Not sure which Cooperstown tourney you mean, but Dreams Park more often than not has a waiting list a mile long. There are some teams that are sort of grandfathered in, meaning they've had a team in it since the very beginning of the place, and so have a spot reserved. other teams are newer and have to apply for a spot, while other teams get in due to a team dropping out and a spot opening up.
Chances are the team you crushed has been going down through the years in one form or another. Admission to the tourney isn't based on how well a team does. When we went years ago it was because one guy in our town had had a spot from the very beginning and would form a team every year.