NEWS & UPDATES
HFL - MENDON YOUTH BASEBALL
NEWS & UPDATES DECEMBER 2014
REGISTRATION FEES FOR 2015 Player registration fees are a major source of funding for the league. In addition to paying for uniforms and hats, these fees pay for baseballs, umpires, equipment, trophies, insurance, utilities, grass cutting, and field maintenance supplies. The cost of paid umpires is significant. The league strives to maintain stable and reasonable fees. Fees are increased every several years as our operating costs increase. For the 2015 season, registration fees at the Drills & Skills, T Ball and Intermediate leagues will not change. The player fee in the Minor league will increase $10 and in the Major league $25. These increases were designed to maintain a reasonable difference in fees between leagues based on the costs of operating the leagues and in the Majors to provide funding for a second umpire for league games. Registration fees are lower through the Intermediate league as those leagues are entry level, the young players are very “easy” on the fields and they do not utilize paid umpires. The Minor and Major leagues use primarily four of the six Mendon fields and use paid umpires for some (Minors) or all (Majors) games. As the players mature and the baseball becomes more competitive, the wear and tear and hence maintenance on fields increases. Over the past five years, the infields of each of Fields A, B, 1 and 2 have been professionally rebuilt to eliminate lips and improve the general playing surface. The expansion of Fields 1 and 2 this fall for the 2015 season were funded with both league reserve funds and contributions from league supporters. The larger playing surface will allow for leading off bases and pick off throws, more close plays at second, which will be further away from home, and introduction of the balk rule. All of the game and player baseball experience enhancements really require a second umpire on the base paths to be properly officiated. The league plans to provide this second paid umpire at all Major League games for which a paid umpire is available.
HFLMYB SCHOLARSHIPS Each year, the league sponsors two $200 scholarships in memory of David Coates and Michael Cole. David, who coached in HFMYB, and Michael, who coached in Red Willison, lost their lives in car accidents. Recipients are selected from HFL students entering their senior year in high school by a school committee based on community contributions made "behind the scenes." In June 2014 the scholarships were awarded to Claire VanNewkirk (Coates Award) and Connor Boice (Cole Award). They join a long list of recipients, many of whom are now contributing adults in our community. If you see Claire or Connor, please be sure to congratulate them on their achievement.
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY Do you own or work for a business that serves our
community? Are you looking for a new way to reach your target audience? Do you already sponsor an HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball team? If you answered YES to any of these questions, you should consider advertising on our website or having a sign at the fields in Mendon and Lima. The first year you have a sign, you pay for the sign to be made, but there is no fee for hanging the sign. After the first year there is a modest annual fee of $120. If you are sponsoring a team, you receive a 50% discount. If you advertise using more than one option (sponsor, website and outfield signs) you pay the full cost of the most expensive option and receive a 50% discount on all the rest. If this will add value for your business please contact Eric Nelson at 624-4811 or [email protected]. Eric can also provide names and cost estimates for sign vendors.
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 2 BUD SELIG HAS NOTHING ON JOHN MOFFITT! "Good things don't last for long."
We've all heard those words and we've probably spoken them ourselves a few times. Well, HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball has proven that platitude wrong! Since 1965, John Moffitt has been involved with the league. He played baseball from age 8 to 12 in the Honeoye Falls League (prior to the merger of the Honeoye Falls League and the Mendon League around 1970). He started as a coach in the Minor League when he was just 19 and didn't even have a child playing. He began sponsoring teams (Be-Mar Roller Skating) in the mid-1970s and continued coaching as his daughter Heather and son Jack played in the league - retiring as a coach after Jack's second year in Majors in 2001. He certainly didn't retire from the league when his children graduated from the league. He has served as a volunteer umpire innumerable times and as a professional umpire in our tournament after gaining his Genesee Valley Umpires Association certification. But that's not all John has done for the league. He has been a league board member since 1988 and has served as board president since 2003. As president he has been instrumental in many major accomplishments: * Constructing our 90 foot field aptly named Moffitt Field, a $100K undertaking! * Fundraising for the 90 foot field and other field improvement projects. * Working with Red Willison board members to merge the two leagues in 2012 uniting all youth baseball players in the HFL school district. * Bringing local Monroe County Babe Ruth teams under the direction of the league. * Adding the Intermediate league for 7 & 8 year olds and the Drills & Skills program for 4 year olds. These should not and do not overshadow the more mundane tasks that John has faithfully executed as a board member and board president. This is the behind the scenes work that is necessary to keep the league running smoothly. * Planning, attending and leading 11 monthly board meetings each year. * Recruiting and mentoring new board members as turnover occurs. * Developing the league and tournament game schedules each year. * Addressing coaches at our annual coaches kick-off meeting. * Securing HFL gym time for league drafts and team practices. * Happily cooking chicken at the chow hut. * Working on field cleanup crews before the season starts and field shut down crews when the season has wound down. He'll never forget his bout with poison ivy when he and a few others decided to clear the unsightly vines from the arch over the bridge from the St. Catherine's parking lot to improve the look of the complex. * Baling water when the fields flood. That is a fairly common event but the games go on. In fact, once, when Moffitt field was still under construction and the outfield had flooded in spring rains, John rescued a 36 inch pike and returned it to the creek. * Being available to everyone - board members, parents, community partners, and players. Answering questions big and small, interpreting rules and settling disputes. Always in a calm and reassuring fashion and always with a welcoming smile on his face. No one accomplishes great things on their own. John's wife Carol has been with John every step of the way, serving as team mom, helping in the Chow Hut, hosting many meetings at the Moffitt household and supporting John in all things baseball. We wish to congratulate and thank John and Carol for all they have done and continue to do for the league. Why are we telling you all this? Well, effective October 2014 John decided to step down as Board president. He is succeeded by Dave Donatello who has worked tirelessly as a parent, board member and very visibly as the head of the Grounds committee. Dave has very big shoes to fill. Happily, John remains an active participant on the board and in the league. His youth baseball wisdom will continue to benefit us all. He has been and continues to be consistent in having one simple principle guide all he does for youth baseball - "Do what's best for the kids." He has instilled that tenet in the board. This could be his best accomplishment of all!
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 3
FIELD IMPROVEMENT NEWS - YOU CAN HELP!
There is ALWAYS work going on at the fields to improve the baseball experience HFL - Mendon Youth Baseball provides in our community. The large majority of the work is performed by unpaid volunteers - board members, parents, coaches, former players and current players. Some projects require professional assistance. All of this work is funded by league operations (primarily the Chow Hut) and generous donors to the league. In 2014 our focus early in the season was on making sure we had healthy grass at the new 50/70 Willison field in Lima. That field conversion from 46/60 dimensions was accomplished in early spring 2014 and the field was hosting games by May. Mission accomplished! Once again, during our league season we had some unusually heavy downpours causing flooding in several spots including the walkway that extends from behind home plate on Field B along the first base fence side to the right field fence of Field 1. This has been a problem area for years due to the lack of pitch. This year, rather than just pumping out the water and hoping for the best, a crew led by former board member and player parent John McKinnon jumped in to construct a French drain along the entire pathway. It really was a huge task requiring the digging of a trench approximately 2 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 150 yards long. John used his contractor skills to plan and execute. The trench was partially filled with stone and graded to promote proper drainage. The drain pipe was then added and covered with stone. While we had use of a back hoe for the digging and moving stone there was a tremendous amount of manual "bull work" involved. The final landscaping and seeding was contracted to Mason Landscaping who did a wonderful job. This improvement was long desired and will pay dividends for years to come. While that is already an impressive list, it was just the start. As most of you know, we decided to convert both Mendon major league fields to 50/70 dimensions. These larger fields will promote continued play as they allow for all the intricacies of baseball to be introduced in an intermediate step to the 60/90 regulation fields that are used at age 13 and on. The game becomes even more interesting and exciting! Conversion to 50/70 dimensions is a significant current trend at the 12U level. We have had increasing difficulty attracting 12U teams to our summer tournament because we were unable to provide 50/70 fields for all games. These new fields will solve that and allow our summer tournament to continue as a favorite of area teams. In order to fund these conversions, the league held a fundraising campaign in late summer. It was headed up by Heather and Dave Engel. With contributions of many generous donors, we raised about $17,000; approximately half the cost of the conversion and related work. THANK YOU! League reserve funds were used to fund the balance. This work on both Fields 1 and 2 entailed: * Moving, regrading and reshaping all the base cutouts and filling in old areas. Magnetic bases were also added on both fields. * Refurbishing home plate as well as moving and rebuilding the pitcher's mounds. * Removing the old outfield fences. * Moving one of the batting cages behind the RF fence on Field 1 to allow the fence to be moved back. * Moving and reconstructing the protective fence behind the left field fence on Field 1 to continue to protect spectators on Field 2. We will now have an (un) "Green Monster" in left field. For you Yankee fans don't worry. It's going to be a "short porch" in right field just like in the Bronx. * Field 2 drainage along the first and third base lines was addressed by adding another French drain. This should alleviate drainage problems on the playing field. There is still work to be done along the first base spectator area. We will get to that as funds and time allow. The infield reconstruction work was done by R.M. Landscape. The removal of old fence posts and the batting cage was a volunteer effort. NY Fence will install the new fences and Rick Breen (Residential Excavating in Honeoye Falls) was hired to construct the Field 2 French drain.
(continued on page 4)
WWW.HFLMBASEBALL.ORG
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 4
FIELD IMPROVEMENT NEWS - YOU CAN HELP! (continued) There is one more related but not initially planned improvement to be announced - an electronic scoreboard will be added above the right field fence on Field 1. This exciting addition is only possible because a league parent, Ken Tomaszewski, offered to pay for the scoreboard. Without Ken's generous offer, this wouldn't have been possible. Thank you, Ken!!! The scoreboard is remote controlled and will provide inning by inning scoring. With the Green Monster, the short porch and inning-by-inning scoring, Field 1 will be a real jewel! The list of volunteers who helped with this work is long. The project was planned and directed by Dave Donatello. Volunteers included, in no particular order, Dave Engel, Tim Curran, Eric Nelson, Pat Wall, Chris Budynas, John Moffitt, Dave Lawlor, Andy Zimmer, Jim Zielinski, and Joe Dailor. Our complex wouldn't be what it is without the support of these volunteers and many others who help throughout the year. These and all other improvements can only be undertaken as funds are available. If you would like to help with funding these and future projects you can make a tax deductible contribution to HFL - Mendon Youth Baseball, PO Box 64, Mendon, NY 14506. A contribution made before 12/31/14 may save you money on your taxes this year. If you are able and so inclined it would be a real win, win. Thank you in advance!
THANK YOU - MENDON FOUNDATION
BAT RULES
Our community is an inviting place to live for many reasons, not the least of which is all of the volunteering. Another organization that positively impacts many in the community is the Mendon Foundation. The Foundation's main mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the scenic, natural, recreational and structural resources in the Town of Mendon. One of the Foundation's major programs is the development and maintenance of the Lehigh Valley Trail. The Trail is used by many for walking, biking, horseback riding and cross country skiing. You may not know this, but the league parking area off Route 251 is actually part of the Trail. We are able to use this area with the cooperation of the County of Monroe and the Foundation.
Christmas is coming and baseball equipment, particularly a new bat, is always high on the gift list for baseball families. Bat rules have been changing fairly quickly over the past few years to address continued advancements in technology. As we all know, NEW TECHNOLOGY = EXPENSIVE! Before you make your bat buying decisions, please be sure to review the bat size and performance limitations for the league in which your child will play. Rules can differ between our house league, Little League, MCBR, Cooperstown Dreams Park, modified and high school leagues.
You have probably noticed the equipment barn on the Trail above Field A and Moffitt Field. That is owned by the Foundation and houses the equipment the Foundation uses in maintaining the Trail. The Foundation has been extremely generous in allowing the league to use its backhoe, 'gator and other equipment in maintaining our fields and making capital improvements. For example, the Foundation's backhoe was used by John McKinnon to dig the trench to install the French drain by Fields 1 and B. This kind of cooperation helps our league tremendously! It is a shining example of what makes our community special. The league would like to thank the Foundation for its support and cooperation. You can learn more about the Mendon Foundation and how you can help our community at their website: www.mendonfoundation.com.
T-Ball through Majors * Barrel diameter not exceeding 2 1/4" * Non-wood bats must be labeled with a BPF (bat performance factor) of 1.15 or less. * Composite bats must be Little League approved (www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/licensedcompositebats.htm)
Senior leagues - 13 and up * Follow Little League rules. * Barrel diameter not exceeding 2 5/8"; length not exceeding 36". * Bats must be BBCOR certified. * Weight vs. length no less than -3; i.e. -5 NOT allowed. MCBR * Please consult the MCBR website at www.mcbaseball region.com and/or check with your team's coach for applicable requirements. Rules can differ between 12U, 13U, and 15U. Players on the Mendon Storm 12U team should consult with the team coach to understand bat rules for MCBR as well as Dreams Park in Cooperstown.
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 5
HOW ARE TRAVEL AND MCBR TEAMS SELECTED?
This is a question that is often discussed by those in the league, players and parents alike. That is certainly understandable. For many, this process is one of the first that may result in certain players not being selected for a team. Knowing that such experiences build strength over a life time never makes it easier to deal with when it is happening. Unlike house league and fall ball, both of which are sign up, not try-out opportunities, the travel and MCBR teams are selected competitively. These teams are designed to allow selected players the chance to compete against teams similarly selected in other towns. We thought the annual newsletter would be a good place for the league to answer the question. The league has carefully constructed a selection process that is fair and objective. This process has remained substantially the same for many years. We do make changes when an opportunity to improve is identified. So here is the process. We * Openly canvass for travel and MCBR team head coaching interest among all the house league head coaches of the appropriate age group. If more than one coach is interested, the board considers each candidate's credentials and may even interview the candidates before making a selection based on majority vote. * Openly advertise the tryouts to every player of eligible age via email blasts and postings on our website Home Page and league calendar. MCBR tryouts are also posted on the MCBR website at www.mcbaseballregion.com. * Require the selected head coach to conduct the tryout with a minimum of 2 additional evaluators and those evaluators must be completely impartial and objective - that is, they must not have a child or relative participating in the tryout. Those impartial evaluators are usually members of the board of directors. The point is to have a combination of impartial evaluators and people who have some level of "experience" with each of the players. * No assistant coaches can be "pre-selected" -- the head coach is required to select assistant coaches after the team has been assembled. * The only player who is guaranteed a spot on the team is the head coach's son/daughter. This is necessary to ensure that coaches will step up to coach the teams. 90% of the time that player would have no trouble making the team in any event. * We recommend more than one day of tryouts (or at least a "workout" and a "tryout") to minimize the impact of a player having a single "bad day". In addition, it reduces the number of players who have conflicts with the tryout date/time. * If a player has an important conflict and simply cannot make the tryout, we generally attempt to find an alternative solution that works for the coach, evaluators, and player -- if we are notified of the conflict far enough in advance. This happens infrequently. * Each of these policies is intended to make the tryout/evaluation process as fair and objective as possible. The board of directors and the parents share a common goal in helping our young players to learn and love the game of baseball. We would very much like to hear any suggestions you might have as to how we can improve the process. Send suggestions to Dave Engel at [email protected].
WWW.HFLMBASEBALL.ORG
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 6 "Nobody ever said "Work ball!" They say, "Play ball!" To me, that means having fun."
Willie Stargell NEW MCBR TEAM IN 2015
VOLUNTEERS
Several years ago HFL Mendon Youth Baseball brought local Monroe County Baseball Region (MCBR) teams under the league umbrella. This was done due to the popularity of that league with our players ages 13 and up. Those teams necessarily follow the MCBR league rules including competitive tryouts.
HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball has been blessed with parents and players who actively volunteer to make the league “go.” Coaching, “team moms,” Chow Hut help and field maintenance assistance are just a few of the ways you all help. We are always looking for volunteers.
In 2014 we had 13U and 15U teams participate in MCBR. For 2015 we have added a 12U MCBR team, again, due to expressed player interest. That team will be coached by Pat Wall and was selected in October 2014 following MCBR rules after announcement of the new playing opportunity to all age appropriate league players. HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball continues to sponsor Junior/Senior/Big League teams (ages 13 and up), participating in the local District 4 Little League, if there are a sufficient number of interested players.
One of the biggest volunteer efforts is in field maintenance. Through 2014 the Grounds committee has been very ably headed up by Board Member Dave Donatello. Dave has led the Grounds effort since 2009. In that time all Mendon infields have been reconditioned and new backstops were added on Fields A and B. Also, Willison Field in Lima and Fields 1 and 2 in Mendon were converted to 50/70 fields. This was on top of directing the regular maintenance of the nine fields in Mendon and Lima. Thank you Dave for going above and beyond the call of duty! In conjunction with Dave Donatello succeeding John Moffitt as President of the Board, board member Dave Engel has agreed to head up the Grounds committee. Dave has been a huge contributor to that committee for the past several years. If you want to help with field maintenance, the Chow Hut or any other area, please contact a board member. All board contact information and areas of responsibility are listed on our league's website www.hflmbaseball.org (click “Contact Us”). Thank you to all who help make the league what it is.
NEWS & UPDATES DECEMBER 2014
REGISTRATION FEES FOR 2015 Player registration fees are a major source of funding for the league. In addition to paying for uniforms and hats, these fees pay for baseballs, umpires, equipment, trophies, insurance, utilities, grass cutting, and field maintenance supplies. The cost of paid umpires is significant. The league strives to maintain stable and reasonable fees. Fees are increased every several years as our operating costs increase. For the 2015 season, registration fees at the Drills & Skills, T Ball and Intermediate leagues will not change. The player fee in the Minor league will increase $10 and in the Major league $25. These increases were designed to maintain a reasonable difference in fees between leagues based on the costs of operating the leagues and in the Majors to provide funding for a second umpire for league games. Registration fees are lower through the Intermediate league as those leagues are entry level, the young players are very “easy” on the fields and they do not utilize paid umpires. The Minor and Major leagues use primarily four of the six Mendon fields and use paid umpires for some (Minors) or all (Majors) games. As the players mature and the baseball becomes more competitive, the wear and tear and hence maintenance on fields increases. Over the past five years, the infields of each of Fields A, B, 1 and 2 have been professionally rebuilt to eliminate lips and improve the general playing surface. The expansion of Fields 1 and 2 this fall for the 2015 season were funded with both league reserve funds and contributions from league supporters. The larger playing surface will allow for leading off bases and pick off throws, more close plays at second, which will be further away from home, and introduction of the balk rule. All of the game and player baseball experience enhancements really require a second umpire on the base paths to be properly officiated. The league plans to provide this second paid umpire at all Major League games for which a paid umpire is available.
HFLMYB SCHOLARSHIPS Each year, the league sponsors two $200 scholarships in memory of David Coates and Michael Cole. David, who coached in HFMYB, and Michael, who coached in Red Willison, lost their lives in car accidents. Recipients are selected from HFL students entering their senior year in high school by a school committee based on community contributions made "behind the scenes." In June 2014 the scholarships were awarded to Claire VanNewkirk (Coates Award) and Connor Boice (Cole Award). They join a long list of recipients, many of whom are now contributing adults in our community. If you see Claire or Connor, please be sure to congratulate them on their achievement.
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY Do you own or work for a business that serves our
community? Are you looking for a new way to reach your target audience? Do you already sponsor an HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball team? If you answered YES to any of these questions, you should consider advertising on our website or having a sign at the fields in Mendon and Lima. The first year you have a sign, you pay for the sign to be made, but there is no fee for hanging the sign. After the first year there is a modest annual fee of $120. If you are sponsoring a team, you receive a 50% discount. If you advertise using more than one option (sponsor, website and outfield signs) you pay the full cost of the most expensive option and receive a 50% discount on all the rest. If this will add value for your business please contact Eric Nelson at 624-4811 or [email protected]. Eric can also provide names and cost estimates for sign vendors.
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 2 BUD SELIG HAS NOTHING ON JOHN MOFFITT! "Good things don't last for long."
We've all heard those words and we've probably spoken them ourselves a few times. Well, HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball has proven that platitude wrong! Since 1965, John Moffitt has been involved with the league. He played baseball from age 8 to 12 in the Honeoye Falls League (prior to the merger of the Honeoye Falls League and the Mendon League around 1970). He started as a coach in the Minor League when he was just 19 and didn't even have a child playing. He began sponsoring teams (Be-Mar Roller Skating) in the mid-1970s and continued coaching as his daughter Heather and son Jack played in the league - retiring as a coach after Jack's second year in Majors in 2001. He certainly didn't retire from the league when his children graduated from the league. He has served as a volunteer umpire innumerable times and as a professional umpire in our tournament after gaining his Genesee Valley Umpires Association certification. But that's not all John has done for the league. He has been a league board member since 1988 and has served as board president since 2003. As president he has been instrumental in many major accomplishments: * Constructing our 90 foot field aptly named Moffitt Field, a $100K undertaking! * Fundraising for the 90 foot field and other field improvement projects. * Working with Red Willison board members to merge the two leagues in 2012 uniting all youth baseball players in the HFL school district. * Bringing local Monroe County Babe Ruth teams under the direction of the league. * Adding the Intermediate league for 7 & 8 year olds and the Drills & Skills program for 4 year olds. These should not and do not overshadow the more mundane tasks that John has faithfully executed as a board member and board president. This is the behind the scenes work that is necessary to keep the league running smoothly. * Planning, attending and leading 11 monthly board meetings each year. * Recruiting and mentoring new board members as turnover occurs. * Developing the league and tournament game schedules each year. * Addressing coaches at our annual coaches kick-off meeting. * Securing HFL gym time for league drafts and team practices. * Happily cooking chicken at the chow hut. * Working on field cleanup crews before the season starts and field shut down crews when the season has wound down. He'll never forget his bout with poison ivy when he and a few others decided to clear the unsightly vines from the arch over the bridge from the St. Catherine's parking lot to improve the look of the complex. * Baling water when the fields flood. That is a fairly common event but the games go on. In fact, once, when Moffitt field was still under construction and the outfield had flooded in spring rains, John rescued a 36 inch pike and returned it to the creek. * Being available to everyone - board members, parents, community partners, and players. Answering questions big and small, interpreting rules and settling disputes. Always in a calm and reassuring fashion and always with a welcoming smile on his face. No one accomplishes great things on their own. John's wife Carol has been with John every step of the way, serving as team mom, helping in the Chow Hut, hosting many meetings at the Moffitt household and supporting John in all things baseball. We wish to congratulate and thank John and Carol for all they have done and continue to do for the league. Why are we telling you all this? Well, effective October 2014 John decided to step down as Board president. He is succeeded by Dave Donatello who has worked tirelessly as a parent, board member and very visibly as the head of the Grounds committee. Dave has very big shoes to fill. Happily, John remains an active participant on the board and in the league. His youth baseball wisdom will continue to benefit us all. He has been and continues to be consistent in having one simple principle guide all he does for youth baseball - "Do what's best for the kids." He has instilled that tenet in the board. This could be his best accomplishment of all!
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 3
FIELD IMPROVEMENT NEWS - YOU CAN HELP!
There is ALWAYS work going on at the fields to improve the baseball experience HFL - Mendon Youth Baseball provides in our community. The large majority of the work is performed by unpaid volunteers - board members, parents, coaches, former players and current players. Some projects require professional assistance. All of this work is funded by league operations (primarily the Chow Hut) and generous donors to the league. In 2014 our focus early in the season was on making sure we had healthy grass at the new 50/70 Willison field in Lima. That field conversion from 46/60 dimensions was accomplished in early spring 2014 and the field was hosting games by May. Mission accomplished! Once again, during our league season we had some unusually heavy downpours causing flooding in several spots including the walkway that extends from behind home plate on Field B along the first base fence side to the right field fence of Field 1. This has been a problem area for years due to the lack of pitch. This year, rather than just pumping out the water and hoping for the best, a crew led by former board member and player parent John McKinnon jumped in to construct a French drain along the entire pathway. It really was a huge task requiring the digging of a trench approximately 2 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 150 yards long. John used his contractor skills to plan and execute. The trench was partially filled with stone and graded to promote proper drainage. The drain pipe was then added and covered with stone. While we had use of a back hoe for the digging and moving stone there was a tremendous amount of manual "bull work" involved. The final landscaping and seeding was contracted to Mason Landscaping who did a wonderful job. This improvement was long desired and will pay dividends for years to come. While that is already an impressive list, it was just the start. As most of you know, we decided to convert both Mendon major league fields to 50/70 dimensions. These larger fields will promote continued play as they allow for all the intricacies of baseball to be introduced in an intermediate step to the 60/90 regulation fields that are used at age 13 and on. The game becomes even more interesting and exciting! Conversion to 50/70 dimensions is a significant current trend at the 12U level. We have had increasing difficulty attracting 12U teams to our summer tournament because we were unable to provide 50/70 fields for all games. These new fields will solve that and allow our summer tournament to continue as a favorite of area teams. In order to fund these conversions, the league held a fundraising campaign in late summer. It was headed up by Heather and Dave Engel. With contributions of many generous donors, we raised about $17,000; approximately half the cost of the conversion and related work. THANK YOU! League reserve funds were used to fund the balance. This work on both Fields 1 and 2 entailed: * Moving, regrading and reshaping all the base cutouts and filling in old areas. Magnetic bases were also added on both fields. * Refurbishing home plate as well as moving and rebuilding the pitcher's mounds. * Removing the old outfield fences. * Moving one of the batting cages behind the RF fence on Field 1 to allow the fence to be moved back. * Moving and reconstructing the protective fence behind the left field fence on Field 1 to continue to protect spectators on Field 2. We will now have an (un) "Green Monster" in left field. For you Yankee fans don't worry. It's going to be a "short porch" in right field just like in the Bronx. * Field 2 drainage along the first and third base lines was addressed by adding another French drain. This should alleviate drainage problems on the playing field. There is still work to be done along the first base spectator area. We will get to that as funds and time allow. The infield reconstruction work was done by R.M. Landscape. The removal of old fence posts and the batting cage was a volunteer effort. NY Fence will install the new fences and Rick Breen (Residential Excavating in Honeoye Falls) was hired to construct the Field 2 French drain.
(continued on page 4)
WWW.HFLMBASEBALL.ORG
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 4
FIELD IMPROVEMENT NEWS - YOU CAN HELP! (continued) There is one more related but not initially planned improvement to be announced - an electronic scoreboard will be added above the right field fence on Field 1. This exciting addition is only possible because a league parent, Ken Tomaszewski, offered to pay for the scoreboard. Without Ken's generous offer, this wouldn't have been possible. Thank you, Ken!!! The scoreboard is remote controlled and will provide inning by inning scoring. With the Green Monster, the short porch and inning-by-inning scoring, Field 1 will be a real jewel! The list of volunteers who helped with this work is long. The project was planned and directed by Dave Donatello. Volunteers included, in no particular order, Dave Engel, Tim Curran, Eric Nelson, Pat Wall, Chris Budynas, John Moffitt, Dave Lawlor, Andy Zimmer, Jim Zielinski, and Joe Dailor. Our complex wouldn't be what it is without the support of these volunteers and many others who help throughout the year. These and all other improvements can only be undertaken as funds are available. If you would like to help with funding these and future projects you can make a tax deductible contribution to HFL - Mendon Youth Baseball, PO Box 64, Mendon, NY 14506. A contribution made before 12/31/14 may save you money on your taxes this year. If you are able and so inclined it would be a real win, win. Thank you in advance!
THANK YOU - MENDON FOUNDATION
BAT RULES
Our community is an inviting place to live for many reasons, not the least of which is all of the volunteering. Another organization that positively impacts many in the community is the Mendon Foundation. The Foundation's main mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the scenic, natural, recreational and structural resources in the Town of Mendon. One of the Foundation's major programs is the development and maintenance of the Lehigh Valley Trail. The Trail is used by many for walking, biking, horseback riding and cross country skiing. You may not know this, but the league parking area off Route 251 is actually part of the Trail. We are able to use this area with the cooperation of the County of Monroe and the Foundation.
Christmas is coming and baseball equipment, particularly a new bat, is always high on the gift list for baseball families. Bat rules have been changing fairly quickly over the past few years to address continued advancements in technology. As we all know, NEW TECHNOLOGY = EXPENSIVE! Before you make your bat buying decisions, please be sure to review the bat size and performance limitations for the league in which your child will play. Rules can differ between our house league, Little League, MCBR, Cooperstown Dreams Park, modified and high school leagues.
You have probably noticed the equipment barn on the Trail above Field A and Moffitt Field. That is owned by the Foundation and houses the equipment the Foundation uses in maintaining the Trail. The Foundation has been extremely generous in allowing the league to use its backhoe, 'gator and other equipment in maintaining our fields and making capital improvements. For example, the Foundation's backhoe was used by John McKinnon to dig the trench to install the French drain by Fields 1 and B. This kind of cooperation helps our league tremendously! It is a shining example of what makes our community special. The league would like to thank the Foundation for its support and cooperation. You can learn more about the Mendon Foundation and how you can help our community at their website: www.mendonfoundation.com.
T-Ball through Majors * Barrel diameter not exceeding 2 1/4" * Non-wood bats must be labeled with a BPF (bat performance factor) of 1.15 or less. * Composite bats must be Little League approved (www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/licensedcompositebats.htm)
Senior leagues - 13 and up * Follow Little League rules. * Barrel diameter not exceeding 2 5/8"; length not exceeding 36". * Bats must be BBCOR certified. * Weight vs. length no less than -3; i.e. -5 NOT allowed. MCBR * Please consult the MCBR website at www.mcbaseball region.com and/or check with your team's coach for applicable requirements. Rules can differ between 12U, 13U, and 15U. Players on the Mendon Storm 12U team should consult with the team coach to understand bat rules for MCBR as well as Dreams Park in Cooperstown.
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 5
HOW ARE TRAVEL AND MCBR TEAMS SELECTED?
This is a question that is often discussed by those in the league, players and parents alike. That is certainly understandable. For many, this process is one of the first that may result in certain players not being selected for a team. Knowing that such experiences build strength over a life time never makes it easier to deal with when it is happening. Unlike house league and fall ball, both of which are sign up, not try-out opportunities, the travel and MCBR teams are selected competitively. These teams are designed to allow selected players the chance to compete against teams similarly selected in other towns. We thought the annual newsletter would be a good place for the league to answer the question. The league has carefully constructed a selection process that is fair and objective. This process has remained substantially the same for many years. We do make changes when an opportunity to improve is identified. So here is the process. We * Openly canvass for travel and MCBR team head coaching interest among all the house league head coaches of the appropriate age group. If more than one coach is interested, the board considers each candidate's credentials and may even interview the candidates before making a selection based on majority vote. * Openly advertise the tryouts to every player of eligible age via email blasts and postings on our website Home Page and league calendar. MCBR tryouts are also posted on the MCBR website at www.mcbaseballregion.com. * Require the selected head coach to conduct the tryout with a minimum of 2 additional evaluators and those evaluators must be completely impartial and objective - that is, they must not have a child or relative participating in the tryout. Those impartial evaluators are usually members of the board of directors. The point is to have a combination of impartial evaluators and people who have some level of "experience" with each of the players. * No assistant coaches can be "pre-selected" -- the head coach is required to select assistant coaches after the team has been assembled. * The only player who is guaranteed a spot on the team is the head coach's son/daughter. This is necessary to ensure that coaches will step up to coach the teams. 90% of the time that player would have no trouble making the team in any event. * We recommend more than one day of tryouts (or at least a "workout" and a "tryout") to minimize the impact of a player having a single "bad day". In addition, it reduces the number of players who have conflicts with the tryout date/time. * If a player has an important conflict and simply cannot make the tryout, we generally attempt to find an alternative solution that works for the coach, evaluators, and player -- if we are notified of the conflict far enough in advance. This happens infrequently. * Each of these policies is intended to make the tryout/evaluation process as fair and objective as possible. The board of directors and the parents share a common goal in helping our young players to learn and love the game of baseball. We would very much like to hear any suggestions you might have as to how we can improve the process. Send suggestions to Dave Engel at [email protected].
WWW.HFLMBASEBALL.ORG
DECEMBER 2014
PAGE 6 "Nobody ever said "Work ball!" They say, "Play ball!" To me, that means having fun."
Willie Stargell NEW MCBR TEAM IN 2015
VOLUNTEERS
Several years ago HFL Mendon Youth Baseball brought local Monroe County Baseball Region (MCBR) teams under the league umbrella. This was done due to the popularity of that league with our players ages 13 and up. Those teams necessarily follow the MCBR league rules including competitive tryouts.
HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball has been blessed with parents and players who actively volunteer to make the league “go.” Coaching, “team moms,” Chow Hut help and field maintenance assistance are just a few of the ways you all help. We are always looking for volunteers.
In 2014 we had 13U and 15U teams participate in MCBR. For 2015 we have added a 12U MCBR team, again, due to expressed player interest. That team will be coached by Pat Wall and was selected in October 2014 following MCBR rules after announcement of the new playing opportunity to all age appropriate league players. HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball continues to sponsor Junior/Senior/Big League teams (ages 13 and up), participating in the local District 4 Little League, if there are a sufficient number of interested players.
One of the biggest volunteer efforts is in field maintenance. Through 2014 the Grounds committee has been very ably headed up by Board Member Dave Donatello. Dave has led the Grounds effort since 2009. In that time all Mendon infields have been reconditioned and new backstops were added on Fields A and B. Also, Willison Field in Lima and Fields 1 and 2 in Mendon were converted to 50/70 fields. This was on top of directing the regular maintenance of the nine fields in Mendon and Lima. Thank you Dave for going above and beyond the call of duty! In conjunction with Dave Donatello succeeding John Moffitt as President of the Board, board member Dave Engel has agreed to head up the Grounds committee. Dave has been a huge contributor to that committee for the past several years. If you want to help with field maintenance, the Chow Hut or any other area, please contact a board member. All board contact information and areas of responsibility are listed on our league's website www.hflmbaseball.org (click “Contact Us”). Thank you to all who help make the league what it is.
