Recap: 14 U Hall of Fame Qualifier ** Ft. Worth **

[Brooke's Dad]

*****These are just MY OPINIONS *****


Texas Fusion (93 team) - The real deal. Fantastic defense. Elite level hitting. The pitcher we faced was without a doubt as GREAT as any Pitcher we have come across.

D. Dusters (93 team) - Great tournament. Excellent coaching / stratagy. Always came up with the needed defensive stop / hit.

SK Tazers (93 team) - Great back and forth game vs. Fusion (S) and were beating them until the last pitch of the game. Great hitting and fielding team.

Texas Peppers (94 team) - Had a very difficult road - Lost to Fusion (S) in G1 and played 4 Saturday and then 4 Sunday (Sunday games were all Back2Back).

Shadows (93 team) - They can SMASH the ball. Very good fielding and their outfield play saved them a several runs.

Texas Rapid Fire (93 team??) - Every time I watched them play they were beating someone. Solid in all aspects of the game.

Texas Hawks (94 team) - VERY good pitching. Aggressive every second of every game. They never stop coming at you.

Fusion (Mendez) (94) - Great hitting. Very good pitching and agressive baserunners. Were undeated until the last Saturday night game (vs Fusion (S)).




*** Other things ***


~ 2 out of the top 3 -and- 3 out of the top 4 came from the Houston Area... although the CHAMP came from the Dallas area!

~ EACH of the top four teams had Friday night games (Dusters won on a forfit - but they were ready and willing to play)

~ Some of the umps had some of the most sensitive "Rabbit Ears" I had ever seen at a high level tornament. But overall I would have to say they were some of the best umps we have come across period! Overall grade: A

~ I think watering the fields between games might have been benificial.... actually - I know it would have helped. This should have been a no-brainer.

~ Just like some of you predicted - there were some Big teams that did not do as well as they had hoped.... and there were other teams that many of us had never heard of that really made a name for themselves this weekend.

~ If it is PROVEN that a certian team or coach or organization (that shall remain nameless... at least by me) actually did forge a parents signature onto their teams official "redlined" roster in an attempt to have that CHILD removed from her real team for the tournament (and the rest of ASA Summer Softball).... That team / coach / organization should be SEVERLY punished (by ASA).

If proven - that is about as low down and dirty as you can sink - In My Opinion!

Again - if it is proven.

My understanding is that all parties involved have a meeting tomorrow or Wednesday with the Houston ASA JO Stoney Burke..... gonna be interesting. Stay tuned!





Overall - It was an AWESOME weekend for the girls - there was not a easy game to be had - at least not any that I saw.

The fields all held up VERY well... no pot holes / foxholes in the outfield... Infields were "true".

Games stayed on time wonderfully - by any Standard - but especially compared to Midland (12U Hall Qualifier) last year.

Clean restroom - though they looked like dungons! LoL

TD, staff and umps = 1st rate




Overall Grade = A+

[3Bsnag]

Agree BD, awesome softball weekend starting with the highest attendance game I've ever seen. The Peppers should be very proud- great kids, nice parents, and a big accomplishment in fighting back through the L bracket. Great overall talent, just wish we could have kept that CF off the bases!

Congratulations to Fusion! It's fun to watch a team that never gives up even when the scoreboard isn't in their favor. Even more fun to watch the stands go crazy for the winning hit and even a fence climbing dad!

My shockers were Shadows/Rapid Fire placing so high and STE and AF not.

Fields were in pretty good shape, agree with the watering. Had some good comical moments when kids couldn't stop their forward movement and were sliding/crawling back to the bases.

Congrats to all on their berths, and for the sleepers that rose to the occasion!

[stx12dad]

BD, Good obervation.

I have to agree with most of it. Only 1 error, I saw.

Not sure what team and what happed with thier roster that you were referring to.

The Diamond Dusters did not have a bye the first round. I believe they did play the Flower
Mound Rage. I believe the team that got the forfeit was the Glory because the NV had some injuries and could not field a team.

The fields were in pretty good condition, but definitely needed water. It would have helped also if the batter boxes were lined more often, mostly so that it wouldnt have been a judgemnt call on wether the batters were in the box or crwding the plate too much.

Congrats to the Fusion(S) they played like the real deal and a tea you definotely have to play till the last out of the game has been recorded.

A lot of great softball was played. More great defensive plays were made than I can remember in a 3 day tournament.

The weather was hot and took its toll on the players, but they preservered and overall, I thought it was a great tournament. Too bad we cant get the top teams to play each other more often so that all the Texas teams that qualify for Nationals can be better seasoned to compete against all of the So Cal teams that get better and better by beating each other up every week-end.

Tihis is JMHO.

[Brooke's Dad]

The Diamond Dusters did not have a bye the first round. I believe they did play the Flower
Mound Rage. I believe the team that got the forfeit was the Glory because the NV had some injuries and could not field a team.

You are correct - my mistake.

[Lefty's Dad]

Congrats to all teams who earned a birth to the HOF. Sounds like it was a great weekend of softball and wish I could have seen it. Who knows what might have happened if the Peppers hadn't had to play Fusion in the first round and then so many games back to back. Then again, I've seen them fight back like that time and time again. Sometimes I think they do that intentionally just to get more games in

BD, look me up this weekend at the friendly at Bayland park. We have a good field of 10 teams playing so it should be great work for these teams that didn't make it to Ft. Worth last weekend.

[Brooke's Dad]

Sometimes I think they do that intentionally just to get more games in




Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind!



This make 2 years in a row the Peppers have had to fight back after playing great teams (and losing) in Game 1 of the Hall of Fame Qualifier (last year Tx Glory this yr Fusion (S)) on the last pitch of the game!!

[sbfan]

play in Hurst u must be kidding!!!!!!!! Play in a real softball park NRH, Keller Or Southlake.

[Lori]

NRH if any of those..definitely not Southlake or Keller..they are a bunch of "snobs" as I saw them described on the VTD last week. They are just money grubbing, conceited, self centered organizations. They are not working to better softball in North Texas..they are trying to take it over and make it all about them.

[fastpitchrocks99]

Lori:

If you have nothing good to say - say nothing. All you do is make a fool of yourself!!!