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Objectives
The Amity Summer League has always attracted the most competitive teams from the area. However, these same teams have been able to adjust their priorities away from a drive to a championship to an opportunity to develop their players for the future. Our league has open rosters so that coaches can try-out new players, experiment with the players they already have and teach the game in an organized setting. Perhaps we created too big an incentive in the last couple of years by awarding jackets to our champions; our hope was that winning the Amity Summer League Championship was not a team's number one priority. Now as we embark on our new endeavor as NY Travel Baseball, we wish to return to our roots to a league created so that baseball games can be played without "bragging rights" interfering with player development. As a result, we will once again reward our champions with trophies. We're not interested in determining which team is the best in a particular age group. Our interest is in playing a full schedule of competitive games. That is why we create divisions which are a little flexible as to the age of the players so that more talented younger teams can compete evenly with less talented older teams.With less emphasis on winning and more on player development, we create a calmer environment where coaches and fans can act in a more relaxed manner. We do not except abusiveness toward opponents or umpires; we're here to play the games without emphasizing the outcomes.
For this reason we make every effort to play every game. If it is reasonable to wait for a team to field nine players, we will wait. We want the game played; we do not want a forfeit. If a team produces fewer than nine players we award a forfeit but insist that a game be played anyway. The umpire is required to stay and fulfill his obligation to officiate a game.
As former coaches we believe we understand how teams wish to be treated by league officials. Off the field as well we hope to provide a friendly, hospitable atmosphere. We want our guests to feel welcome when they enter the Amity complex, Kings Bay, Joe Torre or anywhere else a NYTB game is held. We welcome suggestions from outside organizations and we understand that we are there to serve.
Registration Information
Our divisions are not created strictly by age group. We're more interested in competitive balance:PEE WEE: 8 and under
CUB: 9 year-olds and weaker 10 year-old teams
BANTAM WEST: Stronger 10 year-old teams and weaker 11s
BANTAM CENTRAL: Stronger 11 year-old teams and weaker 12s
BANTAM EAST: Stronger 12 year-old teams
GRASSHOPPER WEST: 13 year-olds and weaker 14s
GRASSHOPPER EAST: 14 year-olds and Strong 13s
If you don't know which division is right for you, we can arrange practice games against different levels of competition.
SUMMER SEASON A: $300 July 8 - August 27 Approximately
Approximately 14 games plus playoffs
2 teams qualify for divisions with fewer 9 teams
4 teams qualify for divisions with 10 or more teams.
SUMMER SEASON B: Free for all teams in Summer Season A
An additional 10-12 games played during the week.
FALL SEASON: $300 September 6- November 1
12 games
NYTB DISCOUNT!! $500 for teams who play SUMMER AND FALL Teams are responsible for their own accident insurance. All players on first place teams and second place teams will receive a trophy. Championship teams will also receive an organization plaque.
General Playing Rules
Major League Baseball (National League) rules apply (which includes the rule that ONLY WOOD BATS are permitted) with the following exceptions:RE-ENTRY: Once per game a starting player removed from the game may re-enter in his same position in the batting order. His substitute will be removed from the game and may not return.
EXTRA HITTER: A team has the option of a 10 man batting order. A team must decide this before the game and it applies for the duration of the game. The EH may be placed into a defensive position.
VISITS TO MOUND: Pitchers removed because of the second visit in an inning may remain in the game at another position. They cannot return to the mound later in the game.
COURTESY RUNNERS: They are not permitted. The pitcher and catcher must run for themselves.
INJURY RULE: A team must have 9 legal players to begin a game. However, if a player cannot finish the game, the team may continue with 8. There is a penalty however. The missing player's time at bat becomes an automatic out. However: If a team begins the game with a 10 man line-up and must continue with 9, they may do so WITHOUT PENALTY. They simply skip that position in the line-up. If a player gets injured and the team has non-legal substitutes only, the MAY bring one of those players back into the game. If the opposing coach would like to choose which player is to return, he may do so. The player who has left the game because of injury may NOT return to the game; he is disqualified for the remainder of the game. A team may not continue with fewer than 8 players.
VIOLENT CONTACT: We do not have a must slide rule nor do we have a must avoid contact rule during a tag play at a base. However, if the fielder has possession of the baseball violent contact in an attempt to dislodge the ball is prohibited. The runner will be called out and may be ejected from the game (umpire discretion).
Specific Rules for PeeWee Division
No player in the Peewee Division can have a date of birth prior to May 1, 1997.No metal Cleats.
MOUND 42'
BASES 60'
The runners may not lead off the base. If they leave early, they will be sent back to the base they came from or if the batter reaches base, they will be sent to the base to which they are forced-ONE BASE AHEAD OF THE BATTER-RUNNER. Runners may steal a base after the pitch has crossed home plate.
No stealing home: A player may inherit home plate on continuous play on a batted ball or by being forced in by a walk.
There is no infield fly rule. The batter is out even if the third strike is not caught. Universal batting is optional. If a player leaves the game early and there is no player to replace that player, then there is no out recorded for the vacant spot in the lineup. Play is considered dead when the pitcher is in the vicinity of the pitcher's mound and has possession of the ball.
Specific Rules for Cub Division
No player in the Cub Division can have a date of birth prior to May 1, 1995.No metal cleats.
MOUND 46'
BASES 65'
Common Rules for PeeWee and Cub Division
OFFICIAL GAME: The games are 6 innings in length. The game becomes official after the losing team has batted 4 times or 2 hours have elapsed.TIME LIMIT: No inning may start after 2 hours have elapsed. Games will end in a tie. If the game is tied after 6 innings, and the time limit has not been reached, the game may continue until the time limit IS reached.
MERCY RULE: If a team that has batted 4 times is down by 10 or more runs, the game is over. However, if the visiting team opens up a 10 run lead in their half of the inning (5th inning or later) the home team must get their time at bat.
Specific Rules for Bantam Divisions
No player in any Bantam Division can have a date of birth prior to May 1, 1993. No player in BANTAM WEST can have a date of birth prior to May 1, 1994.No metal Cleats.
FIELD DIMENSIONS:
Mound 50'
Bases 75' (If a site cannot accommodate 75' bases, no less than 70' is permitted)
Specific Rules for Grasshopper Divisions
No player in either Grasshopper Division can have a date of birth prior to May 1, 1991.FIELD DIMENSIONS
Mound 60' 6"
Bases 90'
Common Rules for Bantam and Grasshopper Divisions
OFFICIAL GAME: The games are 7 innings in length. The game becomes official after the losing team has batted 4 times or 2 hours have elapsed.TIME LIMIT: No inning may start after 2 hours have elapsed. Games will end in a tie. If the game is tie after 7 innings and the time limit has not been reached, the game may continue until the time limit IS reached.
MERCY RULE: If a team that has batted 5 times is down by 10 or more runs the game is over. However, if the visiting team opens up a 10 run lead in their half of the inning (6th inning or later) the home team must get their time at bat.
Scheduling
This is what has distinguished us from other leagues in the local area. Given the numerous activities a team may have in the summer months, e.g., tournaments, vacations, a great deal of planning is required to avoid cancellations. Teams in our league have come to trust that games on the schedule will be played. That requires careful preparation on our part to customize every schedule but it also requires careful preparation on the part of the teams entering our league.By Saturday June 24, 2006, each team must submit a list of exception dates and all other scheduling requirements. We will fulfill every reasonable request. It is the coach's responsibility to anticipate tournament playoff dates. It is the coach's responsibility to find out when tournaments for their age group will take place. For example, every summer there is a AABC 11 year-old tournament, an 8 year-old PONY tournament etc. and teams intending to participate must provide us with the necessary information so we can block out those dates on your NYTB schedule.
After customizing schedules for 50-60 teams, we will not be receptive to making changes because the team did not make the effort to provide us with the information we need. Rescheduling games is not impossible, but we make NO guarantees that it won't end up in forfeits. Understand that if TEAM A cancels a double-header with TEAM B, and TEAM B agrees to a make-up date, TEAM A is ultimately responsible if that double-header never gets played. So when the make- up date comes around and it rains, TEAM B will win 2 games by forfeit.
Each team will be given the opportunity to have home games. Once again, June 24 will serve as the cut-off date for providing NYTB with field information. We need to know what fields you have and when they are available. We will make every effort to give your team the home games you desire. If it rains, the home team will determine if their field is suitable for play prior to the game. Once the game begins, it becomes the umpire's responsibility. At neutral sites such as Amity, Kings Bay and Joe Torre, the NYTB staff will assume the responsibility for field conditions.
Even though the main Summer League is slated to be weekend double-headers, we will need to have the flexibility to play some of these games during the week. The reverse is true for the secondary week night league where it is possible for these "B" games to be played during the weekend.
Rosters
All teams are REQUIRED to submit a roster. Teams may carry more than the official limit of 18 players but only 18 trophies will be awarded should they win.You may add and delete players at any time during the course of the season up until the cut-off date (TBA) which will be approximately 1 week prior to the playoffs.
The players you add cannot be from any other team currently playing the NY Travel Baseball League unless that team first deletes the player from their roster and you receive permission from the league.
Players within the same organization can appear on more than one roster provided the teams are in different divisions e.g., CUB and BANTAM or BANTAM WEST and BANTAM CENTRAL. Obviously all age restrictions must be observed.
The printed roster must consist of a player's name, date of birth and school. We are not involved in player recruiting therefore do not require phone numbers or addresses. We only want to verify ages.
Each player must provide a birth certificate for inspection before beginning his/her career in the league. We will maintain a database so that this process does not have to be repeated every year even for players who switch teams.
Any team that plays a game prior to submitting a roster will receive FORFEITS. We have been lax in years past but we will be vigilant from now on.
If a team needs to add a player at the last minute, they can call in the information just prior to the game by leaving a message on Dave's cell phone (347) 247-8669. Or they can send an email to jan@nytravelbaseball.com.
If it's a player from another team in your organization, just tell us who it is.
If it's a new player be sure to include the relevant information: NAME, Date of Birth and School.
We will subsequently REQUIRE a birth certificate for inspection or a forfeit will result.
Umpires
There is no NYTB Umpire Association per se; we hand pick our umpires. Many of them work for associations, others do not. Our umpires are not charged dues or assigner's fees. Our goal is to attract the best available umpires because we understand that they are an essential component to a good baseball league.For Divisions PEEWEE, CUB AND BANTAM there is a single umpire who works from behind the plate. The fee will be $20 per team. If for some reason the umpire works the game from behind the pitcher, he shall receive $15/team. Please notify the league if this should occur.
For the Grasshopper Divisions there are two umpires so the fee will be $40 per team.
If for whatever reason only one umpire works the game each team pays him $30 to work behind the plate. If that umpire has to work behind the pitcher, he gets $20 per team.
If it becomes an official game, all umpires receive a full fee. If the game is not official due to weather, blackout, earthquake etc. the teams may be entitled to money back (since the umpires are paid in full prior to the start of the game).
Once a game begins, each umpire receives a minimum of $5 per team.
Once a game reaches the 30 minute mark, each umpire receives a minimum of $10 per team.
Once a game reaches the 60 minute mark, the umpires receive their full fee.
Decorum for Coaches, Players and Fans
If there is ever a problem with an umpire you can contact us and we will address the issue. However, inappropriate behavior by coaches, players and fans will not be tolerated. The culture of harassing umpires during a game in order to gain a favorable call at some point has never been accepted in our league. It's an annoyance; it ruins the atmosphere. By making the games less pleasant, it gets harder to attract teams and quality umpires. We would prefer to eliminate any coach, team or organization from our league than allow them to poison the climate we've established for almost 2 decades.We must also insist that team personnel and fans adhere to the rules of the venues they visit. For example, most enclosed facilities insist that their guests do not double- park. Alcoholic beverages are never permitted anywhere inside or around the perimeter of a youth facility.
Cancellation Policy
As previously stated we go to great lengths to customize schedules to prevent the need for cancellations. Our rules forbid cancellations and we reserve the right to award a forfeit. With that said, we also realize that "stuff" happens and is our mission, "after-all", to play all of the games.Sadly that leaves us in a position of subjectivity. We cannot write a cancellation rule in stone; it requires flexibility. With our apologies for the ambiguities, here are some guidelines:
1. Canceling a game may result in a forfeit
2. If you cancel only 1 DH early in the season, we believe we can work this out with your opponent. Certainly, you are welcome to work it out yourselves.
3. Canceling more than 1 DH may become too difficult especially if it is getting close to play-off time.
In some cases many of our teams are competing for the same national tournament. We know that only one of those teams will qualify but we can't know in advance which one. Therefore, WE may have to cancel games on that team's behalf with no penalty to that team (provided they fully cooperate with our efforts to make-up the lost games).
Contact Information
We pride ourselves on our accessibility. Keep in mind, however, that if our league is functioning properly, you shouldn't have to contact us very often. For example, if your game is cancelled due to rain, we will call you. Emailing any of us is easy.Log on to our web site www.nytravelbaseball.com
You can write to JAN@NYTRAVELBASEBALL.COM or DAVE@NYTRAVELBASEBALL.COM or you can call Dave on his cell phone at 347-247-8669.
Ground Rules at Amity
Major Field: Behind the plate there is a tarp covering the backstop. We hope that we can keep the ball in play at all times even if the player has to reach up to dislodge a ball trapped in the tarp. But if that becomes impossible, at the umpire's discretion the ball will become dead and bases will be awarded to the runners.The dugouts will be extended for additional dead area usually defined by a chalk line. If there is no line then the umpires will remind the teams at the pre-game conference where the dead areas are.
There is a fence directly on the right field foul line. A ball that hits that fence on a fly is a foul ball. A ball that bounces first (beyond first base) and then hits the fence is a fair ball.
A ball that rolls under an outfield fence in fair territory is a ground-rule double. A ball that is hit over an outfield fence in fair territory is a homerun.
Minor Field: The same rules as above apply where applicable. Ground rules at other NYTB fields must be discussed at the pre-game conference.
Web Site
www.nytravelbaseball.comThis is the place to find up to date information about the league. We include schedules by division as well as a master schedule so you can see what's going on around the league on a given day. You can also follow the progress of the league by checking out the standings. Any other relevant information is included such as the information contained in this rule book.
There is room for so much more:
If you would provide us with information about your team we would be happy to post it on our web site. You may include articles as well as digital photographs. If your team is looking for players we will post that information on a message board. And: As always we are open to suggestions for new ways to serve our baseball community.