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Best / Worst?

What's on your mind?

by Pale Rider » Sun Mar 29, 2015 5:12 am

Based on another thread...(boy I'd hate for it to go off topic :D )
For the folks that have been at this awhile, the fields run together...but a place or two always stick in our memories as far as being a great tourney or...not so much
Weather, field conditions, facilities (seen some latrines (bathrooms for USAF people:) that I would have just as soon and been more sanitary to just go in my shorts instead)......remember one john that had dead rats in it
Know of a semi local place which is horrendous...they found a decomposing meth heads body in the bathroom which was attached to the concessions stand...needless to say...I didnt eat anything from there...smell was beyond bad...

We've played where were within a mile of the Atlantic and within a mile of the Pacific and a lot of places in between...played in some GREAT places and some terrible...
As far as everyday weather, So Cal almost wins...But CO weather is a tie IMHO in July
Disney comes a close 3rd... (I'm used to humidity...didn't say I LIKED it)
But I LOVE DisneyWorld
TN, Warner Park and the new one up on the hill were very nice also...
Worst temps were in OK and AR...have to say those 2 had the worst fields also...like playing inside a volcano on a volleyball beach field...
played in TX on SP fields which were pretty bad also...worst umps *ever*...missed out on the Midland Kid bake fest a few years ago but heard it was brutal...

So, wheres the best and worst places you've played based on your journey?
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by Dugout Dad » Sun Mar 29, 2015 6:22 pm

Worst - ASA Western Nationals, Phoenix in August, 117 degrees.
Best - PGF, Huntington Beach
Fun/Best, early years - TCS Park City, Utah
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by 4th & Forever » Sun Mar 29, 2015 8:26 pm

I'm going to say that my favorite fields and tourneys are not necessary the same as PGF, Boulder and D9 @ Disney by far are my favorite events...

Favorite Facilities: Canyons Softball Complex, St. George, Utah... One of the most incredible sceneries around

Runner up: The Ballfields at Craig Ranch, McKinney , Tx.... Just a great facility

Worst: Mark Twain School, Garden Grove, CA.... (quality events held there but horrible fields, parking and time restrictions)

Worst runner up: Big League Dreams Facilities...
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by Pale Rider » Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:56 am

117?...that's insane

And I agree also that sometimes the venue, weather, fans and other things can make for a great experience with not so great fields...and vice versa
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by Inthestands » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:26 am

Having a very broad scope that's taken us from Quebec, Ontario, the Midwest, the South, Florida and various places in between...there have been some winners....and some real losers.

The winners....
Summit of Softball in Chattanooga.....triple A on all accounts. Park, services, fields, weather (hey it rained one in 6 days and only for about 20 minutes)
Myrtle Beach.....Ripken...Grand Park and most recently the new North Myrtle Beach complex. The later two have all the right combinations.
Canton Michigan......beautiful park on all accounts. Great center piece restaurant and fully licensed. When its too hot just walk across the parking lot to the hockey rink to cool down
Stratford Ontario.....Packham Diamonds. Superb Facility, excellent fields, full service clubhouse, tons of parking and huge warm up areas.

Now for the ones I don't think I'll miss.

Isle Periot Quebec.....these 4 diamonds were used for the Canadian u14 championship in 2010. The plate and mound were so sandy the could have been a beach...the righty hole was a trench by half way through every game. Outfields looked like pasture land and the out field fence was hockey boards.
Mississauga Ontario....South Commom park....U16 Ontario Championships 2013....no washroom facility at all. Kids snuck into the back of a church during a wedding to use the john. Field was unmaintained and there were no garbage cans anywhere.....lots of trash piled beside the bleachers though.
Grand Blanc Michigan.....horrendous quad diamond...rusting fences.....a hill in the outfield so big that if the center fielder stood where she should you could not see her legs while you were standing at the plate. You needed to take a lunch for the hike to the washrooms.
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by DDG » Wed Apr 01, 2015 1:42 pm

Too many good fields/locations to try to pick a favorite. There a a lot of wonderful facilities in great locations with nice people. Most states have them.

For worst location/weather, I'm going back a bit here. Beaumont TX for the IFA "Elite Nationals". This used to be a pre-ASA Gold Nationals tournament. Not sure if they still hold this event. End of July is not a good time to be in Beaumont Texas.

- 98 degrees and 98% humidity is standard.
- Rain and and the occasional tornado in the area (just to keep us excited)
- Swarms of misquotes that were impervious to any known bug spray/repellent. .
- Alligators lurking at the edges of the facility
- Umpires that hated California teams, and their calls reflected it. Really bad when playing a local team
- 90 miles from the nearest airport (Houston)

There were some nice folks that lived there. I did enjoy their company - as long as it was inside with good air-conditioning.
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by Hacker » Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:28 pm

Worst: Cameron Park in West Covina, CA.
Left fielder and right fielder from adjacent fields stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
Unsafe. Unacceptable. Yet teams continue to play there.
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by jonriv » Thu Apr 02, 2015 2:18 am

Best

Park city Utah

Runner up

Myrtle beach

Worst

Carey, nc
New Windsor, ny

Surprise
Despite some grass in fields: saugerties ny. Park was like a Norman Rockwell painting and fields weed playable half hour after 1 hour thunderstorm deluge

Rock hill sc. Despite 100 degree heat and 100% humidity. Great fields, shade trees and snow cones
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by Pale Rider » Thu Apr 02, 2015 1:37 pm

Been to the Summit in TN...
Going to Myrtle Beach in May...Sweet!
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