Rare SBI MailBag Response "Is Anybody Out there?"

While I sincerely appreciate, respect, and need my readership, I usually do not respond to Anonymous comments b/c if someone doesn't have the common courtesy (nice way of saying balls) to sign their name to a comment, then they don't deserve to be acknowledged, but today I will make a rare exception. In response to my instant classic softball consumer conscious blog
http://softballinsider.blogspot.com/2010/08/consumer-alert-reverse-psychology.html I received the following anonymous comment

Comment
"Ricky, your league is great but your pot is too small. good fields,decent umps,OK management. Raise the pot make the trip above 96 street worth the ride. Winning is fun when you win $omething good. peace"

My Response

Thank you for your readership and insight Mr/Mrs "Anonymous". To properly respond, I will borrow the following lines from Eminem's amazing new song 'Is Anyone out there'

Is anybody out there? It feels like I’m talkin to myself No one seems to know my struggle And everything I come from Can anybody hear me? It guess I keep talkin to myself It feels like I’m going insane Am I the one whose crazy?

As my partner (who is on vacation) and I have repeatedly said for years WE DO NOT WANT "the pot is too small" greedy softball mentality in Inwood. If you want to gamble on winning a big pot, then go play in the other leagues I detailed in the attached blog above and deal with horrible costs, fields, 1-1 counts, crooked /incompetent umpires/commissioners, and illegal pitching/rosters.

Inwood is about competition, good softball, fair treatment, honesty, nice fields, fun, and quite frankly not about the money as god knows we make zilch from the league. Zilch. Outside of Gunn sports (which allows illegal pitching), I honestly do not know a big money league in Manhattan that pays big $$$$ (some big money Dominican leagues came up short at pay day time this year, we NEVER come up short or make you wait with our prizes).

Also, some of the best below 96th leagues in NYC like the Big Apple, offer NO Cash prizes yet have wonderful competition. So I guess your "make the trip above 96th street worth the ride" comment is a bit myopic. Softball ignorant is no way to go through life son, so come play at http://citysoftball.wordpress.com/.

Thank you for your readership

CONSUMER ALERT :REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY ATTENTION SOFTBALL SUCKER MARK SHOPPING

This blog is NOT for softball teams/players interested in playing in by far the best, fairest, and most affordable fall softball league in NYC - http://citysoftball.wordpress.com/.

Rather I want to inform all the Softball Sucker Marks out there about our competition (if you want to call them that) and let you know about their fall leagues so you can waste you money

So called Competition is as follows

#1 Yorkoff Fall Softball - Their website says "Fall softball will begin play the second week in September. The season fills up VERY FAST so get your registration and $$$$ in ASAP! It's ONLY $970.00 team for the season and you get a whopping "

6 regular season games
officials for the game
permits for the field
playoffs for the top 4 teams
$1,000 cash prize to the Overall League Champion; $500 cash prize to runner-up.

Analysis

Hurry up Softball Suckers Hurry Up and sign up. What a joke.

P.S These charlatans fired me as an umpire b/c they said I owed them money http://softballinsider.blogspot.com/2010/04/790-mudslinging.html but sent me an email last week regarding bringing a team to their league. Natural Born liars so be sure to hand them your hard earned money.

#2 EMS Fall League

LEAGUE FEE: $600.00 for playing in a 1-1 count league against stacked teams that cheat on rosters on the worse Fields in the city, 145th and Lenox Ave.

Analysis

Wow what a deal. Hurry Up Softball Sucker Marks and sign up

#3 Bronx All Stars -

2010 SUNDAY Fall League info is as follows:

League fee is $ 450. 00 Plus $80 Forfeiture Fee (Returnable)
This league plays 1-1 counts, on eh quality fields in Pelham and 259th street and normally has over 40 teams. The accept teams on a first come, first serve basis. What is first come? Teams that come up with the full amount of league fee are considered first.

Analysis

Let me translate this a bit clearer for the softball sucker target market out there - just pay and your in sucker and you won't get any individual attention or consideration. Worry about everything else later. Just Pay as we don't care if you even know what a glove is. Just Pay.

Funny and Pathetic all at once

In brief, as you can tell I have blatantly challenged the so called stiff softball competition in my blog this year http://softballinsider.blogspot.com/2010/08/dont-be-afarid-to-take-stand-attention.html b/c I am not afraid to challenge the establishment. Some of these league copied/stole Inwood fall league market and constantly bad mouth us so now it's time for Inwood to let you know the Truth. You decide where you want to play. Don't be a sucker

Always Next Year vs. All In

In 2007 with Boston trailing the ALCS three games to one to the Cleveland Indians Manny Ramirez

was heavily criticized when he said

"Pressure? What pressure? We're confident every day. It doesn't matter how things go for you. We're not going to give up. We're just going to go and play the game, like I've said, and move on. If it doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like the end of the world or something. Why should we panic?"

Classic Manny being Manny, as he and his Red Sox team were a loose, experienced, and confident team that would come back to win seven straight post season games and earn another championship.

The "There's always next year" is a cool baseball/softball saying, but unlike Manny (and other MLB players) in softball we don't have guaranteed big money contracts. Softball is more like the NFL and is a year to year sport where player loyalty/happiness is fleeting commodity. So while "there is always next year" a manager/team/player should also keep in mind that it is possible that "Now will Never Come Again" and would be wise to take an

"ALL IN"

approach to the season and deal with next year, well next year.