Whats It Take To Get Someone To Post??

[AHEARN]

so here I am reading through Bobby Khalil's post when my wife strolls by and this is how the conversation goes from there:

Wife: You don't play or coach anymore, why do you still go on that message board?

Ed: Shut up, leave me alone...it's father's day for christ sake!

Wife: whatever, let it go...it's over...you have a family now!

Ed: Screw you leave me alone

Wife: wait a minute..is that the Bob Khalil that played for you in bogota?

Ed: yes...why?

Wife: holy crap...he still plays?

Ed: yes, he is actually been really good the past couple years!

Wife: how the hell is that possible...isn't he like...50?

Ed: (rolling on the floor, pissing his pants) YES!!!! he is, NOBODY can figure out how that old mother F'er can get people out anymore!!!


*this is a REAL, actual conversation that went on today, on my first Father's Day, son in hand spilling juice on my keyboard, while I read Bob's post, and my nosey ass wife looked over my shoulder, making sure I wasn't picking up chics...again, on myspace or something!

You the man Bobby K...even though you have played with alot of the "guys" in this leagues DADS!!!!

"NOW PITCHING...FOR THE TEANECK STARS...#23...FATHER...TIME!!!

[nukelaloosh]

Wow, who woulda thunk it.?.? There are signs of life out there...

What's best about this entire thread is that there are some actual legit debates going back and forth and mixed up in the middle of the entire thing is Ed spouting off about whiffle ball and his wife and kid. It's great. We need to see some of that kind of action in the next presidential debate... Random chime ins from your local postman, Cliff Clavin... Perfect. And Ed, you're on myspace dude? Hit me up yo...

But I digress... Here's my two cents. I've been here a couple years and have played a lot of baseball in a couple states in a couple a different leagues even longer. I'm no BKhalih23, but I've been around my share. From what I've seen, the Met League is a pretty competitive league and the most competitive of the 3 in which I've played since I've lived in NJ. It's on par with the Boston Park League, and the Cranberry League in Mass. It's better than the couple of leagues in which I played in Rhode Island. So everyone, pat yourselves on the back, it's all good. From what I've seen, in agreement with most everyone, leagues such as ours have gone down as a whole across the board. I've seen it in three states. All I know is even with the alleged downturn, all these leagues are still in existence and still field teams, of varying degrees of success.

Before I even get started, from what I've seen, Hackensack isn't coming back, so let's all move on. Maybe some teams from the league can schedule some games with them, but everyone get over it.... See them in the regionals otherwise. Also, umpires are umpires. They're lousy and on a rare occasion, they're not so lousy. Every team has to deal with them, so at the very least it’s a constant. Unless we can somehow get quest-tech installed in all the venues, there's not much we can do... Fields are going to be tough from what I’ve seen just based on the sheer volume of people and teams in the area, but as long as somehow the games get played, who cares where it all happens. Even in the best run leagues, there’s always a crappy field somewhere in the league. The Sunset League in Newport has a 6 team league that plays a 30 game schedule and shares time on one field with the local high school, the local college team, the local legion team and the NECBL team in town, not to mention the Babe Ruth kids. The overlap of the younger guys seeing us older folk playing is part of the draw to attract these kids. We took BP the other day in Ramsey and some 16u team stayed around to watch us hit like we were something special. The league needs more of that. Moving on...

I don't claim to have the remedy to all that ails, but one of the major problems associated with the popularity aspect is that there is no promotion of the league, as stated before. In comparison, the Cranberry League in Mass, the Boston Park League, the RI Amateur League and the Sunset League in Newport, RI all get regular press in the local papers. Even if it’s just a couple of lines written up in the Hawthorne Press or North Haledon Times or whatever they’re called in your town, people still read it and I don't know anyone who doesn't like to see their name in print, with pictures sometimes. And what, local papers don’t like to add a couple lines of nonsensical news so they can fill the majority of the page with ad space? The finals or tournaments get a little more in depth write up, especially if winning means the team travels to represent the area in a national tournament. That doesn't happen here from what I've seen. The more you get the word out there, the more people will see it and the more visible the entire league would be.

The league website is a potentially good venue to get the word out there and while there is a good little write up on the front page, the rosters are a mess, the schedules a mess and it's a lot of work. I know, I try to stay up on our website and I'm pretty good about it, but sometimes there isn't enough hours in the day. I would assume all the coaches have access to the league site, hell I even have access to it. Why can't we all take the time to get our own little sections of it in order? Why not make the website the official place for the rosters and whatnot? I like the idea of having match-ups critiqued, but again, time runs into play and unless a good number pitches in, it just won't work. It's all about commitment. Why not get an intern for the summer that runs the website? I'm sure there's a local college kid somewhere that loves keeping stats and needs to get a couple freebie credits over the summer for his Computers or Journalism or Management degree...

Look, it all comes down to commitment. Commitment from players, from coaches, from general managers, from parents, from everyone involved. And you know what, it costs money too. The amount of money it costs is sometimes a direct correlation of how much time everyone puts in doing other fundraiser type activities. There’s not a speck of fundraising done from what I’ve seen. How about an end of the year dinner/award banquet? Again, who doesn’t like to see their name in print and on an AWARD? How about a League wide golf tournament? How about an All-Star game against some other league at a great site? The Sunset League played the Park League every year at Fenway. Tell me you wouldn’t draw talent to a league and keep it with that kind of event… I know I played my ass off every year to get the chance to play at Fenway and in 10 years, I made it there twice. Pretty good for a fat kid who played D3 at a small school in Little Rhodey.... I’m sure there are people involved with the league who have organized such events in the past that could lend a hand. It's all a lot of hard work, but instead of bouncing ideas around in cyberspace at the same people, everyone should somehow get together and work it all out. The talent's there in the league. Hell, we lose to the top and bottom of the league it seems like once, twice a week. So, other than Cresskill, it's not like there's just one or two teams running the show. Teams that were in the basement last year are at the top of the standings this year. I've been on teams that only won a couple games one year, but within a year or two are perennial tournament or finals teams. It's all about sticking with it.

Wow, now that’s my loquacious response, so let’s think about getting the league’s profile raised in the time forthcoming. It all starts with dedicated, hard-nosed, committed baseball. It all starts there on the field with the players and coaches. We can work on all these other issues we discuss to no end as time goes on, but we all just have to stay committed to keeping it alive.

Now back to my round of Tiger Woods 2008…. Peace and Good Night.

1,273 words in case you wanted to know….

[stars36]

I like to say that this thread made my day, keep it coming...metleague08, if and when you run a team in your life time. I hope you never eat your words and everything goes perfect. Then you can wake up and smake yourself and realize it was all a dream.

Ahearn that was so funny (Father's Day) LOL

Bobby Khalil, played along side Doug Glanville in this league (I don't think we' re ever going to get a player like that with independent teams taking over.)

Oh yeah, my name is Jorge Hernandez Head Coach of the "NJCU" Stars. If you are afraid to play in Jersey City you should play softball. Crumb!!!

[bobbyk23]

Nate,

You do a great job in maintaining your team website.....it would be even better if your updates appeared on the LEAGUE website.

Bob

[nukelaloosh]

Bob

Appreciate the kind words, and we missed you today in the all night marathon tie in Ramsey.... If given the go ahead, and hopefully 9 other designated people would follow, Id gladly shape the league website into a piece of art... We shall see...

[caruso24]

Maybe the coaches should urge the players to get on the njmajors website and this forum. I know i personally designed our own team website prior to my computer being corrupted with 28 viruses and 1304930493 things of spyware due to the lack of hard work by mcafee. (stupid me forgot to re-register). ... but our players are lazy and just used our website to view the stats and schedules etc... they are not the type of kids who wanna go online and post things because apparently "they have lives". .... so i guess maybe all you coaches (including myself and bruce) should urge the players to view the site and join the forum and get some serious smack talk goin' and make this interesting.

also i agree with all the guys on the rebuttal about the non-competitive teams... if you don't have something nice to say (with your name attached) don't say it at all!

;D

Dave Caruso
Belleville Blue Jays #24