RETURNING MEMBERS-- The fee of $40 can be reduced in case of financial hardship or extremely infrequent attendance. Please negotiate any reduced fees with our treasurer, Gil Schmerler. Most players who attend regularly and qualify for batting titles and awards and such, will be expected to pay in full. Please do so by April 2 or as soon as possible afterwards.
NEW PLAYERS-- We have no problem with providing a free game here and there for a member's friends or family, or for a new player to determine if they like early wakeup calls and frequent arguments. Once a player reaches a certain threshold of participation-- 20 at bats for example-- some payment should be made. A player accumulating more than 50 at bats is considered to be a member, and the preceding paragraph applies in full.
In the event of chronic non-payment, the league is within its rights to deny a player the ability to continue playing. If more than 24 players show up for a game, preference will be given to those who have paid. In some very occasional instances we may accept supplies such as new or gently used softballs, or services rendered, in lieu of cash.
Now onto the fun stuff. The 2017 winter meeting was held at the home of Anne Atkinson & Gil Schmerler tonight. Some rules changes were proposed and accepted, as follows:
1. A thrown ball leaving the field of play, defined as the dugout, the area behind the backstop fence, and the invisible line extending from the dugout fences parallel to the foul lines, is automatically a dead ball and runners are awarded one base. In the event of an overthrow occurring while a runner is between bases, as per ASA rules, they are awarded both the base they are heading towards, and the one after that. There is no distinction between infield and outfield overthrows. A runner continuing past first base down the foul line is awarded second, not third.
2. In the interest of completing two games on our Heckscher permit, we agreed that the 1-1 count in a second game starting after 10:00am has been helpful. The 1-1 count will also be used in the first game when it cannot be started earlier than 8:50am. Havelock has agreed to start the games as soon as 14 players have arrived.
A theme game where all players must bat from their non-natural side was proposed and accepted. It will be played at Havelock's discretion, probably during the off-peak part of our season.
Awards for the 2017 season: Cid Rivera was named MVP in a landslide vote, after leading the league in runs, home runs, and RBI, while posting the second-best won-loss record. Freddie Melendez won best pitcher. David Rodriguez was Rookie of the year. Gil Schmerler won the pennant.
Gold gloves were given to Freddie Melendez (pitcher); Robert Rodriguez Jr. (catcher); Gil Schmerler (1b); Nel Yomtov (2b); Sam Magnus (3b); Zach Nilva (ss); Cid Rivera, Tom Haskin, Sam Melendez, Eric Schulman, and Dimitri Patsalos (outfield).