Archive for the ‘ASA’ Category

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Bill Hillhouse Laments Loss of Men’s Fastball at Pan-Ams

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

A great bit of writing from Bill Hillhouse in his blog over at his House of Pitching web site.

Men’s fastball has been dropped as a sport from the Pan-American games coming up in Brazil in 2007. And Hillhouse has a pointed question for the ASA (and the ISF) : “Why the silence?”

Men’s softball was eliminated from the 2007 Pan Am games and the ASA/ISF have remained silent. Not only are they silent.. they won’t even report this! It’s not on either website. No press releases have been issued. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zippo. Men’s softball isn’t even worth the time to type up a press release.

And our beloved ASA treats men’s fastpitch like that dirty old uncle that the family doesn’t like to talk about. It’s sooooo bad now that when I do clinics from time to time, people don’t even realize that men play fastpitch softball

Click here to read the whole commentary on the ASA standing by and doing nothing while yet another bit of the men’s game at the international level is stripped away.

Editor’s note: We have added Bill’s blog to our “Links” over there on the right hand margin, for the convenience of our readers. Bill has agreed to serve as the moderator for the ISC section of our Fastpitchwest Forum for 2006. We are looking forward to hearing more from one of the great voices for our game.

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One of Nine

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005

ASA to Induct Nine New Members to Hall of Fame

USA Softball’s Avon Meacham is the lone player from the men’s fast pitch category to be selected to the Class of 2006. A three-time ASA All-American, Meacham led the USA Softball Men’s National Team in three Pan American Games.

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ASA Region 14 Pitcher, Player & Team Lists Updated

Friday, November 11th, 2005

ASA’s Region 14 (California, Nevada & Hawaii) has updated their pitcher, player and team lists, following the recent “bump-ups”, mostly “C” pitchers and teams headed to “B”. Click the links above to view each list. The feedback that we’ve received here at Fastpitchwest has been mostly favorable to the move. It will be interesting to see if the rest of the nation follows the lead.

The size of the “B” pitchers list virtually doubled overnight, going from 29 pitchers in 2005, to 57 in 2006. For my two cents worth, it seems that new classifications represent a better dividing line, and will create better balance among both the “B” and “C” teams. Perhaps most important of all, an opportunity for entry level “C” teams to develop. As an aside, did anyone notice the powerhouse “C” team that stayed under the radar? (not bumped to “B”). Read on for the list of 57 pitchers on the “B” list. Or post to “Rumor Central 2006” if you know where any of the “B” pitchers will be next season (more…)

Posted in ASA, So Cal | No Comments »

Sonny Perkins Bumped to ASA “A” Pitchers List

Wednesday, October 19th, 2005

To no one’s surprise, Sonny Perkins has been bumped up to the ASA “A” pitchers list. Sonny’s last couple of seasons have been stellar, capped off last month with the announcement of his selection to TEAM USA. Currently, he is featured on the cover of Fastpitchwest.com.

It was just September 2003 when a certain out of state ASA commissioner approved him to play in the “C” Nationals, notwithstanding the fact that California ASA Region 14 had him classified as a “B Restricted” pitcher at the time. Go figure. (That’s a lot of improvement in a couple seasons, Sonny, from “C” to “B” to “A” 😉 ) Well, regardless, the folks in So Cal know Sonny as one of the best players around, and are proud of his accomplishment in making TEAM USA. In 2005, he pitched in the ASA Major tournament and the ISC World Tournament, and has shown that he can compete with the best in the game — as a hitter, and as a pitcher.

The pitchers’ list at the ASA Region 14 website contains a note that as of October 10, 2005, the classification list is not yet complete, so keep an eye on that list before the first pitch of the 2006 season.

The “A” list is a pretty select group: Matt Barnes, Glen Davis, Tony Peeples, Phil “Sonny” Perkins, Mark Bennett Mark Higgins, Travis Price, Lonnie Brooks, and Tony Hunoff.

The “Major” list is a list of one: Bill Hillhouse, who turned in some outstanding performances in this year’s ISC World Tournament for Keating’s Fitness, who moved up from the ISC II division in 2005. Bill teaches pitching back on the east coast, runs a website, (“Houseofpitching.com“) and serves as an ISC official in his spare time. He is responsible for bringing international teams to this year’s ISC World Tournament, including the Czech Republic and Denmark. This past week, Bill was in Aruba, giving pitching clinics to the folks there. He has played a key role in helping fastball to become a truly international game.

Posted in ASA, General, Players, So Cal | No Comments »

So Cal ASA Division Realignment

Friday, October 14th, 2005

For those without a list handy, here is how the realignment of the So Cal ASA divisions look:

Class “B” Teams
(shown in order, according to last year’s standings)

1. Prime Time
2. Amigos
3. Black Sox
4. Rounders
5. RAW
6. Rude Pac
—
7. Raymar (B last year)
8. Romie’s (B last year)
9. Snakes (new team)


Class “C” Teams:
(shown in order, according to last year’s standings)

1. Palm Springs Express
2. Panteras
3. Santana Concrete
4. Hustlers
5. Latin Heat
6. Primos
7. So Cal Rebels
8. Re-Max
9. Beaumont Coyotes
10. So Cal Masters
11. So Cal Gloves
12. QuickSilver

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So Cal ASA Announces Pitchers Bumped from Class “C” to Class “B”

Thursday, October 13th, 2005

From the So Cal ASA website:

The six teams and the pitchers that are being moved up are:

* Amigos – Anthony Martinez
* Black Sox – Randy Clay
* Primetime Fast Pitch – Danny Zupp, Billy Montana
* RAW – Jerome Clark
* Rounders – Mitch Mendenhall, Gerald Pyle
* Rude-Pac – Tommy Obergon

Do click the link above and take the time to read the entire explanation for these and the team bump-up changes noted in separate Morning Brief posts below.

Feel free to post your comments below.

Posted in ASA, Leagues, Players, So Cal, Teams | No Comments »

California ASA Region 14 Pitcher Bump-ups Pending

Wednesday, October 12th, 2005

The same October 1, 2005 Meeting Minutes for California ASA (Region 14) note pending “bump-ups” for pitchers, not yet identified officially.

The committee then discussed the need to move pitchers up to the “B” list from the teams that are being moved up in classification from “C” to “B”. However not enough information nor time was available to get into specifics. John Gouveia will send to each committee member via e-mail, a player list from each of the teams that are being moved from “C” to “B”. The committee members will review the list and make recommendations on the pitchers they think should be reclassified from “C” to “B”. Robert Hernandez has already made a determination on the majority of pitchers he wants moved up and will finalize his decisions within the week and provide that information to John Gouveia.

C. Player List: Robert Hernandez will update the player list based on the committees decisions on teams and pitcher moves in classification, and on team and pitcher drops from the current list.

Post your comments by clicking the “Comments” link below.

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Rumors No More – California ASA Bumps 18 “C” Teams to “B”

Wednesday, October 12th, 2005

The rumored “bump up” of 18 teams from Class “C” to Class “B” is now official. The Minutes from the October 1, 2005 meeting of Region 14 ASA are posted here, and quoted below:

The Committee reviewed the results of the National Tournaments to see if any team should be moved up in classification as required by code.

1. Taylor Farms: Moved from a “C” classification to “B” classification as a result of their 3rd place finish in the “C” Nationals.

The Committee reviewed all the California teams that played in the “C” Nationals to determine if any of these teams should be moved to “B” classification.

As an opening for this discussion, Robert Hernandez made a presentation on his plans for the Southern California teams. He plans on moving 7 teams from “C” to “B” and is meeting with the team representatives tomorrow October 2, 2005 to discuss his plans with them. His basic rational for implementing this plan is to bring in new players and teams to the “C” level while at the same time improving the “B” program. Currently the lower level “C” teams and players just learning the game are discouraged and are dropping out because the strong “C” teams are so dominant. This plan will give them the opportunity to grow and compete and will make the new “B” teams stronger by playing better competition throughout the season.

There was a lengthy discussion by the committee members on the pros and cons of moving teams up in classification that weren’t required by code to move. One of the major concerns expressed was the impact on teams going to National tournaments and the inconsistent application of classification levels by other states. However the committee eventually agreed with the rational adopted by Robert Hernandez. It was also agreed that this committee must take the appropriate action early and not wait for local committees to make recommendations first.

The committee agreed that the decision to move teams up from “C” to “B” had to be based on specific criteria. In addition to the code requirement, the following criteria was adopted:

1. Winner of 4 or more games at the “C” nationals
2. Winner of a national qualifier
3. Winner of the regional tournament
4. Winner of one of the 7 weekend tournaments in the “C” travel league series.
5. Finished in the top 6 in total points in the travel league series.

The following teams were reclassified from “C” to “B” based on the above criteria.

1. West Coast Cardinals
2. High Reach
3. A-1 Tank
4. McLaughlin Air
5. King Real Estate
6. Bonanza Air
7. Savala Painters (Long Beach)
8. Savala Painters (Bakersfield)
9. Italian Athletic Club
10. Oroville Braves.
11. Nielsen Gamblers

The teams from Southern California that are going to be moved up or required to remain at the “B” level include:

1. Raymar (Currently “B”)
2. Rounders
3. Rude Pac
4. Prime Time
5. Black Sox
6. Amigos
7. RAW

Romie’s Angels will also be added to the “B” list. They were reclassified to “C” in 2005 and played at that level until the Nationals at which time they played in the “B” nationals. The team representative requested they be reclassified to “B”

Post your comments below by clicking the “Comments” link.

(more…)

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USA Jr. Men’s Coaching Staff on Scouting Trip to the “Show Me” State

Sunday, October 9th, 2005

USA Softball Jr. Men’s Head Coach Tim Lyon and Assistant Coach Gary Mullican, along with Selection Committe Member Doug Lindaman traveled to Chillicothe, Missouri Sept 30th – Oct 1st to view the 14th Annual Missouri Boy’s High School State Fastpitch Tournament.

This trip was to scout potential players for the USA Jr. Men’s program. This marked the second consecutive year that USA Softball has sent representatives to this tournament. Sixteen schools were entered in the single elimnation tournament with Jefferson High School claiming the title following a hard fought 2-1 game that went 8 innings. Kody Schieber of Jefferson outdueled Clint Stobbe of North Harrison in a well pitched game by both young men. This type of game shows a vast improvement in the development of players and pitchers in Missouri High School Softball. Last years final, also won by Jefferson, ended with a 23-3 final score. The finishing order of the final 4 teams is follows: 1st Place Jefferson High School (Head Coach Rob Dowis) 2nd Place North Harrison High School (Head Coach Brandon Craig) 3rd Place Winston High School (Head Coach Eric Lewis) 4th Place Nodaway High School (Head Coach Shawn Emerson)

Between games on Saturday, Coach Mulllican conducted a male pitching clinic that was attended by over 20 young men interested in improving their pitching skills. The stands were packed with parents and coaches who were also watching and learning. The majority of the young men in attendance at the clinic were freshmen and sophmores. This interest was extremly encouraging as the boys were eager to learn. Coach Lyon spoke to a large group of coaches and parents about the Jr Mens program and the recent success of the 2005 team at the Jr Mens World Championships in Canada where the USA claimed a final ranking of 5th in the World. In addition, information was made avaiable regarding the ASA Boy’s National Tournament. This past year two new teams from Missouri entered the ASA Boys Nationals with many parents and coaches making plans to field more teams to compete at the 2006 ASA Boys National tournament. The trip was another positive step in the building process of the USA Jr. Men’s Program and the overall growth of fastpitch as we continue to promote this great game.

If you know any boys born in 1989 or later who would like to be part of the Jr. Men’s program, please feel free to contact me at this email address or phone number below.

Thanks
Timothy Lyon
Head Coach
USA Jr Men’s National Team
11222 South 2515 West
South Jordan, UT 84095
801-253-0712

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JRW C Squad at ASA MFP Class ?? Nationals

Tuesday, October 4th, 2005

For Immediate Posting
By Jim Williamson, Manager and Sponsor of JRW and Associates C Squad
jrwilliamson@foodfacility.com

Sun Sept 4, 2005
JRW C Squad at ASA MFP Class ?? Nationals

Louis Park, Stockton, California……JRW C Squad of Yakima, Washington went 1-2 for a 33rd place finish out of 65 teams at the ASA MFP Class A ?? Nationals. This National was called a Class C tournament so it would be eligible for federal funding.

The rosters in this tournament had several “playdowners”. Included were two players from the OPEN Class SoCal Bombers, one of whom was second team All-American in this tournament. Another club had four All-Americans from last year’s A Nationals – two first teamers & two second teamers. A third club had a catcher who had been named All-World DB at the NAFA AA World Series. Two ex-Rainey players were each on a team. An infielder from Portland DeMarini’s OPEN team of 2003 played on still another team. And one OPEN Class player from Quaker Riversharks batted .600 with 12 RBIs in Stockton. Not surprising as he batted .389 in Super Pool play at the ISC World Tournament. Guess which team he played for and what award he received.

The good pitchers in Stockton were about Class B level, but there weren’t any OPEN or Class A pitchers at Louis Park.
(more…)

Posted in ASA, Teams, Tournaments | No Comments »

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