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Online now: 3 members: 199geek, Bobby B, TABLE SETTER 11; 111 anonymousDetails for PlanoPlayer
Real name:
Alan Gohlke
Location:
Plano, TX
Division:
Men's 65
Messages posted by PlanoPlayer »Message board home »Start a new discussion
| Nov. 7, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: My team wants the one up rule back in SSUSA We are a little bit all over the place now. I would like to see team managers continue to show their support for the 1 up rule via this thread so that SSUSA gets the message. I am not sure if I like singles or outs after the HR limit is met because there are good pros and cons to each. But right now it is 3 HR in AAA with outs after and no one up. Speaking for the Texas Silverbacks, we would like the one up rule back, even if they keep outs after the limit and would prefer singles after the limit if SSUSA would make both changes. If we could, let's try to keep this thread focused on the one up rule, because I have a feeling most teams would like this rule back. Thanks. |
| Nov. 4, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: My team wants the one up rule back in SSUSA Whoever is going to the meeting in Nashville, can someone propose that we go back to the one up rule in all classes. To me this was one of the best features of senior softball and it seems to create an incredibly fair situaton in that it protects the team that cannot hit their 3 (in AAA) and it allows two teams to "walk the ladder" if capable. |
| Oct. 13, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Bat and Ball Einstein: I absolutely do not agree with you that there are not more injuries today than there were 10, 20, or 30 years ago. At every level of softball your opinion on this matter is absolutely wrong. Frankly, I know of no source to get the actual facts and I doubt you do either, but I have been playing the game since 1972 and not only are there WAY more injuries today, the injuries are far more severe...up to and including death. Shaved sticks in the young guy leagues and tourneys and Ultra 2 type bats in senior ball absolutely create a more dangerous situation, particularly for pitchers. It would be very difficult to say otherwise. Most posts about bats talk about the amount of home runs, but with today's bats, it is not only about the number of home runs, it is about the "piss missle" line drives that come off the bat much harder and hotter than any other previous time in our sport. I know you post a lot and have a lot of opinions but I don't read a lot of posts, so maybe I should know, but I don't...do you pitch? You talk tough enough about go play lawn bowling if you can't handle the speed of the game, and in my experience only non pitchers talk real tough like that. Most people that talk tough when it comes to the topic of bats, play the outfield...just my experience. I play 2nd and I actually like the game the way it is today with senior bats and 375/44 balls, but I know I would not pitch in today's environment, and if I did I would have head gear, leg gear and possily some chest gear. Heck it is scary enough when a 6'4" 240 LB muscle bound lefty stands into the plate with a senior bat because I do not play on the grass in this situation because I think it cuts down on my range. Also, I think senior players have much better bat control than the younger players so I think there are more injuries in young guy ball than senior ball. However, there is just no question that softball is a much more dangerous game today then it was even 5 years ago. And I won't be going to lawn bowling any time soon. |
| Oct. 8, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: Would like to play in Phoenix The complete list of applicable bordering states is on page 105 and 106 of the SSUSA 2009 rule book. |
| Oct. 8, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: Would like to play in Phoenix Here you go taits: 13.1 (2) Team Regions of SSWC A. Bordering States Rule (see Adjoining State List - page 105: All 50-70 teams may be composed of players from states or neighboring states. There absolutely is a rule about bordering states and it is there for good reason. I am pretty sure SSUSA does not want a national team of all stars to dominate any division. |
| Oct. 8, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: Would like to play in Phoenix Aren't you guys missing the most important point? Not only does OH not border TX, but the guy is frozen on a qualified 55+ Major Plus roster. He cannot play down at the AAA level under any event. Also, Paco13...come one man, there are rules for a reason. Try to adminster something like SSUSA without rules and see what happens. |
| Sept. 22, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Tournament results Hey Leoslocks: if you play for Monster could you do me a favor? This is the 2nd basemnan from Texas Silverbacks. When my glove broke in the 3rd inning of our game, one of your players showed unbelievable sportsmanship when between innings he came over and gave me a glove repair kit which allowed me to fix my glove in between innings. I really want your player that did that to know that I really appreciated it. Could you let him know for me please? Also the game we played was a great game...back and forth and full of offense and defense. Great Game! |
| Sept. 21, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Tournament results Here is how the 50+ AAA and the 55+ AAA ended at the SPA National in Dalton this past weekend. The Texas Silverbacks in the 50+ AAA division were in the finals of the winner's bracket (which had not started play yet) along with a team called Springfield Express when the tournament had to be cancelled due to rain, so both teams were Co-Champions. In actuality, the Texas Silverbacks were beating RAM softball 13-9 in the bottom of the 6th with the Silverbacks as the home team in the winner's bracket game that was to lead to the final of the winner's bracket game, and Springfield Express was beating James R. Smith Trucking 16-10 in the top of the 7th (I think) of the winner's bracket game that would have lead to them being in the final of the winner's bracket when the non stop rains came. So Texas Silverbacks were given credit for the win over RAM Softball and Springfield Express was given the win over JR Smith Trucking which would have put the Silverbacks and Express into the Winner's Bracket final. Because no more softball was to be played, the Texas Silverbacks and Springfield Express were declared Co-Champions. There were 12 teams scheduled in the 50+ AAA bracket (I think 10 actually showed) and all of the teams that were there were STOUT. Every allowable home run was hit by each team in each of the 6 games the Texas Silverbacks played. This was the strongest field of AAA teams I have seen in my 5 years of playing the SPA National 50's AAA. There really was not a weak team in the 50+ AAA event. The Texas Legends 55's in the 55+ year old AAA division were beating Stancils Photo in the 6th inning in the winner's bracket game that was to lead to the final of the winner's bracket game, and KC Thunder was beating Roman's in the top of the 6th or 7th when the non stop rains came if the winner's bracket game that was to lead to the finals of the winner's bracket. So the Texas Legends 55's were given credit for the win over Stancil's and KC Thunder was given the win over Roman's which would have put the Legends and KC Thunder into the Winner's Bracket final. Because no more softball was to be played, the Texas Legends and KC Thunder were declared Co-Champions. |
| Aug. 17, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Associations Discussion: ISSA ran the worst national tournament ever! diehard: are you sure you saw Jeff Hall and Rusty. I do not think they are anywhere near 50. Could you elaborate? |
| July 2, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Optimum number of players I coach an unsponsored 50+ AAA level team that has a 13 tournament schedule in 2009. The question you raise is one of the most important items I think about before every tournament. Assuming there are no injuries that you have to cover, to me that answer is 12 with one of the two extra players able to play outfield and the other able to play infield and also assuming one of the 12 can be your 2nd pitcher. We bat 11. I usually rotate the EH into the defense every other inning usually at catcher but it could be in any of the defensive positions. Just before the game actually starts, I tell whoever is going to be the 12th player that starts the game on the bench that they will go into the game in the top of the 4th and then that it is exactly what I do. The next game I do my best to see that the 12th guy that started the last game on the bench starts the next game. I usually use the same 2 or three players as the 12th player but I make sure that I get whoever does not start...into the game in the top of the 4th to complete the game. When I have 12, no one on our team sits out an entire game, ever. I have seen so many coaches not play their 12th or 13th player or give them very minimal playing time. I don't care who you are, or if your team is sponsored or not, no player worth his salt will stick around if they are playing 1/2 a game out of 5, or they are only a pinch runner and for sure you cannot do this with a guy that is paying to be there on an unsponsored team and can carry his own weight competitively. So it is important to bring a manageable number of players to a tournament. However to get to the optimum number of 12 at any given tournament we need to carry a roster of 15. I have been lucky as having more than 13 of our 15 players agree to attend a tournament has not happened yet. I told my team at the begining of the season that if the situation occurred where we were going to have more than 13 players saying they can make a tournament, I was going to call 2 of them before the tournament and tell them that they were going to be the 14th and 15th player and tell them that if it was alright with them, the team did not need them for this particular tournament. If they did decide to come to be a good team mate, I let them know in advance that I make no guarantee of their playing time and I also let them know that we will not be charging them for this particular tournament so that I would not feel like I had to play them becuase they paid, so it becomes their choice as to whether they attend or not. Again, luckily this has not happened yet this season. Even though it is not easy, I can manage 13 players maximum but the preferred number is 12. I can tell you that being a player coach affects my productivity at times as I am sure it does to most other player coaches. It is mostly a thankless job and everyone has an opinion about who should play where and when and what the batting order should look like and they are not shy about sharing those opinions with you. If your decisions have mostly proven to be productive decisions for the team, always listen to all of your team mates because listening is always important, but do what you think is right, be as fair as you can be about sharing playing time and your team will understand and follow. To me the keys are making sure you communicate with your team all season long, and you MUST find playing time for ALL of the players that you bring to a tournament in some systemic way that the whole team can understand and buy into. Additionally when you have 12 or 13 competent players, all players get a share of "start the game on the bench". Of course it is best to do this with your real top players in the pool games. They will understand. PlanoPlayer |
| March 19, 2009 PlanoPlayer | Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: Westtxcwby looking for a team in the Dallas area Westtxcwby call Alan G at 214-681-0916. We have a Dallas based senior tournament team that you might be interested in. We are playing a 12 tournament schedule in 2009. |
| Nov. 13, 2008 PlanoPlayer | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Pitcher's Rule We also played in the Texas Half Century tournament in Dallas this past weekend. We had three guys get called out in one game for HITS that went somewhere through the middle but never touched the pitcher. These were hits in my and my team's opinion and the ump in this particular game called you out whether it hit the pitcher or not and he said he got the direction to call it that way from Keith the tournament director. I am all for protecting the pitcher and I think that if you hit the pitcher there should at least be a dead ball out penalty but you should not be called out for base hits that go THROUGH the middle without ever touching the pitcher. Plano Player |
