EmptyMessage board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 2 members: PamWetzel, kennyro; 13 anonymousDetails for Unchained44
Real name:
Location:
,
Division:
Messages posted by Unchained44 »Message board home »Start a new discussion
| Aug. 12, 2015 Unchained44 | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Western Nationals 50 Major predictions Yo, SSUSA Staff member: The sun being a component of an outdoor sport is not problematic for me -- no matter how many times you underline it or try to make it so. And who said anything about a rule change? I am merely suggesting that direct sun conditions on ONE field at the SAME TIME PERIOD EACH DAY that turn the game we are passionate about into a complete joke MIGHT warrant some consideration from the committee purely from a scheduling standpoint. On second thought, just forget it. |
| Aug. 11, 2015 Unchained44 | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Western Nationals 50 Major predictions Staff, glad you find mention of one specific issue and more than one mention (see Swing for the Fences' comment above) of teams deciding to skip this event in the future for the exact reason you are scoffing at to be so hilarious. That says a lot. The examples you cite are at one point utterly ridiculous (the one from Phoenix) and yet also show a complete misunderstanding of the actual playing conditions in Sacramento. No one is complaining about "a few minutes, maybe even 20 or 30" random cycling of the sun. We are not talking about a "short-term issue." We are talking about pretty much an entire game. There were swinging strikeouts -- not to mention barely hit flailing foul outs on strikes from the first through the sixth innings. Do you see that often in Major tournaments? So step back a moment from the condescending analysis that softball is an outdoor sport and the sun is an environmental fact. No one is complaining about spontaneous weather conditions. We're talking about one specific field that will give the exact same condition (barring clouds) every morning at the same time. If it's too difficult and problematic for you to leave that one field unscheduled for one early morning game slot, then so be it. Just say that instead of trying to minimize and downplay the effect that staring into the sun for six innings has on offense. Thanks for listening. |
| Aug. 11, 2015 Unchained44 | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Western Nationals 50 Major predictions Thank you, Mr. Staff for confirming what was already pretty obvious: That there is more interest in following some pre-set schedule rather than entertaining the possibility of working around one specific field for one (or maybe two) games during a very predictable time period every morning that makes one-half of the game a complete joke. I never intimated that it posed a safety issue to the batter, that it stems from players worried about their batting average or that it merits a "stoppage" in play. I was simply stating that, hey, if something makes a travesty out of one entire side of the game, and players of every team put in that position provide basically the same feedback of the situation, then maybe it might be something to consider. But maybe I am thinking out of the box (possibly because I couldn't see where it was). In the meantime, if you could point me toward rule provisions for umpires determining height legality by "timing" pitch trajectory when they can't see it for an entire game and the potential use of welding goggles in the batter's box, I would greatly appreciate it! Overall, from what I could see, it was a great tournament. |
| Aug. 11, 2015 Unchained44 | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Western Nationals 50 Major predictions Overall, our team had a great time in Sacramento. However, the talk is that we also will not be back. For the love of common sense, we can not figure out who in their right mind would continue to pay the kind of money (and time commitment) we do to travel and play in a tournament where they schedule elimination games (or any games for that matter) on a field where the hitters simply cannot see the ball. Yes, both teams play in the same conditions -- but it makes a complete travesty of the game. Think it's just a player problem? Not even the umpire could see the ball -- until it dropped out of the glare at the last half-second and down toward the mat. The higher the pitch, the more impossible to see, and both pitchers took full advantage. The umpire admitted he could not see the height of the pitch -- but that he could tell when a pitch was too high because he "was timing it" from the point of release. Seriously, that is what he said. (In fairness, his advanced timing method did result in one illegal pitch call the entire game, despite both pitchers routinely abusing the limit.) He might as well have said that his Spidey senses tingled or he felt a disturbance in the Force to determine height violations for all the good his timing method did. Pardon the pun, but any field should be left dark during game times where the sun position renders skills most everyone has been developing for 30+ years into complete guesswork. Anyway, loved the tournament as a whole, but feel like no teams should be scheduled to play in conditions like that. |
