Cincinnati Major NIT

I know this, it took exactly one week for Resmondo to show who’s the boss in bigtime softball. “The Sod Boys” put a big time whooping on the “Bell Boys” on route to the championship of the Cincinnati Tournament. The sod boys are now 46-3 on the season. Resmondo has one more NIT, the Conference Championship and the USSSA Worlds left. Resmondo has played Bell seven times in 2007 and have run-ruled them six. I don’t believe there is any doubt who is the better team, but like the Smoky anyone can win on any given weekend. The Bell boys only win against Resmondo was at the Smoky, and it gave them the championship. This past weekend Resmondo just plain drubbed the Bell boys in both the winner’s bracket final and the first game of the championship for their win. The sod boys were led by co-mvp’s Andy Purcell and Jeff Wallace. This was Wallace’s sixth MVP of the season and Purcell’s third. I can also tell you this win was a total team effort. I know this for sure, I don’t care if you’re playing the house of the blind, it is very hard to win this much when you’re playing in homerun restricted tournaments. It takes a talented bunch of players to win like Resmondo playing in these conditions, I guarantee you. This team has to do all the parts it takes to win, hit it backside, use the whole field, hit for power and play great D, and the sod boys are doing just that. I believe if Resmondo and Bell meet in the Worlds and the Conference Championship playing on the baseball fields at Kissimmee 330′, 390′ 410′ and Disney 330′,390’400′, the advantage will go to Resmondo because they have a much better defensive team. I also know you better make all the plays on the big fields or you can’t win period. I do believe these two tournaments will be very, very good, we will see. Congratulations to Resmondo on their win, and good luck in Detroit.

Second place went to Bell Corp/Belcher/Backman, who just ran into a buzz saw when they met Resmondo. The Bell boys played pretty good most of the tournament. They had a very hard time against the Scene/Mattingly Softball, but scored a whole lot of runs in the top of the 7th. to get by the Scene. The Bell boys then had to play Resmondo and then it was over for Bell. Bell Corp just has not played very good against the sod boys this season. Six out of seven games they have lost by the run rule. I have gotten a bunch of emails about why Bell doesn’t play good against Resmondo. My answer is they just don’t hit Andy Purcell well, and that pretty much tells it all. Make no mistake, Bell is a very good softball team who have some very good players. I know with Scooter out it hurts, but even with Scooter Resmondo has been the better team the last few years. I was asked one time by some people, how can we beat these guys from Team TPS, Long Haul and Resmondo? I replied get Wallace, Bumgardner, Martin, Kendrick, Garris and Purcell and you will win, and that my friends is how you beat that bunch. These six players have won more than anybody in the history of the USSSA. I will also say don’t count Bell out in the Conference Championship or the USSSA Worlds. They will be a tough team to beat in these conditions. They may have more power than Resmondo, and they will need to use it to outscore them to have a chance to win, we will see.

Third place went to a team I ranked up high early in the season, the Scene/Mattingly Softball. I knew some of their players and I believed they could be at the top of Class A. The Scene/Mattingly Softball has proven me right, as they are just what I thought they would be. This team from N.Y. are a pretty good A team, who is another one of those A teams who will be reckoned with in the Class A Worlds. This bunch can base hit it with the best of them and has enough power to keep teams honest. Congratulations to you guys on a great tournament and good luck the rest of the way.

Fourth place goes to Team Combat/Benfield/Reece/Dalsanders, who just don’t seem to be able to play with the big boys anymore. They got it going earlier in the season when they beat the Bell boys a couple of times, but since then they just have not played well. I believe they are a lot better team than they have showed the last few tournaments. This is a major team and they need to start playing like a major team or it will be over early in the championships, that’s for sure. Good luck the rest of the way.

I want to personally commend Jim Wessel and his staff on putting together the biggest Conference Major NIT of the season. I did not see the bashing of Jim on my board for charging to get into the tournament. I personally do not think it’s wrong to charge fans, players, coaches and sponsors. I know how much work and money it takes to get a lot of teams to come and play, especially in today’s times. There’s no way any tournament director should run a tournament and lose money to put the show on for the players and sponsors in this country. I know this, over the years tournament directors have lost their butts many of times. A lot of it is because they didn’t work hard enough to get enough teams to make money. I give Jim and his staff a lot of credit for getting these many teams to come to this tournament with the cost of gas, airlines, rental cars and hotels. It took an unbelievable effort by him and his people to get this done. Congratulations once again Jim on a great job. I’m sorry I did not go on the board over the week or I would of taken it all off. You have treated me good over the years and I appreciate that. Good luck next year.