Oakland Park Baseball

this really isn't a personal attack... it really isn't... but perhaps people who can't be depended on to show up to all games (and preferably on time) shouldn't be entrusted with stuff that we need to play.

Care to explain?

I just want to point out, to start, that no one is coming to games consistently. So if someone with a car can really commit to doing this better and more often, any changes will be difficult to back up.


However, I strongly suggest that we start using e-vites so that we know who is coming, and who isn't, making accountability easier to enforce.

Nick, who has (amongst other things) the bucket of balls hasn't (to the best of my knowledge) arrived on time to a game in months and didn't bother to show up at all today.

We had 18 players today (14 of which I had never seen before) and were able to round up a handful of balls and play a full game... but whether or not we're going to have baseballs should not be a week-to-week concern.

The recent lack of organization has been a frustration for me (one who is probably in as much of the loop as anyone outside of scott or nick) and is one of the major reasons my attendance has been less regular than it used to be. How do you think players feel showing up for the first time and seeing how unorganized things are feel?

I'm not saying that Nick or anyone else is obliged to show up every week (although, I do feel that more should be made of our collective responsibility to arrive to games on time), but if you have the balls, the bases, the catchers gear, or the score box and you're not going to show up, I do feel like you have an obligation to get that stuff to someone else or to or get the word out that said equipment won't be available so people can plan accordingly.

i couldnt agree more i remember about one month ago we had 2 balls for 7 and a half innings of a game. then nick shows up at 2pm with the balls. not to offer someone for the job but lino appears to be the most reliable one in the group now. if lino cant / wont perhaps me/ daniel can? those are the 2 most dependable people currently who also have cars

I appreciate that you are making that offer! I think it would be totally fair for you to handle the equipment. Maybe Nick can bus it to your house in the morning, too, to get a ride.

Ahem.

I got your balls......







.....right here!

Wow, a post from that one guy!!! It's been too long, Paul!

Yeah, a disorganized league is something that drives MANY people insane. It's something that needs fixing, for sure.

Sorry I've been AWOL on Sundays, although I assume everyone forgives me, considering I can't play and am on the DL.

for clarity: can't play and on the DL are two completely unrelated conditions

Okay, I'm going to actively throw humility out the window for this post. But, first I will say that I acknowledge my severe decline in dependability the past couple of months.

As for the game where I showed up at 2 pm, I left at 10. The vehicle I was in was broken down on the side of I-80 for hours. Since there was nothing I could do about it, and nobody would come pick up the equipment, I accepted it as a lesson in perspective.

As for being late to arrive, Ken, you rarely show up before I do so a) how would you know, b) who are you to talk, and c) why haven't you offered a ride to ensure I'll get there "on time"? I spend a half-hour setting bases and making teams, so I can understand not wanting to leave early just to have to sit through all that. I consider myself lucky if I get to warm up before a game, even if I get there by 10:15.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I will address the rest of it. I've spoken with Lino about handling the equipment, and he's taken enough responsibility by holding the bases for the past few months. I don't want to have to co-opt his trunk because I don't have a car. The gear bag and the helmets and the bucket and the bases all add up FAST! Chris has been cool about keeping some of the helmets, and Nathan has given me a few rides to the game. But there's absolutely no way I can handle everything on public transportation. I've tried it before, and had to call a ride after dragging my shit for two blocks.

Now, the reason I didn't show up to the game last week was because I was camping, something I thought I had made known. I guess I didn't make it clear. My fault. I WILL be there today, so if there's anything else to clear up you can come to me and we'll talk about it one-on-one.

Southpaw Slim wrote:As for being late to arrive, Ken, you rarely show up before I do

sorry, I don't speak blatantly and laughably false. Can you translate that for me?

why haven't you offered a ride to ensure I'll get there "on time"?

You mean like that time I spoke to you on Thursday, Friday AND Saturday as well as putting in two phone calls to Danny on your behalf (AFTER you said you would call him yourself and didn't) and you (somehow?) still managed to arrive to the game an hour late? Ya, It's totally my responsibility to do that every week, my bad.

I spend a half-hour setting bases and making teams

Suffice it to say that Peter, Richard and I knocked that crap out in less than 10 minutes last week. Maybe you just need to ask others for help?

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I will address the rest of it. I've spoken with Lino about handling the equipment, and he's taken enough responsibility by holding the bases for the past few months. I don't want to have to co-opt his trunk because I don't have a car. The gear bag and the helmets and the bucket and the bases all add up FAST! Chris has been cool about keeping some of the helmets, and Nathan has given me a few rides to the game. But there's absolutely no way I can handle everything on public transportation. I've tried it before, and had to call a ride after dragging my shit for two blocks.

In 5+ years of playing in this group I've never failed to get to a game because I didn't have a ride. Maybe if you tried to arrange rides before 10:30 (when most people are either at the game, or well on their way) people would be less offended by the idea of coming to pick you up. To reiterate, it is OFFENSIVE for an organizer (or, really, anyone at all, but especially an organizer) to call someone for a ride 15 minutes AFTER they're supposed to be at an event.

As I've said in many many debates on these forums, I (generally) won't get upset if I feel like people are making an honest effort to do the things they're supposed to do. I understand that you don't have a car right now and that that makes the situation tough, but you shouldn't be waking up every every Sunday morning shocked that you don't have a car. Arrange your transportation beforehand... that's what the rest of us do.