ASA Tournament OFC Heatin' it Up announces tourney date

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Just wanted to thank the OFC Heat crew for their hospitality at this event. What a class act Scott Urton was when the weather hit just prior to our championship game against eachother. It was determined that we would be co-champions and in an act of class he gave our team the first place trophies...Thanks Scott!

Sonny Ross
Cincy Static 18U
 
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I want to reiterate Coach Sonny's sentiments - Thanks OFC!!!

I also want to congratulate our 4 Cincy Static teams (10U / 12U ('97 & '98) / 18U) that played in the Heat'n It Up event this weekend. All 4 made it to the Platinum division & we took two 1st places (Static 97 (12u) & 18U), 1 second place (10U) & 1 3rd place (Static '98). Great weekend for the Static :)
 
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I want to reiterate Coach Sonny's sentiments - Thanks OFC!!!

I also want to congratulate our 4 Cincy Static teams (10U / 12U ('97 & '98) / 18U) that played in the Heat'n It Up event this weekend. All 4 made it to the Platinum division & we took two 1st places (Static 97 (12u) & 18U), 1 second place (10U) & 1 3rd place (Static '98). Great weekend for the Static :)

Tip of the hat to coach Dan Bemerer and the Static 10u team. Dan has done a great job with his team and they are great competitors. Good luck with the rest of your season coach Dan and the Static 10U!
 
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I'd also like to offer my thanks to the OFC organization for their tournament this weekend. All in all it was very well run, and it is a very nice venue.

Nothing can be done about the weather. I sure wish it would rain on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this year instead of Saturdays and Sundays though.

It's a very nice venue, with plenty of shade, playgrounds, reasonable concessions, and ample warm-up areas. Plenty of restaurants nearby too, if you'd like to go grab a bite in air conditioning for a while.
 
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So who won the 10U division?

Hawks 99 Gold.

We (Cincy Static 99) were down to the Laser 11-6 in the 3rd inning when the storms/rain hit. Radar showed the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon and the fields took an absolute beating from mother nature.

In one of the classiest gestures I've ever witnessed Tad, from the Lasers Purple, offered to share 2nd place with the Static and declare the Hawks, who had already advanced to the Championship game, the champion. No, our game was not completed, but the Lasers were up and they could have gone to runs scored/allowed to decide the championship between the Hawks and Lasers...but Tad didn't hesitate to make the call to do what he did. Because of his humble and gracious nature, he made the weekend of 11 young ladies, who will now receive individual trophies, and their parents. He has left an indelible mark of class upon himself and his organization and I couldn't be any more thankful and appreciative than I am right now.

Al Gabriel
10U Static Assistant
 
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I echo the sentiments that OFC did a great job with this tournament. Only complaints I heard were about umpiring which is something they have no control over. Fields were worked and relined between games, I was a volunteer on #6 & 7, :). Games were posted on line with the scores updated every evening. They sold drinks at a very reasonable price. No gate fees, coolers allowed, great park setting, plenty of close by places to eat. I wish every tournament was like this. This has been a fav since the old days behind St Rita's and it just keeps getting better. And congrats to all the teams that showed great spirit and a ton of class with the premature ending mother nature handed you. That is exactly what we should be teaching our kids. :cap:
 
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I echo the sentiments that OFC did a great job with this tournament. Only complaints I heard were about umpiring which is something they have no control over. Fields were worked and relined between games, I was a volunteer on #6 & 7, :). Games were posted on line with the scores updated every evening. They sold drinks at a very reasonable price. No gate fees, coolers allowed, great park setting, plenty of close by places to eat. I wish every tournament was like this. This has been a fav since the old days behind St Rita's and it just keeps getting better. And congrats to all the teams that showed great spirit and a ton of class with the premature ending mother nature handed you. That is exactly what we should be teaching our kids. :cap:

...except the 10U...;&

;)

But we had a blast! the food deals in the welcome packet were outstanding! 'Coaches eat free'????
I ate about 10 coaches worth of free food this weekend!:yahoo:

:D

Look forward to going back next year...what a great place and area for a tournament!
 
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My only complaint of umpires and it was consistant is that the umpire on #6 during the doom /laser game took Bailey and Taran's ability to "pitch" away. Pitchers are taught to stay out of the red when umpires force them to throw there it changes the game. Not that that had any bearing on the game as a whole because the Doom executed their game plan better than us. He was only calling strikes in the hitters wheel house. And Taran is smart enough to know if she pitches there against John's team they will crush it. BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I AM NOT BLAMING THE UMP FOR OUR LOSS. THE DOOM OUT PLAYED US - BOTTOM LINE. I simply am stating a fact concerning a point of emphasis with the ump. The umpire is part of the game and the rule book gives a clear representation of the strike zone for a reason. I think umpires ego is the biggest reason for inconsistancy with balls and strikes. Especially when an umpire "likes ot see a lot of OFFENSE" he or she actually change and diminsh the ability for pitchers to do their job. And the quality of pitching is becoming very good at this age and I honestly believe these umpires get fooled a lot by great pitches. Movement and changes in spin and speed fool them especially if their timing is fast. They will have ball or strike in their mind before the catcher has the ball especially on breaking pitches at a higher velocity than the norm. Any way that is a generalization of the standard that I have seen this year among umpires everywhere.
 
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Just like X-Static's reply about umpires knowing the rule book. We were on Field 7 yesterday and during the umpire's meeting with coaches, he starts official time even before he flipped the coin. After flipping the coin, shaking hands, and the pitcher getting her five warm-up pitches, we lost anywhere between 5 - 8 minutes before first pitch was even thrown. We lost the game 7-6 and were visitors, but who is to say that with an extra inning we couldn't have pulled the game out? The ASA Rule Book clearly states "Time begins with first pitch" and NOT during coaches meeting with umpires, it happened every game this weekend on Fields 6 & 7. Another thing, ASA Rule clearly states that "Every line-up card will have numbers along with each player." My scorekeeper asked one umpire Friday night and he just said "that's fine." No numbers assigned to players, just player's last name. Some teams submitted line-up cards with just player's first name(s). Another, during pool play let the other team bat 11 players and didn't go abide by the FLEX and DP rule during ASA play--stating "we always do this during pool play." Games on Fields 6 & 7 had to wait long periods before scores were posted "stating, have to wait until the Umpires call the scores in before posting" when our scorekeeper had the scores.
 
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how about the Sun dial we had to use for our game... OOOMMMGGGG, lost almost 2 minutes and a shot at a victory. I even had my player step on the plate to end the inning to get into another inning because we had 3 watches stop watches with identical time that started with the umpire said time starts "NOW"... Lets see, a 60 minute timer with an hour and 20 minute time limit. Hmmm.

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And then the same ump tried to start bracket play on Sunday with it again and I said we will not step on this field with your calibrated sun dial. No way, no how! It was corrected immediately. Spilled milk at this point.

ASA (or any sanctioned event) rules are not being followed the same unless it's the same umpire following you around all weekend. Not my opinion... fact!! And its like this in every tournmament I've been in. And I'm not complaining, true observation and reality. This goes to warm-ups, taking balls out to the field, when start of the game is established, where the on-deck circle can and can not be... you name it...

OFC crew did a great job. Thanks for hosting. Dave B and Mike L, thanks for your information and hospitality all weekend.
 
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During one of our games (that I paid attention to in the beginning) the umpire started the clock WHILE the crew was re-lining the field. Then they stopped the clock because someone mentioned it.
 
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I have to make a comment about the umpire behind the plate in our final game at Wilmington college. He called our second batter out for supposedly stepping over the line when she was slapping. She definitely did not cross three feet in front of the plate when she fouled the ball off. When he made the call I asked him how he could make the call when a line was never put down and did not exist? He said that it was his judgement so I asked him to show me where the line was for future reference and he told me he was the only one that needed to know where the line was...I disagreed. I asked that he get a line put down and he said no. I asked to talk to the UIC about it and he said no and that it would not make a difference anyway...I told him it had in the past for us and he replied "thats not going to happen in any of my games". I went to my dugout and after the inning ended my first base coach was very upset and we were discussing it in the dugout when the umpire entered our dugout very aggressively and told me I had a warning. I told him I was in my dugout with my coach and we were not addressing him at all. I told him since he wasnt leaving my dugout that I would because I was afraid I was going to say something that I might regret so I left and by the time I got around to the other side of the outside of the dugout and back into his view he told me I was out of there. I was shocked that an umpire would come into my dugout to instigate a fight with coaches he knows are heated. Us coaches get upset when we see a bad call and an umpire should be above the frey instead of looking for a fight. One of my parents who witnessed the whole thing umpired for over 20 years and told the umpire after he threw me out how pitiful it was and that he was leaving the park because of how ashamed he was at this umpires unproffesional actions and he did leave the park in a show of disgust at his unproffesionalism! This umpire was yelling at the other teams pitcher, catcher and score keeper as well and almost threw their coach out. We won the game but this umpire was way out of line...the hosting organization witnessed the whole thing so I hope they noted it for the future.
 
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We were the other team in that game and I totally agree with Sonny. Very unprofessional.
 
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OFC did a great job but I too was less than impressed with the umpires. We played four games back to back to back to back and was pressured the whole time to turn in line ups and not take a break between games. I tried to explain the situation to the umpire the third game and he said he had been directed to start the games on time. I told him the health and safety of my players in 90 degree heat was more important than starting the game on time with lights. He flipped out and said the game clock starts now. This same guy ended up yelling at one of my players while she was batting and bringing her to tears. This combined with our first game on Sunday's umpire who did not understand that the flex and DP could both be in the defensive line up at the same time. I am not one to argue balls and strikes but I was also confused why my pitcher continued to hit the mit in this game like she did her other 4 games and could not get a strike call. I asked if the catcher was setting up outside the zone and he got hostile. I know it was hot but I agree that umpires should maintain their composure.

Solid competition, well ran by OFC but less than acceptable umpiring as a whole.

JMO
 
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OFC did a great job but I too was less than impressed with the umpires. We played four games back to back to back to back and was pressured the whole time to turn in line ups and not take a break between games. I tried to explain the situation to the umpire the third game and he said he had been directed to start the games on time. I told him the health and safety of my players in 90 degree heat was more important than starting the game on time with lights. He flipped out and said the game clock starts now. This same guy ended up yelling at one of my players while she was batting and bringing her to tears. This combined with our first game on Sunday's umpire who did not understand that the flex and DP could both be in the defensive line up at the same time. I am not one to argue balls and strikes but I was also confused why my pitcher continued to hit the mit in this game like she did her other 4 games and could not get a strike call. I asked if the catcher was setting up outside the zone and he got hostile. I know it was hot but I agree that umpires should maintain their composure.

Solid competition, well ran by OFC but less than acceptable umpiring as a whole.

JMO

This is the same ump we had at Wilmington the first day. I really think ASA needs to test some of these guys, this guy was a lot older man who clearly missed a few calls, i went to argue a particularly bad call and i thought he was having a heart attack. He was pouring sweat , hyperventilating, and wasnt standing well, and i asked him if he was alright and if he even saw the play.
 
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We'll share your feedback with our UIC and ASA. It appears that it was a very busy weekend for tourneys and the quality was spread thin. That's no excuse, however, and we always want the best umpires at our tourney.

We appreciate ALL feedback as we strive to improve our tourney every year.

Thanks again!


Chris
 
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I have to say after coming to here for 3 years now I love this tournament. Grounds crews tend to the fields, two umpires for every game, good warm-up areas, great competition, and good concession...... what the heck happened!!!! Ground crews still did a good job I will say, competition was good, still had nice places to warm-up but that is it. Concessions stands were closed friday so I didn't even check the rest of the weekend. The Umpires were just Bad..... Bad..... Bad...... Bad. With the exception of the home plate umpire (lady) on Sunday... she was just kinda bad. I could go on and tell you every little thing that went on but why.... it is what it is... my team went 1-3 with really bad umpiring effecting the outcome of only one game. Was a very disappointing weekend. I waited until now to post something to cool down from the weekend...but still feel like the umpiring needs to be better for the money we all pay for our girls to play this game we all love.

Shon
 
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In 2011, the ASA District Commissioner will be supplying umpires to this event and should be a better quality umpires as a whole. I know ASA in southern Ohio has no association that umpires in SW Ohio that can fill a whole event with good umpires.

The same ASA umpires complaint at the Doom, now here, elsewhere in this area as well... and avenues are being put in place by ASA, especially in this district, for 2011 season.

Nothing like running a great event and have pitiful umpires sent to you as a TD.

This year, I know, many umpires wouldn't join the local association due to not being able to work games in their own district except two events.. both being mine in the Fall. Due to the fact this district has NEVER had a fast pitch umpires association.
 

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