dalemurphy3
Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2014
- Messages
- 52
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 8
Ok Friends I am not one to jump on tourney directors for not having the creature comforts of the best of the best facilities, but you would think at a tourney that charges upwards of $400 dollars per team to attend you could get a minimum of a batters box. Yes all you old school guys and gals, I also grew up in the world were having a rusty old bench to sit on as a dugout was the norm. So please excuse me for turning into Mr. Tissue and Filing a Public complaint. I tried to file a complaint with director of tourney but he was off with his hoard of chalk trying to find a buyer.
I will start off saying overall the Umping/tourney experience was fine. Facilities were fine enough to put on high quality tourney. Fences would have been nice, but really they did not take away from our teams experience.
My big problem was more of a safety issue that arose because we had no official batters box. (Not in any of our games) But when we came up against a pretty strong batting team that had been run ruling most of the other teams on Sunday, we decided our best option was to play top notch D and use a slower pitcher in hopes of throwing the batters off. So the other team did what any of us would have done moved the batters up. Cant say move them up in the box because it was not officially there. Friends up in the batters box to me does not mean you place your back foot at the front of the plate, and most set up with a gap of 3 to 6 inches between back foot and the front of home plate. Now I am pretty shore the front of the batters box is supposed to be 4ft, yes I checked before I grabbed my box of tissue. But we were at that point of Umps judgement, to say the least I complained, I was warned/ then warned again, then I was told by the ump he was not responsible for chalking the field and should take it up with the Director. But he was off counting his profits from his chalk savings. (The field was lined so they had chalk, just no-one was able to find the 2 X 4's to make a square.) They did manage to figure out how to make a circle. So I guess they were 75% there. (Maybe next year.)
My safety issue is the batters ended up batting at about 37/38 feet for the short girls. We were lucky, no pitches were hit directly towards our pitcher because we all know what damage can be done even from 43 feet. I personally feel there should be a rule made that no tourney can commence unless the fields are all properly lined. We have rules to this game for the safety of our girls. I also feel the coaches on the other side line should have split the difference instead of pushing the limits of the law being written on the spot by the UMP. If a line drive would have hurt my pitcher we all would have been responsible. Me for not pulling her, the Ump for not being realistic, and the other coaches for pushing the situation to the limit. Enough said.
Now my other observation this weekend was 14U infielders not wearing face masks. I witnessed a whole infield without them. Since Parents and coaches dont seem to understand/or care enough about there girls to take care of this in house. (my team has a mandatory face mask rule for the infield). I really do not understand why the Associations and Tourney Directors are not making it mandatory to participate you have to have all your girls in masks. We are all going bonkers over concussions why not face the easiest preventable issue also. How many girls have to get there faced smashed before we care enough as adults to make masks mandatory. I know the girls hate them and in 90 degree heat it sucks, but 107 stitches in ones mouth is not the better option.
End of Sermon by MR. Tissue. (Todd Weaver Coach 14U Valley Storm Englewood Ohio)
I will start off saying overall the Umping/tourney experience was fine. Facilities were fine enough to put on high quality tourney. Fences would have been nice, but really they did not take away from our teams experience.
My big problem was more of a safety issue that arose because we had no official batters box. (Not in any of our games) But when we came up against a pretty strong batting team that had been run ruling most of the other teams on Sunday, we decided our best option was to play top notch D and use a slower pitcher in hopes of throwing the batters off. So the other team did what any of us would have done moved the batters up. Cant say move them up in the box because it was not officially there. Friends up in the batters box to me does not mean you place your back foot at the front of the plate, and most set up with a gap of 3 to 6 inches between back foot and the front of home plate. Now I am pretty shore the front of the batters box is supposed to be 4ft, yes I checked before I grabbed my box of tissue. But we were at that point of Umps judgement, to say the least I complained, I was warned/ then warned again, then I was told by the ump he was not responsible for chalking the field and should take it up with the Director. But he was off counting his profits from his chalk savings. (The field was lined so they had chalk, just no-one was able to find the 2 X 4's to make a square.) They did manage to figure out how to make a circle. So I guess they were 75% there. (Maybe next year.)
My safety issue is the batters ended up batting at about 37/38 feet for the short girls. We were lucky, no pitches were hit directly towards our pitcher because we all know what damage can be done even from 43 feet. I personally feel there should be a rule made that no tourney can commence unless the fields are all properly lined. We have rules to this game for the safety of our girls. I also feel the coaches on the other side line should have split the difference instead of pushing the limits of the law being written on the spot by the UMP. If a line drive would have hurt my pitcher we all would have been responsible. Me for not pulling her, the Ump for not being realistic, and the other coaches for pushing the situation to the limit. Enough said.
Now my other observation this weekend was 14U infielders not wearing face masks. I witnessed a whole infield without them. Since Parents and coaches dont seem to understand/or care enough about there girls to take care of this in house. (my team has a mandatory face mask rule for the infield). I really do not understand why the Associations and Tourney Directors are not making it mandatory to participate you have to have all your girls in masks. We are all going bonkers over concussions why not face the easiest preventable issue also. How many girls have to get there faced smashed before we care enough as adults to make masks mandatory. I know the girls hate them and in 90 degree heat it sucks, but 107 stitches in ones mouth is not the better option.
End of Sermon by MR. Tissue. (Todd Weaver Coach 14U Valley Storm Englewood Ohio)
