Sl7

The first week I ever played in an APA league, I started as a SL4 like everybody else and I had to play the local league rep who was a SL6. The next week they had me ranked as a SL6 and I ended up playing another well established SL6 and beat him 5-0 in 6 innings. The third week I was ranked a SL7 and have maintained that ranking for the past seven years.

When I started APA, I was living in Kansas at the time. But I have since played three APA sessions in the Puget Sound area and I have still maintained my skill level here, but it's a little tougher here than back in Kansas. The skill level of players here is a little higher.

And it is tough for an APA team to field a seven. The APA team I'm on now has TWO SL7's!!! We just alternate our weeks of play or use our three SL3's if the situation calls for it.
 
Tommy-D said:
> It all depends on not only you,but the people around you in a situation like this. If your team captain is cool with you trying to develop your game,then all is well. If he's the type to condone or encourage sandbagging,you might want to reconsider it. If you should play as a 6,it might be helpful to build confidence beating people as a killer 4,as suggested earlier. On the other hand,if you are not playing the sandbagger angle,as I wasn't,it might be a good idea to move to another team.

I was caught in a situation like this once myself. I signed up to play when it was still sponsored by Busch,and was introduced to my team captain. In the middle of a pretty simple out that would have won me the match,and after running out from the break in the game before plus once earlier,my captain pulls me off to the side. He tells me that as captain he wants me to NOT run out here,because it would have resulted in me being rated at a 6,and he NEEDED me as a 4. He added that having me as a 4 would "make Vegas a lock this time". I could not believe what I was hearing. "So,you wait until I'm 4 balls away from running 2 racks in a row to tell me I HAVE to miss? What kind of s**t is that? Anyone watching that isn't blind or drunk could tell you I missed on purpose,because no power on Earth could stop me from running out right there. Isn't it dishonest to miss on purpose anyway under these rules?" He said "not if you want to go to Vegas". I said "well I want to finish this match with 2 racks in a row and be KNOWN as a 6 worse than I want to go to Vegas as a dishonest 4,so I must not want to go as bad as you. Besides,chances are unless you CAN run 2 racks in a row,you're not going to make it to Vegas anyway,and if you do you'll get embarrassed. I'm not going to let you tell me to miss these balls,and you can take this league s**t and stick it up your ass as soon as I'm done running out". I finished my out,packed up my stuff and left. I haven't spoke to that guy since then. Tommy D.
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This is the best APA story I have ever heard. You are my new hero. I think you handled the situation better than I could have imagined. What a great story. If everyone was like this, the APA would really be awesome. My girlfriend started in the league as a 2 who had trouble hitting the cue ball!! (Never mind an object ball). Now she is a winning 6. Another guy running a team told her that if she was on his team, she'd still be a 3!! Unbelievable how some people see it!

Anyway, I started in the league as a 3, and worked my way up to a 7 in about 5 years. I had just started playing when I joined the league. One thing you will realize is that because you can't go any higher, there is a very wide range in the 7 level. For example, there are 7's in my area who are C players, and 7's who are A players. I like my team and all, but I would never want to play below my full speed. I like to win, and I enjoy playing well. There is no better feeling for me that when it is playoff time, and the other team puts up their "ringer" 7, thinking they are all set, and I run a 4 pack on him. I say you owe yourself and your opponent your best game, and let the handicap system work the way it is supposed to. Screw the "let's make it to Vegas at all costs" attitude. You can just buy a cheap plane ticket. It costs less than your dignity and self respect.

Kerry
 
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