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22202
263 Posts |
 Posted - 03/05/2011 : 19:39:55
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| I just heard Slugfest has been cancelled for Sunday. Pretty bummed! |
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Thunder
72 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 06:53:53
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It was a hard decision but we didn't want to keep teams hanging on with the hope that we might play on Sunday only to find out that there was no way to get the fields ready.
While this is tremendously disappointing, its not a complete wash as we were able to make a few kids from The Miracle League very happy.
On Friday night, at different parks, we had several kids from The Miracle League throw out the first pitch. For these kids that was a great moment. For Andres at Sawnee Mountain, he smiled from ear to ear as he took his wind up, threw the pitch and then had his picture taken with the catcher. In the background, players and fans cheered and clapped for him. As he left the field, he was so excited that he got to keep the baseball. That was truly a great moment that provides a good perspective for all of us to remind us of how fortunate we are.
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6bomber
68 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 09:21:06
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thunder
thanks for reminding us about the great programs out there for the few who can't get on the field of play. with tourneys starting up every weekend, i would recommend having your teams volunteer for these programs. our team has helped our local challenger league every year. keeps things in perspective for these kids and parents. |
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baseballpapa
1520 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 09:39:54
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| Thunder: Could we get some photos posted of the kids from the Miracle League. This is one Papa's all time favorite tournaments and I also was disappointed with the weather but I will be the first to congratulate and applaud all that you guys do for this charity and we look forward to seeing you soon. |
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GeneralsCoach
49 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 12:18:49
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| Yep, $320 for one game bums me out, too. |
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oldschooldad
203 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 14:16:32
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quote:
Originally posted by GeneralsCoach
Yep, $320 for one game bums me out, too.
What is the refund policy for this event? Are they refunding the gate fee? What %? If this is a 3 day event and you played on Friday night, shouldn't teams get 2/3 back? TC has a policy for games played but is the Slugfest responsible for the gate fee? |
Edited by - oldschooldad on 03/06/2011 14:27:20 |
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rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 14:48:01
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quote:
Originally posted by oldschooldad
quote:
Originally posted by GeneralsCoach
Yep, $320 for one game bums me out, too.
What is the refund policy for this event? Are they refunding the gate fee? What %? If this is a 3 day event and you played on Friday night, shouldn't teams get 2/3 back? TC has a policy for games played but is the Slugfest responsible for the gate fee?
They kept the gate fee. 100% of it. Something is wrong with this picture. |
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oldschooldad
203 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 15:42:39
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quote:
Originally posted by rippit
quote:
Originally posted by oldschooldad
quote:
Originally posted by GeneralsCoach
Yep, $320 for one game bums me out, too.
What is the refund policy for this event? Are they refunding the gate fee? What %? If this is a 3 day event and you played on Friday night, shouldn't teams get 2/3 back? TC has a policy for games played but is the Slugfest responsible for the gate fee?
They kept the gate fee. 100% of it. Something is wrong with this picture.
Rain outs stink for everyone. No question but why not refund the gate fee? Times are tough all around. Teams and parents are struggling to cover the cost for the season. The charity nature of this event should not factor into the refund policy.
Going to think long and hard if we enter this event next season. Weather is too iffy and umpiring has been a major issue in the past. Add to that, the lack of any type of pro-rated gate fee refund and its hard to justify entering again. |
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momshell
103 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 17:04:40
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| We played Friday night, but late, so only five parents came to watch. That means we paid $20 each to watch our team play one game. Wow. I'm glad we won. Oldschooldad is right. Hard to justify in the future. |
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Thunder
72 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 17:28:54
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We will post pictures of the first pitch on the website as soon as they are sent to me.
Triple Crown's refund policy is what was followed for the tournament. Teams that didn't play a game will get a refund of both their gate fee and entry fee less $100.
Teams that played 1 (50% entry fee refund) or 2 (0 entry fee refund)games will not have their gate fee refunded because their fans/parents were able to attend the game. It would be impossible to count how many people attended per team. If we had done a daily gate fee of $5 per person, the parents/fans of the team would have paid much more than the $125 team gate fee. This is no different than when attending a tournament that is charging a fee at the gate and buying a weekend tournament pass on the first night of the tournament only to have the tournament washed out on the weekend. The tournament wouldn't be giving refunds for the remainder of the tournament pass....at least none have for the tournaments that I have played in over the years that got rained out on the weekend.
We will make it a point to be sure that this is clearer in the future. |
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mdjohnston
16 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 18:08:14
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| The difference is we had no choice but to pay the $150 gate fee prior to the start of the tournament. Parents would have never bought a weekend pass if the fee was collected at the gate based on the weather forecast for the weekend. Triple Crown's refund policy for the entry fee was very clear and we all understood what that policy going in. The teams that played Friday night ended up paying roughly $350 for one game. The fair thing to do would be to provide a 50% refund of the gate fee as well for teams that played Friday night. It was supposed to be a 3 day event unless you were eliminated Saturday night. Keeping the entire gate fee for one game played seems like a money grab to me. |
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oldschooldad
203 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 18:17:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Thunder
We will post pictures of the first pitch on the website as soon as they are sent to me.
Triple Crown's refund policy is what was followed for the tournament. Teams that didn't play a game will get a refund of both their gate fee and entry fee less $100.
Teams that played 1 (50% entry fee refund) or 2 (0 entry fee refund)games will not have their gate fee refunded because their fans/parents were able to attend the game. It would be impossible to count how many people attended per team. If we had done a daily gate fee of $5 per person, the parents/fans of the team would have paid much more than the $125 team gate fee. This is no different than when attending a tournament that is charging a fee at the gate and buying a weekend tournament pass on the first night of the tournament only to have the tournament washed out on the weekend. The tournament wouldn't be giving refunds for the remainder of the tournament pass....at least none have for the tournaments that I have played in over the years that got rained out on the weekend.
We will make it a point to be sure that this is clearer in the future.
Thanks for coming online and replying to questions about refunds. Many TD/Organizer NEVER address problems or questions, so hats off.
But still have a few comments. Triplecrown normally doesn't charge a gate fee, so why for the Slugfest? $ for Slugfest and not TC is my guess. Often gate fees are big money makers for the organizers and not the sanctioning body. Why was the gate fee required and not optional? Pay the fee or pay to enter per fan. IMO If its not optional it really should be refunded.
In regards to a weekend pass and getting rained out. With the weather forecast predicting storms, no one would have bought a weekend pass for this event. Storms that hit in the spring or summer but not in the forecast are not the same and not fair to compare the two. |
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22202
263 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 19:58:30
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| Doesn't sound too good to not refund any gate fees. Even if TC kept just $50 of the gate fee and refunded the rest multiplied by 200 teams would be $10,000.00!! More teams may be apt to donate if they got more back. I know between searching for sponsors and fund raisers I'D like to get all we can get back, back. We supported concession stands, tshirt sales etc. I agree if it is not optional than there needs to be a refund! |
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Glove Smacker
47 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 20:16:52
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Triple Crown,
I noticed on your website it said that teams could make a donation to charity. I would like to donate my teams non-refundable $100 that you stole from us. We will never play another TC event.
What do you need to keep $100 for? |
Edited by - Glove Smacker on 03/06/2011 21:03:22 |
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Triple
26 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 20:43:22
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| Thunder, you are just plain old wrong here. If a team got to play 1 game on Friday they are penalized enough. It was an expensive scrimage for them. You should refund the gate fee. If I look at your logic of not knowing how many people took advantage of getting in on that night, them you should at least refund one third of the money. Becuase no people got in on Saturday or Sunday. It's the right thing to do. |
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Spartan4
913 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 21:24:50
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| I will definately ask our coach to NEVER agree to play Friday nights again, many teams aren't required to do so. I realize distance is a factor but it is pretty wrong to financially penalize a team for playing on Friday night. These tournament directors are obviously out for money but wouldn't refunding money fairly go farther for future TC tournaments?? Also, by refunding more money I would be willing to bet teams would donate more to what was supposed to be the reason for this tournament....Not for padding the TC pocketbook. |
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bestplayinbaseball
67 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 21:54:06
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| Does TC have to pay to use the facilities(for the entire weekend) in the event of a rain out? The umps don't get paid if they don't work. It is absolutely ridiculous for a team to play 1 game for that amount of money (50%and a gate fee). Disappointed customer. |
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gatraveler
58 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 21:57:26
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| On top of the gate fee, our team was afforded the luxury of a 2 hour round trip costing each family another $15 in gas. Add in concessions, and we spent $500. I have always advocated to play in this tournament, but if gate fees aren't returned, I won't be back. |
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mjones9226
81 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 23:04:45
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| After the tourney losing my entry fee last year, and telling me as I entered the park I had to write them a check or go home I made the decision then not to go back. I had no way of knowing ahead of time we had not paid (no one contacted me even though the fee was sent in on time). Turns out they did find the check, and mailed it back to me. Not a huge deal, but wasn't handled the right way. Glad I made that decision now. The argument that a few parents got to see a late game merits with holding the entire gate fee is just plain wrong. This means of doing business will more than likely cost the charities more money over the next couple of years than if the directors would just do the right thing. Nobody feels good about having money taken under the wrong circumstance, even if it is for charity. |
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GeneralsCoach
49 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 23:58:30
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| I'm with oldschooldad. It wasn't an option to pay the gate fee or not. We certainly wouldn't have. To say we would spend more on per person gate fee per day is an assumption that doesn't ring true for everyone. I thought $250 for the one game was bad enough... |
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seminole tony
147 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 08:17:09
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What about teams that stayed in hotels Friday night(because of early games Sat.)? Paid gate charge, entry fee, hotel, dinner out Friday night, t-shirts and never played a game. You have to make the teams want to come back. 2 years in a row of trouble surrounding this tournament will definitely keep alot of teams from returning. TD already have to compete with horrible weather that time of year. Do what's right and teams will want to come back.
TD's are giving us more reasons not to return then to play. My vote as of now stands at waiting till later in March for tournament play next year, pass on Slugfest. Great cause...Poor decision making. |
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Critical Mass
277 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 09:26:42
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| Looks like this tourney is heading down the same path as the Border Wars in Chattanooga....that is sad. |
Edited by - Critical Mass on 03/07/2011 09:29:23 |
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wfdd
28 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 10:07:33
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| The correct thing to do would have been to cancel the tournament Friday morning and avoid any controversy. Anyone realistically looking at the weather forecast knew Saturday and Sunday would be washed out. Now the teams that had to endure the freezing temps on Friday night pay $320.00 for 1 game. The gate fee should be refunded as anyone that had to attend Friday night due to the decision to play was miserable in the cold. |
Edited by - wfdd on 03/07/2011 10:32:20 |
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rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 10:47:37
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I have to go along with the others here. This trend of "team gate fees" is getting ridiculous as it is. Why don't these TDs just up the entry fee bc that's essentially what they are doing anyway.
Had a tournament last summer where the TD didn't advertise a gate fee period then wanted $6 a person daily with no weekend pass. Find a happy middle please... |
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coachdan06
433 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 10:53:54
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sounds like everyone is uner the same opinion - that they are being taken advantage of in this situation and that the tournament should have never begun.
grandsons scoutmaster canceled their outing as early as Thursday evening when seeing the imminent weather for weekend
heres my solution - get as much money back as you can then never go back : vote with your feet its a very powerful component for change !
if nothing else youll help someone else out down the road who may not suffer such adverse treatment |
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22202
263 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 11:02:03
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+1 WFDD. We froze our butts off. I felt sorry for the kids playing, their hands were blue when they came off the field!
So it looks like, TC has made their mind up about the refunds. I sit here this morning sick about loosing that money and not playing so I ask, what I would do if I was in their shoes to make this easier on everyone. And about the only thing I can come up with is refund the gate fee in full, and use the entry fee for another TC tournament in 2011.
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Edited by - 22202 on 03/07/2011 11:27:09 |
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Topic |
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Slugfest cancelled?
