So, for the past six summers I have been running baseball tournaments all over the Ohio Valley Region. Like anything I am sure there are teams and people that love my events and there are people and teams that, uh, not so much. Anyway, the one thing that remains constant is most baseball people, I mean real baseball people are awesome. Here I am early on a Saturday morning, day two of a small 15u (sophomores to be) event in Lexington, Kentucky. I have only the need for two fields and can run the entire event in three days. As we get to one of the fields, we find out that we have had a sprinkler system failure. By failure, I don't mean they didn't work but exactly the opposite, they have been working overtime and the field that was supposed to be ready for a 9:00 am game is now a swamp. How do you explain a rainout to teams when its 80º and sunny? The field manager said it was like the movie Bull Durham...you remember when Crash Davis and a few of his teammates agreed that they needed a rain out. They promptly broke into the stadium and turned on the entire sprinkler system and overnight, flooded the field. Voila a rain out! "It’s a Natural Disaster!" says Davis as they run around the field as it is getting ruined. Funny in the movies but not funny for my tournament and the teams that are supposed to play there.
This brings me to my point. There have been so many coaches, friends and acquaintances that have offered to help. All baseball people know how important it is for me to play these games. Not just for the business of summer ball but for the players and teams. I mean we play to get better and real baseball people know this. I am really impressed with the number of people that offered to help. There is a very long list of people that came from nowhere to offer all kinds of options. From sending their team to the overwatered field to help get it ready. Coaches that I haven't talked to in months or years offering up their field as an alternate solution. Like wildfire in California, I had so many options. I am so grateful for all these solutions and baseball friends that were willing to help.
The best part so far is that none of the teams that were displaced were angry. Nobody called and yelled obscenities at me. I am hoping that they are happy just to be playing. If they saw the field that was wrecked I would venture to guess that they know...we were not playing there! Most people don't like change. Changing a baseball venue as it is happening is the last thing that any of us wants. Thank you to the displaced teams for going with the flow - pardon the pun.
Thanks to all the baseball coaches that offered up solutions to my problem. This quick blog is my testament to your awesomeness. Grateful is an understatement - impressed and amazed at your willingness to solve my problem. Thank you, thank you and thank you!
Coach Bale
