Tournaments - What's Going on Here

In response to Boe's post of ...

I have just come from playing at a tournament where I am still shaking my head. This was a double elimination, with a loser and winner bracket concept. After two games all of the other teams had one lost. My team was 2-0. I was under the impression that this meant that I was in the championship game since all other teams had one lost. WRONG!! I had to play the host team who had lost the first game they played. When I asked why I had to play a team from the loser bracket when there was at that point three teams who was still in the loser bracket. I was told that "this was the way it was set up and that if I did not want to play, it would count as a lost.

Having no choice, I played the host team. Having to play the host team with officals who had a stike zone from our ankles to our neck. But the other team had a very small strike zone, say from mid thigh to waist. MMMMM!!! Then the manager staled for 10 minutes and wanted the time to count, MMMM!!! well I objected. Was then told we would play the full seven innings. COOL!! But wait, tied after the seven innings a new rule came in to play. OVERTIME!! This rule was not in the rule book or any where else, MMM!!! You guessed it, we lost. Now we had to play another team for the championship round and the home team that had a lost after the first game they had a bye into the championship game. A BYE!!! To make my day complete, I wind up playing three games in eight hours, had the official curse out one of my players and myself, whitch I returned in kind. I was wrong for that, but enough was enough.

Now, the team I had to play had already played four games and we would be the fifth. They like everone else had no bye. The rules are clear that all teams get a bye. The home team (remember them?) had two bye's. One the second day and one into the championship round. We lost to this team also. To say we were tired would not do this justice. We were out.

Now I'm told that we were crybaby's and other such things. Now after viewing the C.A.B.A. rules we found that they broke about six rules. That is low balling it. Why do people who blame everyone else for there obvious lack of morales or dignity. These are the same people who find way's to put the blame on everyone else but themselves. My question to the people is "Is there anybody out there that has any sense of dignity"? I have been playing tournament ball for 30 years and I may have just reached my limit of jerks and crooks.

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BBN's post ...

Please do not get the impression that it has not happened to me....It has and it fries my butt!....but....there is a very cool thing that awaits ya my man.....

That its when you have primarily determined the scum and the jerks in your league/tournament.....have successfully anticipated their BS and probable BS and beaten them at their own game!.....It can and will happen for you!...

You and your coaches need to talk PRIOR to any Tourney about different methods of Manipulation by various folds from Tournament Directors to Umpires to Opposing Managers......Your purpose is not to OUT SCUM them but to beat them.....

Their are really only five or six primary ways they will cheat....with regard to Tournament Rules.....And my boy, trust me they Will!

1. Change Pitching Rules at start of Tournament after announcing different rules for your preperation.

2. The method you described...

3. Reentry/DH/EP Rules not defined and then changed.....

4. Seeding tricks....
5. Last minute Player Eligibility.

Not that these are all of the methods by any stretch....but common ones.....

Prior to every tournament.....Talk to then send a confirming email to the Tournament Director regarding at least these points.....

Your mission is to discuss first with your coaches what you will do (When it happens...not If)...then the appropriate amount of info is passed to your kids so that the sudden and stressful "Issue of the Moment" is like water off a ducks back......

When you succeed with this philosophy....you will be A Gratified on the Positive side as you are now PO on the negative....and when you succeed once or twice with the philosophy you will form a Positive REP for a TEAM not even try to @#%# with...

Good Luck