Pick-up Player Questions

[Pitchergirl23]

Any help would be gladly appreciated! So here's the situation:

We are looking for a pick-up player to go to 18A Nationals with us. We are from Ohio. We have a girl in mind from Washington. (Friends of a friend) She is 16 eligible, but played for an 18 gold team this summer. Her team did not qualify for nationals, however, her team will be attending Western Nationals.

Is she still allowed to pick-up with another team to go to Nationals since her team didn't qualify?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[PDad]

No.

First and foremost, she is still frozen on her team's roster because Western Nationals is still championship play.

Second, she would only be eligible to be picked up by a Gold team. Players can only be picked up by a team with the same classification or higher than their team, not lower.

Third, Class A teams can only pick up players from teams in their Local Association (e.g. Ohio ASA, Dayton Metro, Cincy Metro). Gold teams can pick up players from teams in their Region.

[chromo]

The So Cal ASA Yellow Book appears to add new language that appears to allow a pickup player to come from a team STILL in championship play if the manager of the team still in play allows the player to be released and picked up. This makes sense because the purpose of restricting pickups from teams still i n champion ship play had to have been to prevent teams from having their roster raided by competitors. But if the original team doesn't object, and consents, why not allow it, hence, as I read it, a pickup can come from a team still in championship play. Lets say you have 5 pitchers, pick up 3 more as your pickups, and the now 6,7,8 pitchers aren't going to get any playing time at all at whatever USA ASA Nationals they are attending, why not let those go to another team attending, say Westerns? So, must be registered ASA as of June 1, must come from a team no longer in championship play, OR have the consent of the manager from the team still in championship play. That's they way I read the Yellow Book section on pickup players for So Cal ASA. ANyone want to read it and tell us what you think? Thanks.

[PDad]

A lot of the Yellow Book content comes from the ASA Code and there was a change this year regarding player releases (see Article 106.P.03 Player Release). Basically, players on a redlined roster can now be released with permission from the previous team - but it has to be done prior to the local association's (i.e. SoCal ASA) roster change deadline (i.e. July 1). I think the Yellow Book exception only applies to the part about prior to a team entering championship play and does not apply to the July 1 deadline. You'll find out for sure when you try to get SoCal ASA to sign off on the player release.

Also, you can't go by SoCal ASA's pick-up rules at this point in the season because ASA Code (503.B) says local association rules only govern pick-up players prior to its championship (i.e. SoCal State). After that, pick-up players are governed by ASA Code.

[Sam]

So....SoCal ASA (I assume by applying ASA guidelines) would allow a kid to blackmail their coach, screw their teammates, and go to Nationals on another team. All they have to say is..."I'm not going to Western Nationals, I want to go to the real thing." If the coach says no in order to protect the team, he/she is still without that player and will have a great time backfilling that spot....no ability to fill that spot if they have picked up their allotment of pickup players from non-qualifying teams. This rule will be used to great extent by pitchers' parents....many who won't think twice about "doing the best thing for their child" while possibly destroying the team they are leaving. So if the team decides they can't go to Western Nationals with only two pitchers, the team folds and is out of Championship play....jackpot.

Yet another stupid move by ASA. This organization can't get out of its own way. Morons.

[Battle]

So....SoCal ASA (I assume by applying ASA guidelines) would allow a kid to blackmail their coach, screw their teammates, and go to Nationals on another team. All they have to say is..."I'm not going to Western Nationals, I want to go to the real thing." If the coach says no in order to protect the team, he/she is still without that player and will have a great time backfilling that spot....no ability to fill that spot if they have picked up their allotment of pickup players from non-qualifying teams. This rule will be used to great extent by pitchers' parents....many who won't think twice about "doing the best thing for their child" while possibly destroying the team they are leaving. So if the team decides they can't go to Western Nationals with only two pitchers, the team folds and is out of Championship play....jackpot.

Yet another stupid move by ASA. This organization can't get out of its own way. Morons.

Sam, is there anything that you like about PLAYING softball? Anything? I know what you like about NOT playing...

[Sam]

What I like about softball:

1) A well-run tournament,
2) An organization that looks out for the well-being of teams and not just an individual player,
3) An 0-2 riser, up and in, to set up the 1-2 drop curve outside,
4) A batter who sees what the pitcher is trying to do and actually makes an adjustment,
5) Loyal parents and players,
6) Good umpiring,
7) A great sacrifice bunt,
8) A well-executed hit & run,
9) A pitcher who refuses to be beaten,
10) Players who ask for my help or opinion,
11) Coaches who know what to do when they are up 10-0,
12) Players who care more about their team than their own stats,
13) Parents who care more about the team than their own kid's stats,
14) A pick that turns around an inning,
15) A few beers after a day of softball in 100 degree weather....

[Battle]

What I like about softball:

1) A well-run tournament,
2) An organization that looks out for the well-being of teams and not just an individual player,
3) An 0-2 riser, up and in, to set up the 1-2 drop curve outside,
4) A batter who sees what the pitcher is trying to do and actually makes an adjustment,
5) Loyal parents and players,
6) Good umpiring,
7) A great sacrifice bunt,
8) A well-executed hit & run,
9) A pitcher who refuses to be beaten,
10) Players who ask for my help or opinion,
11) Coaches who know what to do when they are up 10-0,
12) Players who care more about their team than their own stats,
13) Parents who care more about the team than their own kid's stats,
14) A pick that turns around an inning,
15) A few beers after a day of softball in 100 degree weather....

There, now was that so hard?

[bucket_sitter]

"Second, she would only be eligible to be picked up by a Gold team. Players can only be picked up by a team with the same classification or higher than their team, not lower."

Is this true of all age groups in ASA?

[ontheblack]

"Second, she would only be eligible to be picked up by a Gold team. Players can only be picked up by a team with the same classification or higher than their team, not lower."

Is this true of all age groups in ASA?

Yes