A State Board Dream

I was always going to write about how ridiculous the new format for the Class C State Tournament is, but I never got around to it.  If you want to see how I felt about it, all you have to do is go back in the archives of the MBA webpage or to "Bill's Baseball Blog" and find the comments by Andy Johnson and Brent Schloe.  I agree with both of them.  Brett Kruschke also wrote an excellent letter stating why he thinks it is foolish to award extra (more) State Tournament spots to regions that draw more in attendance than regions that don't draw as well. 

Anyway, everything changed when I had this revealing dream a couple of nights ago.  The stage was a MBA meeting on a Friday night somewhere in St. Cloud.  All nine of the Board members were present, however, some were more present than others.  The conversation was being dominated by the usual two Board spokesmen. 

DH: I'm going to be perfectly honest with you--We just have to try something different. 

FR: Well how about splitting B into two divisions B plus and B.  It would make it three State Tournaments, but  what the Hey we could make it four weekends. 

R: Fred, we're talking about C now.  We all know that C makes all the money and if we don't raise the revenue pretty soon we won't be able to meet on Friday night and stay over for the  meetings on Saturday. 
 
MF: Well if we can't have Friday night get togethers with our little work sessions, I'm not going to say anything on Saturday.  Albertville is already pissed enough being B without them finding out I recommended they go to B. 

JK: Guys, we have to get back to what will make a difference--how we going to get more teams in the C State Tournament?  That is the only way to make more money. 

DH:  Hell, we can just pick them.  Set a number and we can assign teams to the tournament.  That way we can get the teams that draw big crowds and make sure that they are in the tournament.  

FR:  Man, even I couldn't smooth that over.  There could be a lot more people than Nelson pissed about that. You know he'll whine about it and blast us.  And we're paying the SOB.  We have to figure out a better way to get the teams with big followings in the tournament.  And how many should we have?  32, 36, 42, 48, what's the magic number? 

MB: Why do we need to add more.  Let's worry about quality and good baseball instead of quantity and making money.

MF: Hey, when you get the right color shirt on you can talk.  I'd like to see at least 48 teams.

JR: Well then do we have three teams from each of the 16 regions make the tourney? 

MF: No way!  We should make it so some regions have four teams, maybe even six, because I know that we'll have to beat out at least three tough teams in our region. 

DH: Well, maybe you should go back to B.

MF:  Then Belle Plaine should be B too. 

TR:  Let's get back on track. I can agree with 48 teams, but how do we select them?

FR: How about buying your way in.  My grandkids play ball and for $500 they can go to the State Tounament for their age group.  Think about that: 64 teams @ $500 bucks each and we almost have enough money to stay overnight every meeting. 

DH: Maybe make enough to have a couple of meetings in Fort Meyers.

JR:  OK, we have the number, now how do we do it. 

BZ: (seems to be just waking) What about the Board trailer?  Where do we put it.  And let's make sure we get the phone line for the fax in.  And keep those damn computers out of the trailer. 

DH: Anything else Bob?....How about we each pick five teams and Fred and I will pick the last three? 

FR:  I think we can rank them but I did an extensive study and I recommend we figure out a different way to select them.  Some of us don't know what we don't know.  You know? 

DB:  Hey guys, it's getting late and I have a long drive ahead of me.

DH:  Don't worry about that.  We're staying overnight. What about a guarantee?  Make every team in the state buy State Tournament tickets and the top 48 C teams  in sales get to play in the tournament.  Then the top 8 B teams can have their tourney too. 

FR: I like it.  But let's not get too over the top.  How about we figure out who sells the most beer in their region and making sure that they have a great chance to make the tournament. 

And so it went.  They finally came up with a plan that would sell to the teams with the best chance of making it.  And when the regions that got four teams saw it and praised it, the Board said "See, we were right all along."    

This was just a dream, but anything could have happened.  When tournament entrants aren't determined by play, things get off kilter.  

An Easy Way to Determine Class B

Have you ever heard the old saying, "If you think you can or if you think you can't--you are right."  That pretty much sums up my idea of who should be class B.

To start off I would make every team in a town over 10,000 a class B team. That would pop in more than 20 teams right off the bat. I think we should also designate bigger towns (Albert Lea for instance) without a team as B right now.

What about a new team in a big town.  Class B.  The thing is, and I've seen it over and over, is that once a team is  allowed to play as a class C team they never want to go to B.  It is always "We can't compete with the good teams."

It's not that they can't compete, it is that they don't want to.  That is no good anymore.  There are a lot of C teams that can compete with any team in the state.  The teams that have been moved down are showing by not dominating Class C,  that there are plenty of good teams in Class C.  They are not dominating Class C although they made a better showing in the C tournament this year, with two of the final four being teams that changed classes.  This was an improvement over 2010 and 2011. 

To let teams know right from the start that they will be class B is a good thing.  They will be more serious in building their teams and that will help them. 

The only real reason the Board gave for moving the current teams up to B from C is the potential access to a lot of players.  The same is true of a larger town.  If you get a comitted baseball man running the operation, things will go fine.  Every town runs in cycles.  Sometimes the baseball program is very good and other years it is a struggle.  No one team has been dominant for a number of years.  I think it goes more in regions or areas of the state.  Once a team in your area gets good, it puts more pressure on the other teams to get bettter.  Right now the River Valley has been the dominant area for a few years.  That will change and another area will get better.  No one wins every year (except Minnetonka). 

Here are the teams that I think should be Class B (I know that some of these cities don't presently have a team) with their listed population from the 2010 census:  Albert Lea (18,016), Austin (24,718), Alexandria (11,070), Andover (30,598), Anoka (17,142), Appple Valley (49, 084), Bemidji (13,431), Big Lake (10,060), Brainerd (13,590), Buffalo (15,453), Burnsville (60,306), Champlin (23,089), Chanhassen (22,952), Chaska (23,770), Cloquet (12,124), Coon Rapids (61,476), Duluth (86,265), Eagan (64,206), East Bethel (11,626), Elk River (22,974), Faribault (23,352), Farmington (21,086), Fergus Falls (13,138), Forest Lake (18,375), Fridley (27,208), Grand Rapids (10,869), Ham Lake (15,296), Hastings (22,172), Hutchinson (14,178), Lakeville (55,954), Mankato (39, 309), Marshall (13,680), Monticello (12,759), Moorhead (38,065), New Ulm (13,522), North Branch (10,125), Northfield (20,007), North Mankato (13,394), Otsego (13,571), Owatonna (25,599), Prior Lake (22,796), Rochester (106,769), Rosemount (21,874), St. Cloud (65,842), St. Michael (16,39), St. Peter (11,196), Sartell (15,876), Sauk Rapids (12,773), Savage (26,911), Shakopee (37, 076), Waconia (10,697), Willmar (19,610), Winona (27,592), Worthington (12,764).    (54 Total)

Then there are the smaller towns that are already Class B:  Dundas, Elko, Miesville, Isanti, St. Francis, Hibbing, Nashwauk, Cold Spring, Albertville and Victoria.  (10 Total)

Also I feeel that Green Isle, Winsted, Jordan, Maple Lake, Dassel-Cokato and Waseca should all be Class B teams again.  (6 total)

That is 70 teams that could be in Class B.  I realize that all of the towns listed do not have a team but they have had a team in the past and might again in the future.  

If you put all of these teams into Class B it would pep everyone up.  The Sections would all have at least eight teams in them.  No more eight teams in one section and four teams in another.  There would be more spirited Class B competition and the teams that are not in Class B would make a nice Class C field. 

The Board Does Some Things Right

The latest minutes of the Minnesota Baseball Board of Directors are up and on the website at www.MNbaseball.org.  There were a few things that got my attention.  Number one, the agenda was on the website before the meeting and according to Dave Hartmann, the agenda will be posted a week before each meeting.  Hopefully, it will be updated right up to the day before the meeting.  Number two, the minutes were posted within two days of the meeting.  This is a great benefit to all that are interested in Minnesota amateur baseball.  Hartmann assured everyone that the minutes will be up within two days of every future board meeting. 

Hartmann also ranted about the Blogs and message boards around the state that "misrepresent" things in dealing with the Board.  The biggest thing that he spoke about was "secret meetings".  He mentioned meetings that were closed in preparation of pending litigation and also because the Board always met in private to choose State Tournament sites.  "If those are secret meetings, then so be it," he said. 

He is right.  Those aren't secret meetings and I have no problem with them.  What this blogger is concerned about is the wrong times and places that have been posted in the past for Board meetings, meeting and talking over things in an informal setting with no notification and being asked several times by Board members not to attend certain parts of meetings because it tends to inhibit some of the Board members in discussions. 

My view and I've said it over and over is:  All meetings should be open.  That is not to say that meetings are open discussions.  If you attend a meeting there should be no talking unless asked by a Board member.  If you want to discuss something at the meeting, you should be on the Agenda.  There is nothing that is discussed at a Board meeting that anyone involved in Minnesota Amateur Baseball should or could not hear.  If you are not comfortable expressing your opinion for all to hear, you should not be an elected Board member.

Hartmann also stated that he felt that "individuals should not put their personal agendas ahead of what is best for baseball in Minnesota."  I totally agree with that sentiment.  I have been an advocate for the Dundas Dukes since I started playing for them in 1975.  But my overall philosophy has always been: what is good for the State of Minnesota Baseball is also good for Dundas.  The State comes first. 

I don't think that the Board has paid enough attention to Class B in the past.  Then two years ago, the Class B teams got together, put in a lot of work and the result was a very successful year and tournament.  Last year the Board assumed all of the Class B duties.  I don't think things were thought out as well as they should have been.  Now the Board has a chance to add teams to Class B and work with the Class B group again.  Let's hope personal agendas don't get in the way. 

Why Change Should Come

At their annual meeting in October, 2010, the Minnesota Baseball Association Board of Directors was pressed to find a solution to re-classify teams.  They appointed approximately 13 section and region commissioners and other interested baseball people to attend a meeting on Friday night before their meeting on Saturday, November 20.  This meeting was supposed to be a workshop dealing only with re-classification. 

When the time came there were about 25 people that came to the meeting.  We were expecting to have a vigorous discussion on how the state should be divided.  I thought there would be maps of the state, breaking out into groups and really getting into the task of who should be class B and who should be class C.  The 25 were ready....the Board wasn't.

First, President Richter announced that the meeting would only be a little over an hour long.  That was changed.  Next they had everyone introduce themselves and tell the group what concerned them.  We had heard this before.  We spent the next hour and a half covering old ground and not really accomplishing anything.  Never took marker to paper, never came to any conclusion, just another feel-good, thanks for coming, meeting with the Board.

I should have known better than to expect groundbreaking area.  I came expecting to have maps all over the walls, groups of interested baseball people making good points on re-classifying teams and finally people working together to actually better baseball in the state of Minnesota.  This group wasn't just any group getting together, it was an expoerienced group that had all been at the annual meeting and really knew something about Amateur Baseball in Minnesota! 

Instead everyone travelled to St. Cloud, paid to spend the night and got nothing out of it.  The next day the Board made their own changes letting 11 or 12 teams go from class B to class C and dropping class B to under 35 teams.  There was no mention of this happening that Friday night.

This led to the B group meeting and trying to control their own destiny.  It worked pretty well in 2011 and even though the State Tournament was excellent, things have already begun to fall apart again in 2012.  These things take planning and the Board just doesn't spend the time working at it. 

This is the same Board of Directors that ran the MBA in 2010.  It is the same Board that refuses to enter the 21^st century by not posting meeting agendas, have email as a form of communication, and clings to the principle that secrecy is good.  It is time to change.  Let's elect people that want to work for amateur baseball and will include everyone.  The election is Saturday--Make sure your league officers and Region and Section Commissioners go to the meeting and vote for change.

It's up to You!

I received a couple of calls and a few emails overnight claiming that I was responsible for the State Board changing their minds and rescheduling the Class B State Tournament.  That is not true.  I have been going to State Board meeting since 1979 and I think that I have helped change some things, but my influence over the last few years has been minimal.  We have covered the same ground so many times that they just won't listen to me anymore.

In fact, the most recent conversation I attempted to have with a Board member, Fred Roufs, ended after my first line to him--he turned, crossed his arms over his chest and stomped away to his chair at the table where the meeting was being held (they were taking a small break).  On his way over he said that he was not talking to me.  As he sat down I thought I heard him saying lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala (I'm not sure about that). 

Anyway, you get my drift.  What happened in the schedule turnabout was that concerned people noticed the deficiencies in the old schedule and did something about it.  They emailed and called the State Board directors. I know, it didn't do much good to email (only about four of them actually get email) but the word got to them and the reschedule was accomplished. 

My point is that if you want something done or changed, you have to get involved.  Contrary to a lot of the things I read on websites and at league meetings, things can be changed if you get involved and voice your opinions to the proper people.  Good job.
Keep it up.  

Class B takes it in the Shorts Again

The Class B State Tournament schedule still isn’t posted, however, by looking at the Class C schedule, it is apparent that the first two rounds of Class B games will be held Thursday and Friday night August 23^rd and 24^th.  It is a shame that after competing in Section and Super-Section tournaments the EIGHT teams making the State Tournament will have to play on week nights making it mandatory to miss work or not play in the game. 

For years the State Board has been trying to eliminate Thursday night and Sunday night games to accommodate players and fans alike.  In fact, last year the B group voted overwhelmingly to play all of their first round games on Saturday at Hutchinson.  That made it so no one had to take off work during the week to play.  It also made it a fun day for the fans in that they could go to one site and watch all of the B teams play. 

This year, even though the games are on fields separated only by a parking lot, the games will be played simultaneously meaning a fan can’t see all of the B teams play. 

When there were 16 teams in the Class B tournament, it was fine to play either Thursday (although that day has always been a terrible one to play on) or Friday because that was the only game played during the week.  Now, the first two rounds will be played on week nights.  That shouldn’t happen when you are down to the eight best teams in the State.

The State Board took control over Class B this year.  Last year they basically approved the formats set up by the B group.  The only real decision the Board made was seeding the State Tournament.  This year they haven’t done B any favors.  It seems that they are catering to their ill-advised 48 team Class C tournament.  I don’t mean to downplay Class C in any way (in fact, the Class C tournament is great fun to watch) however, basing State Tournament berths on whether or not your Region draws more attendance is against every thing a competitive person has ever believed.  Competition is the key in athletics, not attendance. 

The Board was working to increase the number of games at the third site the last few years of the tournament (it was even big in the bidding), but now has decided to eliminate all games except in an emergency for the third site.  It seems like a real shame to have a great park like Cold Spring’s just sitting there when all four of the first round games could be played there on Saturday, eliminating the Thursday night and Friday night games.   

Here are the a few questions I have concerning the Class B process:

1)  What criteria is being used to seed the Super Sections and State Tournament?

2)  Who are the Super Section Commissioners?

3)  What are the Super Section rules—Home team etc.

4)  How is the money split? 

5)  Does the host team (if playing) get a game share?

6)  Are the rules readily available to players and managers?

7)  Why would the C State Tournament and the B Super Sections be played at the same time?  Why compete against each other? 

8)  How much time has been spent planning the B Super Sections and State Tournament?

These are just a few of the questions that I have.  Last year these were all taken care of by the Class B group headed by Jim Johnson.  Time is getting short.  What is the Board doing to make sure things run smoothly again?  Please don’t let Class B be an afterthought. 

More Board Opinions

The 2011 State Tournaments were planned almost perfectly.  Class A had their tournament at Haddox Field in Bloomington and it went very well, finishing up on Sunday, August 21st as Stockmen's Irish won the crown.  This coincided with the first week of the B and C tournament at Glencoe and Brownton. 

The Class B tournament was the best one in several years.  When the super sections whittled the teams to eight, a quality tournament was assured.  Sauk Rapids won the B championship beating Burnsville on Sunday August 28th at Glencoe. 

The Class C tournament was a little different.  The play was excellent and there were a lot of good games, however, the schedule wasn't thought out enough in advance to please the fans. 
Having the last weekend all to themselves, Class C started out on Friday night and played two games at each site.  But then there were only three games total (two at Brownton and one at Glencoe) on Saturday and Sunday was even worse with only two games at Glencoe.  On Monday, it ended with a 13 inning championship game in Brownton that Isanti won 4-3 over Waconia. 

The C tournament just was not planned out.  It would have been obvious that Friday night wasn't needed if the Board members had played out the tourney ahead of time (I guess that meeting was in the fitness room of the Holiday Inn).  That Friday night is a big night for High School football and that is what the Board should have planned for.  Then there could have been at least three games at each park on Saturday and three games to split on Sunday with the championship on Monday. 

This year we are going to pay the price for that empty feeling on the last weekend of 2011.  The Class B tournament will still be two weekends, but it will be the last two weekends ending on Labor Day.  The C tournament will be expanded to include 48 teams and also move to single elimination (this is another major screw-up by the board--not expansion, but letting more teams from one area make the tournament because of attendance--more on that in a later blog).  The region champions will all get byes the first weekend and the other 32 teams will all play one game. The Class B super sections will be played the same weekend.  We should never have one class playing their State Tournament while another is in Super Sections or Regions. 

The Board also has moved to limit third site involvement.  I've always felt that the more teams we involved in the tournament the better.  I know that the two major sites always point out that they are the ones bidding and that they don't want to share their profits with anyone else.  Well, teams shouldn't be in the hosting business to make money.  Yes, you want to at least break even, but the goal should be to have everyone see and play on your field and take pride in the baseball amenities and community cohesiveness that you have to offer. 

Here is hoping that the Board has thought (and played) out the schedule for the State Tournaments this year and things run smoothly.