Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournaments

[Bainer]

Hey there-
Has anyone umpired at the Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournaments?
One of the minor associations I help out with is sending a team, and has offered to send a few umpires as well.

The promotional material that they gave us looks fantastic, but doesn't really explain the day-to-day activities while there.

Can anyone tell me what the routine is like, or what the overall experience was?

Any insight would be great, Thanks.


Bainer.

[LMan]

Here we go!

[seioaump]

Bainer,

CDP is an excellent first-rate complex and an excellent tournament. I'm going back for my third year straight in 4 weeks. It is a wonderful experience, although you'll find there are numerous guys on here who say that you are only making the owner richer and why would you umpire for "free", but there is so much more to it than that.

You'll arrive on Friday or Saturday and get checked in. There are opening ceremonies on Sat night with a parade of teams into the park (96 Teams), then they break off and have several skills competitions.

Sunday starts game play. They just have teams randomly playing one another on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday AM. Then they go thru and seed all 96 teams for a single elimination tourney. The tourney wraps up on Thursday afternoon, with only two remaining. There is then a closing ceremony where the players and umpires receive the AYBHOF Ring.
Then at 9:15 on Thursday there are fireworks and the championship game.

They have expanded to 22 fields this year (all with lights and look the same)
There will be 5-6 games per day on each field. Last year, they assigned a "crew chief" to each field. Each crew chief had some umpires assigned to the field as well. That crew of guys worked all the games on that field that week.

In the evenings, we'd run up to the Pizza Hut or Steakhouse and tip a couple cold ones and hold "safety meetings".

As for the free items, you will receive two decent quality pull-over shirts, a nice pull-over jacket, hat & ball bag (poor quality), a Navy T-Shirt, and a water bottle. There are photographers at each game and they'll be more than happy to take an action shot of you working the game. You can then buy that from them and have something to keep.

I would agree that the place makes a ton of money. That is no doubt. But the owner has put a lot of time and effort into making CDP what it is today. Because they make money (lots of it) is no reason for guys to go around bashing the complex or those of that go there. I have plenty of weeks of vacation and have a team whose paying my travel there and then some. I'm not losing anything.

If you'd like more information or have additional questions, please feel free to PM me!

[mrm21711]

Originally Posted by seioaump

You'll arrive on Friday or Saturday and get checked in. There are opening ceremonies on Sat night with a parade of teams into the park (96 Teams), then they break off and have several skills competitions.

A parade! Maybe I should rethink going.

[seioaump]

mrm,

No please don't...

With that type of attitude, you'd spoil everyone else's trip...

As I've said before, if you haven't been, then you can't knock it.

Didn't your mom ever say, "how can you say you don't like it, when you never tried it"?

This is one of those instances!

[bellsjc]

I live about 35-40 minutes from cdp. I don't understand the whole concept of using free umpires. If the level of ball is so good, and I know that it costs a ton of $ for these teams to play, why in heavens name don't they pay for umpires? You know the old saying... you get what you pay for. My local little league B-level uses volunteer umpires. Get my drift?

[lmathews19]

You mean to tell me that CDP doesn't pay the umpires a penny? What a joke! The kind of money they make and the kind of tournament that is, they ought to pay above the going rate. I've been asked to umpire the Perfect Game national tournament in East Cobb and they pay $50 a game, about $10 more than what I get locally. If they don't pay, don't waste your time or money. I don't care if you get free crap or all expenses paid for, you'll end up losing money. I'm amazed they even get anybody to umpire that tournament, at least anybody of decent quality.

[ref49873]

Just returned form my first trip to CDP during week 1. I couldn't give CDP a high enough recommendation.

I was a great experience working with umpires from all over the country, and working games of top level 10U teams. It also gave me the chance to improve my 3,4 and 6-man mechanics.

[cbfoulds]

Originally Posted by ref49873

Just returned form my first trip to CDP during week 1. I couldn't give CDP a high enough recommendation.

I was a great experience working with umpires from all over the country, and working games of top level 10U teams. It also gave me the chance to improve my 3,4 and 6-man mechanics.

OHMYGAWD!
I usually stay out of these CDP rhubarbs, but the [apparently unintentional] humor is just too much!

6 MAN MECHANICS?!? On the small field? What the h@11 mechanics could there be other than "stand there and watch your assigned responsibility - try not to fall asleep or look like a doofus."?

And "top level 10U teams ...."?? Gracious, you ARE funning, aren't you?

Look, I do U10 ball occasionally; and yes, when I do it, I'm a volunteer.
But I think some people are letting that [AYBB] "Hall of Fame Ring" business go to their heads.
If you wanna go to CDP to help out a team of kids and have some fun, great, knock yourself out, have a blast; hopefully that will help the kids have fun, too. I imagine there are maybe even some Real (tm) Umpires there at some point during the summer. But don't expect anyone to take the "experience" seriously, EXCEPT as a good time; PLEASE.

[lmathews19]

I would do it if I were retired and had nothing else to do and wanted to go on a road trip. Maybe that's many of the guys who work it....old veterans retired from their jobs who want to give back something to the community. I would definately do it if I were put in those shoes...but unfortunately, I'm not.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by lmathews19

I would do it if I were retired and had nothing else to do and wanted to go on a road trip. Maybe that's many of the guys who work it....old veterans retired from their jobs who want to give back something to the community. I would definately do it if I were put in those shoes...but unfortunately, I'm not.

Maybe, if your really lucky, someday you will be.

[LMan]

Its somewhat amusing to see 6 umpires trip over themselves on a 60' field at the LLWS...I've always thought that was 2 umps too many.

How can 6 umpires be gainfully employed in a 10U game?

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by ref49873

working games of top level 10U teams.

there are top level 10 year old teams? where?

[BigUmp56]

I talked to a coach who's taken a 12U team there before. He told me that there are teams that play there that actually recruit a national pick up team of 12 year olds to play in the tournament. He said one team flew 6 players in from all over the country to field a stud team. Someone needs a new perspective on what youth baseball is supposed to be about.


Tim.