# Presentation: 146534

## 2008 GSPSA Captain’s Mtg

- Feb 5, 2008

## Agenda

- Budget
- Improvements
- Rule Changes
- Work Party Schedule
- Planned League Structure
- Schedule & Future Meetings
- Where we need help!

## Budget

- League Fees:
- $650 per team per League

## (Planned) Improvements

- Internal shack work
- Replacement of field 1 wood fence

## Proposed Rule Changes

- Illegal Bat Rule
- The immediate penalty for coming to the plate with an illegal bat is an automatic out and ejection from the game.  Additionally, the bat will be confiscated and delivered to the GSPSA Executive Committee for examination.  The player who used the illegal bat will be subject to a one year suspension from all club activities, pending a hearing with the EC.  At said hearing, the player will be given the opportunity to explain the situation and the EC can either enforce the year-long suspension or modify the penalty as warranted by the circumstances.  Note:  Players unable or unwilling to allow the bat to be confiscated will be suspended for one year with no opportunity for a hearing.
- 	The GSPSA Official List of Banned Bats shall consist of the following:
- Any bat that appears on the ASA banned bat list.
- All titanium bats.
- Any bat altered from the manufacturers’ stock standard. Examples of illegal alterations include, but are not limited to: weighting, shaving, accelerated break in techniques (e.g., rolling, hammering, or vising), and repainting.  (Bats can have identification markings in the form of permanent ink bearing team name or initials, or some other method that doesn’t alter the bat’s performance).
- Any bat deemed illegal by the GSPSA Executive Committee or their designee (umpires).  This is generally accepted to be bats deemed unsafe for play.

## Proposed Rule Changes (2)

- Illegal Bat Challenge Rule
- This rule allows a team or an umpire to challenge the legality of a bat in the event the posted listings of illegal bats is unavailable or believed to be out of date, or if there is a question about the bat having been altered.  Once a bat is challenged, if the umpire deems it illegal, it cannot be used.  If the umpire deems the bat legal it will be allowed and play will continue.  If the umpire isn’t sure of the legality of the bat, it can be removed from the game at the umpire’s discretion. In this case, the automatic out is waived, and the player is allowed to get another bat and continue his or her at-bat.  The challenged bat is then disqualified for the rest of the game, and must be cleared through the GSPSA Executive Committee before it can be used again in a game. It is the player’s or Team Captain’s responsibility to contact the GSPSA Executive Committee to have a bat declared legal for league play. Bringing an identified illegal bat to the plate will still result in an out being called, the bat being removed from the game, the player ejected from the game, and the year-long suspension beginning at that time.  It is also the responsibility of the Team Captain to inform his or her team as to the GSPSA Rules and Regulations concerning bats. Team Captains may contact the GSPSA Executive Committee with any questions regarding legal or illegal bats.

## Proposed Rule Changes (3)

- 1-Pitch Rule
- In the event of impending darkness, an umpire may ask the teams if they wish to go to one pitch. If both team captains agree, play will resume under one pitch rules at the top of the agreed inning. If there is not unanimous consent, the game will continue under the standard rules until such time as the umpire determines the conditions constitute an unsafe playing condition and halt the game, to be made up at a later date.
- 	One pitch play consists of the following set of rules:
- One pitch play begins at the top of an inning, and the game continues in one pitch until it is concluded, or play is halted due to unsafe playing conditions.
- Each at bat is played as though the batter begins his plate appearance with a 3-2 count, with no fouls to give.
- All the standard rules of play are then applied from the 3-2 with none to give, status.

## Possible Rule Change

- HR Rule
- The EC would like to poll the Team Captains as to what they prefer for a HR Rule. The choices are:
- 5 HR Limit
- Homeruns will be limited to 5 per team per game. During the game, if another player hits a ball over the fence after the limit is reached, it will be scored as an OUT.
- 5 + 1 HR Limit
- Each team is initially allowed to hit 5 homeruns.  As soon as both teams have hit 5 homeruns, each team will be allowed an additional homerun.   From this point on, additional homeruns become available as soon as the teams have equal numbers of homeruns.  Homeruns hit when a team is not eligible to hit one is an OUT.
- 1 HR per Inning
- Each team is allowed to hit one homerun in each inning played. .  Homeruns hit when a team is not eligible to hit one is an OUT.
- Last year’s Rule
- Use the same rule that was used for the 2007 Season.

## Work Party Schedule

- Thursdays 4pm – Dark
- 3/13 – Monday League
- 3/20 – Tuesday League
- 3/27 – Wednesday League
- 4/3 – Wed Open League
- Saturdays – 9am – NOON
- 3/29 – Make-up
- 4/5 – Make-up (if needed)
- Each Team must perform 2 hours of work per league

- Scheduled projects TBD
- Captains/players welcome to propose ideas!
- Free beverages provided after the work parties!

## Planned League Structure

- Monday – 10 teams
- Tuesday – 10 teams
- Wednesday – 8 teams, each League
- Co-ed – 8 teams Mon, 8 teams Tuesday

## League Schedule

- Two weeks of practices.
- March 24 through April 4
- Regular season begins Monday April 7th
- Schedules to be sent out prior to April 1st
- Week of July 4th there will be no games
- If necessary, and financially possible, resurface one field during that week
- Last week of regular summer season is August 11th, followed by playoffs, then fallball

## Future Meetings and Important Dates

- Feb 19th – Team captain’s meeting
- Deposits due ($100 per team per league)
- March 18th – Team captain’s meeting
- Franchise fees due
- Finalize election results and discuss/present approved changes to documents
- April 1st - Rosters due submitted through website
- Week of April 7th or Before 1st game
- Waivers submitted to League Commissioner

## Future Meetings and Important Dates (cont.)

- April 8th – Final Date to pay Franchise Fees without $50 late fee imposed
- April 15th – Collect ALL fines & late fees (hope to have none!)
- April 21st – EC Meeting
- Last date to pay all Franchise Fees and Penalties without removal from the league

## Where we need help?

- Umpires!!!
- Suggestion Program

## Closing Comments

- Questions?
- Thanks for coming!