USSSA Major NIT Seattle, WA

C-Town/American Fund/Red Rock/Easton wins the Seattle NIT. This team is from Boise, Idaho. I know there were no super teams entered, but one of the best Class A teams in the world KME/Easton was in, and guess what they got upset. I know it’s not going to happen too often, but it did. Congratulations to C-Town on getting the win. I also know that the California teams are playing down, but who cares. They’re playing with the 12 homerun limit and that’s the bottom line. I also know without the D,C,B or local teams playing in these Conference NIT’s there would only be about 10-12 teams participating. The big ones, like the Smoky and Dudley are the only two of the fourteen conference tournaments that can get 16-20 Conference teams to participate.

The other twelve Conference NIT’s are made up with B,C,D and local teams. I can tell you all that is how bigtime softball is today. I have said over the years that I believe there should be 8 NIT’s played plus the Dudley and the Smoky in bigtime softball. I also believe that there should be no more than 10-12 teams entered in each NIT. I believe the best 10-12 teams should play in these NIT’s, which would make for the best competition the game could have. This program can become a reality when the people to be who are running bigtime softball put the three elite player limit in the game. Three elite players on a team make the elite list right so that the rich don’t get richer.

Here is a sample; Resmondo picks Purcell, Wallace and DeDonatis and then Resmondo has to go out and get nine players that are not on the elite list. There should be no major player list, with the right elite list made the teams would have to go out and find players to fill their rosters. I know when this is done there will be 10-15 very good teams who can compete with each other, and beat each other on any given weekend. That’s how bigtime softball should be, period. This is a must if this program becomes a reality. No player on the elite list can come off without the approval of a five man committee. I say it is time to make the change. The game itself has been bad for a long, long time.

I will take you back a few years from the late 70’s to today. Howard’s dominated, yes there were a few other teams who were competitive, but not as good as Howard’s. Then there was Rich’s who also dominated, and yes there were other teams such as Steeles, Bell Corp, Shen Valley, Lighthouse, DJ’s, Williams Worth, Spectrum, Hague, Taylor Bros., Riverside, but guess what, Rich’s dominated period. The next team to dominate the game is a combination of three teams and the main players being on all three of these teams. Team TPS, Long Haul and Resmondo. This bunch has dominated the game the longest of any of the teams over the last twenty years. In the late 70’s there were about four super teams, about four AA type teams, and about 15 A teams. The late 80’s to the mid 90’s there were about four very good super teams, four very good AA teams and about ten very good A teams. The mid 90’s to today there were about three supers, three AA type teams and about six very good A teams. This is how bigtime softball has been for years.

I can tell you all, just go back and look at the games from the 70’s to 2007. Howard’s beat teams who could not compete with them the first 3 games of the tournament, then played against an A team who gave them a game and finally played somebody who had a chance to beat them once in awhile. Rich’s started out their tournaments playing a D team, then a C team and then finally played an A team, and then maybe a AA team, then onto a team that could beat them once in awhile. Team TPS, Longhaul and Resmondo did the same thing as Howard’s and Rich’s, finally getting to play the best teams at the end of the tournament and dominated. Nothing has changed from the 70’s-2007, dominating teams who play very little competition ealry in the tournaments and finally getting to play the better teams at the end of the tournament. That my friends is how the game has been forever.

I say it is now time to break up the two big teams, spread the talent, make the right elite list, no major list, play 10 NIT’s a year, 8 NIT’s, the Dudley and the Smoky keeping the Conference going, have a Conference Championship and the USSSA Worlds and have about 16 very competitive teams with anyone of them having a chance to win on any given weekend. It’s time to get it done! I will bet money that no elite players want to go out week in and week out playing against inferior competition beating them up with games lasting 3 innings. It doesn’t make sense to have the best teams and the players play against these type of teams period. Remember this, what I wrote here is only my opinion. I will not stand for any bashing about what I wrote. It’s my opinion and only mine.

Now back to the tournament, Second place went to WCS/LCV another B team who played good in this one. Congratulations on a good weekend and good luck in whatever you do.

Third place went to another B team, Haras/Casa Group. Congratulations on a very good weekend. Good luck guys.

Fourth place goes to GTL/Combat another B team. Congratulations on a very good weekend and good luck down the road.

I know it’s very hard to get teams from the east to come out to Seattle, but you did a good job on running this one.