The First Pitch Gallery

By Irv Porter

First of all since I am having a very hard time getting a monthly column together I will change the name of these articles to just 'The First Pitch' removing a month and year from each article. I do not have the time to writing something every month so this is a change that has to be made on my part.
Illinois Softball Report is posting tournament as they come in for the 2008 softball season. If you have a team fundraiser tournament or know of a tournament that is not currently listed please e-mail the info to this writer at irv@ilsoftballreport.com and I will get it posted ASAP.
Now is the time for all of you who have been considering crossing over to the ranks of being an umpire to contact your local ball park and they should be able to get you in contact with the local umpire group so that you can get registered and also find out when and where the local umpire clinic will be held that you will need to attend.
The Chicago Sixteen Inch Hall of Fame will be held at Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero on January 26th. Come out and check this event out. Some great softball people will be on hand talking softball all evening long with plenty of food and drink for your dollar plus an outstanding silent auction with some outstanding items

Open Question to Illinois 12" tournament teams and players

I have had this discussion with people who work for the ASA, ISA NSA & USSSA in Illinois and their opinions vary on if this would or would not work. So I am asking you the readers on Illinois Softball Report for your opinions and thoughts on this subject.
It is my belief that a fundamental change in how softball tournaments give out awards to the top finishing teams. I am in favor of a cash payout period but I understand how and why a softball association wants teams to play in their respective state tournaments and beyond. OK fine. Make teams take a paid berth to these tournaments first and than pay them in cash (or via a check on the field)
I would propose the fowling:
A tournament director should be able to figure out what their cost are in running a tournament. What I am talking about in field rental, umpires, balls, what the tournament director wants to make per team association fees, insurance, scorekeepers (if used) and other miscellaneous cost. A dollar number per team should be figured out and that is the base number that the tournament entry fee is based on.
In Class E ball only a small token is added to this number. My purpose is to try and keep Class E as a recreational and entry level into tournament softball.
In Class D add $100 per team to the break-even cost number that tournament director comes up for his tournament site. A twelve-team class D tournament would pay back $1200.00 with a twenty team class D tournament would paying back $2000.00.
In Class C & b I would add $150.00 to the break-even number the tournament director comes up with for his site. So in a C or B tournament that has eight teams entered $1200.00 would be paid back to the teams and in a twelve team Class B or Class C tournament would have $1800.00 being paid back to the teams.
Every softball association in Illinois has a web site and with a little work a team's roster could be available for everyone to see on these web sites. For this to work all tournament teams rosters need to be posted on the internet prior to participating in a tournament where everyone can see who is playing with whom. Why? Because the roster police (you the players) will be screaming strong and loud if someone is trying to do something not totally by the rules. Maybe a rule stating that a player not listed on the roster by midnight on Wednesday prior to the start of the tournament will not be eligible to play that weekend. With a penalty for a team using an unrostered player or player put on the roster after midnight on the Wednesday prior to the tournament having to forfeit all games won and removed from the tournament.
Down side to this is that your tournament entry fee would have to be raised. The question is would the higher entry fee drive teams away from playing tournament softball on the weekends?
Your next question is how much would a tournament cost under my plan? Cost will vary from site to site but a general dollar entry fee for a Class D tournament to be between $225.00 and $250.00 per team with a Class C or B being $275.00 to $300.00 per team for a double elimination tournament.
If you have an opinion that you would like to post please register on the Illinois Softball Report's 'Message Board and post you thought for me and the powers to be in all the active softball associations in Illinois to see. Remember the Illinois Softball Reports 'Message Board' will not tolerate language, which uses graphic sexual terms and racial or ethnic slurs. These types of posts will be deleted and the person making these types of comments will be banned from making further post to the Illinois Softball Report's 'Message Board.'
I hope that everyone had a great holiday season and that everything is falling into place for your ball club for the coming softball season in a few months. Remember it is less than 100 day until opening day of the 2008 major league baseball season.

Your friend in softball,

Irv

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