Hats off to Crystl

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A great one retired yesterday. Thanks for playing the game Crystl.

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

And according to her quote in the Akron Beacon Journal she's moving to Akron. "They have all been phenomenal. That's why I'm moving to Akron." http://www.ohio.com/sports/54255372.html

This is a huge plus for NE Ohio. Can't imagine that she won't be involved with some kind of softball instruction!

Let's hope that a winter or two in NE Ohio will not send her back to California.

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

I talked to Howard on Friday as he was driving up to Akron to be there during her final game...

Hitter, how about a nice re-cap of the weekend for us all?

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

What a career. She's so giving too! Can't wait to work with her in some of the upcoming clinics!

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

What an awesome player

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

Got to see her a few weeks ago during the PONY world series. It was good to see the Pride (I think it was them) pitch to her, and not intentionally walk her, but after she hit a couple of them about 275+ feet, I guess I understand why a lot of the teams seemed to walk her all the time.

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

We were there in Akron on Friday and got to see her. What a great player. She did seem to be a bit distant with reacting with her team. Now I know she had heavy thoughts on her mind.

 

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Saw her final at bat on Saturday. Not only is she the best player of all time, she's a class act. When my daughters went up to her after the game, she took the time to talk to them and THANKED THEM for comming to watch the game. How many other pro athletes would do that???? Glad she's staying in Ohio.

 

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Wonderful lady. When we went to clinic with her she never made you feel rushed or hurried took time with girls and the parents. She is a true ambassador to the game.
Very lucky to have her around

 

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wwolf-that has been one of the things we have heard after every clinic or lesson Crystl has done-how she is with the girls. You don't often find someone at that level who is so into the girls.

Back when our DD was with her organization, the year she ended up moving to another team in a different organization she was worried that Crystl would be upset with her for leaving. Crystl was coming into town for tryouts that year. She flew in on Friday night for Saturday tryouts and had to leave Saturday afternoon. It was the weekend she had to report for the tryouts for the 2004 Olympic team. With all that on her mind she took our DD (at 12:30 am after getting off the plane!) out to Waffle House to sit and talk to her about her choices and playing and to let her know that no matter where she went they would always be friends, gave our DD her cell phone number and said-now you can get me when ever you need anything. With all she had to think about she wanted to make sure an 11 yo player felt okay about her own decisions.

She said to me during one of our clinics back in 2006 "your determined to get me to move to Ohio arent' you?" I told her that of course we were and she said then-you never know what will happen. Took a couple years but she is here at least for now and I hope everyone takes advantage of all the clinics in the areas to learn from the best. You can't beat the combo of Bustos/Carrier! Howard and I always told her if she was here we could keep her as busy as she wanted to stay.

What we have lost in a player we have gained in an instructor!

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

I talked to Howard on Friday as he was driving up to Akron to be there during her final game...

Hitter, how about a nice re-cap of the weekend for us all?

The wife and I went up for the week and it was a privilege to be with her and her Dad George during her last game and the games leading up to it. During her last at bat Monica, Cat, Kelly and a whole bunch of other NPF players were lined up in right center field with their gloves like little kids and an umpire stopped the game and asked them to move further back away from the fence and the players gave him heck!

I can say the umpires were no better than some of the travel games I have seen this year and ALL the players had been complaining all week end that the strike zone had been 5 to 8 inches all year and now you had to adjust to something totally different at the end of the season.

After her last at bat she threw her helmet up to a little girl in the stands and threw her batting gloves into the stands...I got her visor and game Jersey and George got her spikes.

Joey the General Manager for the Racers did a great job with the retirement ceremonies as did Jenny Topping and Kelly...CB was over whelmed with emotion and this is the first time I have ever seen her cry!

She was able to be with Finch, Abbot, Cat, Topping, Lowe and Kelly and Coach Candrea was even there.

All her former team mates that were playing had their "GOT BUSTOS" T shirts on and we got some great pictures. I would estimate they gave her a 5 minute standing ovation and stood throughout the entire ceremony!

After wards she stayed and signed anything they wanted autographed and took pictures for several hours....it was a long weekend and as I told CB it is a new chapter in her life!

I was privileged to several conversations where people thanked Crystl for playing the game and setting the standard of hitting so high and that probably no one would ever be able to fill her shoes...another person gave her a hug and said you are the reason my daughter started playing the game...a great statement by one parent is you are the Barry Bonds of women without the roids Busto's!

When you see players coming up and asking for autographs just like the little kids it is indeed a special moment.

The game will miss her and she will miss the game!

She will be staying in Akron over the winter and that she likes being in this part of the country and working with the kids and coaches however she is not ready for the winter and will have to park the low rider truck!

Scott it was nice talking with your wife and Des all evening....it is nice too see the shock collar works!

Met a very nice family from Harrisburg, PA. from the Alley Cats if I remember correctly...great weekend of softball and there should have been more travel ball kids and parents there! The players are very easy to approach and much more accessible in the NPF environment as too when they are with Team USA and they are the same people! The fans were very respectful of the players and their families.

 

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Howard, thanks for the story. Glad you posted it after telling it to me earlier this evening. Good stuff!!!

 

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Great post.

 

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Re: Hats off to Crystal

The wife and I went up for the week and it was a privilege to be with her and her Dad George during her last game and the games leading up to it. During her last at bat Monica, Cat, Kelly and a whole bunch of other NPF players were lined up in right center field with their gloves like little kids and an umpire stopped the game and asked them to move further back away from the fence and the players gave him heck!

I can say the umpires were no better than some of the travel games I have seen this year and ALL the players had been complaining all week end that the strike zone had been 5 to 8 inches all year and now you had to adjust to something totally different at the end of the season.

After her last at bat she threw her helmet up to a little girl in the stands and threw her batting gloves into the stands...I got her visor and game Jersey and George got her spikes.

Joey the General Manager for the Racers did a great job with the retirement ceremonies as did Jenny Topping and Kelly...CB was over whelmed with emotion and this is the first time I have ever seen her cry!

She was able to be with Finch, Abbot, Cat, Topping, Lowe and Kelly and Coach Candrea was even there.

All her former team mates that were playing had their "GOT BUSTOS" T shirts on and we got some great pictures. I would estimate they gave her a 5 minute standing ovation and stood throughout the entire ceremony!

After wards she stayed and signed anything they wanted autographed and took pictures for several hours....it was a long weekend and as I told CB it is a new chapter in her life!

I was privileged to several conversations where people thanked Crystl for playing the game and setting the standard of hitting so high and that probably no one would ever be able to fill her shoes...another person gave her a hug and said you are the reason my daughter started playing the game...a great statement by one parent is you are the Barry Bonds of women without the roids Busto's!

When you see players coming up and asking for autographs just like the little kids it is indeed a special moment.

The game will miss her and she will miss the game!

She will be staying in Akron over the winter and that she likes being in this part of the country and working with the kids and coaches however she is not ready for the winter and will have to park the low rider truck!

Scott it was nice talking with your wife and Des all evening....it is nice too see the shock collar works!

Met a very nice family from Harrisburg, PA. from the Alley Cats if I remember correctly...great weekend of softball and there should have been more travel ball kids and parents there! The players are very easy to approach and much more accessible in the NPF environment as too when they are with Team USA and they are the same people! The fans were very respectful of the players and their families.

I was there too, it was funny seeing the other players in the outfield,they got ticked though when the pitcher threw 3 balls in a row!

 

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I don't think anyone was happy with the pitcher who gave her 3 balls obviously out of the strike zone. . . It was nice to see all the players hanging on the fence cheering for her even though the umpire eventually told them to get off the fence.

 

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I was there also.To me it was a touching moment to see her retire.Hats off to EVERYONE there.CROWD PLAYERS.I talked to her for a while. What a wondderful person and a GREAT SOFTBALL PLAYER. My daughter Emma if course got her autograph ond pictures and sighned shirt.She is going o frame the shirt and hang it on the wall.ALSO to my daughters favorite Jamee Juarez. She has ment alot to us and what time she has spent with Emma. WOW WHAT A IMPROVMENT to have someone click with my daughter.Hope she comes back she is missedby our family

 

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Here are a few pictures I'm posting for an ole friend, of Crystl's farewell....

Thanks Crystl...Your The Best!!!

 

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Here are a few pictures I'm posting for an ole friend, of Crystl's farewell....

Shayne thank you for posting the pictures...the players in the green shirts, Cat, Monica, Lowe, Jenny and Kelly...Cat was crying and it was indeed a special day!

What a tribute to her with all the players lined up on the fence!

Thanks Crystl...Your The Best!!!

THANKS AGAIN for posting the pictures.

 

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Crystl is one class act. She is certainly someone that my 12 year old daughter looks up to. She has done so much for the sport as well as these up and coming athletes. Thanks Crystl!!!