As mentioned before, the host family thing was tried in the beginning, it just never took off.
You are dead on about the competition though. There are just too many other things people around here are going to spend their money on for entertainment. Weather, yeah it bites. I still never understood why they didn't put shade over the entire seating area. Although when I went with Coach Adair with his team in 1994 to Scottsdale, AZ, it was much, MUCH worse. The fields were hard as a rock. You can't put enough water on them to do any good because it pretty much evaporates out of the hose. We even played at the Scottsdale minor league stadium where the Giants had their, I think AAA affiliate. Nice park, but no fan support there either. I've said all of this and I have yet to mention being in Arizona in AUGUST!!!!!! Dry heat my behind. It's down right miserable. I gotta add, we had a great team. In fact one of the players on that team gave up a very memorable home run last year to a certain home run hitting player who might have been on some kind of medication.
Farmington has the tradition and a long time relationship with the CMWS. The man whose name is on the field and has the office less than a mile from the MMWS site actually umpired MANY times in Farmington. I was usually our summer vacation back in the late 60's early 70's. If my memory serves me, they put us up in a mobile home for the week. Kinda neat for me and the family.
So Ken, where? I've heard not so good things about Waterbury, CT, it's location for many years. It's got too much competition here. Arizona is the devil's air conditioning. For a long time it was in Sherman, but that's been a few years back. Would you switch it with the 15's venue in Oklahoma?
I hope it doesn't happen, however, you make some very valid points. Big Al and Lindsey worked really hard to get it here and David is working his behind off trying to make it work now.
If you see Big Al at the games next week make sure you say hello. He loves talking baseball with anyone who will listen and has some awesome stories.