There is a little more to it than that. When the Stingrays rent Beekman and Coffey Fields, OSU still has control on when maintanence can begin after a rain delay. Stingrays has field maintenace workers ready to do the work but they cannot start until OSU says it is okay to start.
With Berliner being a city park, no one is going to touch those fields except for union employees. Period.
As for the parking fees, each event "coordinates" the parking fee when the event contract is signed. The base fee last year was $3.00. It might have gone up to $5 this year, I am unsure. If the parking fee is higher than the base fee, then there is some money going back to the event from parking fees.
wvanalmsick, great points, although I think the most Expeinced TDs and Coaches in the Country when of been sick with the goings on this weekend and had plenty of suggestions for improving. Many have been pointed out on OFC, I trust Bill will make good use of them.
To your point on who touches the fields.
So lets have the CITY, who could use the exposure and the Money instruct the the Union to Be Ready...and GO when its time... I think it goes way beyond the Union on this one, yet I know if they are in control of the fields, then the TD had to work that through. You would think with this big of a draw there would be more Asst TDs, better communication and a better understating of what the Union Could do or in this case Wont do and put them in the rules, with the Rain Delay brackets.. I know some Union guys that have to be pretty sore from driving around and using there shoulder and neck muscles to peer out of their city park trucks, tuning their heads with rapid speed and brilliance to identify wet fields. Sad truth is many ( not all) could of been ready throughout Friday and Saturday with a city broom ( I have seen them) and a rake..
I posted an email to TD below, as I think the Mayor should be embarrassed as to how the City showed up this weekend to 4500 people, many from outside of Columbus.. as Charles Barkley would say it was Terble!
---------------------------------------------- note below was sent Friday as we all saw this Trainreck comming!
Terrible decision to let city off the hook today.
The 5pm game should of been played. 140 teams X 11 or so kids is approx1600 kids. I think you could of gone to 60 mims and played the 3 oclok games at a 3:45.
Instead teams from all over 4 states, plus on avg two family members (some of which took a day off work) call it 4500 people! impacted because the city is not sure they can get the equipment on the field?
The Mayor should be embarrassed that in the second worst recession since the 1930s he sent all those people out of downtown with their money. I am sure many cancelled hotel rooms and went home. More revenue lost at local restaurants as well. I am sure the City and the business don't need the money?
So it is it a Tough call TD?
So what if you wait to call the 5pms at 4? What's the downside? The softball families hangout with other softball families to here they wait 2 hours for nothing and then go home or to hotels disappointed. ?
That is far better than driving away at 2 pm and sitting around starring at the sun knowing almost certainly they should be playing! and at most parks they would be.
Please forward this to the city parks manager as I will write the Mayor and ask him how his tax revenue looks and what he's doing with the all the money he is raking in on the Clippers.
We had 5 teams scheduled to play 10 games today. Sad kids and sad parents and sad decision to let the city to make a call 3hours in advance with the sun shining on crushed brick fields. My god if anything would dry this would!!!
Ps 70% chance of rain tomorrow. Least a couple of our teams got an inning in today after our 125 mile commute and day off work.
I sign off, Friend of many Ohio team managers and once proud citizen of Columbus Ohio, now very much frustrated with the city's sad decision.
Dean K. 14u Hurrucanes
