THIS PAGE IS WHERE I GET TO SOUND OFF ABOUT ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE STATUS AND HEALTH OF YOUTH SPORTS, IN PARTICULAR "THE SPORT OF BASEBALL"  THESE WILL BE MY OPINIONS AND ONLY MY OPINIONS.  YOU CAN AGREE OR DISAGREE, BUT IN THE END, I DON'T CARE.
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WELL, IT'S MID FEBRUARY AND IT'S TIME FOR THE MEETING TO PICK PLAY DATES  FOR THE USE OF FUESSENICH PARK.  I HAD (9) 0F (10) REQUIRED DATES PREASSIGNED TO THE TEAM WHICH TURNED OUT OK AS DID THE REST OF THE TEAMS INCLUDING THE NEW COLLEGE TEAM, THE TITANS.  I WAITED UNTIL THE END OF THE SCHEDULING TO WORK A 10TH DATE IN.  INTERESTING WAS THE FACT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO WORK AROUND THE COLLEGE TEAM AS IT HAD BEEN THE CASE IN THE PAST.  THE TWISTERS ALWAYS HAD THEIR DATES AND THERE WAS NO FLEXIBILITY IN CHANGING THEM.  WE GOT WHAT WAS LEFT AND HAD TO WORK AROUND THE CONFLICTS.  THE TWISTERS NEVER BOTHERED TO COME TO THE MEETINGS BECAUSE THEIR DATES WERE LOCKED IN STONE.  THEY , IN TURN, LOST ANY SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL TEAMS AS RESULT OF THIS ELITIST ATTITUDE. THE TITANS, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAME IN WITH THE ATTITUDE OF WORKING WITH THE LOCAL TEAMS AND THEY DID, AT TIMES GIVING UP SOME OF THEIR PREASSIGNED DATES IN ORDER TO WORK WITH US.  BRETT FROM THE TITANS WAS VERY GRACIOUS IN THE GIVE AND TAKE DEPARTMENT, SOMETHING WE WERE NOT USED TO  WITH THE TWISTERS.  THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS HOWEVER.  FROM JUNE 7TH TO AUGUST 6TH, THE FIELD IS IN USE EVERY WEEK DAY NIGHT AND SEVERAL GAMES ON THE WEEKENDS.  WHILE I HOPE AND DO NOT EXPECT THE RAINY WEATHER WE EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR, WE WILL GET WEATHER AND THAT CAN QUICKLY DEVELOPE INTO A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO TAKING ALL THE FUN OUT OF SUMMER BASEBALL.  THE OTHER, MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, IS THE LEGION STATE TOURNAMENT WHICH WILL BE HELD FROM JULY 24 THRU AUGUST 1.  THEY WILL HAVE SOLE USE OF FUESSENICH PARK DURING THAT TIME.  THE PROBLEM IS: THIS IS THE TIME WHEN MOST OF THE TEAMS INCLUDING THE TITANS ARE FINISHING UP THEIR SEASONS AND GETTING READY FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY.  ONE OF THE MAJOR GOALS IS PLAYING FOR HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE.  I FULLY EXPECT OUR TEAM TO BE ONE OF THE (6) TEAMS IN THE TOURNAMENT AND I FULLY EXPECT OUR TEAM TO BE ONE OF THE MAJOR CONTENDERS FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT IT APPEARS WE WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER FIELD IN OUR LEAGUE TO PLAY ANY OF THESE TOURNAMENT GAMES AND IT IS A MAJOR DISADVANTAGE AND IT IS NOT FAIR TO MY BALL PLAYERS TO HAVE TO DO SO.  THE COMFORT OF OUR HOME FIELD IS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR TO WINNING.  WHILE THE LEGION TOURNAMENT IS A PRESTIGIOUS EVENT, YOU JUST CAN'T REMOVE THE ONLY FIELD THE LOCAL TEAMS CAN PLAY ON TO HAVE A TOURNAMENT THAT WILL BE EXCLUSIVELY USED BY OUT OF TOWN TEAMS FOR OVER A WEEK DURING PRIME TIME SUMMER BASEBALL.  I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE PARK AND REC DEPT. AND COMMISSION WAS WHEN THIS CAME UP, BUT I EXPECT MORE COMMON SENSE THEN THIS.  THE ATTITUDE THAT THIS TOURNAMENT WOULD BRING MONEY INTO TOWN FOR THAT WEEK IS UNACCEPTABLE SPIN ON JUSTIFICATION AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN.  I, FOR ONE, EXPECT OUR TOWN LEADERS TO SHOW MORE COMMON SENSE AND LEADERSHIP INSTEAD OF MAKING THE LOCAL TAXPAYERS SACRIFICE FOR THE BENEFIT OF NON-TAXPAYERS.  "THAT'S MY SAY!!"

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NOW ITS NOVEMBER AND WE HAVE A COLLEGE TEAM TO DEAL WITH THAT ONLY HAD 500 OR SO PEOPLE BUY INTO THEIR MEMBERSHIP, HARDLY A MANDATE FOR BRINGING A TEAM INTO TORRINGTON'S FUESSENICH PARK AND SCREWING IT UP FOR THE LOCAL TEAMS.  IT IS NOT A NECBL TEAM, BUT AN ACBL TEAM, BUT THE SAME PROBLEMS COME WITH IT.  THIS PARTICULAR TEAM WAS IN STAMFORD CT, BUT LEFT THERE AFTER A FEW YEARS BECAUSE OF FIELD SHARING PROBLEMS.  ARRIVING IN PEEKSKILL, THE SAME FIELD SHARING PROBLEMS CAME ABOUT.  LAST YEAR, WITH THE RAIN, THEY COULD ONLY COMPLETE A PORTION OF THEIR SCHEDULE, BUT THE ATTENDANCE, DURING THE TWO YEARS THEY WERE THERE, WAS DISMAL AT BEST AND NOW THEY WILL BE IN TORRINGTON TO WRECK HAVOC WITH LOCAL FIELD USAGE AND SCHEDULES.
MANY SUPPORTORS OF THE COLLEGE TEAM ARE IGNORANT OF THE WHAT THE THREE MAIN CITY TEAMS ARE ABOUT.  WE ARE NOT SOME LITTLE LEAGUE OR INTERCITY TEAMS.  WE ARE ADULTS AND YOUNG ADULTS THAT PLAY IN COMPETITIVE LEAGUES CONSISTING OF TEAMS THROUGH OUT THE N.W. CORNER AND AND CENTRAL CT.  TORRINGTON IS A FOCAL POINT FOR THESE LEAGUES AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE STRUCTURED SCHEDULES THAT ARE SET FORTH IN ORDER TO BE A PART OF THESE LEAGUES. THIS COLLEGE TEAM DOES NOT JUST AFFECT THE TORRINGTON TEAMS, BUT THEY IMPACT THE OTHER AREA TEAMS IN THE LEAGUES AS WELL.  THEY HAVE FIELD SCHEDULING PROBLEMS ALSO SO SCHEDULING IS A MAJOR COMPONENT TO A TEAM / LEAGUE SUCCESS, BUT THE SELFISHNESS OF A FEW  FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL FAT CATS WHO TALK ABOUT  COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO THIS COLLEGE TEAM SEEM TO FORGET THAT THE LOCAL TEAMS AND THE AREA TEAMS ARE REALLY WHAT COMMUNITY IS ALL ABOUT.  THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR OUR CITY LEADERS TO TREAT THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY WORK FOR, AS SECONDARY CITIZENS.  THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR OUR CITY LEADERS TO BUILD ROAD BLOCKS TO IMPEDE THE SUCCESS OF THE LOCALTEAMS AS WELL AS THE AREA TEAMS AND THE LEAGUES THEY PLAY IN.  WORK WITH US, NOT AGAINST US.  MAKE THE JOB EASIER FOR THE VOLUNTEERS WHO PUT THESE PROGRAMS ON FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.   "THAT'S MY SAY!!"
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IT'S LATE SEPTEMBER AND THE VARIOUS LEAGUES WHO USE FUESSENICH PARK HAVE BEEN CALLED INTO A MEETING WITH THE GROUP THAT IS ATTEMPTING TO BRING AN NECBLTEAM BACK TO TORRINGTON. WE ARE GIVEN THE SMOOTH SELL, BUT THE FIELD SHARING PROBLEM EXISTS.  FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THIS TEAM WOULD HAVE ON THE MAJOR LOCALTEAMS WHO USE THIS PARK, LET ME TRY TO MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
 WE ALL PLAY ABOUT THE SAME TIME, SAY JUNE 10 TO JULY 30. TAKE THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND OUT AND YOU HAVE (50) DAYS OF POSSIBLE PLAYING DATES.  THE NECBLTEAM AND THE (3) MAJOR LOCAL TEAMS, AMERICAN LEGION, CONNIE MACK AND TRI-STATE NEED (58) NIGHT TIME FIELD DATES TO COMPLETE AT LEAST THEIR COMBINED REGULAR SEASON GAME REQUIREMENTS.  THIS DOES NOT ALLOW MUCH TIME AVAILABLE FOR THE OVER 30 LEAGUE, THE OVER 40 LEAGUE, BABE RUTH, MANTLE OR ANY OTHER TEAM LOOKING TO USE THE FIELD.  OF COUSE IT NEVER RAINS IN TORRINGTON EITHER.  SINCE THE NECBL DOES NOT ALLOW DOUBLE HEADERS EXCEPT IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND INSISTS ON EVENING GAMES TO MAXIMIZE INCOME, IT MEANS THE LOCAL TEAMS WILL HAVE TO DOUBLE UP ON THE USE OF THE FIELD TO GET THEIR SCHEDULES IN.  SUPPORTERS OF THE NECBL TEAM WILL SAY SO WHATS THE PROBLEM. LET ME MAKE SOME POINTS SO THE EVEN THE IGNORANT WILL UNDERSTAND.

1) THE (3) LEAGUES INCLUDE TEAMS FROM SOUTHINGTON TO DANBURY, SIMSBURY TO AMENIA, NY.  THERE IS A LOT OF TRAVELTIME INVOLVED.  LEGION PLAYS 4-5 TIMES A WEEK, MACK, 3-4 TIMES A WEEK AND TRI-STATE 2 TIMES A WEEKS. A 5:30 GAME MEANS THEY HAVE TO ASSEMBLE AT 3:45 AND LEAVE BY 4:00 TO GET TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING IN TIME FOR WARMUPS AND GAME.  MOST OF THE COACHES ARE VOLUNTEERS WITH JOBS AND HAVE TO LEAVE WORK EARLY AND, IN THE PROCESS, THEY JEOPARDIZE THEIR BUSINESSES OR THEIR EMPLOYMENT, PARTICULARLY IN THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES.  AN 8:00 PM GAME MEANS THAT TEAMS IN THE OUTER REACHES RARELY GET HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT AND MANY OF THE YOUNG DRIVERS ARE DRIVING AFTER CURFEW.  ALL THE TEAMS IN THIS REGION ARE IMPACTED BY AN NECBL TEAM IN TORRINGTON.
2)  DOUBLE HEADERS IN HOT AND MUGGY WEATHER ARE TOUGH ON PLAYERS AND COACHES AND PLAYING IN THE SECOND GAME IS RARELY FUN.  AFTER WORKING ALL DAY, SPENDING 6 OR MORE HOURS ON A PLAYING FIELD IS EXHAUSTING.  SINCE MOST TEAMS HAVE ONE GOOD CATCHER, HE ALONG, WITH PITCHERS, HAS TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED FOR HEAT EXHAUSTION OR WORSE.
IN CASES ONE AND TWO, COACHES ARE SUBJECT TO INCREASED LIABILITY EXPOSURE IN THIS  LITIGEOUS SOCIETY.   
3)  PLAYING AS OFTEN AS WE DO, PRACTICE TIME, A NECESSARY EVIL AT THIS LEVEL OF COMPETITION, USUALLY TAKES PLACE BEFORE HOME GAMES.  FOR A NORMAL 7:00 PM HOME GAME, ALL THE THREE TEAMS TYPICALLY COME IN AT 5:30 AND TAKE A 45 MIN TO 1 HOUR PRACTICE.  WITH DOUBLE HEADERS, THERE IS NO PRACTICE TIME.  THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE TWISTERS WERE HERE THAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD AS FEW AS TWO OR THREE PRACTICES DURING THE SEASON AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO RUN A SOLID PROGRAM.
4) IN THE MID 1990'S, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WERE EXPOSED TO FOREIGN TEAMS COMING TO THE AREA TO PLAY THE LOCAL TEAMS. THE RUSSIAN JR. NATIONAL CAME TO THE AREA (3) TIMES TO PLAY LOCAL TEAMS.  THE CUBAN JR, NATIONAL TEAM CAME TWO OR THREE AND DID THE SAME THING.  A TEAM OF 15-16 YEAR OLDS WENT TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO PLAY GAMES THERE.  OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WERE EXPOSED TO THE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL BENFITS OF PLAYING THESE FOREIGN TEAMS AND IT MADE FOR GREAT MEMORIES.  THE NECBL THEN SHOWED UP AND PUT AN END TO THAT.  THEIR PLAYERS NOW BENEFIT FROM PLAYING THE OUT OF COUNTRY TEAMS AND OUR YOUNG PEOPLE PAY TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES AND WATCH.
THE GENTLEMEN PROPOSING THE CONCEPT FOR BRINGING A TEAM TO TORRINGTON MADE THE  STATEMENT THAT FEW IF ANY TEAMS IN THE NECBL MAKES A "PROFIT".  YET, THEY ARE SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS IN TORRINGTON FROM HOMES IN STAMFORD, MILFORD, NEW HAVEN, DRUMMING UP SUPPORT FOR A TEAM, PROMISING TO SHARE PROFITS WITH CHARITIES, SPLIT SOME GAME PROCEEDS WITH THE CITY TEAMS AND GIVING UP A REVENUE STREAM BY AGREEING NOT TO COMPETE WITH COACH CARBONES BASEBALL CAMP.  A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. 
SO I ASK MYSELF "WHAT'S IN FOR THEM".  I THEN ASK THEM "WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU"  THE ANSWER WAS "CERTAINLY NOT MONEY" ALONG WITH A SONG AND DANCE ROUTINE THAT DOES NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION.  AGAIN, I ASK "WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU".  SAME DANCE, NO ANSWER. THE COUNT IS NOW 0-2 AND I DECIDE ON THE SAME PITCH.  "WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU"  SAME DANCE AROUND THE QUESTION WITH NO ANSWER AND AND IN MY BOOK, THEY ARE OUT! 
THERE IS ANOTHER PLAY HERE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT SEEING NOR ARE THE PROPOSERS BEING HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT.  IT CERTAINLY IS NOT ABOUT A BASEBALL TEAM BECAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY IN IT FOR THEM 
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE END GAME FOR THEM IS, BUT I DO HAVE SOME HUNCHES.  THIS TORRINGTON TEAM WILL BE AN EXPERIMENT, A CONFIRMATION OF SOME OTHER LARGER MONEY MAKING SCHEME THAT WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF TORRINGTON.
I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT, BUT THERE  IS DEFINETLY  ANOTHER PLAY THAT WILL MORE ENRICHING TO THIS GROUP.
ALL OF THIS COMES DOWN TO THIS.  WHAT MORAL JUSTIFICATION IS THERE THAT REQUIRES OUR TEAMS, WHO PAY THE SALARIES AND COSTS IN THIS CITY, HAVE TO BE PENALIZED SO SOME OUT OF STATE COLLEGE BASEBALL PLAYER IS PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHEIVE HIS DREAM.  MAYBE OUR PLAYERS DREAMS ARE NOT THE SAME, BUT AT LEAST THEY CAN FEEL IT WHEN THEY ARE THE FIELD AND THAT'S WHAT IS ALL ABOUT.  "THAT'S MY SAY."

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I NEED TO COMMENT ABOUT THE SITUATION REGARDING THE TORRINGTON LITTLE LEAGUE AND MY SPONSOR, SPORTS PALACE.  THEY HAVE BEEN OUR SPONSOR SINCE 1983 AND HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAM.  OUR UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT ARE ALWAYS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND WHEN WE TAKE THE FIELD, WE ARE THE ENVY OF MANY OF THE TEAMS WE PLAY BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE ARE OUTFITTED.
I AM BIG ON THE QUALITY OF LOYALTY, SOMETHING THAT THE ETHICALLY CHALLENGED TORRINGTON LITTLE LEAGUE SEEMS TO HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT.  IN READING THE LITTLE LEAGUE PRESIDENTS LETTER TO THE EDITOR, SHE YAKS ON ABOUT HOW WONDERFULL THE PROGRAM IS BECAUSE OF THE VOLUNTEERIZM AND HARD WORK THAT IS PUT INTO THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS ALLTRUE, BUT SHE MAKES IT SOUND LIKE IT IS SOME NEW PHENOMENON WHEN, ACTUALLY,  IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 50 YEARS OR MORE AND HAS BEEN A  "RIGHT OF PASSAGE" FOR YOUNG PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN.  I SPENT A FEW  YEARS DOING MY THING IN LITTLE LEAGUE.
SPORTS PALACE HAS BEEN SUPPORTING TORRINGTON'S LITTLE LEAGUE FOR OVER 25 YEARS, SPONSORING TEAMS, PROVIDING UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT AT A FAIR PRICE AND MEETING THEIR EMERGENCY NEEDS WHEN REQUIRED.  THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR THIS PROGRAM, YET THIS YEAR, SOME LUG ON THE COMMITTEE DECIDES HE IS GOING TO PURCHASE THE UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS FROM A LITCHFIELD SPORTING GOOD STORE AND HE DID IT WITH QUESTIONABLE METHODS.  SPORTS PALACE WAS GIVEN THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT, BUT THEY KEPT CHANGING AND BEFORE THE NECESSARY RESEARCH COULD BE DONE, THEY WERE PURCHASED FROM THE LITCHFIELD STORE.  WHAT HAPPENED TO LOYALTY, SUPPORTING YOUR SUPPORTERS?  I SAW NO MENTION OF THAT IN THE LEAGUE PRESIDENTS LETTER, JUST MEANINGLESS FLOWERY REHTORIC.
I KNOW THAT THE TORRINGTON LITTLE LEAGUE RECEIVES A STIPEND FROM THE CITY IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.  THE LITTLE LEAGUE PRESIDENT WROTE THAT THEY HAVE TO RUN THE LEAGUE AS A BUSINESS.  SPORTS PALACE RUNS A STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESS.  I RUN A SMALL BUSINESS.  WE DO NOT GET ANY TAXPAYERS MONEY NOR DO WE WANT ANY.  WE PAY TAXES IN TORRINGTON AND WE HAVE PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAYED TAXES.  IF LITTLE LEAGUE WANTS TO RUN THEIR PROGRAM AS A BUSINESS, THEN SHOW SOME MORAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUSE THE TAXPAYERS STIPEND.  ON THE OTHER HAND YOU CAN DO THE RIGHT THING. SHOW SOME LOYALTY AND MORAL BACKBONE AND SUPPORT YOUR SUPPORTERS. IS THIS TOO HARD FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND??  THAT MY SAY!! 
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Well, The Twisters have left the TorringtonStage. Many people in the Torrington sports community have always held the belief that I was dead set against the Twisters and I certainly was in the beginning.  After a few years you learn to live with the inconvenience of working on a schedule around them.  In the end, I was very glad to see them go, but for reasons most people do not understand.  I realize that  bringing the Twisters to town was the engine that resulted in fixing up Fuessenich Park to the great facility it is today.  It could have been done without them, although with them, it was accomplished in a shorter time.  I met and shook hands with the new owner Ms. Wadsworth shortly after she purchased the team.  In my business, I meet many people. I can tell you from this one meeting, I sensed that she was not a person of integrity nor did I feel she could be trusted.  Call it a one of those gut feelings.  In the end , it was what it was.

The reasons I disliked the Twisters are as follows and in no special order
1) The cost to the Taxpayers of Torrington.  I read where the cost to Torrington Taxpayers to subsidize the Twister team was $200,000 to $300,000 over the (12) years.  I think that might be somewhat on the light side, but It was still money that should have been spent on our own residents. 
2) The Register Citizen made a huge mistake by putting its weight behind the Twisters by using a lot of press coverage of the team, it's upcoming seasons and profiling the "contracted" players while at the same time ignoring the local summer teams, their games and their player accomplishments.  I resented this over the top bias as did many others and it resulted in a backlash in the areas sport community at a time when, I am sure, that the paper was trying to increase readership.  From 1985 to 1996, TCM  went from having almost every home game covered along with some of the away games, as well as some of the surrounding towns games to coverage that amounted to 4-6 regular season games (out of 20+) covered when the Twisters came around.  In 2007, the Torrington Connie Mack Team won the N.W. Ct Connie Mack Baseball league Championship.  The playoff games were covered well by the Register Citizen, but the regular season games were another story.  The core group of the 2007 champ players were together for (3) years and their accomplishments were enormous.  A 58-21 overall won-lost record with a 3-year batting average of an unheard .317!!!  There was great pitching and a stingy defense that resulted in many double plays.  In 2007, they hit (10) fence clearing home runs, but no one except coaches, parents and friends were aware of all of this it because the Register Citizen was too busy covering the Joe Blow, out of state, college players. That has been my biggest beef with the Twisters.  The removal of the spotlight from the achievements of our young men.

I take great pride in the accomplishments of the those young men who have played for me over the years and I want the community to recognize what they have done as well.  With the Twisters gone, maybe we can put the spotlight back on the positive sports acievements of this community's young people.

THAT'S MY SAY!!