This is an email that I sent today. I would ask anyone else that has been involved to please follow up.
Mr. Neely and Mr. Diamond,
My name is Cade Griffis and I am the owner of D-BAT, Inc. This is the first email I have written of its kind in 10 years of being in business. My only regret is I did not write this email last year after our experience last year at the Arizona AABC World Series Qualifier.
I am copying Sam Carpenter, Richard Holt and many others on this email. Although Sam, Richard and I may not see eye to eye on everything I believe they will tell you that I am not a complainer nor am I dishonest. I am one of the biggest believers in AABC. I believe it is the only true thing left in select baseball. I am a believer that when you lose the season should be over; I believe you should win your way to the big dance. You should not buy yourself a world series. I have 3 teams ever year 16, 17, and 18. All of my teams play AABC no questions asked. I was disappointed a few years ago to hear that AABC were doing regional and World Series qualifiers. Saying that I felt forced to go spend the money to play in the qualifiers. Even though I do not believe in them I could not afford to not give my teams the opportunity to go to the big dance.
I played in Farmington in 1993 with the Burkburnett Black Sox; my teams have made the Mickey Mantle World Series and or Connie Mack World Series 4 times in the past 4 years. I have seen the great things that AABC has to offer and you guys do a great job.
My teams have gone to the Arizona W.S Qualifier the past two years and both years it has been a total nightmare. Ron Forbes has vocally said and I quote “This is my tournament and I will fix it the way I want”. This quote was heard by 3 different people one being Ryan Brewer the owner of Albuquerque Baseball Academy. (I am also copying him on this email). Last year I had my 17 and 18 year old teams in the same tournament and as my 18 year old manager watched as he was in an argument with another coach he turned and said “What are you looking at fat a**” (I am also copying him on this email). The manger of my 17 year old team asked him why he switched the game time after the bracket was posted and he said “If you don’t like it don’t come back”.
This leads me to my conclusion. This is actually what he wants. He does not want anyone to come back so he can run the table and experience Farmington year after year. He has told 3 people from 3 different teams and from 3 different states “If you don’t like it don’t come back”. The experience was so bad last year I decided to send one team to Arizona and one to N.Y. instead of both teams going to Arizona.
Rusty Greer who coaches my 17-year-old team called my on Thursday and asked me to look at the brackets. Mr. Forbes completely stacked the bracket to his favor. I know this is a bold allegation but I beg you to look into this. He even said and I quote “This is my tournament and I will stack it the way I want”. Last year when questioned about the same thing he told our head coach that the brackets where picked by a closed meeting that no coaches were invited. This year’s bracket included all the Dallas teams, Trombly, All American Prospects, and the Florida Renegades in one bracket. The other bracket had the Arizona Firebirds, 2 Albuquerque teams, and Rocky Mountain. I also ask you to look at the byes that were given out. I ask you to please look at the brackets from both years and tell me that this is the way AABC does things.
I would like to make a few a few suggestions:
1. I believe something of this great importance should have an official from AABC fly down and oversee the tournament.
2. I believe if we have to play pool play first the teams should be seeded not just put in a bracket in random by a manager of a team in the tournament.
I have played in 10-15 AABC tournaments that Sam Carpenter has run and I have never ONE problem with the way he does things. I do not claim to be Mr. AABC or the biggest supporter. Sam Carpenter and many others have done way more then I will do in my lifetime for AABC and the game. But I do tell people every chance I get that AABC is the only true organization left that makes you play the game the right way. This needs to be addressed and stopped.
If you would like me to fax you the brackets or if you would like to speak to me my information is below. I also invite all the other teams to please email Mr. Diamond and Mr. Neely your experience at this same event.
Thanks;
Cade Griffis
972-387-3228 WK
972-387-3229 Fax
www.dallasbat.net
www.dbatsports.com
www.dallasbat.com