[JackRabbitSlim]

OK. I have laid off this thread for about as long as I could!! LOL!!
Personally, I think Paintsville might be getting overlooked a little this year by some. Sure they lost Grimm. He was their top pitcher and second best hitter. Yep...they lost Vanhoose, a solid SS with a good bat. Humprey, a VG outfielder and a very good 2 spot hitter. And Utility player Ison. But they return a solid bunch as well. Corey Adams has been a top hitter since his Soph. year and starting catcher since his freshman year. Butcher and Cyrus have been everyday starters since their Soph year. Rice and Vialpando were starters last year and Lyons started quite a few games last year even when he wasn't pitching. Brown was in the lineup every day last year as well. Each and every one of these players contributed greatly last year as they were the bulk of every stat on the team. They return nearly all their pitching and with the help of hard nosed Shey Spencer, Zach Jackson and several very talented freshmen, they will field a solid defense to back up their pitghing staff. They have about five pitchers that will be able to give solid outings of 5-7 innings and 3-4 pitchers that will be able to come into any game and give an inning or 2. We have not had a serious power threat in several years and I look for us to manufacter more runs this year than in past years. These kids have been overshadowed their whole lives and are very humble. But they are very hungry as well. I look for them to be more focused than any team Paintsville has fielded in several years. They have beefed up their schedule greatly this year so they might take some lumps along the way but will definately be battle tested.
Good Luck Tigers!!!! Have a great 2009!

Getting rid of some attitudes i think will help more than anything. I think they will surprise some people, but I do worry about their pitching staff. That is really my only question mark with them. I don't doubt they'll score and have a good defense, and they will be ready for the post season more than any other paintsville team because of their beefed up schedule. Records don't mean anything when the post season starts. However, like i said if they get a solid number one ace pitcher and get get possibly two other guys that can hold their own in the 15th then sure they will surprise some people, but im just not sure who that will be as of right now. I have some idea of who it could be, but still not sure.