Talent, Yankees, & Winning

#2 posting 10.10.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

TALENT, YANKEES & WINNING
The New York Yankees have the highest paid unit in baseball. Does that gaurantee World Championships? The Wages of Wins folks seem to think that it is not all about putting megastars on the field. It is about execution and performance. The Detroit Tigers came limping into the postseason being swept three straight at home by the lowly Kansas City Royals.
Detroit's defense bested the NY offense. No one should be surprised.

In the Algorithm from New York paying big bucks for name players might not be the route to glory. I think some of these guys the Yankees put on their roster are past their prime. So Steinbrenner is paying a premium for past performance, not future results. Everyone gets hypnotized by big names, bright lights and entourages, but it is the nuts and bolts players that are important in a championship run. If a team is a vehicle not everyone can be a wheel. There might need be some nuts that hold the wheel on to the axel.

Osseo '97 had 3 D1 players and another that was close, but they never gelled as a group and had to deal with petty issues that got in the way of winning. Osseo 2000 had great chemistry with good players, but also some unsung grunt players like Rachel Halvorson, Jill Rien, and Sarah Hegedus that put the Orioles over the top.

The ingredients for a successful team to make a championship run include a good ball handler/decision maker, a good outside shooter, and a strong inside presence. All of that has to be levened with a strong dose of defense.

TOURNAMENTS
St. Paul Central has been invited to the Phoenix Nike Tournament of Champions. It is uncertain if they will be able to attend however.
The WBCA has a listing of tournaments that they have received so far.

OPEN GYMS
There are plenty of open gyms around in the fall. One that has been seeing good action is at Hopkins held at Hopkins Eisenhower's gym Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm. About 25-30 kids show up so two games are going at the same time. Some neighboring schools have their players there too. Colleges seen in the gym this fall include Ohio U, Dartmouth, Wisconsin, and NDSU.

You haven't ordered the MN book? check out the link under gbbrecruit links on the right.

Thanks to all the readers that make this site the first and last source of girls basketball news. . Keep up the good work. Keep me fed.

Next up: tomorrow morning really.