Cooperstown Dreams Park

Isn't Mooresville planning to build a 28 field complex to replace Cooperstown?

 

Interesting, being that Lou (owner) is from Charlotte area.

 

I know the fields are in the works and Mooresville is an ideal spot (on I77 and close to I85, I26 and I40) More options on lodging also. I've heard Cooperstown is not cooperating and he is looking for a change. Only loss would be the HOF. I understand Disney had talks with him a few years ago, but talks fell thru.

 

Yes to the Mooresville complex...no to replacing Cooperstown. He will NEVER leave there.

The Mooresville project replaced the Florida project.

The way it will work is teams must play in Mooresville to have an invitation to Cooperstown. The man is a genius

 

Dustin Harrington is now playing in the Chicago Cubs farm system for the
Boise Hawks
Class A Short-Season Northwest League

 

Stretchy,

Our team, the VA Wildcats, made it to the 10U Championship game 6 years ago, losing to a CA team. All of our kids wrote about the experience in school and a few have informed me they are writing about it in their college application essays.

The highlight of the week for me came when we played the San Diego Stars North in elimination play. At the opening ceremonies, the CDP staff were bragging the Stars hadn't lost a game at CDP in 4 years. They didn't stay in the barracks, rather, they rented a large house so their players could get better rest. They literally flew in 2 arms for the tourney portion. Their coach was very aloof in every interaction with him. He even big leagued me at the umpires meeting by not shaking my hand but looking at it like I had a disease (which I didn't ).

Anyway, they decided to throw their #3 against us and we pounded him for 4 runs in the first. Then they bring in their #1 and we shell him for 4 in the 2nd and 3rd. As I am coaching third, there head coach says "we're gonna get f'ing run ruled" as my C bangs another ball. Anyway, they went through pitchers #1-4. My CF threw out 2 of their guys at 1B!

As we were getting our dinner and preparing for the quarterfinals, we see the head coach walking out with his backpack over his shoulder and his head hanging down. One of the dads got a pic of it...classic. Great memories.

 

Good for you guys, cause the Stars don't lose many 10u games at Cooperstown. We lost to them 6-2 at 11U USSSA Elite 16 (Kannapolis Hulks). Not what we expected, highly overrated! But we had a blast! (The parents also)

 

Cooperstown...

Went as a coach 3 years ago when my son was 12, with the South Carolina Heat...staying on site in the cabins with the boys...it was hot, smelly, buggy...it was the greatest baseball experience we have ever had. Got to go to the Hall of Fame and dropped by Yankee stadium and caught a game on the way back South.

 

Cooperstown Dreams Park--Two thumbs up!!

Was there last year with 12U Carolina Copperheads. The entire experience was awsome. Stayed in the barracks with the team. The team went 6-1--we lost too soon and that was about the only downer but that is baseball. Ran into Lou this past spring at the Mallard Creek barbeque fields before he headed north and he remembered my son and the other 2-3 boys on our middle school team from last July. Can't wait to see what he can do with the Mooresville project. I wish him all the best. Anyone thinking of heading to Cooperstown don't miss out on it--it is by far the best family baseball vacation/week ever.

 

MEETING ICHIRO

True story that I'm sure some of the members will remember.
We took a team to Cooperstown in 2000 as 10-year olds and 2 years later (2002)as 12 year olds.
The guy that managed the DreamsPark was a man from Salsbury named Lou.
Lou got to know us and took a liking to our team because we were from NC. He told a group of us to meet him downtown one day. It was Hall of Fame week and he promised to introduce us to some HOFamers. When we met, he asked if we wanted to meet the most famous guy not in the Hall, Pete Rose. Sure. I had my doubts, but he walked us in to a cafe, took us in a back room and there sat Pete eating a sub. I'll never forget the gold glasses he was wearing. Needless to say, we were all impressed with Lou. Before we left, Lou said he was going to bring a famous ballplayer by at our game that night.
Sure enough, in about the 5th inning, Lou pulls up on a golf cart with a Japanese guy in fancy sunglasses and a Seattle hat. He came over and told me Ichiro wanted to meet the kids. My first thought was "What is Ichiro doing in Cooperstown in the middle of the season?" but staying in the Cooperstown barracks, there was no TV, no newspaper, just baseball. Maybe he was in NY. It did look like Ichiro. It was all the coaches could do to keep the kids in the dugout. Several of the parents went crazy, running over and shaking his hand and getting autographs on everything. One parent went and bought a $20 baseball from the souvenier stand to get him to sign. After the game, the kids met him and everyone left excited. The next morning, we woke up early and everyone walked up to the food tent for breakfast. There stood Lou with Ichiro, who was serving our eggs. Lou was cracking up. He told us he pulled that gag every week that summer on some team, usually one from North Carolina.