Waiting to Exhale

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

Between previewing and covering the Group II final, putting together the softball All-Area section, as well as my responsibilities toward my day job, I’ve hardly had time to breathe.

There is nothing a sportswriter agonizes over more than distributing postseason awards and choosing all-star teams, and this was no exception.

There are scores of deserving, quality players in the CN area, and I wish I could reward them all.

As of Thursday evening, finally, I’m all done. The teams have been picked, the stories and charts have been written, and the photos have been taken (well, except for one player who is out of town until next week).

Starting Saturday 6/16, and continuing daily through next Saturday (except for Sunday, 6/17), I will review the top candidates, by position, for the Courier News All-Area team, set for release Sunday, June 24 in the Courier News.

While the first-teamers have already been notified and have come in for their photos, nobody but myself, a couple of coaches who inquired as to their players’ fate, and my colleagues at the Courier News know who has been placed on second and third team and honorable mention.

All-Area, our postseason all star section, encompasses players from the Courier News coverage area, which is all of Somerset County, all of Hunterdon County, as well as Governor Livingston, Westfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, New Providence and Plainfield in Union County, and South Plainfield, Middlesex, Piscataway and Dunellen in Middlesex County – a total of 36 high schools.

All-Area will contain a first team, second team and third team, as well as honorable mention. Each team consists of four pitchers, a catcher, a first baseman, a second baseman, a shortstop, a third baseman, three outfielders, a designated hitter (could be from any position), and a utility player.

There are a lot of different criteria I use for choosing these teams other than my own observations over the course of the season, including statistics, input from players’ coaches – as well as opposing coaches – strength of schedule and quality of competition, and a player’s value to her team, among others.

This is not an exact science, and I’m sure there will be plenty of picks – as always – the people will disagree with. All I can say is that I try and do my best and be as objective as possible in making the selections.

The package will also consist of a feature story on the player and coach of the year, a final notebook – containing a year in review, including Freshman of the Year, Game of the Year, Performance of the Year, etc. etc. – as well as final standings and the final Top 10.

For more on the All-Area process, as well as a sneak peak at Player and Coach of the Year, check out the final Bats and Balls podcast, available at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia

BLOG SCHEDULE
TOMORROW – First basemen
MONDAY – Second baseman
TUESDAY – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielder/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.