ASA Nationals

[Andy]

Finished up the tournament on Sunday....what a weekend! This was a fastpitch tournament, but you wouldn't know it by the scores. Many, many games with at least one of the teams scoring in double digits - the worst one I saw was an 18-14 final score. Approx 50 teams in the tournament, ASA three game guarantee format, about 120 games. The lady doing the stats for the tournament said that there were 202 home runs hit during the tournament. I did 12 games (at $20 per) and had at least one home run in each game.

Our UIC was Wild Bill...what a character! This was my first time meeting him and he lived up to every story I've heard. I did get a chance to sit and talk with him one on one the last day of the tourney after my games were finished. I will work for him anytime. SRW and bkbjones - I did tell him that I had "met" you two on the board here...he had good things to say about both of you. He also said that he would work with our state UIC here in AZ to get some of our guys up to Washington next year...that would be a treat.

I only had one ejection in the tournament and it was easy..."YOU HAVE TO BE F....NG KIDDING ME!" after a called strike three.

About the only other unusual thing was that we had one umpire removed from a game during a weather delay on Saturday and sent home...there were near riots in three of the games he was assigned to...Wild Bill said that was the first time he ever had to do something like that.

It was a good tourney and I had a great time...saw some old friends and one I didn't expect to see...he was called at the last minute to replace another umpire with a conflict. Lots of beer was drank and lots of stories were exchanged.....probably me best experience at a national yet.

[SRW]

I am done with my National assignment as well. Our tourney concluded last night. The half-inning-ending home run rule is fantastic. Makes for quick games. I think my longest game of the entire weekend lasted 1:05. My shortest was 35 minutes, and was ended by run rule 15/4. Most were in the 45-60 minute time frames. I am amazed how much running the base umpire does in a slow pitch game! I'm slightly sore from not anticipating that.

I was honored enough to be assigned 1B in the final game. I had a call at every base, including the plate. Had 3 rotations to the plate - one with a safe call. Took the BR to 3B on a fly to LF and had a safe call there. Frequent double play balls, and very quick-paced game. The game ended with a run rule in the 6th.

Overall a great tourney. Glad I was a part of it!

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by SRW

I am done with my National assignment as well. Our tourney concluded last night. The half-inning-ending home run rule is fantastic. Makes for quick games. I think my longest game of the entire weekend lasted 1:05. My shortest was 35 minutes, and was ended by run rule 15/4. Most were in the 45-60 minute time frames. I am amazed how much running the base umpire does in a slow pitch game! I'm slightly sore from not anticipating that.

I was honored enough to be assigned 1B in the final game. I had a call at every base, including the plate. Had 3 rotations to the plate - one with a safe call. Took the BR to 3B on a fly to LF and had a safe call there. Frequent double play balls, and very quick-paced game. The game ended with a run rule in the 6th.

Overall a great tourney. Glad I was a part of it!

Whoa, hang on here, Bubba! Are you telling me you busted your slowpitch cherry in a national tournament?

[bkbjones]

[QUOTE=Andy]About the only other unusual thing was that we had one umpire removed from a game during a weather delay on Saturday and sent home...there were near riots in three of the games he was assigned to...Wild Bill said that was the first time he ever had to do something like that. [QUOTE] Ooooooohhh...we have our general meeting on Tuesday. I can barely wait to get the details! Wild Bill is absolutely wonderful. I'm glad you got to work for him, Andy.

Would love to have some of you up here. First weekend of May would work very well -- that's our biggest tournament of the year, and you can get away from 90 degrees to 60 degrees up here.

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Whoa, hang on here, Bubba! Are you telling me you busted your slowpitch cherry in a national tournament?

No, he got that busted a couple years ago. Hell, we're not picky up here. I was PU for the State Men's D in 2004. Since that game, one of my partners had heart bypass and the other has apparently gone either underground or prison.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by bkbjones

No, he got that busted a couple years ago.

Then why is he so impressed with the speed of the game and how much a BU must move?

Has he only worked the 70 & over games until now?

[SRW]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Whoa, hang on here, Bubba! Are you telling me you busted your slowpitch cherry in a national tournament?

It's been busted years ago. This was just my first SP national...

[SRW]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Then why is he so impressed with the speed of the game and how much a BU must move?

Has he only worked the 70 & over games until now?

Our leagues up here are crap. Even the best men's leagues couldn't hold anything against the average men's team in the National. So yeah, these games were better quality than any of the league stuff we've seen.

Plus, the only time we ever do 2-ump mechanics in SP is the random league playoff game. Even then, we're usually assigned with some homer who doesn't know wtf he's doing out there. Even then, the quality of the game in the league is so poor that you don't need to move as much compared to the games I had in the National.

Besides, whyTF am I justifying this anyway? :P

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by SRW

Besides, whyTF am I justifying this anyway? :P

Hey, you're the one who made is sound like a new experience.