Doesn't sound like much change to me

[dueceduece]

Add A Reply To This Message

Author: Ronny Williams
Date: 07/28/2011
Title: 12 U World Series
Approved By: TY herbert



Can someone tell why we are playing in Grand Prairie. MILE LEWIS PARK HAS NO SHADE. SAND AND HOLES ON THE FIELD AND MCFALLS IS IN THE WORST AREA. FOR A SHOWCASE EVENT. THEY CAN DO MUCH BETTER.
OUT OF TOWN TEAMS WERE SAYING WORST FIELDS THEY EVER SAW.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reply List


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: Spencer Jones
Date: 07/30/2011
Title:
Approved By: Chuck King

I agree Ronny. It is a shame that an event such as a World Series that will show teams from other areas how our fields look and how we hold a got to see both Lewis and Mc Falls Park. Lewis had unmentionable trash (beer bottles, cans, and things that 11-13 year old girls should not see). Mc Falls had craters at home plate that were at least 4 to 5 inches deep, massive amounts of bees around trash that was not picked up (I had to remove the bag from and move the can due to the safety of the girls), restrooms that were filthy and unusable. VTD needs to find a better site to host around the area than Grand Prairie there are numerous other fields that are more than capable of hosting such an event. Good luck to all teams competing.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: Ronny Williams
Date: 07/30/2011
Title: YES
Approved By: Nathan Boyd

I agree Spencer. What a disgrace of two parks. ML today the sewer plant was in full aroma. Then back at McFalls the trash had not been picked up. Oh back to MLewis and mens league having a work out between the launguage and the South Central LA group. Yes no way should that have been allowed in the park. Also I have never seen fields brushed with push broom, no lines were ever re chalked.
There are 10 better parks around and we played on the worst in DFW. it's a shame the out of area teams had to see the armpit of softball here.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: Mark Brown
Date: 07/31/2011
Title: I so agree.................
Approved By: Nathan Boyd

I thought qualifying and playing in a VTD World Series was suppose to be a reward for a long, hard season. In 12U this year, this was not the case. Being from the Metroplex, I know there are better venues than Grand Prairie (Grapevine, Forney, Craig's Ranch, Southlake, Hillsboro, Mansfield,.....).

Here is what I saw at Mike Lewis fields:
1. No shade for parents.
2. The sewer smell was........ (use your imagination)
3. When I had a question, the tournament director talked to me while she was smoking. WOW!!!!
4. No water or lines on the fields after the first game.

At McFalls fields:
1. The bees were EVERWHERE!!!! One of the bees even got in the car to go home with us. It wanted out of there also!!!!
2. No water or lines on the fields after the first game.
3. Trash over flowing.

I paid $90 for a family of 4 admission and this is what I got. I even apologized to some teams that traveled up from the south. This is the way we represented North Texas??????

sounds like a good time.....

[Blind Squirrel]

"3. When I had a question, the tournament director talked to me while she was smoking. WOW!!!!"

I admire this person's restraint in not shooting the TD on the spot to protect the children. The horror!!!

Are you freaking serious?

Smoky McSquirrel

[ROCKETTECHMAN]

Well l was there. And these post are true. The worst field conditions I have seen. Sand 6 inches deep. Holes in the box where catchers were way below field level.

Mcfalls BEEEEEEEEEEs everyehere. Trash never picked up. Chalked the fields once a day. No water on the sand pit.

Lewis. NO SHADE AT ALL. SEWAGE plant with smell of fresh shit everwhere. My god it was burning the eyes!

Gansta league practicing and it looked like a scene of right out of the wrong place to go in Los Angeles. OMG I wondered if we needed to hide the women and children. Thought I needed to go to the truck and bring in the AK47.

World series haha no wonder the teams outside the metroplex think North Texas in a joke. I swear with people paying 25 bucks to get in and the entry fee, VTD if this is the best you can do, please get out of the business. TOTALY HORRIBLE for 12U.

[dueceduece]

Well I think the smoking thing is silly too myself. They are outside so that one was kinda funny to me.
I thought it only fair to list a good comment that is on that thread now.

Author: Centex Express 98
Date: 07/31/2011
Title: Playing Conditions
Approved By: David Barrera

I am a one of the teams that is from out of town that everyone in speaking of and concerned about. We played the majority of our games this week at Jennifer McFalls Park and I agree that the fields had to much dirt on them, but if everyone as not noticed we are in one of the worst droughts in recent memory. Speaking from experience about the conditions of fields, I know first hand what no water can do to a field. The field will become rock hard and you typically are on water restrictions so you can only water every so often and when you do water it is soaked into the ground right away. You can try to work and work on them, but at some point it becomes counter productive. I spoke with the TD (Irene) and she explained everything to me and I for one was impressed with her passion and concern for all players, teams and fans involved. She stated they tried to get the fields ready without bringing in dirt, but in the end they had no choice. We played a total of nine games at McFalls park and we won 6 and lost 3 including pool games, I can promise you we did not lose the games that we lost because there was to much dirt on the field and we did not win because there was to much dirt on the field. As for the bees, yes they were terrible but Grand Prairie's mistake for not talking to the Queen Bee and asking her to have the hive take a few days off. When there are that many people in the area over three or four days then there will be a lot of trash. I witnessed today alone one trash can emptied 3 times and at no time was it full. On the other hand on almost every occaision, with the exception of a few we had to clean up the duggout before we could get in it because the previous team did not feel it was there responsibility. I was at the park today and they mess that was left behind in all of the practice areas was something a 11-12 year old should never see. We are the adults and it is our responsibility to make sure that the girls, parents and friends clean up after themselves. If everyone policed themselves then maybe the staff could concentrate on taking care of restrooms and trash cans. As for the restrooms again they did get a little dirty, but not to the point that they needed to be condemed. This is a situation that the city needs to take care of. One stall and one urinal for the men at that size of park is in no way sufficient. Futhermore, I had a player get hurt on the field and as quick as I could look up the TD and staff members were there to make sure all was ok and that we had everything that we needed. Oh yea water was always replenished and I promise you, that you would be hard pressed to find concession prices as cheap as they were at this facility.

On to Mike Lewis. We only had one game at this park and yes it is different playing on a men's field, but many complexes are like this. Riverbend park in Waco is full for almost every tournament and they have the same type of setup as Mike Lewis. The have the hard peppled diamond pro dirt and temp fences. The park was very nice, but I do agree shade would have been nice for the fans. Although, my parents did not complain they just put the canopies over the bleachers and did not skip a beat. They were there to support the team and not to worry about if the concierge would hold an umbrella over them. I am sorry that someone put something in the trash that was inappropriate, but then again I nor my players make it a point to look in the trash cans to see what treasures they can find.

I am not trying to bash anyones commits as that is what they are your commits and I appreciate you looking out for the out of towners. But, for this out of town team we could not of been more happy with the way everything went down and enjoyed our time (entire day's) playing at both facilities. Life and softball are what you make of it and we choose not to make excuses, we just play ball.

Thank you to VTD, Richard Tate, all of the umpires and The wonderful TD Irene for a wonderful tourney.

P.S. I did not know that is was against the law to smoke. TD's are at the park from before sunup and until way beyond sundown. So if they want to smoke then that is there god given right. Puff away!!!!!!!!!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Joe]

Danny, why didn't you get Ken and Matt to host this one?

...and thanks for keeping us up to date on VTD boards. It's busy this time of year and your updates are much appreciated...