Olde Tymers Softball of Delmarva

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

March 22, 2016

In attendance: Bo Wood, Keith Purdy, Tom Wendorf, Carl Pierce, Dave Sroka, John Allen, Bucky Wicklein, Steve Carey, Grady Meredith, Neil Fleming, Dave Lovelace, Bill Straughan, Pat Carey, Gene McCloskey, John Bokop, Chris Houlday, Jeff Martins, Don Hillock, Dave Archer and Ed Sternberg

• Bo announced the three new managers for the season, Dave Sroka (All Out Sports), Dave Lovelace (Colonial East) and Dave Archer (Robinson Phillies), which will complete the roster for managers. Dave Lovelace and Dave Archer are first-time managers. Dave Sroka managed a championship team in 2014. There will be 13 teams this year for a total of 156 players. It is anticipated that there will be a waiting list. Players on the waiting list will participate in the spring practices and will be assigned to teams who lose players during the year.
• The board was reminded that an Umpiring Group run by VP Dick Mullins will replace the former requirement that each team supply two umpires. Bo also requested a few more volunteers for the grounds crew. Those men will have no player fees for the 2017 season if they continue to be part of the grounds crew.
• Shirts, hats and a dozen softballs were distributed to the respective teams along with other information regarding those items. Home teams will supply both softballs for games, one new and one of playable quality.
• Bo then reviewed “new old rules” as reminders for the season:
  • NO SUNDAY PLAY WHATSOEVER. Saturdays are acceptable AFTER the Church of God baseball season ends in mid-May. Weekday afternoons and evenings are also allowed after the COG season ends in mid-May.
  • Waiver sheets are required for all players on the field who are not members of the league. These will have to be signed for liability purposes. New forms will be available in the sheds at both fields.
  • All batters must run to first base for themselves.
  • Because of the agreement with the Church of God, it is essential to curtail the use of foul language, to avoid smoking on the premises and avoid the use of alcoholic beverages. Bo reminded the board that we have become somewhat careless in some of these areas.
• The portable toilet at Field 2 will be relocated nearer the backstop in order to avoid it being so near the food pavilion.
• New bases will be installed after the COG baseball season ends.
• A reminder of important dates:
  • APRIL 4 – General Meeting at Bethany Beach Town Hall, 6:00 p.m.
  • APRIL 5 – Old team practices begin
  • APRIL 19 – New Player Evaluation Day
  • APRIL 20 – Draft Day, time and place TBD
  • APRIL 21 – New team practices begin
  • MAY 3 – Season opens
• New business began with a brief discussion about by-law changes (largely rewording and compaction). There was a discussion on the new scoring line versus the second home plate, but the proposed rule was not changed. The motion to approve all By-Law changes was made by Dave Sroka and seconded by Dave Archer. The motion was approved.
• Ed Sternberg presented a motion to limit players to two games on any given play date (their own and one as substitute, or on days the player had a bye, two games as a substitute). The proposal was seconded by Keith Purdy and the issue was discussed at length. The motion was put to a vote and defeated.
• A plan to improve the rating system was presented by Keith Purdy and Tom Wendorf. After much discussion the motion was made to have a committee handle the matter. Motion made by Don Hillock, second by Grady Meredith. Approval was given. The members of that committee are: Steve Carey, Don Hillock, Gene McCloskey, Grady Meredith and Dave Sroka. Tom Wendorf will assist with numbers information. The committee will select its chairman.
• Grady Meredith proposed the use of senior bats for players 70 and over. A discussion about the various impacts of that proposal was lengthy. Tom Wendorf motioned to draft rules governing the use of senior bats by players 75 and over. Dave Archer seconded. The motion was defeated.
• A discussion was held on a proposal to put sponsors into the general draft. The manager/assistant manager that drafted a sponsor would then manage that sponsor’s team. This arrangement would eliminate the “reservation” of 3 players (manager, assistant manager, sponsor) for a team. Don Hillock moved to table this proposal until sometime later in the season. The motion was seconded and approved.
• The last item was a request for volunteers to re-evaluate players from 2015 whose ratings may need to be changed due to off-season events. The committee consists of: Dick Mullins, Neil Fleming, Don Hillock, Terry Thomas, and Dave Sroka. These ratings will be discussed and approved on New Player Evaluation day.

The meeting adjourned at 3:00PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl J. Pierce, Secretary