West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association

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Our friends from the Dodger camp have announced a brand new tournament.  Mark Schneiderman of Dodgertown West has been working diligently to put the details together and is ready to announce the Santa Barbara Dirt and Surf Baseball Bash of 2013 to take place at Westmont College from August 2^nd through 4^th.  The WCFBA has been invited to send two teams to this event.  With deadlines looming, it has been decided that this will be a mixed event (A’s and Giants combined) for WCFBA members and we will send 26 players spread across two teams. 

Hotels are at a premium in Santa Barbara at this time of year and prices are high.  Mark and his wife Leslie have spent countless hours tracking down blocks of rooms at several hotels.  I have attached a listing of them all.  In most cases, a three-night stay is required (Thursday through Saturday).  To reserve one of the listed rooms, email Mark at msinsurance@sbcglobal.net.

IMPORTANT : Read the following note from Mark . . .

“All rooms are held with our credit card, so what I’ll need from you right now is what rooms you and your guys want, so we can pencil you in.  Once I hear from everyone, we’ll make the assignments, give out confirmation #’s and everyone can call in their own CC #.  All of these places are very charming, close to town and none are more than a 5-10 minute drive to Westmont.  The Hyatt is where we’ll be having the group dinner (right across from the beach).  We’ll reserve these for you on a first come, first served basis, so you may want to include a second choice.  We didn’t include them, but if anyone wants more upscale places, Santa Barbara has some great spots- The Four Seasons Biltmore, San Ysidro Ranch, and the newly re-opened El Encanto.  All are amazing places and big bucks!”

Here are the important docs:

- Santa Barbara Dirt and Surf Baseball Bash Tournament Flyer

- Santa Barbara Dirt and Surf Baseball Bash Hotel Listing

- Santa Barbara Dirt and Surf Baseball Bash WCFBA Individual Player Signup Form

Here is Mark’s announcement:

+++++++++

Hi.

Just wanted to let you know about and invite you to the Santa Barbara Dirt and Surf Baseball Bash 2013 from Friday August 2nd through Sunday August 4^th.

There will be 2 DTW teams managed by Rick Fahrney and Dan Steinberg. Tournament rules will be pretty much DTW rules except with non-runners limited to 2 per team.   All Games played on the impeccably manicured Russ Carr Field at Westmont College.

We're scheduled for:

•          Dodgertown West, 2 Teams

•          A’s – Giants, 2 Teams

•          Halos, 1 Team

•          Padres, 1 Team

Your $195.00 Player Registration Fee Includes

• Three Games per team

• A Beach Side Welcome Reception and Buffet Dinner on Friday with Full Bar at the Santa Barbara Hyatt Monte Mar Hotel and Spa

($60.00 per guest 13 or older, $20 for under 13 with an RSVP by July 15, 2013)

Santa Barbara is a desirable destination all year long; and especially in the summer. Rooms have been reserved, in a variety of convenient locales and price ranges, by your local hosts in order to accommodate players and their families. They will be confirmed and assigned on a first come first served basis. Please contact your managers for all reserved accommodation details. All unassigned rooms must be relinquished no later than June 1, 2013.

Hope to see your there.

Mark Schneiderman

In 2010, in honor of the late Captain Steve Bennett, the annual San Diego tournament was renamed to "The Captain's Bassball Tournament".  'Bassball' combines Steve's love of baseball and his excellence at playing the bass in several different bands. 

In 2013, we will be playing baseball once again at Point Loma Nazarene University from June 28th through June 30th.  Click here for the campus map.  Billed as "America's Most Scenic Ballpark", the baseball diamond has an ocean view.  This tournament will feature three West Coast Fantasy Baseball teams (one A's and two Giants), two Dodger teams, and a Padres squad.

For the tournament details including the hotel and banquet information, go to the tournament page at:

2013 Captain's Bassball Tournament Information Page

GIANTS : Click here for the tournament signup form.  Send the form and payment to Mike Weir at the address on the form.  The Giants are only taking two teams or 26 players maximum.  Your deadline is Friday, June 7th.  NOTE :  For those of you always needing the late game on Friday or the early game on Sunday, be advised that the Giants may not have teams playing at those times.  Plan to be available the entire weekend.

The 5th Annual "Rob Weber Desert Classic" Fantasy Baseball Tournament will be held on the weekend of May 17-19, 2013.  Our tournament hosts will again be Carl Cardinalli, Bob Ford, and Tony Lennon.  For the second consecutive year, we will be playing at Ted Hamilton Field on the College of the Desert campus (43-500 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260).  The field is located within walking distance of the Palm Desert Street Fair and the Palm Desert Civic Center Park.  The tournament will feature six (6) teams again this year.  The following camps have been invited to send teams:

• A's

• Dodgers

• Giants (2 squads)

• Mariners

• Tigers

Go to the tournament web page at 5th Annual “Rob Weber Desert Classic” for hotel and banquet information.

The rosters and schedule have been posted as of 4/20/13 at:

2013 Rob Weber Desert Classic Rosters and Schedule

At the conclusion of 2012, the terms for Mark Gemello, Ray Miailovich, and J.C. Penney on the West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association Board of Directors ended and we thank them for their service.  In addition, the board has voted to increase the number of voting board members to six.  Four new board members were needed and eleven candidates stepped forward.

WCFBA membership was asked to choose four of the eleven candidates to serve over the next two to three years.  Ninety votes were received with each candidate receiving at least 20% of the vote.  Voting was very close for the final position with five candidates separated by just a half dozen votes.  In the end, the new board members will be:

• Keith DaCosta

• Mark Gemello

• Rob Lanterman

• Scott Lueders

These four will join returning board members John Haines and Matthew Schmuck.  Board members will participate in two to three meetings a year to discuss issues related to the WCFBA.  Issues include governance, league and tournament participation, rules, and policy.

Thank you to Marc Gerhardt, Ed Glover, Lynn Harkrider, Mike Miller, Jim Realini, Mike Shaffer, and Dave Vigil for running for the board and we hope you will try again.

For a list of all the roles and responsibilities that folks currently hold within the WCFBA, click here.

2012 WCFBA League Champions - The Double V's

The 2012 Lodi Tournament served as the venue for the presentation of this year's Paul E. Roman award winner.  The award is given to the campers who most exemplify what we are trying to accomplish with these tournaments and league events.  Just as Dodgertown West has their David Blakemore award, we will recognize some campers each year for their contribution to the events. 

This year's sole winner was Scott Lueders.  Scott was a near unanimous selection.  Throughout the 90's and into the mid-2000's, Scott would volunteer to coach a team at tournaments. He was meticulously organized and made sure his players had fun. You knew if you played on Scott's team, you would be treated fairly.  Scott 'gets' what this is all about. Many of us have made fun of his look of disbelief on strike calls. He laughs at the imitations just as loud as the rest of us and realizes it is all in fun.  Scott is enthusiastic about leading the fantasy camper band, The Melodians, and providing entertainment for the group at tournaments and parties. These are his friends and he wants to do a good job.

For those of you who didn't get a chance to meet Paul who passed away in 2002, get yourself a copy of his wife Jackie's book and you'll see why he was chosen to represent this award.  A web page has been created to honor Paul and all the award winners.  Each year, previous winners will be asked to select new award recipients.  Winners will be announced at the Lodi tournament each year and they will be awarded a certificate as well as have their names etched on a perpetual plaque. 

WCFBA member Duane Blevins passed away on September 30, 2012 at the age of 53 in Kapolei, Hawaii.  It was determined that his death was due to a heart attack.  Funeral services were held at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in Honolulu on October 20th. 

We only knew Duane for a short period of time, but he made quite the impression on the WCFBA during the one year he played with us.  He began league and tournament play with us during the 2008 season.  He was an above average player who played a lot of baseball during his high school years in Thousand Oaks, California.  He played the left side of the infield and did some pitching as well. 

Early in 2008, Duane and his future wife, Rhonda, decided to get married on the field of play during our annual San Diego tournament at Pt. Loma Nazarene University.  The Giants team and the Dodgers team scheduled to play at that time participated in the ceremony.  It is an event that many of us still talk about today.

Duane and Rhonda decided to move to Hawaii near the end of 2008 to start their life anew.  He would check in from time to time to let us know that he missed us all, but he was very happy in his new life.  Rhonda continues to live and work in Hawaii.

The West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association, as a non-profit organization, is required to post their yearly tax returns. Our treasurer, Mark Gemello, has filed our state and federal returns for this past year.  Of special note is that for the second consecutive year, WCFBA events (league and tournament) generated over $100,000 in gross receipts.  This is due to a combination of the number of events we are involved in, the number of participants in these events, and the growing costs to run each event.  As an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, virtually all of this money goes right back out the door to pay for the events and the equipment that we use.

To view each return, click on the links below or visit the About Us page:

2011 California Franchise Tax Board Form 199

WENDELL KIM UPDATE

Many of you have met Wendell Kim ('WK') during your fantasy camp experience. WK was a long-time coach with the Giants and also worked with the Red Sox, Brewers, Expos, and Cubs during his career. He last worked as a coach in the Nationals system in 2005. Since then, WK and his wife Natasha have retired to Gilbert, Arizona.

Toward the end of his career, WK started to experience some loss of his short-term memory. Many tests were run to determine the cause, but nothing definitive was found. Over time, the memory loss worsened so Natasha scheduled more tests to be performed by the Mayo Clinic. Recently, it was determined that there is a 95% chance that WK has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that is incurable, degenerative and terminal in nature. To read more about the disease, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer. Steps are being taken to slow down the progress of the disease and WK will continue to see doctors at the Mayo Clinic.

UPDATE (11/27/10) : The disease has progressed to the point where WK now lives full-time at a center specializing in memory loss.  Natasha visits him one or two times a week and says he has his good days and his bad days.  He can no longer process cards or letters so please do not send any more.  Natasha realizes we would all like to help, but points out that even if there were a way to reverse the damage of the disease, WK is too far along.

If you would still like to do something, perhaps making a donation in Wendell's name would help.  The following organizations could use the money to continue research into the disease:

UCSF Memory and Aging Center

Alzheimer's Association