Carolina Shootout

Surprise, surprise, surprise or maybe not? ABS/Easton, the veteran team who just keeps finding a way to win a big tournament every year won this Conference NIT with one of the super teams entered. Dan Smith/Menosse/Benfield/Team Combat lost to a class B team, Diamond Blade/Wiskers/SP, then were beat by Terry’s Holland/Easton, a class A team and Smith ended up finishing in fifth place. I know it’s been a longtime since a super team finished in fifth place with no other super teams entered. I also know he last time a class A tor B team won a NIT was Northwest Pipe/Bud Light/Easton won over Resmondo to win a NIT back a few years ago. This year both teams who beat Dan Smith this weekend did not win the tourney. ABS/Easton outlasted Fence Brokers Inc., Laser Vision/Worth to get the win. I know it is a furious battle to who is going to win when there’s no super teams entered or when one is and they get beat. This week was a very good battle between ABS, FBI, Taylor Made and Terry’s Holland, that’s for sure. I can tell you all that’s how it should be every weekend with about ten more good class A teams playing. That would make for a great tournament every weekend. This weekend only happens about every three or four years, I guarantee you. Congratulations to the ABS/Easton gang on winning this Conference NIT and good luck at Mickey Mouse world.

Fence Brokers Inc/ Laser Vision/Easton are starting to play like I thought they would from the beginning of the season. This team has a lot of talent and is finally putting it together and playing like they should the last few NIT’s. Congratulations on your great weekend and good luck down the road.

Taylor Made/Floyd Environmental/Mizuno who has competed with everybody this season finished in third place this weekend. This team will be a force in their worlds this year. Congratulations on a great weekend, and good luck the rest of the way.

Terry’s Hollands/Easton played extremely well this past weekend to get fourth place in their home state of North Carolina. This is not a push over class A team. You better play good or they will beat you. This team has some veteran players like Mike Martin and the Smith twins that make them a very good A team. Congratulations on a great weekend and good luck the rest of the way. Congratulations to the staff of the North Carolina USSSA who ran this conference NIT in Raleigh and good luck in the future.

Next NIT The Last Chance in Sterling Heights, Michigan August 8-10

P.S. I’m commenting on the story that HB posted on the message board yesterday about Don Dedonatis Jr. I totally agree with what Hank wrote on the situation about the continuing bashing about Jr. I cannot and will not police the message board 24 hrs. a day. I do go on the board and when I see bashing of anybody I remove it and ban that IP #. My list of IP bans is getting bigger and bigger. I have not spoken to Kimster about the board change. I will not change it from what it’s been. I believe that people should have a right to say what they want as long as there is no bashing of individuals or anything like it. It’s too bad there are a few idiots who have no guts to sign their name and hide behind an alias. I like HB believe that Jr. has proven to his peers that he is the best at what he does both defensively and offensively. Junior has been a class act and a winner for every team he has been associated with. I know you might ask why senior gets involved with the teams Junior has played on. I personally believe his dad should be involved. Do I think that Junior or his team Resmondo or when he played with Dan Smith and Mountain Top did he need any help from his dad? Absolutely not! I personally believe that the bashing is because Junior is a great player, a winner and the real facts are not too many people like winners. I would hope that senior would comment about his thoughts and maybe this problem can come to an end. Like I said, I don’t blame dad for standing up for his son. I can tell you all that if it wasn’t for Don Dedonatis sr. bigtime softball might of ended three or four years ago. I totally believe that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the game needs to eliminate the top two teams in softball, spread the talent across the country and we could have about 16 solid slowpitch softball teams that could play ten NIT’s a season, a Conference Championship and a world tournament with the best 16 teams ion the nation being competitive and wondering which team would win each weekend. These are only my opinions and I would hope that senior will step up to the plate and continue to make bigtime softball the greatest game in America for amateur players. It can be done, it should be done. The players who are the best in the world today with these changes will still continue to get paid what they deserve. The cost of having a team with three elite players and any other players in the world to fill out the roster would make for the most competitive softball the world has ever seen. Until then it will remain a two team conference and when both are entered no other teams will win, I promise you. You might beat one, but you are not beating two. Since the conference started some of the teams at the lower level class A are getting better. There are about 8-10 of the better A teams who are doing a pretty good job competing. Just imagine if those teams had three elite players on their roster how much more competitive they would be. Think about it guys, it’s pretty simple!!