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“I
didn’t like the idea at first”
“Initially I was shocked”
“Don’t mind it as much as when I first saw it”
“I still like the double elimination better”
Those are some of the comments heard around the park
in Eau Claire from fans and players as they shared
their feelings about the “power pool” concept for
the round robin portion of the 2005 ISC World
Tournament.
Jerry Stangl 73 year old retired postal employee from
Coon Rapids, Iowa, has been coming with his wife to
the World Tourney for over 35 years.
“We plan our vacation around it.” Says Stangl. And
how does he feel about the latest wrinkle in the
format?
“I didn’t like the idea at first, but having seen
it in action I like it a lot better. It gave the
non-power teams a better chance of making the
playoffs” says Stangl. “I still like the old style
(double elimination) better, but with the new format
you get a chance to watch some better games early.”
Phil Reimer of Landmark, (“the fastball hotbed of
Manitoba”) calls the power pool format “fine –
it has cut down on the number of mercy games” Reimer
is watching his first World Tournament. He questions
whether there are “too many teams”
Carl Lind of Crystal Falls, Michigan, has been coming
to the tournament for 15 years. His reactions: “I
was shocked when I saw the change to the power
pools”
But Lind continues, “I take my hat off to the I.S.C.
They are doing their best to save the game. They are
trying valiantly so we really shouldn’t be shocked
at seeing major changes come.”
Lind admits he “comes late to the tournament”
since the ISC has gone to pool play. He sums up his
feelings with, “You are doing your best to save the
game – now if we could only get the owners to go
along.”
Certainly not everyone agrees with the power pools –
or with round robin play in general.
“I’ve always liked double elimination better.”
Says Leo Lowe of Garretson, S. Dak., who has been
coming to the I.S.C. since Saskatoon in 1987.
“I like it, but I still like double elimination
better.” says Bruce Simpson of Alleston Ontario, who
has seen 24 World Tourneys.
Simpson adds “I don’t mind sitting here watching
good teams play and I’d rather see teams fairly well
matched than watch one team beat the bejebbers out of
another.”
Guy Greenwall and Bob Goulden who played for the
Edmonton Express agree that “the power pool gives a
sense of fairness. It sets up some upset possibilities
and makes pool play more competitive with better
matchups.” Goulden observed that, “I didn’t mind
it as much as when I first saw it. I thought it was a
bad idea, but
now that I’ve seen it, I think it is better than I
had expected it to be.”
The power pool concept is likely to be continued when
the 2006 edition of the ISC World Tournament is
contested in Kitchener next August.
August 19, 2005
Gordon Wise
ISC Information Director
http://www.ISCfastball.com/
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