 in post season I think)Good young player. Yes he is. Freshman of the year. I think not. Eligible to play at Grimsley. Very questionable.

  38. That summer team mentioned earlier man who are they playing, they will kill a bunch of high school kids. What is the name of this team and who is backing it. I see they have all players and i heard that they hav a wilson contract and who got this stuff for this. Man this looks as strong as the old colt team . Do you have any type of schedule

  39. Go to Proehlificpark.com and you can find their summer schedule . Ricky Proehl is backing the team

  40. go figure –
    I believe that Nettesheim is also playing with the Proehlific Power. The team will not be playing in a league but will play a “showcase type” schedule against mostly collegiate teams. Then the team will have a “pass” to the national Palomino tournament as the sanctioned team from Greensboro and will play for a chance to advance to the national world series in California. They have a strong line up especially considering that a number of name players (Austin Moyer, Cam Cockman, Eric Presnell, Blaine McCraw, Brett Underwood) chose not to play with them. Not sure about the Wilson connection but rest assured that they will be outfitted with the best equipment and uniforms simply because that’s how the Smiths operate!

  41. Grimsley Baseball exceeded my expectations as the Coach. Two big moves that really solidified our defense is when I moved Netteshiem to LF and flip-flopped Sutphin and Justice at SS and 2ndbase. Cal had a terrific year defensively with many outstanding plays “not right at him”. The play he made at the first Page Game thwarted a Page rally. He became automatic as the season went on and became a defensive leader. As far as his mental actions on the field, I have spoke with him and passed on that to play at the next level, he will have to filter those actions. He’s very hard on himself, kind of like I was when I played. In my opinion, sitting him is not the way to go. Communicating with him about my experiences as a player is the approach I take. But I guess…all coaches do it differently. Remember, Cal is only a sophmore.
    George Carter will be one of the great players in this area. He had a terrific season as well and yes did make freshman mistakes but his baseball talents out-weighed all. I can’t wait to see what he becomes over the next three years. He’s only 15 years old. His upside is unbelivable. I’m not sure if he went 1-9 in the play-offs but if he did, the one hit was a game winning double in the 9th inning vs. Myers Park against a 17 year old throwing 90-92 MPH. Remember he also pitched 8 innings in that game only giving up 1 earned run against a team that was 20-6.
    With Sutphin, Carter add Lashawn Brown and Sawyer Highfill and 14 other talented young players the future of Grimsley looks very bright.

  42. I’ll have to agree with Al on George Carter. I think you will see many good things for this kid over the next 3 years. I think every school and coach would like to have a lefty that’s only 15 and already competing at the varsity level. Somebody else mentioned Nick Jones going to ECU for “Sports Management”. Congrats to Nick…………..He ‘s a great kid and I’d have him on my team anytime. Good Luck to the Proehlific team ………I think they will need it.

  43. ATTENTION EVERYONE: WE HAVE A JEALOUS PARENT ALERT! THERE SON IS NOT GETTING “HIS FAIR SHARE OF PLAYING TIME”. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A BRAND NEW TEAM TO BE STARTED SOON. THE COACH AND SCOREKEEPER WILL BE… hSballfan!!! It is obvious to anyone your son goes to Grimsley and is not playing. You are what is wrong with sports today. How dare you bash 2 kids who play on your son’s team. What have Cal and George ever done to you? You sir or mam are only a fan of your own son and you could care less about the team or his teammates. What gives you the right to question someones ability or hustle or hitting skills? Eligibility of George Carter – Very questionable – who are you, the Carter’s lawnboy or garbage collector? Give me a break with the eligibilty crap. Every player at every high school goes through the same process every year. If I were Mr or Mrs Sutphin or Mr or Mrs Carter I would be hunting you down. But I doubt there are any Mr or Mrs hSballfan’s in the phone book.

  44. Jake you did a good job and you were not bias. I am a Dudley fan and I did play baseball
    but there is only one Coach in this area that gave us the credit we deserved. I think if you have
    played the game you know what to look for and that Coach played the game to a high level.
    I just want the readers to know its not all about SOUTHEAST, NORTHWEST, or SOUTHWEST.
    I have seen all three teams play and yes they have some talented players but also does Dudley. Readers just remeber when replying its just not about your kids its about all the kids.
    GOOD LUCK

    DUDLEY,
    GRIMSLEY

  45. Jake, thanks for standing up to hSballfan, but don’t waste your time…..just put your haterblockers on…….Haters will be haters

  46. George Carter is a very special player and so is the Nene kid from Western Guilfrod. In my opinion they are teh two most talented players Greensboro has had in this town. Also Grimsley did over acheive and i know as a coach they were less talented than Northwest, East Forsyth but Alan does get teh best out of his kids. I mean you take John WIlkinson for example he is cut from any other baseball team and look alan works with him and has a tremendous year. I have played against JOhn numerous of times and is a kid that is not flashy but just does waht it takes to play and alan see that and is not like all other coaches that hears hype and cuts kids. I woudl have to say Alan has to be coach of year with what he had compare to others in his conference.

  47. There were some other great freshman around besides the three I mentioned at Grimsley and Nen from Western. Western also had a kid that moved into the area from Richmond, Va. Casey Jones. He will be a great one! How about AJ Williams for Dudley. I watched Dudley a lot this year and he pitched successfully in many big games. East Forsyth had a lead-off freshman centerfielder that had a terrific year…Luke Dunlap. I’ll keep thinking.

  48. Prep StarDweebTonyCoaches Dream……boy, you have a lot of time on your hands. Is this what you do all day? What’s your secret to independently wealthy?…lol

  49. George Carter is a very good player and will play at the next level and maybe the next level. Freshman of the Year? Well, he was given every opportunity to be, to the detriment of the team! From the few games I saw, best all around player at Grimsley was Junior Gabe Dimock Jr. Unforunately he was not Ash’s chosen “wonderboy” or son the the assistant coach, so he got very little attention. I’d choose 1 Dimock over any other 5 players on Grimsley’s team. As far as Ash getting the most out of his players, sorry, but I dont buy that line. Grimsley’s conference was weak. Grimsley should have lost only 3 games this year and should still be in the state playoffs. Coach of the Year goes to Dudley.

  50. I’m not a Grimsley coach or parent. Just enjoy baseball………….It’s amazing to me that Grimsley fans and parents seem to have a problem with Coach Al ….or whoever seems to have a problem with him. Gabe Dimock is a good player and he has been playing for Al on varsity since he was a freshman I believe. So what does Al have to do ?? I’m confused and I think Al will agree with me………..that his team was not as talented as the EF or NW team, yet they had what I consider to be a very good season. Gabe Dimock was part of that success. Sorry folks…….but whether you like it or not, Al is a very good baseball coach. I’ve known him for years and coached against him a few times here and there and I always wanted to kick his butt………… but I always respected him and his ability to coach a baseball team. Chosen wonderboy?? I don’t even know George Carter or his parents but this kid can play….and if he’s Al’s “wonderboy” then like I said earlier………..Al’s a smart man!! Scrapper…..who died and left you as the god of baseball wisdom in Greensboro and Grimsley baseball?? How could anyone say they should have lost only 3 games and still be in the state playoffs? I’m confused…….Al has done more for baseball in Greensboro than anyone I know……He’s not perfect …….but he’s a good coach and he knows good players. I also made a few comments earlier about a couple of NW players that I though did not deserve to be on the ALL-AREA TEAM. I didn’t say they were not good baseball players……….but we are picking the best 9 players. I don’t think they are in that group. Sorry if I offended them…….”Know it all” yeah…….it’s slow (economy) but never fear Obama and Clinton are here. Next year will be different……..I had the priviledge of speaking with both of them when they were in NC last month. I discussed the baseball problems we have here in Greensboro. They both said they would be glad to help us. Obama said his answer to our problems was all we needed was “HOPE” and Hillary (like hsballfan and scrapper) told me that all we needed to do was ask her how to fix the problem and she would tell us how to do it. LOL………There’s nothing like having to much time on your hands.

  51. Coaches Dream, talk about having too much time, you wrote a novel. Since when does stating one’s opinion relate to being God. I”m not a Grimsley parent or coach either. I enjoy baseball too. We”re all different and see things differently. However since you have seen Lord God Obama and Her Thighness you must be very close to God yourself. Ash is a wonderful promoter/recuiter/businessman and he knows baseball better than most. Put them all together however does not make him a HS Coach.

  52. Coaches Dream..I was asked to read all of your comments……your comments don’t just offend..they cut to the bone and are meant to damage, embarrass and hurt child’s reputation. This is for your own satisfaction and no other. Some good advice , be very careful what you say in public, you never know who’s watching.

  53. No one cut anyone to the bone, tried to damage or embarass anyone or hurt a child’s reputation PERIOD!! And Scrapper…I’m voting for McCAIN. Just thought I would interject some humor into this……

  54. Just a question. Where are all these Grimsley kids coming from? Is it true that the Carter kid is from up around Virginia? I had also heard they have a few more guys coming in from OUT OF STATE next year! This is coming from some of their players, so I am not starting rumors…just wondering if they are only rumors. According to some, the apartments across from Grimsley are getting pretty good business. That is incredible if that is what is going on in a high school baseball program, and I am surprised that “in-district” parents have put up with it. I pull for Grimsley to do well, but when talent starts appearing out of nowhere it makes me wonder.

  55. if you had a kid that has what it takes to get 2 the next level, you be crazy not to go play for coach alan. he be the best around.

  56. why cant we be friends? high school baseball is supposed to be a positive experience for everyone involved. there are some pretty brave MEN to bash high school kids with made up names.

  57. AA IS WORTHY AS COACH OF THE YEAR AND HIS FRESHMAN GEORGE CARTER IS OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD……WITH HIS DAD, RANDY BY HIS SIDE I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT HIS CHARACTER, EITHER……….BUT AS FAR AS COACH OF THE YEAR FROM HERE-THE WINNER IS RAGSDALE’S DONNIE MANESS-NOT ONE SENOIR ONT THE TEAM-FULTZ IS A SPECIAL PLAYER-BUT NO REAL STUD PITCHERS 3-4 REAL GOOD ONES-WATCH OUT FOR THE TIGERS NEXT YEAR WITH SOME UPPER CLASSMEN ON THE TEAM!! GO TIGERS!!!

  58. I only spoke of George and Cal because they were brought up by someone. I love Gabe Dimock both as a player and a kid. He had a great season for us. He is OUR LEADER!! There is no catcher I would rather have leading Grimsley other than Gabe!

  59. no clue… you seem to have no clue and miss the point entirely. HS baseball for some is no longer a positive experience because of the recuriting that goes on at some schools by their respective coaches. Kids grow up in a community and play sports in that community all their young lives. They reach HS and magically they are pushed to the back of the line when a glory hungry coach recurits a player from another city, county or state. This is no longer HS baseball… at least not the way I knew it. This is exactly why college scouts seldom make selections based on HS coach’s recommendations, and why showcase teams and camps flourish.

  60. The clemons kid is worth mentioning. He’s a fine young man and a good ball player. I was told he scored 18 runs this year .He must of done something right to score 18 runs,don’t you think? He was lead off bat for half the season and a winning season. Also, I understand he made great catches in all the games he played ..including Grimsley. I don’t look forward to this young man playing in the outfield and at bat against us next season. And even if his Dad mentioned his name and i know he didn’t ,who cares. I see a lot of hype by coaches about their players,so what the hec is the difference. It’s just an opinion anyway. God Bless, Good Luck to all the players and be safe.

  61. Jake the snake (I’m sure the name fits) I have children that attended Grimsley but they did not play baseball. I have been a fan of Grimsley Athletics and High School baseball for years. I am not bashing any kids or questioning ability or skills. Those players have some talent. Just stating what I observed at some games. What’s wrong with sports today( High School) are the parents…I’m guessing you are one of them (past or present)and the coaches who cheat the system for their own personal gain, by fast traking and promoting specific players…… and the association who turns their head and does not want to deal with the problem. Every player does not have 2 addresses ( 1 real and 1 rental in district). If a kid really has what it takes to play at the next level he will be seen on travel teams, at showcase camps, ect……
    Or imagine this Jake……..the High School in the district he really lives.

  62. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) recently announced that it would be trying harder to enforce the residency rules throughout the state. The rule is that “a player is eligible for participation in the school district where his/her primary residence is located”. The key word here is “primary”. If a family chooses to move into a specific district and set up their family’s primary residence there then more power to them. However, if a family just rents an address but does not use the address for their primary family residence then their child is not eligible in that district. And that, friends and neighbors, is what’s going on at schools in Guilford County. Until the school system cracks down it will continue to happen.

    Parents are not going to move their kids to another school for athletics unless thay have been promised playing time by that coach. That is nothing more than recruiting when those types of promises are made. If my child is not happy at his “legal” school then why would she/he move elsewhere without some type of incentive to do so?

    It may seem harmless but it’s another example of bad things happening in HS sports. It’s not fair to the schools, coaches and families that abide by the rules to let others constantly get away with bending and/or breaking those same rules.

  63. All-Area Team 2008…

    1b Austin Moyer(SE)
    2b Ben Fultz (Ragsdale)
    3b Robbie McIntosh (NW)
    ss Cameron Cockman (SE)
    p Michael Dimock (HPC)/Ryan Dull (EF)
    c Robby Swab(EF)
    outfielders.. Will Meyers (HPC), Justin Venable (SE) Jeremy Hall (SW) Nick Jones(Page)
    DH Alex Swim(NW)

  64. rumor has it that Neen Marerro transferred in from The Dominican Repubublic, Nettesheim from Wisconsin, G Dimock came in from Mass., on & on & on

    what about those good parents that grew up in Greensboro and have taken jobs in Winston Salem….shame on them for knocking someone who grew up in W-S out of that job……………pitiful!!!!!

  65. I assume all of the above mentions to Grimsley asst coach are for me? I rarely read this except to see summaries or our games, and people act like I am on all the time, I dont hide like most, this is my 3rd post on this site?? I am just a volunteer coach that has coached youth kids for 25 years, well before I had any children. I moved from the another school district to the Grimsley territory for several reasons. A) Majority of my business is in this area, so it shortens the length of my day, B) Grimsley High School is a better academic school then where we were at, and C) to play for a real baseball coach. Baseball is important to me and my family. There was no recruiting or promised playing time, or rental houses, we sold our house in Forest Oaks and bought a new house in the Grimsley territory. Why does everyone think when someone switches school it is due to recruiting or promised playing time, in my many years dealing with baseball parents, all parents do what is best for their situation, period. Someone said coaches cheat the system for their own personal gain – that is so stupid – what gain to win a high school baseball game, or even a high school state championship, what personal gain does a coach get except the joy his players would have – the coach gets no more money for winning or losing. Just about every school could care less whether you win or lose, so its not like a coach would lose his .50 an hour job. High School baseball is just rec ball and rec ball is very lucky to have some real baseball coached left. With the way the parents treat these coaches 5 years from now every high school team will be coached by a dad, because it is just not worth the abuse you put up with from parents and sites like this with false accusations. The teams that are good and Grimsley was not that good, we just had a solid team, there are really only a handful of good teams around (South Caldwell etc) the players move in to be a part of it for whatever reason they want – none of your business who cares. If you are upset that no one moves in to play for your community team, do something about it. Trust me the kids at South Caldwell didnt grow up playing there, but no one has coached more games in North Carolina than I in the past 8 years and we played teams from that area including all the kids that went to Little League world series and we dominated all over the state and country for that matter. Moving to play baseball at a different school is not a bad thing if you think it is right for your family. It is no different than moving for another job, better house, raise or anything else. Just because Little Johny played 2b at ABC Middle school doe not give him the right to play 2b at ABC High school forever. Just like little Johnny will not be guaranteed to get a great job, life is not fair, the smartest get the best jobs, the best athletes play at the best baseball schools. Quit saying it is recruiting, recruiting is buying someone a home to move into, and no one cares about High School baseball enough to do that! Alot of posts above say Al is a great coach and Grimsley is consistently ranked in top 100 schools in nation, isnt it common sense that some people that care about baseball or academics would want to go to Grimsley, just like adults want jobs at the best companies. Get a Life!!

  66. I have counted at least eleven “transplant” players that have found their way to Grimsley during Alan’s tenure there. All of these players have found a way to skirt the intent of the Greensboro School policy that discourages athletic transfers. However they justify their transfers, this just does not pass the “smell test”, especially when you factor in that these “transplanted” players/parents/assistant coaches are also customers and/or buddies of Alan. I am sure that the list will continue to grow unless the powers that be put a stop to it.

    I do not question at all Alan’s on field abilities or baseball acumen. I do, however, question his ethics and motives regarding Grimsley, and I do feel for those in-district players that were bumped because of the transplants.

  67. Hey scrapper, what position does your boy NOT play? if he is any good “they” will find him at the showcase event….if you are not embarssed to take him, make sure it is one in greensboro though….wouldn’ want to get too far out in the real world

  68. Why have none of the Grimsley folks answered my previous inquiry about the Carter kid? The problem isn’t that people move or give “academic” reasons for moving or whatever else seems to make it valid. That sounds like the Stefan Shepard drama last fall. The truth remains that there are numerous high caliber high schools in the Greensboro area, and kids go to great colleges from those schools. However, not all of those schools have a baseball coach that owns a facility where everyday he gets to deal/work with “other people’s” players. Right, wrong, or whatever there is a perception of a conflict of interest, especially when players start coming out of the woodworks to a school that historically has not been a baseball powerhouse. And while it is done legally, like Mr. Sutphin’s family has done, there are families that are not doing it legally. That is not only unfair to those in-district players, but it’s unfair to the teams in conference that have to compete for playoff spots, seeding, ect. Not all families have the economic flexibility to pick up and move simply b/c they don’t like the baseball program. There are also other area baseball programs that aren’t trying to get other school’s players either, like the Whirlies have been accused of doing since Alan has been in charge. Everybody wants to win, regardless of how much money they make doing it.

  69. This is my last post because it is such a waste of time to answer to the false accusations on this board, but they entire Carter family moved into a very nice house less than 2 minutes from me off Surry Drive – in the Grimsley district.

  70. Hey, inquisitive… Really none of your business but my sons are in their 30’s and live elsewhere. I just like baseball and dont like the way Grimsley operates.

  71. Dear Mr. it is just high school/to whom it may concern,
    I am the father of George Carter. We do live in the Grimsley district. Please feel free to drop by anytime before school, or after 7:00 pm Mon. thru Fri. to visit with us. If you prefer not to socialize, feel free to park on the street and observe our comings and goings. My story..I have two older daughters that have graduated from UNCG. My wife and I chose to send them to a private christian school in Forsyth Co. when they were in elementary, middle & high school. The reason we did that was that we felt it would best prepare them for the future. It was not cheap, but we were willing to sacrifice for them. Concerning George, he attended a christian school k4 thru 1st grade, he then attended a local public school of our choice in Rockingham county. George then attended WRMS thru the 7th grade. He then attended Greensboro Academy in the 8th, they did not have a baseball team but we felt that was the best place for him at that time. For highschool we weighed our options. We looked at private schools i.e. Wesleyn, Gospel Light, High Point Christian. These are all good schools, we just did not feel they were right for our child. We also considered NW Guilford, a great school academically and athletically. After much research and consideration we felt Grimsley was the best fit for our son. Grimsley is rated as one of the top 100 schools in the nation and they have a great baseball coach. Academics are important to us. We encourage George to work hard in the area of academics. He is a good student. The last time we checked his GPA was 4.6, taking honors classes. I am very proud of my son’s desire to excel. It is expensive for us to maintain a “legal” residence so George can attend Grimsley. I also miss spending the week in my home of 16 years. We have learned by experience that you have one shot at raising a child. We, again, are doing what we feel is best for our child. I am sure you choose to live where you do because it is best for your child/children. Concerning Coach Ashkinazy. I am not a close friend, or “buddy” of his. We were never asked to come to Grimsley to play baseball, we were made to feel welcomed by most players, parents, teachers and coaches (basketball & baseball). I do have utmost respect for him as a coach, and mentor. George does not take lessons at GBC. It is a great facility. We choose to do something different and Coach Ashkinazy honors our choice. I am sorry that George attending Grimsley upsets you, however, my son’s future is my priority. Lastly, there have been many comments concerning George on this post. Thank you to those who had kind, encouraging words for him. Thank you also to those of you that had words of criticism regarding his playing ability. We will take those and work on his shortcomings .I simply ask that you join with me in support of my child, and, I promise, I will do the same for yours……Nine GREAT players chosen by Mr. Durham!

  72. More talent headed to Grimsley…
    Friday, May 16
    Zak Butler commits to Prepstars 2008
    Prepstars is elated to have a committment for Standout 2009 grad Zak Butler. Zak will bring his 6.7 speed to our already talented outfield group with summer and at Grimsley High School next year. Zak is moving in from Virginia this year and he has big time D1 potential!!!!

  73. If you look closely at the Grimsley starters over the years and cross reference GBC and Prep Stars rosters you will find alot of the same names. Most of these players do not represent Gimsley district players. It looks like Grimsley baseball is being used for early practice time for these players and for theses GBC teams. Some would say that is a direct conflict of intrest. Are these players getting special treatment? The parents of these ball players spend a lot of money for travel teams, lessons and gas to play for GBC. The pay off is a starting position, all conference bids, and possibly college scholarships. All at the expense of legit Grimsley players.

  74. NW4life….if every starting player for grimsley over the past 4 years came thru GBC, that would be less than 40 total. you can hardly run a successful business based on those numbers…..you gotta come up with something better than that

  75. For George Carter…. I don’t like blogs and especially this one since there is a lot of un-documented accusations being thrown around. I am not hiding under a fake name; you know me and my family. Whereas some of us who love baseball have real issues with Ash, his antics on and off the field, and especially, his dismissive attitude about some players, no one that I know, in the Grimsley family, harbors any ill will for you and your family. How you got here is none of my business and I am sure you here for honorable reasons. Your son is a talented ball player and most of us wish him nothing but the greatest success in ball and life. God Bless your family.

  76. The title of the article “Our All-Area Baseball Team” has turned into people bashing kids, parents complaing about playing time, parents bragging about their sons, and once again a forum for people to vent about Alan Ashkinazy and Grimsley High School recruiting. This recruiting crap is getting old and just plain stupid. I am a big baseball nerd. I follow and keep up with everything related to college and high school baseball and recruiting. Why, because I have built relationships with alot of the kids and parents that are playing high school and college ball. How, by working at the Greensboro Batting Center. I have worked at GBC for the past 5 years and no I was not recruited to work there, so do not start those rumors. Back in 2003 my job with Hallmark Cards was eliminated and I was out of a job. Al aksed me if I would like to work there while I tried to find another job. Jobless and married with a family I jumped at the chance, we needed the money. Five years later I still have not found another job because I do not want to. I love where I work and the person I work for and the people I come in contact with everyday. Working for Alan is not the easiest thing in the world, nor is dealing with the public, but I would not trade the experience nor the people I have met and the friends I have made for anything in the world. The reason I am explianing all of this is because I have the facts and knowledge to back up what I am about to say… Alan Ashkinazy is a great business man (GBC has been open for 21 years), a great baseball coach, and the absolute WORST RECRUITER IN THE WORLD!!! First of all for the record: Alan does not recruit players to come to Grimsley to play baseball. Alan coaches baseball because he loves the game. He does not need the money, the fame, or the BS involved with coaching. I will tell you first hand he puts up with a tremendous amount of BS! Spend a day with me at work during the season and answer the calls and emails he gets from parents complaining about playing time, their son not having fun, why is my son on JV, why are you playing freshman over upperclassman, or Alan is way too hard on the boys. Give me a break! This is the real world. Nothing is fair or easy.
    Now back to my statement about Alan being the worst recruiter in the world. All of you parents, players, fans, rivals, and opposing coaches read very carefully to the facts I am about to give you. This year alone, the following “All-Area” players have taken lessons from Alan: RAY CRAWFORD, TYLER BURCHETT, HUNTER RIDGE, BEN FULTZ, KEVIN SANDERS, AUSTIN MOYER, CAMERON COCKMAN, and RYAN DULL. Did any of those kids end up at Grimsley? NO! Let me give you all a who’s who from the area over the past couple of years. WIL MYERS, MATT ROBERTS, JUSTIN VENABLE, PATRICK NISBETT, TREY GILMORE, JOSH TOBIAS, EVAN UNDERHILL, TAYLOR ATKINS, DAVIS TURNER, WALT SPARKS, MATT DILLON, ANDREW FLOWERS, BRENT YOUNG, DESEAN ANDERSON, CHAD HOCKADAY, BRANDON MCKINNEY, COREY MCKINNEY, JOHN NEESE, ROBBIE MCINTOSH, LOGAN SELF, BROCK HUDGENS, WARREN SLACK, CODY MYERS, JACK SHELTON, SCOTT RIDDLE, BEN BUNTING, NINO MARRERO, CASEY JONES, WILL KELLAM, JOHNNY BROWN, GREG HOLT, CJ BEATTY, PRESTON ASBILL, MATTHEW WHELESS, SCOTT HAYES, DANIEL TUTTLE, NATHAN COCKMAN, JEREMY SYNAN, TYLER HICKERNELL, MICHAEL DIMOCK, FRANKIE JOHNSON, TRAVIS NEAL, AJ WILLIAMS, RUBEN TORRELAS, TYLER HANOVER, GARRISON LASSITER, PATRICK KOONTZ, the list could go on and on. (I AM VERY SORRY IF I HAVE LEFT SOME NAMES OUT, I DID NOT MEAN TOO) What do all of these great players have in common? They all have come to GBC to take lessons or to work out. And the funny thing is… not a single one of them transfered to Grimsley!
    If anyone would like to reply to me or if you have any questions you can contact me at jdunlap1@northstate.net.

  77. To “Fultz” at Ragsdale……congratulations on a great year……keep up the good work!!!! miss seeing you play but have always known you would be GREAT

  78. For E Johnston and some others,

    Why knock the blog? This has been a great forum for fans, players, coaches, parents, and others to voice their opinions.

    Never before have the high school kids and other athletes in Guilford County received the amount of coverage as they receive here.

    Sometimes things get a little out of hand but we have overall good people weighing in here and if things get crazy they usually blow over before the kettle explodes.

    We are hearing from more and more college coaches that are using this web site/blog to track the area(Guilford County) players.

    This topic about the Area Baseball Players has been one our best all-time topics and we sure wish that the HP Wesleyan Academy would weigh in here because they have received plenty of recognition at GREENSBOROSports.com and they need to speak up and let others know they are present and will be accounted for.

    Stay tuned for future developments and I have an interview idea up my sleeve that will shed light on many of the sub-headings that have surfaced during the course of the discussion involving the All-Area/All-Guilford teams…..

  79. Jamey and all the Ash’s supporters, you mentioned my sons name in your posting and yes GBC has done a lot for my kid and no we did not transfer to Grimsley. My son does play in the same conference however and I would like to think I do not have a dog in the fight but from a conference participant the Grimsley parents and players are not the only ones that see whats going on at Grimsley, this is usaully the talk at all guilford HS games.

    Let us think outside the box for a second….Jamey what if you had a son that played baseball at Grimsley and he worked his ass off for three years at possibly earning a starting position in the outfield in his senior year. Then he reads about this Zak Butler kid…..Commits to prep stars, 6.7 speed, D1 prospect…..what does he do? Oh don’t forget…..moving from Virginia. Does he go out and take steriods (get my drift) to be able to compete with this kid. Ask yourself if the Zak is so good why does he not stay were he is at. Virginia has D1 schools also. Anyhow sticking to the point, we will just assume that the Prepstar and the Grimsley thing is all just a coincident.

    Ask yourself now were is the loyalthy to the player you have coached for all these years who patiently waited for his chance to shine. Is that not what we teach our kids anymore….. keep working hard son your day will come. Its called Ethics and people in business have a very difficult time defining Ethics, so they just say I am not breaking any laws.

    Now Jamey, since you follow so much HS and college baseball you would know that some State’s don’t give eligibility to transfering senior athletes and that in College transfers have to sit out ayear unless they are coming from a JUCO or going to a lower divison.

    So what Grimsley has set as the norm (seniors transfering in) may not be called recruiting but it is a very demoralizing practice:

    Lester Rivenbark
    Dusty Shutt
    Matt Nethashien
    Zak Butler

    Who is next?

    This does not only hurt the players and parents of Grimsley but what does it do for the integrity of the conference. You have teams in the conference struggling to encourage participation and you have other teams building its program with strong feeder middle schools and JV programs.

    Again, I could really careless what direction Grimsley Baseball goes in but to Ash if you consider yourself a leader and good for the game step up and set some examples for your community. Be loyal to the players and parents that put up with you for 4 years. Like Jamey said you are not an easy person to work with and I am sure you are tougher as a caoch. But the kids that play for you respect you, need and want your help and support. So don’t just turn your back on them for the sake of winning.

    Look at the big picture.

  80. Andy… lighten up man, just my opinion and mostly that is all you see on blogs. And with my opinion and 50 cents you may be able to buy a cup of coffee. But I am sure that people on this blog will see that I dont like blogs an quit because I am so influential.

  81. Just wondering:

    The Zak Butler announcement posted by Prepstars (posted by Grimsley assistant coach Sutphin, I assume): “Zak will bring his 6.7 speed to our already talented outfield group with [sic] summer and at Grimsley High School next year. Zak is moving in from Virginia this year and he has big time D1 potential!!!!”

    How is it that Zak is already on the Grimsley roster? Has there been some discussions between the Butlers and the Grimsley staff?

  82. No problem up there EJ.

    You still have our respect and we’ll grab your cap and glove for you too.

    Sometimes these blogs can get crazy but we’ll all pull through.

  83. Jamey,

    You didn’t mention the GBC kids that DID transfer to Grimsley from out-of-district schools (Jones and Wilkinson, in addition to the names listed by The Big Picture). Just an oversight I guess.

    Nogrimsleyfan is right. Kids aren’t going to transfer to Grimsley or any other school without some idea that they will play when they get there (unless they’re transferring strictly for academic reasons..ha,ha). That idea would have to come from the coaches at Grimsley. Right?

    Sooner or later it will come back to haunt someone. GCS is not going to be able to sit idly by and continue to let this go on. Herb Goins is going to start seeing and hearing more like this blog and will be forced to step in and correct a bad situation. In the meantime the reputation of a great school is being tarnished. But that’s okay as long as GBC keeps those paying customers coming back for more!

  84. I think Jamey also forgot Patriot League Rookie of the year, GBC and Grimsley player Clint Moore. He is one heck of a player. But I think I remember him also coming in from out of district.

  85. I find it sad that as I am reading these blog post, all I see is fighting between parents and “dedicated” fans. Have you thought that your children play for fun? Children should play for the love of the game and for the experience of meeting new people. You are teaching your children to hate other players and teams based on skill level, and not on the individual’s personalility. You can sit and disagree with me, or you can admit that if you have an already negative image on a person you judge them before meeting them. I believe that we should focus on keeping the peace rather than keeping tabs. You can be the best parent/personal coach for your child but if you carry a bad example you send those images to your child. I am not a dedicated fan or parent but someone who thinks that you should realize your comments. If you have a problem, you should deal with Guilford County School Directors, not create false accusations againest students. I already expect rude comments or comments asking “who are you to say…..”; GO AHEAD. It just makes me happy that you took the time to actually read what i have written….maybe you gained something from it.

  86. ALL you crybabies out there- STOP THE BELLYACHING! Your crying the blues over all these kids transfering in to Grimsley! WAAHHH! Here is what you DON”T get! These kids moving there to play baseball don’t need a “promise” to play…they would get that spot anyway! They are ALREADY at that level and are just looking to get better. Last I heard, we live in a Free Country! If you want to move or even rent a place that allows your kid to go to another school where you think he/she would benefit, then you have that right! HS baseball IS NOT what it was just 5 years ago! It is as tough and competive as its ever been. And to get to that next level, you have to work harder than ever before! They have rec ball for those of you that just want “little Johnny” to be able to play the game he loves! Oh, and by the way… Baseball is not the only sport that has kids transfering in to other schools so that their kid can have a better opportunity!
    Alan, my kid didn’t transfer to Grimsley…… but you still help to make him a terrific ball player!
    That is what these “Alan bashers” out there just don’t get! But those of us that know you..(and there are many) we get it!

  87. get over it… WOW! Do I here a loud “sucking” sound coming from your direction. Looking for a discount from GBC? Its all bout ethics, honor, and loyality. Most HS coaches understand this. There are a few coaches who have no idea and a few parents also.

  88. Coach Al does not recruit, nor do his assistant coaches. Players simply transfer because they do not like who they are playing for and want to play for a REAL coach. Is it unethical to transfer schools when you are unhappy at your current school? Is it not honorable to make yourself happy? Is it called being “unloyal” to transfer to a school where better opportunities are waiting for you? No, Mr. or Mrs. scrapper. Kids are transferring to do what is in the best interest for him or her. Sports are far more competitive now, and a student athlete has every right to transfer as long as they are doing it legally. If parents and their children decide to pack-up and move to a certain district, SO BE IT. It is their personal decision and it is their right to do what they please. It is time for everyone to quit their complaining about this subject. As I stated earlier, if students are transferring legally, stop wasting your time complaining and move on to something that you can actually change. Students will continue to transfer. Deal with it.

  89. Sox… No you deal with it. To an ever growing populace, being loyal to local players, being ethical about oppotunities, and honoring commitments, is a foreign subject. Coaches who ignor these tenants help destroy local HS baseball. Do you know what a Lemming is?

  90. No, enlightenment me. What if you move from a different state, and decide that a school isnt for you after one year? Loyality is that case has nothing to do with it. Players have the RIGHT to do what they want to do, play where they want to play, and go to school where they want to go to school. You cannot argue with that. First amendment rights apply to baseball as well you know. You are just one of those in-district parents whose child does not receive playing time because better athletes are taking his or her position. It is not about ethics, honor, loyalty; it is about personal preference. If parents and their children decide they want to transfer, there’s so law againest it. SUCK IT UP.

  91. I completely agree with Sox. Scrapper, you need to actually talk to people not just complain on blogs. Your words mean nothing here but pure disrespect.

  92. Even mentioning and/or joking to a high school kid about coming to their school as a coach is recruiting. If you don’t think that is going on at Grimsley you are either involved in it and covering up, or just plain naive. If you think that kids are just randomly going to Grimsley without any contact with the coaching staff and assurance they will play there then you might be retarded as well. Even the responsible coaches in the area notify a kid’s home school coach when one of their players is transferring in, if anything just to assure them they had nothing to do with it. You think that is happening over at Grimsley? Kids can move into a district, you can’t combat that. that is legit. However, if it is urged AT ALL by a high school coach or ANYONE associated with the program then that is when it is wrong. In that case you can’t punish the players, but a responsible AD or principal would get rid of the coach because it is flat out unethical within the realm of what the districts are implied to do. Some school systems have open enrollment. Guilford County Schools does not! That is simply bending the rules based off of your economic ability to pick up and move because of (as you Grimsley folks like to put it) “Little Johnny’s” baseball career. Whether they are right/wrong/indifferent, THEY ARE THE RULES!!! I would be very curious to see if all of these folks claiming “academics” would still be at Grimsley if there was a change in coaches. My money is on the negative.

  93. Something must have hit a nerve ….Get over it……”These kids moving there to play baseball don’t need a “promise” to play…they would get that spot anyway!” Are you saying there is no talent in the Grimsly district? Who is to say they would get that spot.(The COACH would! ) The parents of these players would be foolish to up and move an entire household without knowing information in advance. And if they are already at that level and looking to get better that is what travel teams, lessons and camps are for. When I last checked GBC,NCBA,&PP offer all of these options. But to list a second address(which most are doing) and cheat the system, and players who are just as talented is wrong. Earlier Tony Sutphin/prepstar posted …”High School baseball is just rec ball”,” If it is…no one would want to transfer just to play rec ball. There are many benefits to the exposure and press you receive, not to mention the pride the kid feels when he is playing for the HS he has been looking foward to playing at since he was younger and his parents played for.( I guess you have to actually live in district to have those feelings) . Also noted…”5 years from now every high school team will be coached by a dad”. Isn’t that happening right now at Grimsley. I guess there are benefits to that also.

  94. Sox… get a spell checker. baseballdrama…i must get lessons from you how to talk to people. Please explain how expressing my opinion means disrespect. Thats a good one. Cute but childish.

  95. scrapper…I’m glad that all you could say in response to my blog is “get a spell checker.”

  96. what program would you want your son going to to get to the next level- GBC, PP, or NCBA? I think its obvious that GBC is where its happening and thats why the good kids want to go play for Ash. Does he have an unfair recruiting advantage because he is head coach of Grimsley and owner of GBC? Hell yes. Is that unfair. Yes, but life is unfair. Kids and parents are always gonna do whats best for them. If your son is good enough, he will make the team. If is he is great, he will start. Baseball is a year round sport that starts at an early age. If you really wanted your son to play at grimsley, you would have had him playing travel ball at GBC early on and learned early on if your son could play with the best. He would sure know what he needed to work on to get better and become the star you want him to be.

  97. The bottom line is Alan Ash can coach. He’s proven it on every level. GBC youth teams, Colt, Palomino, High School…

    Alan Ash is a WINNER and there are a lot of people out there that are jealous of the success he has experienced.

  98. And as I stated in my previous post, SOME people just don’t get it! Scrapper, you are one of those…
    Scrapper actually thinks that my post was “sucking” up – which if he has read the post, he would have seen that my kid didn’t play for Grimsley! And….ANYONE that knows Alan, knows that “sucking up” will NOT put your kid out there on the starting line up!! ( I’d be willing to bet that scrapper already knows this first hand!)
    NW4life….. no nerve hit on my end- I don’t have a dog in this fight…just stating the facts as I see them.(only an opionion)- I think its a shame that some people are bashing Alan and blaming him for their kid not getting play time. I didn’t knock anyone in the Grimsley area- theres alot of talented kids there… my statement was “they don’t need a promise from the coach” – Fact is….they know what thier kid can do….
    IF he is a starter at his current school, and he is very good….then he will MORE than likely be a starter at any other school! EVEN if it is at Grimsley! So, if you want your kid to be coached by someone that you think can make him better, than why not move to that school? You do what you gotta do! That is the name of the game!
    Jim… your post is very well put! However,there are more travel ball teams than just GBC- GBC just happens to be one of the best in the State! There are also other Batting facilities in this City that would benefit any kid!
    So, someone like scrapper can take his kid there, since he has such a grudge against GBC.

  99. Scrapper….it is because of the way that you express your opinion.

    and about that lesson, I will be more than happy to teach you.

  100. Just got back from a legion game. Word has it 2 starters from Ragsdale are going to a certain NWG to win a state championship.

  101. Legion Baller,

    It would seem that you’re trying to deflect some of the heat off of Grimsley in this thread by starting a rumor about NWG.

  102. Andy…I understand why you defend Alan. However the measure of a person is not always whether he or she wins; it is also about character and integrety. Whereas Alan is a magnificant baseball mind, he is a rotton people person and has hurt as many kids as he has helped. And Gotoknow, My kids are grown and gone on to sucessfull careers elsewhere so find a new line.

  103. Scrapper, CAREFUL…are you familiar with Defimation of Character?Very close here.

  104. dweeb,
    here are the names for you: Cash and Meyers. They are tired of Maness. Want to play were they are loved and respected.

  105. Scrapper- For someone who has kids in their 30’s and not even in the picture then why are you hiding behind a nickname. You sure think you know a lot about Coach Alan and you never had a kid play for him. Doesn’t sound right.

  106. Too many rumors and untruths here. Leave Cash and Meyers out of these internet rumors.

  107. hey andy, see if you can get more info on what happened at the grimsley/dudley colt game the other day. keep hearing something about a player yelling and cursing at the coach then pushed him. haven’t been able to confirm if it was a grimsley player or dudley player, but whichever one, we don’t need this bad example displayed in youth baseball. coaches need to be aware so that when they do make selections of all conference or all area honors players like this should not be recognized. Attitude is everything in ALL SPORTS and coaches don’t get paid enough money to put up with bad ones.

  108. scrappy..the truth will set you free..my son played for alan,tony and the ganns at nwg.at times they all were hard on my son but thats what it takes to make a good player . coaches are teachers of the game! when a kid walks across that senior stage its all over and he had better hope that he has done his best because college baseball is strickly business (if that is his goal ). I have always given this advise to every high school player(play your best game and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing or going.) Every parent does what they think is best for there kid . period!

  109. This debate is not about Alan’s abilities and skills nor about the motivations of the parents and players, it is about the operation of a public high school baseball program that seems to be out of bounds.

    It is an undeniable fact that there has been a recent proliferation of baseball transfers involving Grimsley, beginning with the first wave of SE players a few years ago and continuing into the 2009 season. The reasons for these “athletic” transfers are various and have been described in previous posts to this site; suffice it to say that all of the participating parties have reasons to gain from the transfers. The transfers are legalized in various manners: finding a way to claim primary residency in the Grimsley district, ROTC, academic transfers, etc. — any possible way other than the overriding reason, baseball. Although these transfers may be “legal”, I do not think that they comply with the spirit and intent of the current GCS policy that does not allow transfers for athletic reasons.

    Contrary to what some claim, it is completely legitimate to question this behavior because it affects the integrity of a public institution, namely Guilford County High School Baseball. I believe that the GCS policy regarding transfers is intended, in part, to protect the integrity of the league from corrupting influences, to provide players with fair and equal access, and to provide a level playing field for all of the teams. The bottom line is that Grimsley seems to be motivated toward a disregard for the policy and, thereby, puts at risk the integrity of the GCS baseball program. Scrapper is right on this point.

    This is not a vendetta against Alan; however, it is obvious that he adds concerns simply from the potential conflicts between his private GBC interests and those public interests of Grimsley baseball. I do not have any issue with Alan as a person; in regards to his coaching skills and abilities; in regards to his private business, privately run teams, involvement in private leagues such as COLT, or any of his other private endeavors. I believe that GBC is successful because it provides a good product. Grimsley, on the other hand, gives me reason for concern. GCS needs to take a stand.

  110. baseball ,work, home..its just our world today -example..you get a speeding ticket..you pay a lawyer to get you out of it..did it comply with the ” spirit and intent” ..no was it legal ..yes. so to solve this we should get the janitor from each school to be the baseball coach and then all schools would be equal. alan has never asked anyone I know to come play for him and I know most of them. you said it “everyone likes a good product”. so change the policy but until its done lets ..move on

  111. Yes, there are many cases where one can sidestep rules and laws, but that does not make the original offense right, speeding in your example. Intent is the underpinning of our rules and regulations. I personally think that the intent of the GCS transfer policy is clear.

  112. The kids that have been drug in to this email have moved in to the Grimsley district (Sutphin and Carter, along with the other boys that came up from SE). They followed the rules and did what any parent would do. They did what they felt was best for their kids. I tell my son to worry about his own game and not everyone else’s and things take care of themselves. As far as Alan A. is concerned, he has taught my kid and he is an excellent coach. We considered moving in the Grimsley district; first for academics and baseball 2nd. We just choice not to move but I don’t blame these other kids for the choice they made.

  113. I will simply say again that we are dealing with a PUBLIC institution and we need to be careful that it doesn’t become something that was not intended. I personally hope that GCS will take another look at the situation.

    Again, this is not about Alan’s coaching abilities nor about the intentions of the players and parents.

  114. no g fan..you say its not about alan but it sure smells like it ..one-if it bothers you so bad then never go to another grimsley baseball game. two-the school system is big enough to take care of themselves. three-be man enough to state your name (real name)or never mention this again .four- problem solved !…..no.3 applies to to everyone whos got a backbone and the guts to do it. sorry i get annoyed by people who know all the problems ,none of the solutions and won’t say it to your face.

  115. Good try Mr. Neese but your macho posturing has little affect, the issue remains. I have stated my opinion clearly and respectively, as have others here who share my opinion, and I have urged consideration by the GCS. If you have a substantive argument regarding my opinion, I will be happy to respond.

  116. Whats the deal with Ragsdale’s meyers and cash trying go to to northwest? i havent heard about this, and can someone tell me about meyers? he ne good?

  117. no g fan..the policy is as tight as it can be without legal issues..lawsuits..example(if a family buys a house in that area you can’t tell them they can’t use that school baseball or not). you said “its not about alans coaching or the parents… ..but a program that seems to be out of bounds…corrupting influences”.the program is run by these people. one would assume then by these comments that you are attacking alans character , the character of the families and should be done in person. if this was not your intention then please say so

  118. The solution is simple: if you transfer to a school within your current county, you cannot play sports for one calendar year. While that will screw some folks that move schools for legitimate reasons (exemptions could occur) this would eliminate a large part of the problem. Cats moving from Virginia and elsewhere…I have no clue how you can deal with that. Alan is a good coach and nogrimsleyfan is correct in saying that this isn’t about his coaching ability. This is about the ethics of high school sports.

  119. I thought this was about all area team. What is going on at Grimsley that has everyone so upset? My son plays legion ball with some of the Ragsdale guys. They said they can’t stand Cash, he has cussed at the coaches and hit his own teammate. They want him gone. My son said he heard it was Southwest Guilford not Northwest. I have no clue who Meyers is.

  120. Mr. Neese, my previous statements are clear, I do not agree with your inference to the contrary.

    Solution, your suggestion seems reasonable.

  121. The News & Record ran a great story earlier this year (late last year?) about parents and kids abusing the system. If you move into an school district, regardless of your intentions, then you should be allowed to play. After all, many people buy a house to get into a certain school district for academic reasons. Why not athletic. The problem is those who don’t follow the rules. Parents of Grimsley football and baseball players were cited in the article as abusers of the GCS policy. I’m surprised the school system continues to ignore the problem.

  122. the GCS system doesn’t do anything because of the county AD who essentially doesn’t nothing when it comes to this stuff. This same type of thing is even worse at our best public basketball program over off Lee St and it has been going on forever. You see their staff at any good middle school player’s games and next thing you know they have a new address or are in the Academy. One year I knew of over 5 kids that were not supposed to be there. Alan isn’t the only one that is being accused of wrong doing. The basketball coach at Northern is also a known cheater, but nothing is ever down b/c no one is actually trying to enforce anything. I had heard the county AD is retiring, hopefully the new blood will stop all this nonsense.

  123. well i think that all these players are great that everyone has mentioned.. but what does everyone think of andy partin (Impact Baseball’s owner and coach of the Dirtbags)

  124. The basketball coach at Northern has some suspect practices but I would be careful calling the man a cheater. Herb Goins is the county AD and he is a very good man. I can assure you if he was presented facts on a situation that he would investigate it. You can’t expect the guy to chase every internet rumor. If you have facts, go see him. Otherwise, let’s move on.

  125. The reason Herb Goins does not do anything about recruiting is because he was a big time recruiter himself when he was the head coach at High Point Andrews. That would be like the pot calling the kettle black.

  126. Please you guys give Allan, The Administrators and the Kids a break.
    I want you to think back when you played, if you played??????
    Did anybody bash you or your coaches?????
    Did you make any mistakes??????
    No Im sure you were PERFECT?????????????????????
    Allan is a good coach, dad , and a loyal person.
    I just wish you guys would get a life and leave his alone .
    Please if you dont have anything good to say about the kids dont say anything at all.

    Just remember they are kids and they will mature .
    The defenition of maturity is ” learning from your past experiences”
    So please give it a break

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