Okay, Let’s Try This…

The results from the 1^st Baseman and 2^nd Baseman “Best” I Ever saw tournaments really opened my eyes. So much so, I am again forced to change the format. And the name. However, before I go on, here are the results from the 2^nd Baseman tourney:

Now for the changes.

No Final Eight. No Honorable Mention. No Seeding. No Semifinals. No Finals. One tournament poll. One winner. And that winner will be declared The Most “Popular” I Ever Saw.

You may ask, why the draconian changes. As I stated, the results of the last two tournaments opened my eyes. Hell, they shocked me. I couldn’t believe them. When Gregg Hansen, a longtime Kenosha Softball player, chimed in with a rather poignant comment on Facebook, I knew it wasn’t only me thinking this way. Here is what Gregg wrote:

Paul thanks for taking the time and effort of putting together "The Best" of softball voting. Having played on, and managed, many teams over my active years, I would like to present a perspective for the voters.

While all players have a fan base, I think Paul meant this to be a contest to determine "THE BEST" player you have seen play the position. In other words, if you had, say, $5000 of your own money to sponsor a team, who would you want playing each position to represent your "DREAM TEAM.” I don't believe Paul meant…Who is your best friend, or, who do you like most, or, who is your relative, but…Who is absolutely "THE BEST" at this position that you have ever seen, that wouldn't be wasting a spot on the roster.

Please correct me if I missed the intent of your contest, Paul. Keep up the great work on all of your writing efforts! (My opinion was not meant to denigrate the popularity, or ability, of any players considered in Paul's poll.)

Gregg’s comments summed up my feelings very well. Let’s leave it at that.

You will notice that the new poll has a large number of players to choose from. Under my format, if I saw someone play and they stood out in my memories, they made the list. So, with that in mind, let the popularity contest begin!

The Most “Popular” 3^rd Baseman I Ever Saw Tourney poll will be open until Saturday at noon. As usual, the poll is located just to the right of the blog. Those using a smartphone, make sure you scroll to the bottom and click on view web version to find the poll.

Until next time…from the booth.