From Daddy Ball to FIRECRACKERS ? (long)

[Give Me Diamonds]

I’m a softball mom who loves to shop. I pride myself in being able to spot fraudulent merchandise when I see it. I was at the mall the other day and I noticed a woman with what looked like a beautiful Louis Vuitton handbag. As I got closer I noticed the unmistakable bargain shoes, the thirty dollar
watch etc.. Within 10 feet it was clear the bag was a “Knock-Off”. Although the woman was clearly pleased with herself, I remember thinking, “ you’re not fooling anybody”.

Five minutes later I ran into an old high school friend who I hadn’t seen in years. As we were
catching up on old times the subject of softball came up and of course her daughter is in the game as well. We talked and talked and she gave me some information that she had heard about that I find too interesting to let go. I have checked my facts the best I can so here it goes.

There is a team from the North Torrance area called Double Play. They are a 98 team that started out as an all star team. The original Double play organization started as a 97 team out of North Torrance but apparently disbanded last year.

Double Play 98 is a decent team, but a “Daddy Ball” team never the less. The Bracketologist has
them ranked at 15.
There are only 2 or 3 girls that are not from North Torrance,( one of those being a coaches daughter) and that is the way this team has stayed for 3 years. According to my friend, the team has had chances to bring on additional talent, but the coaches have only brought in girls where there was no North Torrance player to fill the position. I have heard numerous accounts but I will relate just one.
Last year Double play won the ASA Western Nationals.( As a side note the head coach was ejected from the championship game which almost cost them the championship, and the police were apparently called). After the win, the catcher for the team ( who was supposedly not from North Torrance) left the team. Try-outs were held and two new catchers came in to replace the player that left. One of the new catchers was from North Torrance, and the other was not. Guess which one is now the lead catcher? That’s right, the North Torrance catcher got the position. Now I’m no softball genius but I thought most teams carried two catchers. Apparently the other catcher was not allowed much playing time and eventually left the team. In fairness to the catcher from North Torrance, it could be that she was the better player, but I’m told that the catcher that left is playing for a Batbusters team, starting, and doing a great job.... Folks, if it looks like a duck……..

So Double Play 98 is a “Protected”, or Daddy Ball” type organization that probably isn’t going to
be making big changes to its roster soon. In fairness to to Double Play, Moses Contreras and
Geno Ponce ( I got these names off their website, so correct me if they are wrong), have the right to run their team anyway they see fit, and my purpose here is not to just disparage Double Play, but here’s the issue : Double Play 98 is going to be ..(Drum Roll please), FIRECRACKERS soon.
Yes that’s right. This team with its protected roster has apparently been practicing at the Firecrackers hitting facility all year long. Double Play 98 is not the first team that has been anointed Firecrackers.
Two or three others have become Firecrackers, such as the 16 and 18 South Bay Waves.
So there you have it. We now have softball “ KNOCK-OFFS”. The funny thing is that with
“KNOCK-OFFS”, its usually not the original manufacture that produces them, unlike this
situation.

Maybe it’s just me, but when I think of the FIRECRACKERS, I think of the highest quality brand in Softball. I think of excellence in coaching, and top teams from top to bottom. Something just doesn’t feel right with this situation. Tony Rico ( head of Firecrackers) has the right to run his organization any way he chooses, and I applaud him for an effort to extend his Brand, but is this the best way to extend
the strong FIRECRACKER organization? I don’t have all the facts but according to others the new South Bay Firecrackers 18s , had several girls leave the team that didn’t find college interest. So what does the Firecracker name do for a team? The whole thing just feels wrong to me, but probably in the totality of things it doesn’t matter. If Mr Rico would hold tryouts and start fresh Firecracker teams, then it would make more sense to me. I know there are other factors at work here such as field acquisition, but I just don’t see how it really helps a team to just put on a new name and pay more.

So there it is. I’d love to see what others are thinking about this, and that’s what these forums arefor.
As far as Double Play 98 and South Bay Waves are concerned; you can put on the uniform and wear that Firecracker emblem ,and be pleased with yourselves, but just like that woman I saw the other day while shopping with her Louis Vuitton “ Knock-Off”, YOUR NOT FOOLING ANYONE!

To all the hard working parents and coaches involved with Softball, Happy 4th of July!

[go.yard]

It’s sad when you have 2 moms at the mall that have not seen each other in years and best topic is to bad mouth players, coaches and organizations they have no clue about. Then feel they have to post their ignorance on a web site.

You say you checked your facts, but then 3 paragraphs later you quote your friend that you say you have not seen in years but her word must be gospel.

Here are some of the real facts…

You have not seen your friend in years and the hottest subject is Double Play ’98, right there it tells the readers the quality of your life, checking hand bags and talking bad about little girls. (Hopefully dad is teaching your daughter how to be a good person).

It’s obvious that you have never seen this team play nor have any idea who they are.

There are more than 3 players that are not from North Torrance, but if that was the case and they are one of the top 4 ’98 teams around, that would make North Torrance a badass softball city. (Well North Torrance High has been in the CIF final or Semi-Finals a lot the last 5 years)


The catcher that they took to Nationals did leave Double Play team for another team looking to play for a bigger club. She lasted a few months then came back to DP, that lasted another month or so and now she is with her 3rd club of the season. Why she left DP twice and USA Athletics once only they can answer. I just hope they are happy and doing what is best for their daughter.


The catcher that left to go play with Case Batbusters ’97 is not only a great player but a great person with a great family; they left for non-softball related issues and still have a great relationship with the coaches and players on the DP team. They still have 2 catchers doing a great job.


You call them knock-offs but you say they are ranked 15th and in the top 15 they are only one of 4 ‘98 teams listed. If you include them as a Firecrackers that would put them as one of 5 Firecracker teams in the top 15. If you start to think how many teams there are out there, I think the coaches are doing a pretty go job (thanks for naming them) and I also think that makes them more than a decent team.


I do not need to defend Tony Rico or the Firecrackers. Like I said, 5 teams in the top 15 speak for itself.


Instead of being proud of being able to spot fraudulent merchandise in a mall, be proud of being a good person that does not bash others on a website that you can hide behind. Try to better your life, so that bashing a girl’s softball team is not the most interesting thing you have going that you can’t let it go. Maybe you can go feed the ducks; you might have a lot in common.


I will join you in wishing all the hard working parents and coaches involved with Softball, Happy 4th of July!

[Give Me Diamonds]

There were no girls that were bashed. You can't be selective about what you read because your feelings are hurt.
Double Play and the Waves are examples, not the subject matter.
Dry your tears and move on.

[go.yard]

Why would my feelings be hurt, why would there be tears. You gave me a chance to give some great facts about a great team and a great organization.

Thank you

[stpatgrl17]

I've never commented on posting here but I just couldnt let this one go.

There are a lot of things wrong with this post.

First most teams that are developed usually come from the same area and the core of the team usually stick together. Moi has been very fortunate to have an awesome group of core girls that are great athletics and have stuck with him and and have not left for other teams to better themselves or find a team that is going to give them more playing time. So what that most of the girls come from North Torrance!

Are you really going to take the word of "Your Friend" that you havent seen in years that its all about daddy ball. Because Moi is the last person that I know that plays daddy ball. I know that there are at least 5 girls that are not from North Torrance and the last time I saw them play all 5 non North girls were starters. Maybe that has changed since the last time I saw them play but regardless doesnt sound like daddy ball to me.

So what if they change their name to Firecrackers. If changing their name is going to give Double Plays girls more visibility for college scouts then more power to them. If a girl that is on a team and doesnt get interest from the scouts how is that the teams fault. Maybe the girls just didnt showcase well. Sounds more like the girls gave up on the team and the organization.

For whatever reason Moi has decided to go with the Firecracker organization I'm sure it is for the best interest of the girls.

The only thing that people are getting from this post is that there is a bitter person out that take a shot at a very good team.

And your reply about no girls being bashed... You bashed the girls and the whole team because the majority of them are from North Torrance.

My own very personal remark to this whole thing is that Moi gave my daughter an opportunity to play for him and guess what were not from North Torrance. He took a chance with a younger player and it paid off for her. Her year of playing for him has made her a better Athletic and we will always be grateful to him. Though my daughter doesnt play for him any longer she still has a great relationship with him his family and all the girls.

Keep doing what your doing Moi... Its obviously getting a lot of attention at the Mall's.

[SLEEVE]

As I got closer I noticed the unmistakable bargain shoes, the thirty dollar
watch etc.. Within 10 feet it was clear the bag was a “Knock-Off”. Although the woman was clearly pleased with herself, I remember thinking, “ you’re not fooling anybody”.


Maaaaaan Cubic Zirconia!!!! Maybe she wasn't trying to fool anybody but that's all she could afford because she had to buy her daughter a $300 bat and $200 glove. LOL


YOU'RE A JERK LADY!!!!

[OCwildcatMom]

Wow why would you take the time to write an essay on Double Play?? Who gives a crap. If they are not your brand or style move on.

FYI

What the Firecrackers do is nobody's business but their own. They are not a publicly held company.

[Give Me Diamonds]

First, I have no axe to grind with Double Play or the Waves teams. My article wasn't supposed to be an expose on Double Play, but I guess it turned out that way. My apologies to Double Play and the Waves, as I was probably too strong, and listened to some gossip and I was trying to be too cute .
What interests me is that on one hand you have a top organization that is licensing their name out and on the other you have teams that believe that by putting the Firecracker name on, its going to increase their exposure.
Yes, I realize the firecrackers can do what they want, and teams can do what they want. I think at least some of it is from lack of education from us as parents.
As I said above it doesn't feel right to me. A person above wrote, " who cares if the team
turns into firecrackers if it gives them more exposure for college". Do you really believe that
is whats going to happen?
My facts might be off, but I was told that both Double play and the Waves practice at the same fields. So becoming Firecrackers seems to be more about the fields, rather than the quality of the teams...?
It just feels like its becoming more about the money and less about our kids.

[wastingtime]

The Double Play team is actually a pretty sound team. I don't have any knowledge into how the select players or who they start but I do know as an oppossing coach last year we were unable to beat them once in the five times we played them. We finished in the top 5 at ASA Westerns last year and were beaten twice by Double Play. Again, the team was winning and playing at a high level and I can only assume that switching to the Firecracker organization is going to help them recruit additional talent. I would think that Tony Ricco would have something to say to the coaches if he felt they weren't on the up and up and putting the best team on the field.

As for the coaches I can only applaud them for starting a local team and achieiving the success they have achieved. I would expect them to continue to have success as a Firecracker team. Speaking as a fan of the game I would only encourage the coaching staff to try to keep their emotions in check a little better. The information regarding the police and ejection in Western Nationals is accurate and very unnecessary as the staff seems to be a good coaches who don't need to be so emotional.

Congrats to Double Play on the conversion to Firecrackers and best of luck

[Trophy Hunter]

First, I have no axe to grind with Double Play or the Waves teams. My article wasn't supposed to be an expose on Double Play, but I guess it turned out that way. My apologies to Double Play and the Waves, as I was probably too strong, and listened to some gossip and I was trying to be too cute .
What interests me is that on one hand you have a top organization that is licensing their name out and on the other you have teams that believe that by putting the Firecracker name on, its going to increase their exposure.
Yes, I realize the firecrackers can do what they want, and teams can do what they want. I think at least some of it is from lack of education from us as parents.
As I said above it doesn't feel right to me. A person above wrote, " who cares if the team
turns into firecrackers if it gives them more exposure for college". Do you really believe that
is whats going to happen?
My facts might be off, but I was told that both Double play and the Waves practice at the same fields. So becoming Firecrackers seems to be more about the fields, rather than the quality of the teams...?
It just feels like its becoming more about the money and less about our kids.

Firecracker teams do get more notice than most other teams, particularly non-affiliated teams. If it were only about money, Tony could charge a lot more than he does for a franchise. If being a Firecracker team gets players more exposure, why do you have a problem with it?