Catamounts’ new skipper likes look of team

Published 11:11 pm Friday, June 29, 2007

Jed Douglas, Dalton’s new baseball coach, has now coached three games — all victories — with players that fill up most of his roster for next season.

Douglas believes the Cats have a bright future.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Douglas said Friday in a telephone interview from Johnson City, Tenn., where he’s attending a wedding today. “I like the kids we have. We have talent in place to be successful next year.”

Douglas succeeds Teddy Craig, who led the Cats for three seasons before resigning after the 2007 season. Dalton’s season ended when it was swept by Marist in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

Douglas, 31, who comes to Dalton High from a state championship season at Class A Eagle’s View Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., coached the Cats to victories Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the state Dizzy Dean baseball tournament in Chatsworth before leaving for Tennessee.

Dalton beat Northwest Whitfield’s summer team, 12-2, on Monday before edging Adairsville, 8-7, the next night. On Wednesday, the Cats clipped Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, 3-2. Dalton lost to LFO, 9-4, on Thursday and played LFO again Friday night in the double elimination tourament.

After coaching the team Monday, Douglas met with players, parents and fans on Tuesday.

“I think it went smoothly,” Douglas said. “Actually, it went great. The parents were receptive to what I had to say. They’re looking for someone who’s going to work hard. I told them that I’m going to concentrate on the little things of baseball that make a big difference.”

Douglas said the players have also reacted positively to him taking over the Cats’ program.

“I’ve always been a player’s coach,” said Douglas, who had a 120-35 career record in five seasons coaching in Florida. “The players is the reason I do this (coach). They’re like my batteries. They keep me going. They’re my energy.”

Douglas said the success of next year’s team could depend on how pitchers progress over the offseason.

“And we need to be stronger on defense,” he said. “But I think we’ll be OK. They just need a system of aggressive, small-ball baseball. Little things really can make a difference. It just seems like it wasn’t there. There’s a strong baseball tradition at Dalton and we always need to have a lot of pride in what we’re doing.

“I just don’t want a quick fix for two or three years. I want to set it up and have good teams for many years to come. I plan on staying in Dalton for a long time, the good Lord willing.”

Assistant coach Brad Dunn was directing the Cats in Douglas’ absence.