Minnesota Thread

EAJuggalo

Addicted to Softballfans
Does Stoop get the bump to B after making such a good run at C Worlds?
I was told that they are getting the B bump and they have no shot at appealing down.

Just finished up E worlds in Viera. Terry and I spent three straight days in the Stadium. He had the bases for Championship and I had the Plate for the "if." It was one of the best games I've ever worked, each team had a small but very loud group of fans. Fairly well played game with none of the chirping back and forth that seem to be a hallmark of teams from Philly and Miami.
 

mnballer

Addicted to Softballfans
What do you have to do to qualify for e or d utrip worlds..??
.our team have never played any utrip but might give it a try next yr..
 

wildthing81

Active Member
I was told that they are getting the B bump and they have no shot at appealing down.

Good more competition at the B level, all that said, there wasnt many places we could play at the B utrip level. In state there was Duk Duk and The Dudley. That was it. No open state, no qualifiers, we played all ASA besides the out of state Utrip stuff and had to chose to play Duk Duk over the Firemens.
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
Good more competition at the B level, all that said, there wasnt many places we could play at the B utrip level. In state there was Duk Duk and The Dudley. That was it. No open state, no qualifiers, we played all ASA besides the out of state Utrip stuff and had to chose to play Duk Duk over the Firemens.
Seems like local utrip doesn’t particularly give a **** about their upper level teams. Glad USA at least tries to have something for the highest teams.
 

Beauner

Starting Player
Seems like local utrip doesn’t particularly give a **** about their upper level teams. Glad USA at least tries to have something for the highest teams.
In fairness, Lacelle puts C/upper bracket options for most USSSA tournaments but they almost never fill. She can't force them to sign up.
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
In fairness, Lacelle puts C/upper bracket options for most USSSA tournaments but they almost never fill. She can't force them to sign up.
I suppose the thing she’ll have to work on is just having C teams in general. Are there about 3 or 4 at this point? And now 2 B teams?
 
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Beauner

Starting Player
I suppose the thing she’ll have to work on is just having C teams in general. Are there about 3 or 4 at this point? And now 2 B teams?
There are a lot of ASA C teams that she'd classify as C if they played USSSA. She has said as much in the past. But so far basically the only C teams that ever sign up are Blueline, Stoop, and Maniax. Occasionally Silverbacks will dip their toes in USSSA too (like MSMA). But teams like Stagecoach, Granite Services, Oak Ridge Dental, Chuck's, etc. never play USSSA.
 

Beauner

Starting Player
Sterling Trophy and GGM t-65 at D Worlds as highest finishing MN teams.

D Worlds finished

1) South Alabama
2) Sting
3) Top Shelf/SIS
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
I’m hoping to do the results today. They should be quick to do, but I get to go to the dentist (where I’m like Norm at Cheers), and catch up with work after that.
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
I’m hoping to do the results today. They should be quick to do, but I get to go to the dentist (where I’m like Norm at Cheers), and catch up with work after that.
Not trying to be a **** by not doing the results. It’s hard to do from a phone, and our busy season at work started last week. I’ll try to do it soon.
 

wildthing81

Active Member
In fairness, Lacelle puts C/upper bracket options for most USSSA tournaments but they almost never fill. She can't force them to sign up.

MN USSSA leaders because of their previous actions forced teams away from Upper Utrip in the first place. For years didnt bump enough teams or players, they catered to the lower teams and didnt incentivize teams to move up. Utrip while maybe not directly in charge in these tournys it still reflects negatively on them with its a utrip sanctioned tourny had teams removed from the Frolics and Pano prog prior to the tourny even starting because people and teams repeatedly complained. I know the Frolics hasnt allowed a B level team to play in it for a number of years. I was on Eurotech one year and we had to go play the Houston Hoe down daze because the Frolics wouldnt let us play. Utrip does a poor job compared to ASA advertising and drawing teams to its tournys. The environments Utrip vs ASA are not even comparable. Lets look at one example. Duk Duk and Firemens are on the same weekend. Barnsey does a great job and has for years with the firemens, its an event, people who arent playing softball are at the firemens hanging out with friends, drinking, eating having a good time. Duk Duk has one main field, no food trucks or concessions, the environment is dead. If they had 3 or 4 qualfiers at Sand Creek or even Clyde and had the concession stands open I think teams would show up. Just my .02, ASA is consistent with their events for the most part every year, teams plan on attending the event way ahead of time, Utrip does not have consistent events any more other then the dudley.
 

Worth4252

Member
I mean, that’s kind of false. Military tournament, frolics, Duk duk, Easton opener, Pete strand are all pretty consistent. Duk duk is now having D teams play open with the incentive that if they’re a top 6 D finisher in the open browser, they play Sunday for 1,000. I feel like every year Lacelle hasn’t gotten better, she’s not Dan Pfeffer but she’s getting better for sure. She does a great job advertising on her MN USSSA page if you follow it, as does Pfeffer on MN Slowpitch. As for environment, There are still USSSA tourneys that people come to hang out at, night games at Huff N Puff “show” fields are always a blast.

MN USSSA leaders because of their previous actions forced teams away from Upper Utrip in the first place. For years didnt bump enough teams or players, they catered to the lower teams and didnt incentivize teams to move up. Utrip while maybe not directly in charge in these tournys it still reflects negatively on them with its a utrip sanctioned tourny had teams removed from the Frolics and Pano prog prior to the tourny even starting because people and teams repeatedly complained. I know the Frolics hasnt allowed a B level team to play in it for a number of years. I was on Eurotech one year and we had to go play the Houston Hoe down daze because the Frolics wouldnt let us play. Utrip does a poor job compared to ASA advertising and drawing teams to its tournys. The environments Utrip vs ASA are not even comparable. Lets look at one example. Duk Duk and Firemens are on the same weekend. Barnsey does a great job and has for years with the firemens, its an event, people who arent playing softball are at the firemens hanging out with friends, drinking, eating having a good time. Duk Duk has one main field, no food trucks or concessions, the environment is dead. If they had 3 or 4 qualfiers at Sand Creek or even Clyde and had the concession stands open I think teams would show up. Just my .02, ASA is consistent with their events for the most part every year, teams plan on attending the event way ahead of time, Utrip does not have consistent events any more other then the dudley.
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
That's a wrap on the picks game for the year. Thanks to everyone who played! Nobody got any points for D worlds, so I could've gotten this done a lot faster than I thought.

Congrats to Beauner on the win! I sent to the prize to "Beauner" and the address just says "South Metro", so it should get to you soon, I would guess. Maybe don't wait by the mailbox though.

Weekly Standings:
Chembry - 0
Beauner - 0
Maximus - 0
Yoke - 0
Bell -
mnballer -


Season Standings (and weeks won):
Beauner (Swing Nation) - 249 (10)
Maximus (Longhorns) - 209 (8)
Chembry (McPete's) - 209 (6)
Bell (Silverbacks) - 200 (3)
mnballer (Dewey’s) - 180 (7)
Yoke (McPete's) - 180 (6)
Thelastsamurai - 120 (4)
TS (Longhorns) - 16


Rules: http://forums.softballfans.com/threads/minnesota-thread.1428975/page-136#post-18983602
 

Beauner

Starting Player
That's a wrap on the picks game for the year. Thanks to everyone who played! Nobody got any points for D worlds, so I could've gotten this done a lot faster than I thought.

Congrats to Beauner on the win! I sent to the prize to "Beauner" and the address just says "South Metro", so it should get to you soon, I would guess. Maybe don't wait by the mailbox though.

Weekly Standings:
Chembry - 0
Beauner - 0
Maximus - 0
Yoke - 0
Bell -
mnballer -


Season Standings (and weeks won):
Beauner (Swing Nation) - 249 (10)
Maximus (Longhorns) - 209 (8)
Chembry (McPete's) - 209 (6)
Bell (Silverbacks) - 200 (3)
mnballer (Dewey’s) - 180 (7)
Yoke (McPete's) - 180 (6)
Thelastsamurai - 120 (4)
TS (Longhorns) - 16


Rules: http://forums.softballfans.com/threads/minnesota-thread.1428975/page-136#post-18983602

I'd like to thank myself and my ability to throw a random wild guess at a team that ends up doing well. And White Claw Surge. Dunno where I'd be without it.
 

Beauner

Starting Player
I mean, that’s kind of false. Military tournament, frolics, Duk duk, Easton opener, Pete strand are all pretty consistent. Duk duk is now having D teams play open with the incentive that if they’re a top 6 D finisher in the open browser, they play Sunday for 1,000. I feel like every year Lacelle hasn’t gotten better, she’s not Dan Pfeffer but she’s getting better for sure. She does a great job advertising on her MN USSSA page if you follow it, as does Pfeffer on MN Slowpitch. As for environment, There are still USSSA tourneys that people come to hang out at, night games at Huff N Puff “show” fields are always a blast.

Agreed. Pan-o-Prog is always the first full weekend after the 4th of July as well. I've always loved the atmosphere at PoP too.

Wildthing - I 100% agree the guy in charge when I first started (Jerry? I think that was his name) was an absolute disaster when it came to moving teams up and keeping the C and B levels stocked. I think Mickelson was doing a decent job with his ideas but he was in such a deep hole after his predecessor ran USSSA into the ground while Pfeffer had ASA growing by leaps and bounds. Dan has done an incredibly good job building up ASA in MN. Probably as good as anyone has done nationwide. Lacelle took over a program in trouble but has done, IMO, a very good job turning it around and trying to get it back on the right track. She has been at every single USSSA tournament I've played in since she took over from the first pitch until lights off, she's always been very approachable and easy to communicate with about questions/concerns. As a softball player, I appreciate that dedication. YMMV
 

wildthing81

Active Member
I mean, that’s kind of false. Military tournament, frolics, Duk duk, Easton opener, Pete strand are all pretty consistent. Duk duk is now having D teams play open with the incentive that if they’re a top 6 D finisher in the open browser, they play Sunday for 1,000. I feel like every year Lacelle hasn’t gotten better, she’s not Dan Pfeffer but she’s getting better for sure. She does a great job advertising on her MN USSSA page if you follow it, as does Pfeffer on MN Slowpitch. As for environment, There are still USSSA tourneys that people come to hang out at, night games at Huff N Puff “show” fields are always a blast.

The military tourney? That's a fun tourney for the most part, there are throw together teams in that. Frolics/city of crystal ruined their environment by bulldozing Becker for what they thought would be a light rail hub and opppps realized they couldnt actually do that and turned into some walking park with a soccer field or dog walking park whatever, how big was the Open tourney for the Frolics? 3C teams? 4? maybe....Huff and puff is a fun tourney as well yea i guess there is some environment there so ill give you that however.....Were talking about legit upper ball, it doesnt exist on the Utrip side....10 Years ago Utrip held most of the bigger events and let it completely die out. Debate away.
 

wildthing81

Active Member
Agreed. Pan-o-Prog is always the first full weekend after the 4th of July as well. I've always loved the atmosphere at PoP too.

Wildthing - I 100% agree the guy in charge when I first started (Jerry? I think that was his name) was an absolute disaster when it came to moving teams up and keeping the C and B levels stocked. I think Mickelson was doing a decent job with his ideas but he was in such a deep hole after his predecessor ran USSSA into the ground while Pfeffer had ASA growing by leaps and bounds. Dan has done an incredibly good job building up ASA in MN. Probably as good as anyone has done nationwide. Lacelle took over a program in trouble but has done, IMO, a very good job turning it around and trying to get it back on the right track. She has been at every single USSSA tournament I've played in since she took over from the first pitch until lights off, she's always been very approachable and easy to communicate with about questions/concerns. As a softball player, I appreciate that dedication. YMMV

Yea i think Utrip has made some progress in MN in the past couple years and yes Jerry was in charge for a number of years and seemed to not care as much in the last few years that he ran utrip, teams were specifically being built to stay in D in the Mid to late 2000's. 40-10 in class Vs D teams and your not being moved up, get real....I thought Troy was on to some things i thought and created that bump list for players in the early 2010's. Everyone would check at the end of the season to see if your name was on the list and at what level. Dan has done a fantastic job, goes with out saying i believe. My point I thought was clear but if you are a B team for Utrip in Minnesota, you struggle to find utrip tourneys to play in with in the state.
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
Just realized this will be the first week with no softball since about April. Now I won’t know what day it is, and will have nothing to do on weeknights.
 

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
I have no fall ball around my area for close to 5 years so Stifftungsfest has been the last time I played this year.
That was my last tournament.

The leagues I play in still bring in a decent number of teams for the fall. Though, BC league did lose 8 teams, 12 is still a good number.

Rogers had 12. Hopefully they all come back next summer.
 
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