Hagerstown Area Church Softball League

2008 Meetings 10:41 AM, Nov 19 2008

Notes from 2008 Meetings
Messages for Coaches/Teams 9:38 AM, Nov 19 2008

The following messages are posted in cronological order and/or order of importance:

 
END OF YEAR TOURNEY, Sat, Aug 30th 9:51 AM, Nov 19 2008

Here is the schedule for Saturdays Tourney:

9AM F-1 RINGGOLD/SMITHSBURG
9AM F-2 FIVE FORKS/EMMANUEL
9AM F-3 ST.JAMES/BETHEL
 
10AM F-1 HAG. BIBLE/WINNER OF RINGGOLD/SMITHSBURG
10AM F-2 VIRGINIA AVE./NAZARENE
END OF YEAR TOURNEY, Sat, Aug 23rd 9:52 AM, Nov 19 2008

Dear Friends:  Here are the times for the tournament this weekend.  We will be playing 7 inning games with the 1 and 1 count.  The 10 run rule after 5 innings applies.  We allowed 1 team to move down from the upper division.  ALL PLAYERS MUST HAVE PLAYED IN 6 REGULAR SEASON GAMES TO BE ELIGABLE TO PLAY IN TOURNAMENT PLAY.  We broke the tournament up so that there will be two champions.  Nine teams in the Middle bracket, and four teams in the lower.  The league will supply balls for the tournament.   Times of games have no effect in your seeding.   All teams have a bye except for two which have like a play in game. The tournament schedule will be posted at the park on Sat.
 
9 AM F-1 CROSSROADS/EMMANUEL D
9 AM F-2 LIFE HOUSE/CHRIST COMMUNITY
9 AM F-3 GRACE/OTTERBEIN
 
10 AM F-1 WEST END/COVENANT LIFE
10 AM F-2 ST. MARKS/BENEVOLA
10 AM F-3 SAINTS/HARVEST LIFE
 
11 AM F-1 ST. JOES/WINNER OF CROSSROADS/ EMMANUEL D
END OF YEAR TOURNEMENTS AND ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS TO ROSTERS 9:52 AM, Nov 19 2008

Please inform Mike (DrumLikeMe@aol.com) if you plan to participate in the Year End Tournaments (Lower, Aug 23 and Upper, Aug 30).  Two winners will be awarded from lower division, just like in past years.  Please let Mike know by Aug 14th for lower and Aug 21 for upper, respectively) if you are going to participate.
 
Also,  please inform Mike by this week's end if your team has any additions or subtractions to your rosters, since there is no League meeting in August. 

If you have any questions, please contact Mike.
NEW SOFTBALLS ON SALE NOW 9:52 AM, Nov 19 2008

Coaches:
 
The "test" period for the new softballs is now over and most agree they have more of a "pop" to them which is a slight advantage over the older ones.  Since they were a "hit" (pun intended) they are now on sale at the concession stand for $5.00 each.  If you have any softballs leftover from your original allotment, you may still use them, however, any additional softballs purchased will be of the new variety.
 
SOFTBALL SCHEDULE QUESTIONS 9:54 AM, Nov 19 2008
Mike has received several questions as to how he makes up the schedule.  This is his methodology: 
 
Everyone's record is based on divisions 1 through 6.  We have some teams who play two nights per week; teams who play one night one week then two nights the next week; and teams who play one night per week.  For example, if you look on the standings you will see Ringgold plays a less games than every all of the other teams in the A and B Divisions and they will not be penalized for this.  There are 8 different types of schedules that go into the master (or regular season) schedule.  These divisions are listed below and Mike keeps records for each individual team records within those divisions.
 
1. A Division Plays the A, B, C, A, and B divisions
2. B Division Plays the A, B, C, A, and B divisions
3. C Division Plays the A, B, C, and D divisions
4. D Division Plays the C, D, and E divisions
5. E Division plays the D, E, and F divisions
6. F Division plays the E and F divisions
 
Then we take all the teams that want to play two nights a week and we make a schedule of just these teams and put them into the master schedule.  Most of the upper teams play two nights a week, and if you are a lower team you are put into this part of the schedule and you end up playing upper division teams. There are not enough lower teams who wish to play two nights a week to make just a two night a week lower division schedule.
 
Then we take all the teams that want to play one game one week and two the next and we make another schedule to be put in the master schedule. So if we have mostly all upper teams in this category with a couple lower teams the lower has to play the upper teams. The reason for this again is that there are not enough lower teams playing in this division to make a separate schedule of lower teams.  
 
Therefore, how many games you play, plus the frequency (times per week) you play, as well as, your division (level of play) determines whether or not you play teams outside of your division.
 
We hope this explains how the schedule it made.   If not contact Mike at DrumLikeMe@aol.com with your questions.
2nd Annual Golf Tournament - New Date, New Times and New Venue 9:54 AM, Nov 19 2008

For more inforamtion click here.
GAME LENGTH ON FIELD #2 9:54 AM, Nov 19 2008

Last night we ran into a problem with the 6:30 game being played on Field #2 taking too long to complete 9 innings.  Since there was a game waiting to play on Field #2 at 8:00, a decision was made to end the game at 8:00.
 
In all my years of softball, an hour and a half is plenty of time to complete a game.  The softball complex has a curfew and we must be out of the park at 10:00 PM.   It would not be fair to the teams who are playing the 2nd game under lights to only play for a hour because the first game took over two hours. 
 
So from now on, games which began at 6:30 will be completed no later that 8:00.  If the 6:30 game is still going on at 8:00, you will finish out the next complete inning and the game will be finished.   The game will not convert back to the previous inning.   We must finish out the next complete inning.
 
In addition, it is up to the umpire and the coaches to hustle the game up.  That means, hustle your players in and off the field, and have a pitcher who can throw strikes and a catcher who can catch.   If any of you would like to add the 1 and 1 count to make sure your game speeds up on that field, you can do that to make sure we can get 9 innings in.  Without going to 1 and 1 count I think the key will be to hustle your players on and off the field.
 
This will be added to our League's Rules and By-Laws.
FAIRGROUNDS CONCESSION STAND SECURITY 9:55 AM, Nov 19 2008

Dear Friends,
Tonight when I came to the fairgrounds the door to the upstairs of the concession building was open. When locking doors to the concession building you must slam door because the door will not lock on its own. When setting alarm all doors must be shut when putting code in.Could you please double check after locking doors to make sure they are attached and locked.  God Bless, Mike Kelbaugh
LOST AND FOUND 11:28 PM, Jun 01 2008

Dear Friends:  My son had my Miken Freak 98 softball bat playing with children and the bat is missing. My son walks around and talks to teams and I was wondering if he left it in a dug out area which got accidentally picked up. Could you please check with your team players to see if they would of picked it up. It was a Birthday present two years ago from my wife and I would like to find it.  God Bless, Mike Kelbaugh at DrumLikeMe@aol.com.  (06/02/08)

John Hill lost a pair of Revo sunglasses during the Upper Division Tourney.  If anyone found them and they could get them to him, he would appreciate it.  Contact him at piashag@juno.com

Shawn Reed wishes to thank Doug Dangerfield for the return of his glove!
AUTOMATED PHONE CONTACT LIST 9:55 AM, Nov 19 2008

Coaches:
 
To date, we have not received these teams' automated phone list:  Hagerstown Bible, Nazarene B, Tri-State, Nazarene C/ Christ Community, Otterbein, Hub City, and Benevola.
 
It is very important that those teams who have not submitted their forms DO SO ASAP!
 
We have gone to an automated system, because even though you can still phone the league's number and get a recording, that recording system is some times faulty.  If numerous people call at the same time the recording will go back to it's previous recording.  So it is possible that you may get a recording that is not up to date.
 
So please, get your lists in ASAP.  These lists can be found in the by-law books given to each team.   They can be written in manually and given turned in at the concession stand, or typed in and forwarded to Barbie at  HACSL@myactv.net

Either way ---- hurry, hurry, hurry!
 
Thanks!
A FEW ITEMS WHICH NEED ATTENTION 9:55 AM, Nov 19 2008

Coaches:
 
The season is off and running, and it seems like everyone is having a good time.  Just a couple of things which need going over:
 
1.    Score Sheets:  There have been several games where score sheets have not been completed.  It is the winning team's responsibility to complete this form.  If you don't see it hanging on a clipboard on the backstop, come to the concession stand and get them.   If your game is at Pinesburg, again, the winning team must, within 24 hrs, either email DrumLikeMe@aol.com or call 301-223-4556 and let Mike know the winning stats. 
 
2.    Base Hole Diggers:  "Diggers" are now available to the teams to use to set the bases.  Please see Jim Knodle or Mike to get one. 
 
3.    Meetings:  There were four teams that missed the last (mandatory) league meeting on Tuesday night.  If you (coach) can't make it to a meeting, it is your responsibility to find a replacement to go to the meeting for you.  You must have a representative from your team at these meetings.   The league tries to be understanding when it comes to assessing fines and tries not to give them because we are a Christian league, but this requirement is in our by-laws and if not adhered to will result in fines from this point on.  This regulation was put into place so that teams would attend these meetings.  If we didn't have this rule, teams would keep missing meetings and that is not fair to the teams that come.  Plus when you miss you're left out of everything which is gone over.
FAIRGROUNDS 9:56 AM, Nov 19 2008

The league would like to point out a few things about the fairgrounds:
 
1.    The soda machines which have been placed by the concession stand are put there by the City.  If people purchased sodas out of them they are supporting the City rather than buying from the concession stands which support the Fairgrounds.  Please help support the Fairgrounds and ultimately the league.
 
2.    Driving/parking on the sidewalks leading to the concession stand is reserved only for delivery of food and supplies to the concession stand.  Please don't use the sidewalks as roadways.
 
Thanks!
ROSTERS, WAVIERS AND AUTOMATED PHONE CONTACT LISTS 9:56 AM, Nov 19 2008
Coaches:
 
All rosters are to be turned in to Mike Kelbaugh before your team's first regular season game.  Please keep in mind the following:
 
+    The pastor of your church needs to SIGN the roster as well as the coach.  BOTH must sign.
+    If you are a team that has merged, we need an INDIVIDUAL roster from each of the churches making up your team and they must be signed by each merged church pastor.   Example:  If your team is comprised of two churches - you will be turning in two separate rosters each signed by their respective church's pastor.
+    If you are one of the merging churches, you will need to put the League's Team name in the area which says:  Church Merging With.  Example:  If you play for the Saints of St. Andrew, but your church is New Life Christian Ministries, then you would fill in Saints of St. Andrew where it says: Church Merging With.
+    We will in mailing letters to all of the pastors who have church members playing in the League.  Along with this letter will be a copy of your roster.
+    Coaches, please don't sign your pastor's name --- this should be signed by your pastor only.
+    Turn in your rosters, as well as any waiver forms for those players under age (make sure the parent of the minor child has signed) prior to your first regular season game.  You will not be allowed to play unless your paperwork has been received.
+    Also, if you have not already turned in your Automated Phone Contact List either by email or in person you must do so ASAP. If we don't get your players' phone numbers we can't notify them in case of bad weather.
 
Links to the necessary forms:  1) Rosters; 2) Wavier;  and 3) Automated Phone Contact List
 
If you have difficulty with any of these, please let me know. 
DISTRIBUTION OF SOFTBALLS 9:56 AM, Nov 19 2008
Mike will have each team's softballs ready to pick up during tomorrow's tournament (4/26/08).  You can get them tomorrow or he'll give them to you at your first scheduled game. 
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE IS NOW AVAILABLE 9:57 AM, Nov 19 2008

The 2008 Regular Season Schedule is now available at  WWW.ALLPROSOFTWARE.NET/2008SOFTBALL