Thursday March 28th, 2024
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2010 Mike Turney Memorial Classic Recap

For more pictures go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/northstarseries/Kc#

If you are looking for a DW quality report, you won't be getting it this week. USSSA was going to send DW to Kansas City for the report but airfare was just way too expensive, plus I recently moved here and could cover it for him. DW does a phenomenal job on this site and with his reports but travel is expensive. As the weather warms up, move of the tournaments move to the north and its just a drive for DW, so he will be covering more events.

If you do want coverage of your tournament, check in to Continental or Southwest Airlines out of Cleveland for DW.

I'll probably handle the Dudley since I will be there and am from there originally. On with the report.

Let's get the USSSA paperwork out of the way…

Event Report

Place State Team Team
Class
Wins Loses Ties Runs
Scored
Runs
Allow
Avg
Runs
Avg
Allow
Avg
Diff
Max
Runs
USSSA
Points
1 FL resmondospecialtytankphonemasters SPMensMajor 5 0 0 176 79 35.2 15.8 19.4 51 150
2 CAN Dan Smith/Menosse/Chaney SPMensMajor 4 2 0 199 148 33.1 24.6 8.5 37 110
3 MI Sinister/Worth/Mojo SPMensA 4 2 0 118 119 19.6 19.8 -0.1 36 180
4 TXN savesecond.com/elite/combat SPMensB 4 2 0 141 99 23.5 16.5 7 41 180
5 NE RFC/SYNDICATE/Elite frozen SPMensB 4 2 0 144 88 24 14.6 9.33 33 140
5 AR fence brokers/gametime supply/worth SPMensB 4 2 0 156 102 26 17 9 36 170
7 IA Pipac/TCP/Easton SPMensB 3 2 0 73 84 14.6 16.8 -2.2 31 160
7 TXN Wood Law/Miken SPMensA 2 2 0 102 110 25.5 27.5 -2 32 120
9 MO Hub's Pub SPMensB 3 2 0 124 93 24.8 18.6 6.2 45 150
9 MO Juiced/Bowtech SPMensD 3 2 0 109 112 21.8 22.4 -0.5 41 100
9 CO Peak Contracting/TLG SPMensB 2 2 0 70 77 17.5 19.2 -1.7 25 150
9 KS Venom Softball SPMensD 2 2 0 43 63 10.7 15.7 -5 24 100
13 CO triumph/frsteam/aflac/locker room frozen SPMensC 2 2 0 78 93 19.5 23.2 -3.7 25 80
13 AR Arkansas Sportswear frozen SPMensC 2 2 0 106 106 26.5 26.5 0 37 80
13 KS kansassoftball.net SPMensC 1 2 0 42 54 14 18 -4 21 80
13 MO Prodigy SPMensD 1 2 0 65 80 21.6 26.6 -5 28 80
17 TXN Dish Network Express SPMensC 1 2 0 84 79 28 26.3 1.66 36 120
17 KS ADI Assassins frozen SPMensD 1 2 0 58 76 19.3 25.3 -6 25 40
17 IN MidWest Swing SPMensB 1 2 0 72 53 24 17.6 6.33 41 120
17 MO KC Thunder SPMensC 1 2 0 37 71 12.3 23.6 -11. 20 40
17 MO Black Market Softball SPMensD 1 2 0 45 62 15 20.6 -5.6 27 40
17 MO Viper Softball frozen SPMensD 1 2 0 58 68 19.3 22.6 -3.3 29 40
17 MO JC Alliance SPMensB 0 2 0 28 60 14 30 -16 16 120
17 KS Pain SPMensC 0 2 0 27 39 13.5 19.5 -6 17 40
25 MO S.W.A.T SPMensD 0 2 0 22 68 11 34 -23 20 0
25 KS disturbed softball/sports 55 SPMensD 0 2 0 11 62 5.5 31 -25. 7 0
25 MO KC Invasion SPMensD 0 2 0 43 86 21.5 43 -21. 22 0

All Tournament Team

Player Tournament Awards Players Name Plays For
Tournament MVP Andrew Purcell ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
Defensive Tournament MVP Don DeDonatis III ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team Dennis Rulli ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team Greg Hartwick ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team B J Fulk ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team Bryson Baker ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team Jeff Wallace ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team Greg Connell ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters
All Tournament Team Clay Smitherman SaveSecond.com/Elite/Combat
All Tournament Team CORIE WALDREP SaveSecond.com/Elite/Combat
All Tournament Team Brian Rainwater ResmondoSpecialtyTankPhoneMasters

It appears that a couple teams didn't turn in all tournament nominations. We might update that later.

1st Place – Resmondo/Specialty Tank/Phonemasters (Conference Major)

I managed to catch four of Resmondo's games this weekend and not one of them was really even close. They toyed with Pipac and got plenty of uneeded help from the plate umpire. I realize that the conspiracy theorists are going to eat up that last line but maybe that is the respect that Andy has earned? He certainly gets a "book" strike zone, meanwhile a guy like Lossen White basically has to put it on a tee for Resmondo. If you want to beat Resmondo you are going to have to play nearly perfect defense and not hand out free passes.

Resmondo proceeded to wreck Sinister and Dan Smith twice. I was impressed with their defense all the way around. It's bad enough that these guys hit the living crap out of the ball but then the thugs pick it about as well as I have ever seen. It makes you wonder what the heck EWS did to win that game in Kissimmee. The scores in the Dan Smith games looked closer than they really were. Resmondo put Dan Smith on the flip flop in the chip.

Jeff Wallace hit balls through the infield at will. I've heard a ton of people say he blows up pitchers. The guy might be that accurate with his hitting from my perspective. He had to have 7 basehits on the ground through the infield this weekend.

I just want to say "Travis Resmondo" in this report so he doesn't get mad at ASA and ESPN. Thank you now.

Up next for Resmondo is Dallas this weekend.

2nd Place – Dan Smith/Menosse/Chaney (Conference Major)

I like the guys on Dan Smith. I'm acquaintances with most of them through their participation at Oklahoma City. But they are really struggling without Brownie and Kirby and it showed this weekend. Now once they get those two back its game on with Resmondo. It seemed to me that these guys are struggling to set the table for the bangers. And the bangers we stuck trying to set the table and making uncharacteristic outs. It also makes me wonder if this crew isn't really set up well for stadium ball where there is more space for the kids to hit green.

This was the first weekend of Geno Buck on the bump. Scott Brown has minor surgery on one of his knees after the Kissimmee Marathon event. There is not timetable set for his return.

Jeremy Isenhower got to play Major ball in front of some decent hometown crowds. The kid has an amazing glove that is for sure.

And Brett "The Godfather" McCollum played decent at short. Dal Beggs is a lot craftier than I expected at the plate.

3rd Place – Sinister/Worth/Mojo (Conference A)

While we all know that Sinister is a great A team, they just looked like they folded against Dan Smith and Resmondo. From what I saw their defense definitely is good enough to run with the big dogs. They are definitely carrying enough pitching and it seems like they have the right guys setting the table. I almost think that these guys got so many games in on the stadium with those big green gaps that they are struggling to find holes on smaller fields.

There is no doubt that these guys will be in the hunt for an A title this season. They just need to work a few kinks out. And had there been more A teams there or more games against A teams this weekend they would have shined a little more. It's tough taking two losses in a weekend to a major team but the veiled compliment is they won the games they were supposed to.

Early on it looked like they jumped on local B team RFC and then let them back in the tournament. You got someone on the ropes, knock their ass out.

4th Place – SaveSecond/Elite/Combat (Conference B)

Now here is one of the really good stories for the weekend. These guys are from Dallas and some of them formerly played with Wood Law. Well the two ran into each other in the quarterfinals with SaveSecond dumping them 41-16 by run rule. You can tell there is bad blood between these two teams. SaveSecond was real fired up for this win, and rightfully so. Here's to hoping they see each other in Dallas this weekend.

Their next game was against Dan Smith and they actually made a good showing. While the score wasn't that close they did play tough.

So with all of their excitement over their Wood Law win their coach decided to tell everyone that BP was at 8:00AM. Sir, your game started at 8:00AM against Sinister. Well the outcome of that is too obvious to explain. Just another Conference B team that had no idea what goes on, on Sunday mornings. Ouch!

Okay there is this middle infielder who has a full beard and wears Elite swim trunks. I know I am old but is that a good look? If looking like that is cool, then you are the Fonz.

5th Place (tie) – RFC/Syndicate/Elite (Local B)

Teams like RFC are what makes Major NITs great. You hope that you get to see some upstart local dump a team and make an influential run into Saturday night. RFC did not disappoint. These guys did that all weekend long. Not one of their guys really sticks out in my mind and it also doesn't look like they are hiding a guy in RF or 2B. They absolutely can base hit you to death and then mix in timely bombs.

They managed to dump FBI in a thriller on Saturday morning. That has to suck for a B team to draw a B Conference team. But they snuck that out and nearly picked off Sinister that night. They were down very early to Sinister by a count of 13-0 and started a base hitting clinic. Ultimately Sinister snapped out of it. A couple less errors on the dirt and they can win this game.

These guys are not to be taken lightly. They absolutely could be a serious threat at B Worlds.

5th Place (tie) – Fence Brokers/Gametime Supply/Worth (Conference B)

I expected a lot more out of these guys this weekend. I figured a top 4 spot was guaranteed. It got so bad at one point that they were banished to field 5 after a loss. All kidding aside they had a two hour war with Wood Law on Saturday night which I termed the "Game that would not end". Coach Walker has to be please with big win against Wood Law but the guys probably ran out of gas after that marathon. Sinister showed up on time and managed to see most of the game.

I like this team. They have a good mix of players. Probably far to good to be playing USSSA B. They certainly would make an already impressive A division that much stronger. I don't remember them struggling mightily in A last year but then again I watched a lot of their games in OKC when they were ripping through teams. The same core of guys is here from last year. If they remain in B they have to be the early favorite at Worlds.

7th Place (tie) – Pipac/TCP/Easton

Pipac had an interesting weekend. They played a D team that had at least 6 home runs for outs to start the tournament. They were putting up decent numbers against the questionable D teams and then ran into Resmondo. From where I was sitting the Pipac guys are too deep in the box and are reaching for too many swings. They need to get that back foot at the middle of the plate in not even with the front of it. And Purcell will make a team look rough, he certainly did here.

I know Pipac gets their nuts busted for not performing well in the conference. If there were an ASA conference these guys would be kings. But there isn't and they have to get work in somewhere. As they pick up more experience they will start getting the big wins that are so elusive to these guys.

While they lost Rhodney Donaldson this year, their pickups have not disappointed. Old Scout Superstar Brian Zirkle is the real deal and is all of 29 years old. And the now infamous Buddy Dubois cleared the maintenance shed with one of his bombs this weekend. There were a few of us in OKC that were wondering if he was going to make it home alive.

Not helping these guys right now are their two missing shortstops. One threw his arm out and the other got a choice from the old lady. Softball or family, that decision came back pretty quickly. So if you are a conference talent shortstop, look Pipac up.

Better tournaments are ahead for these guys. Up next for them is Columbus, IN.

7th Place (tie) – Wood Law/Miken

When I watched Wood Law play online I thought man another great team in A. And they are a good team, this weekend they kind of just kicked it around a little. For whatever reason they could not get it going. They got run ruled by little brother SaveSecond and lost in a marathon against FBI.

They have seriously improved over last season. They have a lot of really good talent on this roster. Weekends like this happen to everyone except the big two. They did dump Hub's Pub from the tournament but other than that there really wasn't alot to shout about. Who knows, maybe they are just jacked up to play on their turf next weekend in Dallas.

Now I have to savage them a little…

Whoever put these guys shirts together needs to throw that pattern away and refund these guys. It looks like they are wearing a sashes. I don't know, maybe they are the Kings of Miken. If that's the case let's crown them too. God I hope Doug Law doesn't go Pro Bono on me.

Other Teams

Midwest Swing played in their first conference tournament and went 1-2. They lost to a local D team and Hub's Pub. Not a sparkling start to the year.

Hub's Pub went 3-2 on the weekend with losses to Pipac and Wood Law. I managed not to see any of their games. Sorry guys.

Peak Contracting went 7 innings with Dan Smith and it was an entertaining game. They actually have a good squad. My wife pointed out that they are kind of flat in the field, no one really taking charge and making much noise. They gave Dan Smith far more than they could have ever wanted. They probably need a fiery leader on the dirt to get these guys winning further into Saturday night. I am impressed with this group.

I did catch part of a Dish Network Express game. Long enough to see Jebbie King is playing with these guys. Other than that I didn't see a whole lot of their games.

The Good

Mid America is an awesome softball complex if you have never been there. There is a ton of seating and a bar on the second floor of the main wheel. It's set in a wooded valley in Northwest Kansas City. There are 10 fields at this complex and there were other softball tournaments held in conjunction with this tournament. I think all told they had around 75 teams. With all of the extra teams around there were plenty of people at the games.

Resmondo wore pink shirts in honor of Mike Turney for the chair game on Saturday night. They will be available to purchase via auction. You will want to get in touch with Dennis Turner to pick up one of these beauties.

Although I didn't see the bat tester (who would let a guy with an ASA cap near a USSSA bat tester anyway) they did have the garbage cans with bats in them and were pulling bats after sick bombs and hit pitchers. I noticed on two occassions the bats did not come back. I'm not going to get into who lost bats but one of the gentlemen that lost a bat doesn't shock me.

With all that said about bats it seemed like this worked. Sure there were some well hit balls by Hartwick, Helmer and Connell most noticeably. Those are guys that should be doing that.

The Bad

How is it that a complex of this size does not have one scoreboard working? No one knew the score of any game all weekend. My advice is to start selling beer at 9AM on Sunday instead of noon and put the proceeds towards new scoreboards. And if you can't, have the umpires announce the score between every half inning.

And the losers bracket had to play with some other softball this weekend. The ball I have in my hand says "Dudley ZN Classic M". And then there were the socks that rarely left the field. It seems to me that someone ought to just ship 100 dozen to every tournament.

The major teams are carrying guys that cannot leg out a double in the gap. Now I get not wanting to risk outs at second when the next going might bawhoop the crap out of one, but this is plain ridiculous. Strange how ESPN looks at slow pitch softball as beer gutted athletics. Jesus guys, run 65 more feet and don't play the part.

The Ugly

An unnamed "D" team apparently secured a berth to worlds by winning their way to the highest finishing D spot. Upon learning of their berth they informed the tournament director that they would not take the field against Pipac because they felt like they accomplished their mission. What is wrong with all of these teams? Who the hell pulls a team off the field at tournaments of this magnitude? Hopefully the local pulls that team's berth.

And finally there is another team with a "D" card that is carrying eight or more B rated players on their team. Seriously gentlemen? D teams do not carry this many B guys, they do not have sponsors from Omaha and St. Louis, and they sure as hell don't fly to Dallas for a D NIT. Want to know what's wrong with softball, this is a good indicator, or an ugly one.

Final Thoughts

What if most of the Conference teams showed up for KC next year? There are 10 fields at 1 site. Did I say they have a bar in the middle of it?

Up Next

The 10th Annual Texas Legends starts Friday night in Dallas. It promises to be a good one with both majors, three A teams, and five B teams in it. Now boys don't forget to hug your mamas on the way out the door this weekend. It's Mother's Day.

Found this video on Youtube
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