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Online now: 8 members: Apps, Bobby B, CowboyVis90, Golfman, KINGRULE, TABLE SETTER 11, dillydilly, kotonk; 114 anonymousDiscussion: 70 AAA schedule Masters-Bitch time
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| Oct. 8, 2015 garyheifner 649 posts | 70 AAA schedule Masters-Bitch time Staff At the manager meeting Dave indicated that a managers poll was taken to reduce the games from 4 days to 3 days. The Staff needs to simply say NO and never do this again. The Chicago Gray Sox played 2 games on Monday in 103 degree heat and then had the honor of playing a night game. News flash-70 year olds can't see the ball at night. There were "3" injuries on batted balls that the infielders never saw and one liner that nipped the ear of the middle fielder. Never saw it. We then had the honor of playing "4" games on Tuesday in 103 degree temps followed up by a 2nd night game. Our pitcher NEVER saw the ball off the bat for the last 6 batters. Two fly balls landed, in the deciding final innings, within 5 feet of our outfielders who never saw the ball. I drank many cups of water on Tuesday along with a quart of gatorade and 4 quarts of water. Never went to the bathroom. Staff, is this really what you want in this tournament especially with the older groups. I heard one guy say the 3 day saves $$. A $39 a night room, a $3.99 breakfast and an $11 dollar buffet. $55 savings, Get real. My team has attended the World Championships 12 years in a row and has been the highlight of our season. If this format is repeated, won't be back. On the way out after the Tuesday night game, two other teams agreed with my position. Few care if the Gray Sox are back or not, I simply won't put my guys in physical danger again. |
| Oct. 9, 2015 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Gary, I have been writing the same email in my head since returning from Vegas. Our team has a meeting each January to decide what tournaments to attend in the coming season. Unless the three day format is changed, my vote will be to skip Vegas. I somewhat understand the younger guys lobbying for a three day format because of work commitments, but it's not necessary for 65+ and 70+. A one size fits all solution is not necessary or wise. I don't so much object to the number of games per day and the heat, but night games for 70 year olds are dangerous. Especially under the lighting conditions at Shadow Rock. On a positive note, however, the "flyover" by the Thunderbirds was pretty neat, even if unplanned. |
| Oct. 9, 2015 SSUSA Staff 3483 posts | gary ... This may be one that deserves another look, since we have struggled with this and gone back and forth over it ... Apparently, the same is true for you, judging by your post here last summer ... You seemed to be in support of the shortened five-game-guarantee format at that time ... "...When we go to the big ones like Vegas, I am in full support of the two qualifiers with a "5" game guarantee. Not only my team, but others were pretty worn down after playing 4 prelims in past years before the real tournament really started. SSUSA got this right..." [garyheifner • June 22, 2015] What would your thoughts be if we went to a five-game-guarantee over four days, with three seeding games into a DE format? ... NOTE: In any odd numbered seeding pool, one team would have to play a fourth game on an "exhibition" basis so that another team would get their third game ... Would your team be willing to play that game? ... We're always open to suggestions ... Thanks! |
| Oct. 9, 2015 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | Shadow Rock should never be used in a National Tournament. I have no issues with a 3 day tournament if night games are eliminated period.... More mature eyes can not see the balls at night at Shadow Rock. Lights seems to be misaligned. We were lucky as no one got hurt. Outfields went from 5" high grass to bare dust. The 2 turf outfields are worse playing on then the dust/grass. The tournament flowed ok, did not verify actual time of games but all seemed to be on schedule, so good job. Only had one bad ump, in between games he really displayed his ego and during games did not know what was going on. "ALL OTHER UMPIRES WERE REALLY GOOD." <-wish I could bold that C |
| Oct. 9, 2015 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | There is no doubt that Shadow Rock is a sub-standard facility. I can't really say how it compares to the other facilities in Vegas, because the team I was with has been assigned to Shadow Rock on my last three trips. My league team plays on a very poorly lit field in Richardson, TX, but it seems brilliant after playing Shadow Rock at night. Throw in the dusty conditions and the concrete backdrops on the two turf fields and it becomes nearly impossible. Our spectator/wives joked the the outfielders disappeared when they had to chase balls into the corners. I saw the first batter in one of our games swing and the next time I saw the ball was when it hit about 20 feet to my right in left field. I could not see ground balls until they left the dirt. The "grass" outfields were as Crusher described above. Uncut grass in one place, bare dirt/dust in others, punctuated my the occasional desert weed. Turf fields were probably worse for 70+ because you have to play aggressively short (180-200 feet) or be dinked to death, leaving you vulnerable to line drives in the gaps and the resulting 30-40 yard sprints to retrieve the ball. Of course both teams play under the same conditions, but these facilities are not enjoyable, win or lose. With Nellis on one side and the gun range up the hill on the other, it was sort of like being back in a war zone. |
| Oct. 9, 2015 16wood Men's 65 77 posts | I recognize that the title of this thread includes only 70 AAA but the 2nd post mentions the 65 division. We've played both formats, 3 and 4 days, and much prefer the shorter one. To presume that everyone 65 has retired is erroneous. Being gone for 4 days is plenty (one travel day). We usually have only 5-6 teams in our division so there aren't as many games for our division. This could definitely be influential in our thinking. Playing at night is a poor idea for older age groups. It seems to me that the premise is to build the WMC bigger instead of building it better. Rather than let every team in it, why not confine it to the first 400 teams (arbitrary number)? A lot of the issues are about the fields, game times, etc. It means little to me that you had 500 teams (or whatever number it was). What means more is how we feel about the tournament. We were among the more fortunate having played at BLD all 3 days. I had every reason to feel good about our venue, game times, etc. Not everyone was as lucky as we were. As always, Dave Dowell does a super job of scheduling games in a common sense manner. This is particularly impressive when you factor in the total number of games v available game slots... and the many venues. But paying $700 and playing at Shadow Rock would be a real let down. BW |
| Oct. 9, 2015 baseballbill 137 posts | I think that 3 days is better then 4 days. The 70's should play 2 seed games, followed by a double elimination bracket games. I realize that some teams will only play 4 games but in the current format, if you lose your first 2 bracket games you have little to no chance of winning the tournament and no one wants to come back the last day and play 5 games to win it. We are to old for that. If you want to give the losers a 5th game they can play each other a consolation game. |
| Oct. 9, 2015 garyheifner 649 posts | Staff Just learned today one of our players had heat implications later in the evening of day two that required medical attention. Just piles on my concerns. As to your reply, I prefer the 2 prelims with the 5. But I could live with the 3 prelims and then 2 if spread over four days. Anything to avoid night games and limiting the # of games in a day. I would not step up and say OK for my team to plau a 4th prelim. I guess the only fair way would to be draw a name. I could see a team not trying real hard and could affect the seeding with runs given up?? This is a mind set issue and the tournament is the World Championships not some little qualifier. We try and approach this as softball and a vacation week. Play two or three games a day, sit by the pool, have a nice dinner and take in a show. Be physically recovered for the next day. This should not be an endurance contest. I am up in Mesquite playing in the can am games. 3 games each day for two days. We then go to St. George for the Huntsman games. Two games on Monday and one on Tuesday, Wed thru Friday for the finals. Players not physically wrecked. More than softball-we enjoy the area and week as a vacation. anyway, my opinion. |
| Oct. 9, 2015 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | Baseballbill, no offense meant, but, U do not have a clue on all the 70 teams I know and play against. We want the 5 games. 20 or so years when you get there you will also know. 70+ can still hit the ball out of the park. No big deal. Play 5 games is no challenge. Now 10 games in 4 days would be a little tiring. Like Mr Garyheifner, "Always, my opinion." C |
| Oct. 10, 2015 baseballbill 137 posts | Crusher: Don't tell me I don't have a clue playing 70 teams, I play 70 major. Your telling me that playing 5 games on the last day is no challenge???? Also if you lose your first 2 bracket games, you have to play at least 9 games the last 2 days in order to win it. You think that's OK for 70 year old ball players???? |
| Oct. 11, 2015 SoCal'er 76 posts | We (65 team)played at night and had the same difficulties seeing. When you have players coming off the field and saying they can't pick the ball up off the bat,that's not a good thing. We had a couple players that said they have no problem sitting that game. We are good with the 3 days "if" you can keep us away from night games. I also wonder if having the 'Pacific Rim' tourney mixed in forced a 3 day tourney. |
| Oct. 11, 2015 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | The Pacific Rim Championships had no impact on the World Masters schedule until Friday morning of Session #3 ... When the 3-day decision for Session #2 was made and published, the USA had not yet been awarded the 2015 Pacific Rim Championships ... Also, that event was played at Big League Dreams and consumed only 11 game slots on Thursday, which would have been easily accommodated under the former 4-day format as divisions merge into single file on Championship Day ... The "culprits" were simply the larger brackets and related games demand to play them over three days while coping with with the significant nightly Local League Restrictions at Arroyo Grande, Russell Rd., Sunset Park and Big League Dreams ... |
