by pinto loco » Wed Sep 29, 2010 12:04 am
You guys are hilarious. Seems as if Smiley is the parent of a daughter that tried out for Fever and didn't make it and "best hitter in 14U az" doesn't sound like a parent, sounds like a junior high kid that plays for Fever. Smiley heard exactly what he/she wanted to hear (probably from a Stealth parent) that Stealth outclassed Fever.
I know of all the groups mentioned in the train of emails. To clarify and give you guys some facts to discuss versus what you heard: Fever didn't qualify for ASA Nationals for the first time in four years and everyone, with the possible exception of Smiley, would agree that was probably due to injuries. I wonder if Stealth had lost #99 if they would have still found themselves in Moline vs Ft. Collins. She is good - most would argue better than Fever's or a lot of others.
#1 was throwing for Fever against Stealth. Didn't look like herself.......too many walks. She only pitched two innings wherein Stealth got 6 of their 7 runs largely off a timely hit behind too many free passes. As I understand it though, Fever's #1 was throwing up before the game, during the game and after the game......tough day to be on the mound. Credit should go to Stealth though, specifically #99. A 7-6 win on Saturday (Fever came back and got 4 in the last inning off #99 to make it close) and a 2-0 win on Sunday. Fever's #1 pitched again on Sunday................better, but still three walks in the only inning Stealth scored. Hard to denfend against walks. I wouldn't go so far as to say they were "outclassed" though. Both were good games IMO and were a lot of fun to watch. As I understand it, Fever does have two other pitchers, one was injured and didn't play, and the other was effective IMO. For whatever that's worth.
I'm sure Fever appreciates your opinion as to their inability to compete in Showcase tournaments. They're probably withdrawing due to Smiley's comments as we speak. By the way, the top '95 they had last year...really? I'm surprised you didn't post about Fever's pitching issues after watching her last year. Might have been more appropriate than expressing those concerns today.
I’m a fan of softball, I have been for years, and for that matter, I’ve been a fan of the Stealth, Fever and others throughout those years. Seems like most teams have good girls, most are coached by good coaches. I’m also a huge fan of #99. If she isn't the best in the valley, she’s right up there with ‘em. And, I also think Fever is an awfully talented group and can compete with anyone on any given Sunday – just like they did last weekend.
We all tout these web sites as being "all about the girls", but Smiley's and "best hitter in 14U az" posts have proved us wrong once again. The banter between their postings is a prime example of why these sites do nothing to promote our young girls, or their teams, but rather try to destroy them.
If someone thinks you might be a fool, better to keep your mouth shut than to open it and prove it. And we all remember this one, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Just enjoy the game. At the end of the day, mommy’s and daddy's opinions are always skewed and typically very different than the players and their coaches. Which opinions do you think are more accurate?
Unfortunately, until all competitive softball players come from orphanages, I’m afraid things will never change.