New Braunfels - Coach gets tossed, team has to forfeit????

[bombercoach]

I will say without a doubt that my behavior sunday was not in any way productive to helping us win the game....some one said that it almost looked like I was trying to get thrown out! I was!...the reason was because I seriously had , had enough of the umpires terrible effort in this game! I had seen enough...I had players with bloody knees , the wind knocked out of them diving to make plays etc. and the umpires putting no effort to get the plays right! So if the players could not fight on the field and get the same effort from the umpires , I felt it important enough to fight the cause for my players! I wanted the umpire to know that we cared more about the game being called right and it being on the same par as the effort that was being given on the field , than we did about winning the game! I will tell you that things went down hill when the other team decided it would be cool to go ahead and talk trash in regards to beating us again! Not one thing was ever said to the other team during the game or after until they started to talk trash! The Wildfire beat us! PERIOD!!! On that day they outplayed us in every way...there was not one call that was made that determined the outcome of the game...the Wildfire bats determined the outcome period! I take no hard feelings off the field toward anyone from the Wildfire , anyone that knows me knows that what happens on the field stays there , they have a good team and we the Bombers wish them nothing but success the rest of the season!
Now , Mr. Travel Ball , I am not sure what your problem is with me or the Bombers , but you seem to really dislike me/us for some reason! I believe every comment you have ever made in regards to us has been negative...and thats cool! We understand that there are alot of negative people out there and we explain to the players in our program that at times you will encounter people who will work to tear you down! Some of our players get on here and read the comments that people like you post...try signing your name and what team you are with! At least then they would now how is bashing them! Not some clown named Travel Ball!

Scott Smith
Texas Bombers

[Brooke's Dad]

it almost looked like I was trying to get thrown out! I was!...the reason was because I seriously had , had enough of the umpires terrible effort in this game!

Then why not just walk off the field (either by yourself or pull your team off in protest of the "poor" ump'ing)?

Why all the screaming and yelling? What purpose did that serve / what lesson did you teach your players?

Did you really drop numerous "F"-Bombs?



I don't have a dog in the hunt - I am just interested in the topic - as anyone who knows me knows I am usually the loudest person in either stands and LOVE to tease the umps (but never mean spirted) but cussing at the other team / umps is not something I belive is called for under any condition.




Fred R.
94 Texas Peppers

[Travel Ball]

Your chutzpah is amazing. You embarrassed yourself, your team, and your organization and the best you can do on this national stage is the lame "apology" above. Instead of manning up, you chose to blame the Wildfire parents for "trashing talking" you. Intead of recognizing the irony of you getting ejected by the umpires you have defended year after year following a typical Bomber Shootout where you outscore your opponents 68-0, you accuse someone of "attacking" your girls.

I really don't know you or your players, but you and your fellow Texas Bombers coaches have earned the disdain of Central Texas softball families during the last half dozen years. Your arrogance and antics have contributed to Central Texas softball receiving a bad rap around the state and prevented the Texas Bombers from generally being perceived as one of the class organizations in the state despite your players' consistent performance on the field.

Now, if you have the support of your players and parents, more power to you, but will it last when you eventually pull this kind of stunt at a College Showcase Tournament in front of a host of college coaches. It's been my experience that twelve-year-old girls and their parents will buy your "standing up for you" and "trying to tear you down" nonsense, but 16-year-old girls see right through middle-aged coaches who act like children. It you don't man up, they and their parents will soon start looking at established Central Texas teams with histories of excellence on and off the field like the Austin Storm, Texas Stix, San Antonio Royals, San Antonio HITT, etc., who can get them where they want to go.

And this really isn't an attack on your girls, but since you think I'm such an idiot . . . what is your teams' record after the Bomber Tournament without your gold-level pitcher?

[12UDad]

Your chutzpah is amazing. You embarrassed yourself, your team, and your organization and the best you can do on this national stage is the lame "apology" above. Instead of manning up, you chose to blame the Wildfire parents for "trashing talking" you. Intead of recognizing the irony of you getting ejected by the umpires you have defended year after year following a typical Bomber Shootout where you outscore your opponents 68-0, you accuse someone of "attacking" your girls.

I really don't know you or your players, but you and your fellow Texas Bombers coaches have earned the disdain of Central Texas softball families during the last half dozen years. Your arrogance and antics have contributed to Central Texas softball receiving a bad rap around the state and prevented the Texas Bombers from generally being perceived as one of the class organizations in the state despite your players' consistent performance on the field.

Now, if you have the support of your players and parents, more power to you, but will it last when you eventually pull this kind of stunt at a College Showcase Tournament in front of a host of college coaches. It's been my experience that twelve-year-old girls and their parents will buy your "standing up for you" and "trying to tear you down" nonsense, but 16-year-old girls see right through middle-aged coaches who act like children. It you don't man up, they and their parents will soon start looking at established Central Texas teams with histories of excellence on and off the field like the Austin Storm, Texas Stix, San Antonio Royals, San Antonio HITT, etc., who can get them where they want to go.

And this really isn't an attack on your girls, but since you think I'm such an idiot . . . what is your teams' record after the Bomber Tournament without your gold-level pitcher?

I do not condone cussing at an umpire, although I have wanted to many times but I will say I have attended many Bomber tournaments and battled with the 94,95 and new 96 teams and have never seen any of these antics. I have much respect for the 94 and 95 teams and players. They will play you hard and the games are always intense. I can say Scott has always been a good host at the Shootout in the past but if he did indeed use the F word out loud it was uncalled for.

[slapper]

I saw most of this game and thought many people were out of hand. The Wildfire fans and coaches, the umps and Scott all did not act very professional. I never heard the F Bomb but Scott was very hot.

[375_comp __47_core]

Slapper,

If you saw most of the game then you know that for 65 minutes the Wildfire did nothing but play ball and respect the umpires and the other side (players and coaches).

The Eight's coach worked the umpire from the first inning till ejection which was a calculated move (admitted) on his part...to get a reaction out of the umpires (it did) and eventually it got a reaction out of the other side (Wildfire). It escalated after the Bomber's coach confronted the Wildfire coach on the field after the game for a comment made after the game.

Hopefully you have seen more than one Wildfire game over the years...becuase if you have you would know this is not the way this club (coaches, players or parents) responds to wins or losses. In this case they were as sick of the "sideshow" as the umpires...and they blew off 2 minutes of steam at the end. The inferno had been burning for almost an hour and the Wildfire threw a bucket of gas on it at the end!

[bombercoach]

Well Mr. Travel Ball (Becasue you will not use your real name) , I am a little confused , I never got the message that you were appointed the commisioner of Central Texas Softball? How on earth did I miss that one! You describe us with disdain? We understand that not everyone is going to like you , but what I can not understand is how you continue to use my first name in post's but claim not to know me? It is obvious that this is personal to you and that you dislike the me/bombers quite a bit! But if there is anything that gives Central Texas Softball a bad wrap it is guys like you who get on here and bash or tear down anytime some one does something good! You get on here and say...well they had it easy , or the bracket was rigged or the umpires favor them (I say that one with a smile) or this other team was missing these players etc...and on and on and on? But you say we give it a bad name? You asked what our record is since the Bomber Shootout....not very good! This STX8's team has lost 4 games this spring....they are 34 - 4 , most teams would be jumping up and down over a record like that! And we are pleased with our players in that respect , but this team was not put together to win t-shirts or to be compared to quality true 14U teams like STE08's or any other true 14U team! This group of players is a mixture of 4 different teams and it has been a challenge to get them to all play on the same page etc...what I will tell you is that this team is no deifferent in that it has struggled without two of its pitchers since the shootout (one with school events , one with a broken wrist) and two players being moved from junior varsity to varsity! Most teams would struggle under those circumstances (I am catching myself trying to figure out why I am explaining myself to a guy named Travel Ball?) anyway...We have never used that as an excuse and we will not let our players do it either! What I will tell you is you have made it your choice to bash us and that is your right....but remember this...you have not seen a a post on this site or any other where a Bomber Coach , Team , Player or Parent has gotten on here and bashed another Team , Program , Player or Parent...If we lose we congratulate the other team and move on to the next tournament....if we win we congratulate the other team and move on to the next tournament! I usually like to to end by saying "Have great rest of the season and see you on the field" but I do not know if it fits for you because you will not leave your name...you might be the (score book guy , foul ball shagger fella , sno cone dude , umpire:) , gatorade getter boy) or anything else for that matter but we would not know because you wont say who you are? Oh well take care anyway! This really is our last time talking together , so bye!
And just to make sure the record is 100% factual - I was wrong in alot of ways...but never was an F Bomb used!

Scott Smith
Texas Bombers

[Travel Ball]

You still can't see that people are "bashing" YOU, not your kids or parents, because of YOUR conduct this weekend and weekends past. You and your fellow Bomber coaches have for years used intimindation of umpires as a strategy to win . . .

You (not your kids) made it clear around town this spring that you had assembled an "All Star" team of players that would crush the competiton . . . you've "no placed" in three out of five tournaments, so you've lost at least six games this spring not four . . and it's been back-to-back "no places" since the Bomber Tournament, including two-and-out in Seguin. How much of this weekend was your frustration that you are not "crushing" the competition as planned.

Instead of taking the moral high ground here, falling on your sword, and publicly asking forgiveness for your ridiculous behavior on the field and effort to bully the Wildfire coach afterwards, you've continued to demonstrate the same arrogance and sense of entitlement that led to this weekend's outburst.

I'm not the Commissioner of Central Texas softball, but take some well-intentioned advice . . . you might be surprised how many college coaches read this board . . . the Texas Bombers are moving into a new areana this summer of College Exposure Tournaments where this kind of behavior can not happen on or off the field.

Signed,

Sno Cone Dude

[Blind Squirrel]

You really think a college coaches interest in or opinion of a kid will suffer because of who the kid's TB coach is? Really? Seems rather counterintuitive given the nature of their jobs. I have yet to hear about anything like that happening, though my experience with college coaches is less than 3 years with 2 sports. I suppose Cat O. would have played D2 ball if she had played for this coach.

I've seen plenty of inappropriate coach behavior, in multiple sports. Coach doesn't like something he sees, loses control, tries to intimidate refs/umps, blah blah blah and then rationalizes in a manner that intends to justify their actions as acts of nobility (see explanation about the refs not trying as hard as the kids). I get the occassional outburst. Coaches have infinitely more time and effort invested in these games than parents like me. But a pattern of this behavior and my kid is gone. I don't care to be embarrassed game after game by a coach.

The question I have is how do the anger management cases act when their boss frustrates them at work? Or when their subordinates do? Or when their wives/kids do at home?

John

[Travel Ball]

You really think a college coaches interest in or opinion of a kid will suffer because of who the kid's TB coach is?

Yes . . . not for a Cat or Jenny Finch maybe, but for the girl on the bubble. Most definitely. Travel coaches, parents (especially parents), myspace pages, etc. The credibility of the travel coach often is the first contact with a college coach, who just doesn't want to deal with these problem coaches. Ask yourself why some college coaches keep recruiting from the same travel teams year after year. It all matters for the kid on the bubble.