Fort Bliss Monitor

Men’s post softball tryouts end tonight

Master Sgt. Steve Miller
Public Affairs Chief

A player vying for a roster spot as a pitcher fields his position Tuesday night during a tryout session for the men’s post softball team at the Omar Bradley Softball Complex. Team Bliss tryouts conclude at the same venue tonight at 6.

Sounds like the crack of a bat and that of a horsehide sphere popping a glove mean softball season is just around the corner.

That certainly is the case for a group of players trying to make the men’s post softball team, which opens its season the weekend of March 12-13 at a military tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.

Thanks to Mother Nature’s weekend showers, which postponed the final phase of tryouts Saturday, Team Bliss coaches will hold the final tryout session tonight at 6 at the Omar Bradley Softball Complex.

Team Bliss coaches Roberto Alvarez and James Boyd also held a tryout session Tuesday night. A total of 23 players attended and, after an evening of batting practice, fielding drills and a 4-inning intrasquad game, six players were cut, leaving the remaining 17 players battling for 16 roster spots. That final cut will come after tonight’s tryout session.

“This is the first night for one of the outfielders (because of some military commitments), so we’re going to give him another night (of tryouts) for a fair opportunity,” said Boyd, assistant coach for Team Bliss.

Alvarez, who also helped coach Team Bliss last year, has been happy to see the number of players who vied for a spot on this year’s club.

“The turnout really pleased me, especially with the weather we’ve had. We had two Saturday practices rained out and a Thursday night. Still, we had 32 or 34 people the first couple of nights, whereas last year we had 24 or 25,” Alvarez said.

The tournament schedule for Team Bliss this season will focus mostly on military tournaments because they are pointing toward success in the World Military Championships, slated to take place in Panama City, Fla., in August. They will also likely take part in El Paso city league softball action on certain weeknights, though details about which league are still being finalized.

Last year, Team Bliss won both the West Texas and Mid-Texas State Military Championships and competed in the World Military Champion-ships in Dallas. They also competed in two downtown leagues, finishing in the top three in both. Team Bliss also played in 16 tournaments traveling throughout Texas and New Mexico, earning seven trophies.

Alvarez thinks Team Bliss can improve this season if the club hits more consistently.

“Hitting consistently wins softball games,” Alvarez said. “If we get more consistency from everybody, we will be fine.”

Commitment by the players and unit support to ensure player availability are two other items high on the list for improving Team Bliss, Alvarez said.

“We understand the military mission and family come before softball,” Alvarez said. “If our players have a military commitment, (they need to) just let us know ahead of time – pick up the phone.”

Diablos hire new skipper, add second Military Night

Master Sgt. Steve Miller
Public Affairs Chief

Former Los Angeles Dodger All-Star Mike Marshall speaks to the media Feb. 9 at Cohen Stadium during the press conference announcing his hiring as the new manager of the El Paso Diablos.

The El Paso Diablos hired a former major leaguer to manage their new independent Central Baseball League franchise during a Feb. 9 press conference at Cohen Stadium.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers all-star outfielder Mike Marshall will be the Diablos’ “field general,” said Team President David Pearlman. Marshall, 45, was a 1984 All-Star for the Dodgers and a member of their 1988 World Series champions. He also played for the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and California Angels during his 11-year career.

This season the Diablos have added a second Military Night to the home schedule, which begins May 5 and ends Aug. 13. The two Military Nights, in which thousands of free tickets are usually set aside for distribution to local service members, are June 1 and July 13 – both Wednesdays. Meanwhile, military personnel can save $1 all season long by buying their $5 general admission tickets for $4 at the post Information, Ticketing and Registration office.

“When I was playing in the minors with San Antonio in the Texas League, we were always envious of the fan support here,” said Marshall, who already has seven years of independent baseball experience in the Northern League as a manager and front-office executive.

Marshall said there’s more freedom to operate in the independent leagues, describing them as, “a pure form of baseball, kind of the major leagues of the minor leagues. It’s not about pitch counts and a parent club telling you who has to play and who doesn’t. We’re out there to win. You might see a rookie pitcher just out of college one night, and the next night you’ll see a major leaguer trying to get back to the big leagues. Major league teams love independent leagues. Half of them are tapping into independent leagues for replacement talent.”
Marshall said his roster will contain former major leaguers, local and foreign talent and undrafted college players. He will scout the major league teams (for roster cuts) and the Northern and Central League tryout camps for talent before the Diablos hold 10 days of spring training at Cohen Stadium in April.

Sports briefs

Black History Hoop Tourney

The annual Black History Basketball Tournament is set for Friday through Sunday at Stout Gym. The top three teams in the double-elimination tourney will earn team trophies, with T-shirts going to each player on the top two teams.

The event will also include a 3-point shootout and a free-throw contest. Three players per team may either contest, and awards will go to the top two in each event. For information, contact Nate LaCour at 568-5198 or 6722 or via e-mail at nate.lacour@bliss.army.mil. You may also contact Scott Carr, intramural sports coordinator, at 568-5995.

Post racquetbal championships

The single-elimination post racquetball championships are scheduled for Tuesday through Feb. 25 at Stout Gym. Competition is open to active-duty military personnel and activated Reserve Component members assigned or attached to Fort Bliss. Age categories for men and women are 29 and under, 30-39 and 40 or older. Awards will go to the top two players in each category. Tournament brackets will be posted today.
Players must wear protective eyewear at all times. For information, call 568-5995.

Women’s softball tryouts

Tryouts for the women’s post softball team are set for Tuesday through March 5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. The team also needs a coach. For information, call 568-5995.

Intramural bowling

The sports office is seeking to form an intramural bowling league that will compete Monday nights starting Feb. 28 and ending with a post championship in June. There will be no charge to bowl or for shoe rental.

Teams will have four members, and all league teams will be eligible for the post playoffs. For information, call 568-5995.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	February 17, 2005

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Men’s post softball tryouts end tonight Master Sgt. Steve Miller Public Affairs Chief A player vying for a roster spot as a pitcher fields his position Tuesday night during a tryout session for the men’s post softball team at the Omar Bradley Softball Complex. Team Bliss tryouts conclude at the same venue tonight at 6. Sounds like the crack of a bat and that of a horsehide sphere popping a glove mean softball season is just around the corner. That certainly is the case for a group of players trying to make the men’s post softball team, which opens its season the weekend of March 12-13 at a military tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Thanks to Mother Nature’s weekend showers, which postponed the final phase of tryouts Saturday, Team Bliss coaches will hold the final tryout session tonight at 6 at the Omar Bradley Softball Complex. Team Bliss coaches Roberto Alvarez and James Boyd also held a tryout session Tuesday night. A total of 23 players attended and, after an evening of batting practice, fielding drills and a 4-inning intrasquad game, six players were cut, leaving the remaining 17 players battling for 16 roster spots. That final cut will come after tonight’s tryout session. “This is the first night for one of the outfielders (because of some military commitments), so we’re going to give him another night (of tryouts) for a fair opportunity,” said Boyd, assistant coach for Team Bliss. Alvarez, who also helped coach Team Bliss last year, has been happy to see the number of players who vied for a spot on this year’s club. “The turnout really pleased me, especially with the weather we’ve had. We had two Saturday practices rained out and a Thursday night. Still, we had 32 or 34 people the first couple of nights, whereas last year we had 24 or 25,” Alvarez said. The tournament schedule for Team Bliss this season will focus mostly on military tournaments because they are pointing toward success in the World Military Championships, slated to take place in Panama City, Fla., in August. They will also likely take part in El Paso city league softball action on certain weeknights, though details about which league are still being finalized. Last year, Team Bliss won both the West Texas and Mid-Texas State Military Championships and competed in the World Military Champion-ships in Dallas. They also competed in two downtown leagues, finishing in the top three in both. Team Bliss also played in 16 tournaments traveling throughout Texas and New Mexico, earning seven trophies. Alvarez thinks Team Bliss can improve this season if the club hits more consistently. “Hitting consistently wins softball games,” Alvarez said. “If we get more consistency from everybody, we will be fine.” Commitment by the players and unit support to ensure player availability are two other items high on the list for improving Team Bliss, Alvarez said. “We understand the military mission and family come before softball,” Alvarez said. “If our players have a military commitment, (they need to) just let us know ahead of time – pick up the phone.” Diablos hire new skipper, add second Military Night Master Sgt. Steve Miller Public Affairs Chief Former Los Angeles Dodger All-Star Mike Marshall speaks to the media Feb. 9 at Cohen Stadium during the press conference announcing his hiring as the new manager of the El Paso Diablos. The El Paso Diablos hired a former major leaguer to manage their new independent Central Baseball League franchise during a Feb. 9 press conference at Cohen Stadium. Former Los Angeles Dodgers all-star outfielder Mike Marshall will be the Diablos’ “field general,” said Team President David Pearlman. Marshall, 45, was a 1984 All-Star for the Dodgers and a member of their 1988 World Series champions. He also played for the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and California Angels during his 11-year career. This season the Diablos have added a second Military Night to the home schedule, which begins May 5 and ends Aug. 13. The two Military Nights, in which thousands of free tickets are usually set aside for distribution to local service members, are June 1 and July 13 – both Wednesdays. Meanwhile, military personnel can save $1 all season long by buying their $5 general admission tickets for $4 at the post Information, Ticketing and Registration office. “When I was playing in the minors with San Antonio in the Texas League, we were always envious of the fan support here,” said Marshall, who already has seven years of independent baseball experience in the Northern League as a manager and front-office executive. Marshall said there’s more freedom to operate in the independent leagues, describing them as, “a pure form of baseball, kind of the major leagues of the minor leagues. It’s not about pitch counts and a parent club telling you who has to play and who doesn’t. We’re out there to win. You might see a rookie pitcher just out of college one night, and the next night you’ll see a major leaguer trying to get back to the big leagues. Major league teams love independent leagues. Half of them are tapping into independent leagues for replacement talent.” Marshall said his roster will contain former major leaguers, local and foreign talent and undrafted college players. He will scout the major league teams (for roster cuts) and the Northern and Central League tryout camps for talent before the Diablos hold 10 days of spring training at Cohen Stadium in April. Sports briefs Black History Hoop Tourney The annual Black History Basketball Tournament is set for Friday through Sunday at Stout Gym. The top three teams in the double-elimination tourney will earn team trophies, with T-shirts going to each player on the top two teams. The event will also include a 3-point shootout and a free-throw contest. Three players per team may either contest, and awards will go to the top two in each event. For information, contact Nate LaCour at 568-5198 or 6722 or via e-mail at nate.lacour@bliss.army.mil. You may also contact Scott Carr, intramural sports coordinator, at 568-5995. Post racquetbal championships The single-elimination post racquetball championships are scheduled for Tuesday through Feb. 25 at Stout Gym. Competition is open to active-duty military personnel and activated Reserve Component members assigned or attached to Fort Bliss. Age categories for men and women are 29 and under, 30-39 and 40 or older. Awards will go to the top two players in each category. Tournament brackets will be posted today. Players must wear protective eyewear at all times. For information, call 568-5995. Women’s softball tryouts Tryouts for the women’s post softball team are set for Tuesday through March 5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. The team also needs a coach. For information, call 568-5995. Intramural bowling The sports office is seeking to form an intramural bowling league that will compete Monday nights starting Feb. 28 and ending with a post championship in June. There will be no charge to bowl or for shoe rental. Teams will have four members, and all league teams will be eligible for the post playoffs. For information, call 568-5995.