The Clubhouse

It’s too bad that the Mitchell Report finally happened, or at least the way it happened. Did they really have to give up names? It’s too bad. Why you ask? Because that list is way bigger than the names that were given up. That list includes a large percentage of baseball, all the way up to the owners. Players are being thrown under the bus for something that owners and MLB executives failed to implement earlier. Come on! Everyone who is reading this rant knows that steroids were a MAJOR part of  baseball. How else do you explain the 5 foot nothing second baseman hitting .300 with 35 hr and 100 rbi? The same guy was 25 lbs. lighter just three months ago and just happened to be in a contract year in a grossly overpaid market.  I’m not talking about a specific player, I’m talking about a lot of players….more than were on that list.

We loved it too. You know you did. After watching the game of the early to mid eighties, the game that would put you to sleep in just minutes. It was a change of pace. The home run is baseball’s biggest money maker. It brings fans to the games. Yeah, the true baseball fanatics enjoy the game played 4-3 with sac bunts, hit-n-runs and stolen bases. Games with defense and pitching right? But the common baseball fan loves that home run, and the MLB knows that.  

So why would they test for steroids? Lets face it. They all got greedy. Major League Baseball, owners, players, clubhouse workers, and fans. That homerun and that money associated with it made us all greedy.   

It looks like one of the other sites has been down for action the last few days. Feel free to use our forum to discuss or argue your point. Make a profile and get in on the action!

Oklahoma City, OK—The USA Softball Men’s National Team is set to make its television debut on July 22 at 12 p.m. CST on ESPN2. The game being aired on a tape delay basis is a match-up between the USA Softball Men’s National Team and the Japanese Men’s National Team during round-robin competition at the KFC American Challenge Series.   

This marks the first time in the history of the USA Softball Men’s National Team program that a game has been televised by the ESPN family of networks. Although the game is being shown on a tape delay basis it is still considered a milestone for the USA Softball Men’s program.    “This is a great opportunity to showcase the men’s fast pitch game to the entire country,” said ASA Executive Director Ron Radigonda. “We had great crowds during the KFC American Challenge Series and encourage those fans who didn’t make it to Oklahoma City to tune in and watch the USA Men’s team take on Japan.”

Flying from California to Wisconsin can be quite a bummer as you realize you are leaving the sunny beaches for the bug infested landscape known for its wonderful cheese. But then you see it………off in the distance like the scene from the movie Field of Dreams. Yeah….that’s it…one of the greatest places to play softball in North America. Circle Tap. The field sets in the middle of nowhere as far as I’m concerned. Nestled in the middle of corn fields and cheese factories, the Circle Tap Field represents everything that fastpitch softball is….a hidden gem.

Walking up to the field, you could feel the excitement. The Circle Tap Bar is huge. It looks like a big barn that’s been turned into a bar. From the parking lot, the bar hides the field so all you can see are the lights of the game. Inside the bar you can hear the DJ playing music and people screaming. It’s a festive atmosphere filled with fans of the game. We can’t wait to walk in.

As soon as we open the doors we’re greeted by familiar faces. It’s like a reunion every time you step foot in this place. There are people running around in the bar asking for autographs on their shirts so they can win prizes. There is one fellow dancing on the bar doing the sprinkler (I can’t remember his name), and there is a huge set of windows, almost acting like a television screen. On TV this night is Men’s Fastpitch softball. What a show.

The Boys of summer not only brings together a great set of teams, they bring a great atmosphere that reminds us why we play. The fans here are very knowledgeable. Outside the bar is where the veterans usually sit. There is a wooden deck that attaches to the bar and serves as almost a VIP section. As you walk down the steps there is limited bleacher seating on both first and third base lines. This is the only real problem with the tourney. To watch the game you need to have prime seating as the views aren’t very good from the right field lines. There is plenty of space in the outfield but it seems to distance you from the beer and food. Nobody wants that!

Although the crowd didn’t come through like they did in Monkton, the Boys of Summer definitely made up for it with a great place to be. The beer was cheap and they had a large selection of bar food to choose from. No, you’re not gonna find any Weight Watchers entrees here but you will find a good time. In all reality, you don’t have to leave the park until it’s time to sleep. You can dance, and watch softball at the same time. What else do you need? I give it a thumbs up.       

Well, the Monkton Tournament is over and the world of ISC Fastpitch is now in an uproar as the SoCal Bombers have come out on top. It not only has shaken the rankings but put another team in contention to win the big boy. This year could possibly be the best in several years when it comes to competition. There is no mighty County Materials to deal with. Instead….a field of teams that all have a shot to make waves.
I’m not here to talk about the teams though. I’m here to talk about the tournaments and the host cities in which they are played. In a several part series, diamondballers.com will take a look at the tournaments around the fastpitch world to find out what tournament has the best action.
Beer/Alcohol/Food
Our first look will be at the Monkton World Fastball Invitational. Monkton proved to be a great place for fastball as there were fans from all over attending the four day event. On any given night you could have around 500-1500 in attendance….most of which were crowded around the massive and I mean massive beer tent. The tent, which may have been provided by a circus, was around 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. There were picnic tables all over under the tent as well as all over the restricted drinking area which was located on the left field line. From pretty much everywhere in the beer tent and drinking area you could see a little bit of the game. There were prime seats along the line that proved to be the best areas to watch the game. The tent sold one type of beer and also made mixed drinks. One drawback to the tent was the price of cold brew. $3.50 for one beer is a bit expensive for a 12oz. beer at a softball tournament. By the looks of things and the way I felt on Saturday morning, it didn’t seem to bother anyone. There were a lot of people partying and having fun down there. Good business decision then. Past the beer tent was a big eating area in the left field corner. The food was priced perfectly helping ease the pain of the $3.50 beer. There was nothing special about what they were serving. The typical hot dog/hamburger etc. was on the menu. Overall I give the beer tent and food a thumbs up for a good crowd to drink with and good cold brew.
Fans
The Monkton crowd was awesome. There were always kids running around asking for autographs and always fans at the games. I think there may have been reserved seating in some spots as most people with the prime spots right around home plate left their chairs over night. Down the first base line there were a set of bleachers as well as a grandstand on the right field line. This area was typically full of people. In the outfield the fence was lined with lawn chairs and always full. There was one more grandstand in center field that usually had a decent amount of watchers. The crowd didn’t seem to have a favorite team although they seemed to have some favorite players that they rooted for. All-in-all they were good to be around and seemed to have a genuine knowledge and love for the game. I give them a thumbs up.
Teams
Come on. This is one of the biggest tournaments of the year with seven top ten teams lacing it up to battle for a nice prize package. ISC ranked teams number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 were in attendance. Nuff said. Thumbs up.
Nightlife and City
Monkton is NOT a city. It is a VILLAGE. This was one drawback to the tourney. Teams had to drive a little bit to get to their hotels. Some teams drove up to thirty minutes for a hotel. Not that big of a deal though. As for nightlife, there wasn’t much real action going on in the towns that we visited. There were your typical dive bars but that’s it. Not much for dancing but some Karaoke was definitely available. Crabby Joe’s Restaurant seemed to be the best place to eat in both Stratford and Listowel.
Thumbs Up
This was a great tourney with a big time atmosphere. I can see the ISC tournament being played here as the ever shrinking field of teams continues to drop. The ISC will only need one field and Monkton could be the place to host the big dance. Our next tournament review will come from the Boys of Summer in Denmark, Wisconsin.       

The United States overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat Denmark today by the score of 9-4. Denmark got the on the board early with timely hitting but in the end the US bats decided to wake up and score. Omar Moraga led the charge with three hits including a solo shot to get the US on the board. When asked how he was seeing the ball, Moraga said,  ”The ball was looking real big today. It had a cowboy hat on it.”

Frank Degroat continued his power surge with a bigger blast than yesterday, giving the United States its second run of the day. The crowd, estimated to be around 200 people, rose to their feet as the ball traveled well over 350 feet. As Degroat crossed the plate the home fans cheered, showing their appreciation for the bomb.

The US pitching staff struggled with control early but were able to minimize the damage and hold off the surging Denmark team. Travis Price came in relief to shut the door and record the victory. Next up for the United States is japan at 8:00PM Tuesday night.  

The United States Men’s Fastpitch Softball team won its opening game in dominating fashion on Monday over DEMO EHS of the Netherlands by the score of 9-2. The red, white and blue rode the offensive train to get the win. Blake Miller led the team with three hits and Frank DeGroat silenced the DEMO crowd with a monster blast to left. Travis Price got the win with a strong outing, striking out 9.  

Well, we finally made it to Prague. What a journey so far. The plane ride was about seven and a half hours and we got our first taste of, or should I say smell of, Europe in the line. Apparently deodorant isn’t as high a priority to some. Not to say Europeans are stinky people, but the seven in front of us were. It was the first time I could look at sonny Perkins and say, “Damn, you’re the best smelling guy around.” The worst thing was leaving at 4:30PM on Saturday and touching down at 6:00AM on Sunday. Where the hell did my Saturday night go? Usually I would have been buffaloed ten times by now. We’re here for business though, and playing for your country, no matter what country that may be, is very serious business. Not to mention a tremendous honor.
Driving from the airport was rather uneventful. I was expecting to be immediately submersed into Czech culture but to my disappointment it was much like a typical urban city in the United States…graffiti everywhere ! The one thing I did learn is that a fellow who goes by the name of “Spord” must be the hardest gansta in Prague…maybe even Central Europe. His “tag” is everywhere, like the McDonald’s of gangsta’s. Well, after this article, he may be the most notorious gangsta in the World. Hmmm, maybe I should have waited until I was gone to let out the secret of “Spord”. Maybe he doesn’t want to be on the internet…….what if he’s at the tourney….nah…”Spord” has better things to do, more buildings to tag.
Our hotel is huge. Its full of people from all over the world. Maxim Magazine was right. The women here are beautiful. The people must be on a tight budget here because no one is fat. With all the beer here, you would figure someone would have a beer gut. I’m beginning to feel self conscious. This place is also home to some of the classiest mullets. Seriously……….business in the front, party in the back. They run it real tight on the front and sides and then let it flow on the back. Put a hat on and you would never know he had short hair.
What….practice?….we’re talking bout practice? Yeah, in a few hours. We just arrived at the hotel and were all delirious and we have to practice. Coach Turner runs a tough practice. Mike, our trainer is assigned to warm ups. Ok, well usually my warm up consists of a chew and me trying to be a pitcher on the sidelines. By the time the “warm ups” were over, I was ready to cool down. We actually stretch here, for real. I didn’t realize I had muscles in some places.
The town has already shown some promise. There were fans at our practice, which means there might be fans at the games. The fields are in great shape, plush green grass and soft dirt infields. After a two hour practice it was time to head home for the night and try to sleep. Eating was no problem. To my surprise the food has been great. I recommend the gratinated chicken steak with ham and cheese. Sleeping, that’s another story. It’s 3:30AM right now and I can’t sleep. Maybe it’s because it’s 6:30PM in California or maybe I’m just a little excited. Probably the latter, after all, I am playing for my country….and that… is more than I thought it would be.
Well, its DEMO EHS tomorrow at 2:00PM. Finally we can talk about games.   

From The NPF Website 

June 3, 2007 - The Comcast Chicago Bandits kicked off their home season with a 2-1 win tonight against international foe, Venezuela. The Bandits swept the Venezuelan National team during their four game home series last year.Superstar Jennie Finch took the mound for the orange and black and dominated striking out 13 Venezuelan hitters and walking only one.The Bandits heated things up in the bottom of the second off of a Nicole Trimboli double…….For more of this story click here

From Fastpitchwest 

For the second year in a row, the California Lumberkings, the top ISC II ranked team in the west, will be headed to Chicago, Illinois for the AFSA Classic. 

Lumberkings’ skipper David Weldin had this to say about the team’s upcoming trip: 

“Last year was our first year to attend the AFSA Classic. We were looking for a tournament to play last year and our players wanted to go to Chicago. We had a good time last year, so we decided to go back again this year. We were pleased with our play in last year’s tournament, defeating some good teams, before losing to Bloominton Stix in the semi-finals.” 

Here’s the list of teams and schedule. 

AFSA CLASSIC - Four game guarantee - July 13-15, 2007 

Pool A

Tap
2 Aurora Dolan & Murphy
3 Benton Harbor Plangger’s
4 Thomson Merchants 

Pool B
1 Green Bay Townline
2 Quad City Sox
3 Bloomington Stix
4 California Lumberkings 

Friday
7pm Aurora vs. Thomson
9pm Denmark vs. Aurora 

Saturday North Field (A)
9am Benton Harbor vs. Thomson
11am Denmark vs. Benton Harbor
1pm Denmark vs. Thomson
3pm Aurora vs. Benton Harbor
5pm Green Bay vs. California 

West Field (B)
9am Quad City vs. California
11am Bloomington vs. California
1pm Green Bay vs. Quad City
3pm Green Bay vs. Bloomington
5pm Quad City vs. Bloomington 

Elimination bracket play begins Saturday night at 7pm, with games continuing through Sunday’s 2pm Championship game. (EST).