[Alsfastball] World Tournament 2005

[Al Doran]

Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 14:55:54 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: World Tournament 2005
From: zakkflash at greenbaynet.com
To: fastball at pmihrm.com



   Since plenty of people have expressed their concern with the "Pitcher
List" I think the problems with that have surfaced and I trust all of
the kinks will be worked out before it hits rule book, I think I'm going
to stir up a little bit about the World Tournament format of 2005.
   I may be alone on this one since no one has said a peep about it, but it
will give you all something to talk about.  So, from what I understand
if you are ranked in the "top 10" in the final rankings you will be put
into two pools of 5.  Winner of each of those pools gets one of the 8
byes along with the 6 winners of the other pools.  The other 8 teams in
the top 10 earning a bye will be automatically in to the 24 team single
   elimination tournament.
   Now, the ISC sees the blowout games in the round robin part of the
tournament as a problem which is a valid point, and looking at this on
the surface maybe this is a valid solution to that.  However, as a
member of a team, I know that there is much planning on our part on who
is going to pitch certain games and where our better matchups are using
obvious strategies.  Assuming my team, Circle Tap, will be ranked in the
top 10 and be thrown into one of these super pools a question comes to
my mind.  Knowing that I've made it to Thursday even though I go 0-4 in
my pool am I going to risk throwing my two top pitchers and taking the
chance that one of them may get hurt, for one bye??  Heck no.  We'll
come Thursday and save ourselves $3600.00 in hotels and take our spot in
the tourney, or maybe I throw a local guy who's not on the list.  That
may be a bit stretching the truth on what will happen but I really
oppose this format.  Give me the old double knockout.  I know that isn't
a reality in this day and age and how cities bid on the tournament but
at least all the games meant something.  I know the reasons they don't
go back to it and they are valid so please don't give me your opinion on
why it's not feasible.
   I didn't like the current format when it started, mainly because my
Circle Tap team was ranked about #27 or so and left off the field of 40,
had there been 48 teams we would have been in.  I know we could have won
a few games in the tourney as we had a pretty fair team back then but
that is besides the point.  Anyway I have grown to accept this format
and didn't see any problems with it....... teams traveled, got 4 games,
you earned your way into the final tournament.  (Two very good teams
ranked in the top 10 this year didn't make it to Thursday.)  Now we
gotta change something that isn't broken.  Maybe more fans will come out
to watch the games in Pools A and B instead of just coming on Thursday
but that goes back to my 1st point.  I don't think those games are going
to be as competitively played as the ISC likes to believe, unless there
is some other incentive.  This one isn't my personal suggestion but
happend to be brought up from a former player of ours, who isn't
involved in the game anymore.  He said "the only way the big boys are
going to be pitching those pool games is if there is some sort of
incentive."  His thought was to award cash to each games winners.  I
know you are going to say, you should be playing the game for the love
of it which we do, but taking a chance on losing a pitcher when you have
already qualified for the elimination round doesn't make sense to me.
Then again I could be wrong, I often am but this is the way I see it.
Don't bite my head off, just trying to stir up some conversation.
I do have a suggestion though.  I think since there is a group of people
called "Player Reps" I think the owners/sponsors should get a say in what
happens.  Let's face it, without them none of us get to play.  Everyone
should have an equal say.  If you shell out the most money or if you're on
a team that pays it's own way, there should be one rep per team.  Just a
suggestion that can be tossed around.


Zakk
CT Fastpitch
zakkflash at greenbaynet.com



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