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Post by sburgy4 on Nov 11, 2011 11:22:21 GMT -5
I thought I heard rumors of Andy Anderson going to KA... 12, do you care to clear this up?
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Post by countyparks on Nov 11, 2011 11:24:49 GMT -5
No decisions have been made about anything with the County. For sure, the county will not be offering a Major's league. As for the bats, it is in discussion to introduce diferent leagues (not completely eliminate composite bats). As for the Playoffs, berths will not all depend on placement in leagues (or if at all). This will ensure a better more competitive tournament. Details are in discussion about this.
If Brandon wants to run his own major's league he can. But stop spreading the rumors about the County changing everything. Change is inevitable, but unfortunately it wil more than likely be slow moving to save the integrity of softball.
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Post by bgraser12 on Nov 11, 2011 11:28:16 GMT -5
I thought I heard rumors of Andy Anderson going to KA... 12, do you care to clear this up? Yes. Andy isn't playing with KA. He's got a long term deal with Chad, and the compensation was too high.
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Post by cbeyler16 on Nov 11, 2011 11:43:40 GMT -5
LOL Sorry Brandon, EA Sportsbar offered more for Andy's services but his agent isnt answering his calls to see if Andy would waive his no-trade claus in his napkin written contract!
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Post by sburgy4 on Nov 11, 2011 11:47:13 GMT -5
You're moving backwards if you think aluminum leagues is going to revive softball around here. As a whole the quality of softball was much better last year, unfortunately you have to sacrifice quantity. There needs to be some sort of competitive league, taking that away means all of the "major" teams join other leagues and most likely run rule all the "rec" teams, which in turn will make them not want to play.
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Post by jeffkohnlein on Nov 11, 2011 12:39:37 GMT -5
generally speaking, yes, change is inevitable. but creating "change" doesn't always mean its for the better. you will absolutely lose teams going back to aluminum. regarding softball, the term you should be using is "evolve", not change. everyone in this area wants to live in the 80s when it was aluminum and the game thrived and everyone played. that's not reality anymore.
the number of teams decreasing over the past handful of years has little to do with the transition to composite and more do to with the evolution of technology (non-sport related) - kids/young adults have more options now a days, and are typically more lazy as well, for how to spend a summer night. the culture in this world has changed since then and so has the game of softball. going back to aluminum makes it worse. the issue is much larger than composite vs aluminum to re-engage interest in the sport and increase the number of teams
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Post by bgraser12 on Nov 11, 2011 14:27:34 GMT -5
County playoffs last year were pretty boring...especially the semi finals and finals(both major and rec). I've never seen so many people at wilson park since my dad played and that's pushing 10 years. But we should probably make wholesale changes. Brilliant. Its a shame that county wants to remove their top teams and a league for them to play, but we will survive.
We will run the WSC league Weds night. 8 teams upper, 8 teams lower. There will be a tournament . we will actually turn the scoreboards on. Hopefully we will announce every stadium game. Stats will be kept. Bat testing will be done. Games will be meaningful. To bring back softball people have to be passionate about wanting it to improve and if we can have 16 teams who want to make softball better then this league will be a smashing success.
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Post by brewcitydude25 on Nov 11, 2011 17:47:46 GMT -5
Stole this from sbf's...
Directly from the director at Milwaukee County inregards to my email about the composite bat ban:
Bottom line, it comes down to safety of participants and that the department has only one person with no budget. So buying compressions testers and testing bats before every game for 26 leagues is not going to happen. The County does not operate like Milwaukee Rec where we have field monitors at every field and could possibly test for bats or even have staff to stay at the building after 4:30 for people to get bats tested. 2012 budget for parks got cut once again.
This issue is a long lasting issue that all Municipalities are facing throughout the country. There was a major forum at the NRPA (National Recreation and Park Association) conference last week in Atlanta, GA regarding the issues at hand. Again, all municipalities are offering recreation outlets to constituents, not representing ASA or NSA sanctioned tournament leagues where officials and directors must jump thru a thousand loops to make sure participants are using legal bats.
The Milwaukee County Parks are not ASA or NSA sanctioned so following all rules and regulations by them has never happened. As far as the safety, the County Parks takes this first and foremost very seriously. This past year was the highest in all (5) years that I have been here where multiple phone calls, emails and person to person contact was made on a daily basis regarding the safety of our leagues, where County Board Supervisors were calling me off the hook to talk about it. I would say about 80% of the participation in our softball leagues are from participants that are playing for recreation ONLY. The other 20% are more advanced, have more advanced equipment and participate on a National level (ASA or NSA tournaments).
No decisions have been made about anything yet, but the discussion is on the table as to how we can control and ensure safety in our leagues. Again, we are trying to provide recreation outlets to constituents, not run highly competitive national tournaments.
Whatever decisions are made, I hope that some of these younger guys start thinking of the betterment of the sport of softball. Again, Change is coming....whether it is next year or in 2015. These bats are becoming more dangerous and eventually someone will get killed and it will all be over.
One of the things I would like to propose is to have a voluntary softball board that represents the participants to help with vital decisions for the years to come. They would again represent ALL participants and would have a body of voiced people to voice to the Director of the Parks and possibly all members of SEPRC (Southeastern Park and Recreation Council). This board could come up with ideas for fund-raising efforts to get funds to improve field conditions, possibly purchase testers, volunteers to test bats, help out with leagues and tournaments, etc. I have proposed this for the last (5) years and no one has stepped up to the plate, which makes me think that some of these guys threatening leaving and playing elsewhere don't really care about the sport.
Whatever the case may be, this is something that cannot be done with only one person or overnight. It seems that you care enough to write me and voice your opinion, lets both take a step forward and develop a board.
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Post by bgraser12 on Nov 11, 2011 18:05:21 GMT -5
This is absurd. Why is milwaukee the only place in the country that refuses to accept that the technology for softball has changed. Maybe you should figure out a way to get your lights working properly your outfield to grow regular grass and not blame the way the game has become. Most of the country plays with USSSA bats and balls harder than what we use and their leagues are flurishing. Until milwaukee gets softball people in charge it will continue to decline. Looks like the WSC could have 100 teams next year if you go to aluminum. This makes me sick. why do you need the players to fundraise a program for improvements which is funded by tax dollars?
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Post by jeffkohnlein on Nov 11, 2011 18:47:52 GMT -5
my favorite part is that we have "advanced technology". apparently 100% of us swing altered bats because playing in the thur stadium league this past summer i'd say 98% of the players swung composite too so advanced technology must refer to cheating. county is utterly clueless.
how many players have been injured in the past 5yrs? i'm curious to know what this number is
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