Our blog post below, on the ASA’s decision to split the “C” National in two for 2009 — with half of the teams going to Hastings Nebraska and half going to Decatur has generated a bit of email, so we decided to post the poll below and see what our readers think.

Note that the poll gives you an opportunity to comment on the question — and give your reasons as to why you think it is or isn’t a good idea. Or why you think they made the decision. You can post your comment anonymously if you wish.

Update, September 2:

A knowledgeable reader points us to Sections 202-204 of the ASA Code, which defines the geographical regions, as to where the dividing line falls. (See below). So according to the ASA, Nebraska (host of next year’s Western Regional ASA “C” Half-National is in the “west”. (Explain that to sponsors buying plane tickets next September) If the theory of split nationals is to save on gas money, that sort of goes out the window for teams from the West, listed below, no? What is the meaningful difference between playing in Nebraska instead of Illinois? Negligible at best.

ASA Code Sections 202-204:

West = Texas, Minnesota, North & South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Oklahoma.

East = those not listed above.

Using the State-by-State breakdown for 2008, here is where those teams would play in 2009:

West – 42 Teams – to Hastings, Nebraska in 2009

California – 14
Arizona – 12
New Mexico – 7
Utah – 3
Colorado – 1
Idaho – 1
Nevada – 1
Oregon – 1
Kansas – 1
Texas – 1

East – 8 teams – To Decatur, Illinois in 2009

Pennsylvania – 4
Alabama – 1
Georgia – 1
Massachusetts – 1
South Carolina – 1

Editor’s note: Actually, when you factor in the “bump up” rule, the East would lose two more teams (Landis, PA and Katman, MA), so the East would be down to 6 teams, at least using the list from this year’s teams.

Update, September 4:

273 votes cast, and I’ve yet to see anyone make a case for the split. One commenter noted the same:

From Ken on September 3, 2008 at 1:50 pm.
I would like to hear the reasons for the 30 or so yes answers that have been logged in. Even if they are anonymous. Just curious what good can come out of a split.

By the way, we have invited ASA to comment or explain the reason for the split. Nothing from them yet.

PRESCOTT, AZ — It may have been Landis Markets of Pennslyvania 9, Santa Rosa Fastpitch 0 in the champoinship game of the 2008 Men’s Class C Fastpitch National Tournament, but the Santa Rosa team again established itself as the No. 1 Class C team in California and one of the best teams in the nation for the second year in a row.

After finishing fourth in the 2007 nationals in Killeen, TX, with a 6-2 record, Santa Rosa moved up to second with an 8-2 record, giving them 14 wins in 18 national tournament games in two seasons.

Landis Market dominated the field by winning seven games in impressive fashion, but in the championship game on Sunday, a battle-weary Santa Rosa team, which played five consecutive games on the final day, played the Pennslyvania team on even terms until the seventh inning, when pitcher Jeff Want, a first-team All-American, was roughed up for eight hits and eight runs to break open a 1-0 game.

Want was superb in the championship game, blanking Landis on five hits until the fifth inning when tournament MVP Justin Stock led off with a double to right-center. He moved to third when Brent Moyer grounded out and scored on a two-out single by Frank Keating.

Stock was virtually unstoppable throughout the tournament, batting a phenomenal .818 (18 of 22), which included three home runs, three triples and three doubles with 15 RBIs and 20 runs scored. In addition, he was hit by pitches three times and walked twice, pushing his on base percentage to .852.



It remained 1-0 until the top of the seventh when Landis erupted against Want for eight hits and eight runs.

(more…)

One of our astute readers who posted a comment to the Poll question (below) noted that starting in 2010, the ASA will no longer play their Class “A”, “B” and “C” National Tournaments over the Labor Day Weekend. Instead, it will be a month earlier, over the final weekend of July. Sure enough:

ASA Code, Article 509 “Dates of Championship Play”:

EFFECTIVE 2010 Men’s Class A, Class B and Class C Fast Pitch. These National Championship Finals shall be scheduled on the weekend that includes the last Saturday in July and commence no earlier than 6:00 p.m. Wednesday and concluding no later than Sunday.