Olde Tymers Softball of Delmarva

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

December 11, 2018

All Executive Committee members present: Steve Unger, Steve Carey, Jesse Bare, Tom Wendorf and Carl Pierce

All team mangers present: John Allen, Pat Carey, [Steve Carey], Dave Lovelace, Phil Martin, Grady Meredith, Bob Miller, Dick Mullins, Keith Purdy, Dave Sroka, [Steve Unger], John Walker and Bo Wood

• The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Steve Unger. Steve welcomed the new team manager for Community Bank, Phil Martin.
• Jesse Bare presented the Treasurer’s report. The current bank balance is $17,661.19, which, he commented, is very sound, but significant expenditures will be pending as preparations for the season progress.
• Steve U. updated the attendees on several items:
  • The irrigation system will be winterized by Lord’s on December 12. A contract is in place with them to open and close the system at $100 per job.
  • Fence protective padding will be ordered in January and stored in the Church of God tractor shed for protection until the weather is suitable for installation. The cost is just over $1000.
  • The financial review by Paul Litwin and Joe Oswald was acknowledged and suggestions have been activated. The one suggestion that needs repeating is the need for formal receipts in place of casual, handwritten ones on scrap paper.
  • The possibility of a new (third) field at American Legion Post #28 was discussed. OTS members met with the board on 11/1, but due to a change in officers at the Post, the process was slowed. Follow-up will continue through the year. (Post-meeting update: The management team at Post #28 advised Steve U. on 12/15 that as of now they will not be going forward with any action on the new field. However, they will still be a sponsor for a team in 2019.)
• Steve established a committee to determine the advisability of a two-division league. That group is composed of members across various levels of age, skill, OTS experience and background. They are:
  • Brant Collins
  • Bob Argonish
  • Russ Bufflap
  • Pat Carey
  • Dave Lovelace
• Carl Pierce reported 96 registrations as of this day compared to 90 at the same date last year and reminded managers of the January 15 deadline for assurance of priority in the draft. So far, the plan is for 13 teams, each with 12 players, but that could change depending on the total number of registrations.
• Pat Carey reported on work for the OTS Hall of Fame project and gave a review of procedures and functions along with two handouts (see addendums at the end of the minutes) containing more details. At the moment, movement on this is slow largely because of seasonal events. An update will be given to the Executive Committee at their next meeting. Members of this committee are:
  • Pat Carey
  • Russ Bowen
  • Steve Carey
  • Harry Gowl (inactive on committee at current time due to health issues)
  • Grady Meredith
• Several motions for rules changes were discussed and voted upon. All approved motions are in effect immediately. The By-Laws will be updated to reflect these rule changes prior to the start of the season.
  • The board unanimously passed a motion made by Dick Mullins and seconded by John Allen to move the 165’ line to 175’ in order to afford some batters a better chance to reach first base without being thrown out from the outfield. (By-Laws Section 7.3.B.1)
  • A suggestion had been made by some players to move to a 0-0 count without a courtesy foul. Many board members believed that would extend the game time because of the extra time for the pitchers to throw more pitches and the extra time for the catchers to return more pitches. A motion for a 1 – 1 count with no courtesy was made by Jesse Bare, seconded by John Allen and carried by a 12 – 4 vote. In addition, it was concluded that this could contribute to absolving part of the heat controversy by speeding up the game. (By-Laws Section 7.3.K.1)
  • There was a lengthy discussion on the substitute pitcher rules that allow, in certain situations, a higher-rated pitcher to be a substitute for a designated pitcher and play in the field but not be allowed to bat. A motion was made by Dave Lovelace and seconded by Pat Carey to limit the use of the designated pitcher/higher-rated substitute rules to only the situation where the designated pitcher is the only player missing on a team. If 2 or more players, including the designated pitcher are missing from a team, it will be the manager’s responsibility to find a pitcher that is either already on the team or meets the allowed substitute rating rules as defined in the By-Laws. The motion was approved unanimously. (By-Laws Section 7.3.D., especially paragraphs 13 and 14, in conjunction with paragraphs 4 through 9)
  • The rule that does not allow a substitute when only 1 player is missing from a team (unless that player is the designated pitcher) was discussed. There was no motion to change this rule, so the rule will remain in effect. (By-Laws Section 7.3.D.14)
  • Significant discussion took place regarding the Hi-Lo Substitution Rule. The general opinion, in spite of some perceived flaws, was that it helped balance the teams’ competitive abilities. A motion to maintain it as written was made by Grady Meredith, seconded by John Walker and carried by an 11 – 5 vote. (By-Laws Section 7.3.D.8)
  • A request was made to ensure that each team keeps a scorebook during the game. It was noted that this requirement is already in the By-Laws. (By-Laws Section 3.5.D)
  • It was noted that a heat policy needs to be created. It was also noted that we play in a summer league and summers in lower Sussex County are generally hot. Several suggestions were made to speed up the games so they get over before the worst of the heat. Among them were adding time limits to games on super-hot days, making sure substitute runners are ready to go when needed, playing games at 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 starting July 1st and/or playing 5-inning games on super-hot days. Postponing games was not the board’s first choice, although it was recognized that sometimes that may be needed, and that it may be possible to play the two early games and postpone the noon games. It was agreed that any games postponed because of excessive heat will be at the discretion of the league secretary with the help, if needed, of other board members who can offer significant input. No rules were changed or added, but It was agreed that a draft heat policy will be developed by the Executive Committee to be used as a basis for further discussion with the Board of Directors.
  • Jesse opened a discussion about not selecting team managers until after the teams were drafted. This would mean that only the manager would attend the draft and only his rating would be used to determine the starting draft order and draft limits for the first round. Once the teams were drafted, an assistant manager would be selected from the players that were on the team. An informal vote was taken that indicated there wasn’t much interest in pursuing this option, although some managers bellieved the idea should be thought about more in the next year.
• Steve U. announced that about 45 showed up for the Toys for Tots event at Fox’s, which is lower than the 60 or so that have attended in the past. At least three boxes were filled with toys.
• Steve U. mentioned that Mike Ohr is willing to work with our sponsor Bin 66 to have a Wine Tasting fundraiser. The last time we did this was 2015, and OTS realized a profit of about $700. The tentative date is Sunday, February 17, 2019 from 4:00 – 6:00.
• It was noted that a Board of Directors meeting will be scheduled for late winter/early spring to approve a heat policy and discuss other items in preparation for the 2019 season.
• Steve U. expressed a need for a league Safety Officer who would be an additional Board of Directors member. Steve U. suggested Dick Mullins for this position. Dick said he would be happy to continue his safety-related efforts and would enlist the help of other players in the league who had EMT, fire-fighter or other related experience. After further discussion, it was decided to not make this a Board of Directors position, but rather appoint an ad hoc Safety Committee with Dick Mullins as chairman. The Safety Committee will report administratively to the Executive Committee through the Vice President. Details of the duties of the Safety Committee, which so far include the oversight of first aid kits, defibrillators and identifying conditions which may prove hazardous to players, will be developed.
• Pat Carey asked about plans for OTS to send teams to the Delaware Senior Olympics in Dover in September. So far no plans have been made, but the Executive Committee took an action item to address this at their next meeting.
• Steve U. reminded attendees of upcoming events:
• Shark Tank Holiday Event – 12/13 at noon (Post-meeting update: Approximately 65 people attended.)
• Bowling Tournament – 3/29/19 Golf Tournament – 10/23/19
• The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

C. Pierce, Secretary

ADDENDUMS BELOW (THESE ARE BOTH DRAFTS. NOMINATIONS ARE NOT BEING ACCEPTED YET.)

Addendum 1 – Hall of Fame Eligibility

Addendum 2 – Hall of Fame Nomination Form

To access the addendums, click on the Handout link below. 

ALL HANDS MEETING

December 4, 2018

Approximately 60 members, including all Executive Officers, were in attendance.

• The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Steve Unger. Steve introduced the Executive Committee officers and announced several housekeeping issues.
• Tom Wendorf recognized 3 new players in attendance – Dean Enslein, Lance O’Connell and Joe Howe.
• Jesse Bare presented the Treasurer’s report.
  • Current bank balance is more than $17,000. Jesse listed all expenses he has covered to date. He requested that all receipts be legitimate receipts (i.e., from a company) instead of handwritten.
  • Jesse also noted that grass-cutting fees will be paid monthly based on bids yet to be decided.
  • The cost for fence-top padding will be $1082. Jesse noted that volunteers will be needed for installation and asked those that could help to see him.
  • It is important to note, Jesse stated, that there will more distinct divisions of duty to allow for less confusion in handling of monies. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, he will write all checks and the secretary will make all bank deposits.
  • For the purpose of more accurate record keeping, the fiscal year for OTS will run from November 1 through October 31.
• Steve U. reviewed the status of the irrigation system which works well with only a couple minor glitches to be solved. Lord’s will have a contract to engage and disengage the system in the appropriate seasons.
• Steve U. advised that a financial review of OTS income, expenses and procedures was completed by Joe Oswald and Paul Litwin. Several minor issues were identified and new procedures are being put in place to correct these deficiencies. Joe Oswald advised the group that the review was not for misappropriation of funds but rather for more efficient ways to operate.
• Carl Pierce reported that currently 80 players have registered for the 2019 season and reminded members that the deadline for a guaranteed spot is January 15, 2019. (Post-meeting update: several more players registered right after the meeting.)
• Steve Carey reported that last year he started with 22 on the Umpire Crew which decreased rapidly to 15 due to injuries or personal reasons. A request for more volunteers was sent out mid-season, which added 12 to the crew. Scheduling of the umpires was at times difficult due to some not wanting to umpire before they played a game or not enough umpires being available to ump at 9:00 or noon due to their team’s schedule.(Note: you don’t have to be an OTS player to be an umpire. Former players as well as non-players are welcome to umpire.)
• Steve U. reminded the attendees that this is a volunteer organization and more volunteers are needed. Sign-up sheets were set out for the Umpire Crew, Grounds Crew and a new Repair Crew. Several new volunteers signed up, but more help is always needed. (Post-meeting note: if you want to volunteer for one of these groups, contact Carl Pierce or Tom Wendorf and we’ll add your name.)
• Steve U. noted a desire for OTS to be more visible in the local press. He asked for a volunteer to help in this area. Mike Ohr volunteered to serve as our Public Relations Guru.
• Steve U. reported that he, Tom Wendorf and Russ Bufflap met with American Legion Post #28 officers regarding the possible conversion of their rugby field to a third softball field for the league. Steve, Tom and Russ had previously walked the area, discussed possible layouts and potential problems. Discussions with Post #28 will continue, but no decisions were made. Don’t get excited, boys…this is all just an idea for now!
• Steve U. started the open discussion portion of the meeting by noting there were 4 topics on the agenda and that more could be added by the attendees.
  • Steve U. began with a discussion on the possibility of making 2 divisions in the league. He assured the attendees that this will not happen for the 2019 season. Several options for how to create the divisions were discussed (age, skills, player choice, multiple drafts, one draft but the split into 2 similar divisions that would have some interdivisional play, etc.) Much discussion ensued. Dick Mullins suggested an ad hoc committee be appointed to investigate the issue, devise a plan and then present it. No action was taken on this suggestion. It was agreed that discussion would continue.
  • The issue of pitch height was discussed especially in relation to the 12’ high limit. It was noted that umpires are fairly good at calling low pitches (below 6’) but there was inconsistency when calling illegal high pitches. It was noted that 12’ is higher than what most people realize. A frame will be constructed with a 6’ low bar and a 12’ high bar that can be place between the pitcher’s mound and home plate during batting practice so everyone can get an idea of what the limits actually are.
  • The idea of moving the 165’ line to 175’ was discussed with both pros and cons being noted. This will be an item on the agenda for the 12/11 Board of Directors meeting.
  • A request was made to reduce the registration fees for managers, assistant managers and possibly other volunteers. It was noted that this is a volunteer organization and by definition, volunteers give freely of their time. It was also noted that depending on how much the fees were reduced, it might be necessary to raise the registration fee for everyone else to make up the difference. It was noted by the Executive Committee that if someone is financially unable to afford the registration fee, that person should let an executive officer know.
  • A suggestion was made that the home plate mats be buried to allow for safer footing. Jesse noted that plans are in place to have this done prior to next season.
  • A suggestion was made to change the starting pitch count from 1 – 1 with a courtesy foul to 0 – 0 with no courtesy foul. The option of 1 – 1 with no courtesy was also brought up. This will be another item at next week’s Board of Directors meeting.
  • A request was made to force each team to keep a scorebook during the game. It was noted that this requirement is already in the By-Laws.
  • The issue of the inequity of running ratings arose, but debate on it faded.
  • Although a heat policy was on the agenda, the largest part of a discussion about it was related to the length of games and the starting pitch count issue, particularly on exceptionally warm days. This is another item at next week’s BoD meeting.
  • Other items were brought up with minimal discussion and will be addressed at the BoD meeting:
    • Substitute pitcher rule
    • Hi-Lo substitution rule
    • No substitution allowed if only missing one player
• Several other items were noted:
  • Installation of cement floors in the dugouts is being considered. Currently, runoff from the fields during rainstorms floods the dugouts.
  • The possibility of needing additional dirt for the infield and volunteers to mix it in with the existing dirt was noted.
  • It was noted that both fields need to be realigned. This will be accomplished before the start of next season.
  • Dick Mullins assured members that a CPR refresher/training course will be available this summer to those interested. This will be an informal course and will not result in certification, but will provide instruction in the proper administration of CPR and the use of AEDs.
  • It was announced that the Golf Tournament earned $3119 for OTS. Dick Mullins, who has been the Golf Tournament chairman since it started, asked for a volunteer to be co-chairman with him this coming year, and take over the tournament starting next year.
• Steve Unger then reminded members of upcoming events:
  • Toys for Tots, December5 at Fox’s Pizza, 1130 am, Selbyville
  • Shark Tank Holiday Event, December 13, 12:00, Dewey Beach
  • Bowling Tournament, March 29, 2019, Millsboro Lanes, 11:00
  • Golf Tournament, Bear Trap Dunes, October 23, 2019

The meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted,

C. Pierce, Secretary

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

October 8, 2018

In attendance: Steve Unger, Steve Carey, Jesse Bare, Tom Wendorf, Carl Pierce.

• The meeting was called to order at 11:00 a.m. by Steve U.
• Jesse presented the Treasurer’s report. Current deposits are at $15,938.32. He stressed the NECESSITY of submitting thorough and accurate receipts or bills with complete information, i.e., nature of the transaction, date(s) involved, amount paid or to be paid and who made the transaction.
• Steve U. gave an update on the irrigation system which is our central focus at this time. It is not quite yet in the working order we had hoped at this stage, but Lords, in conjunction with some members, are working as often as can be arranged to bring it to a successful completion. (Post-meeting Update – irrigation system is working. Lords has been asked to provide costs for routine maintenance of the system including winterizing and spring preparation.)
• Steve gave an update on shirts for next year. He’s been working with Logo Motive who will be an OTS team sponsor next year (taking the place of All Outs Sports), and has priced out several options. Additional quotes from other suppliers will be sought.
• The Executive Committee decided to not increase player registration fees or team sponsor fees for 2019. Registration fees will be $75 and team sponsor fees will be $350.
• The possibility of constructing a softball field at American Legion Post #28 was discussed. Preliminary measurements have been taken, and there appears to be enough room to build one field of a size similar to what we have now. Further discussions are needed with Post #28 and OTS membership.
• The need for a work day at the fields was discussed. A “to do” list needs to be created before a date can be scheduled. Procurement of a protective cover for the top rail of the home run fences was discussed. This apast season there was at least one injury due to the unprotected fencing. (Post-meeting Update – an estimate was received and the cover is being procured.)
• Dates were established for upcoming meetings:
  • Board of Directors – Ratings Meeting – Wednesday, November 14, 10:00 a.m. at the Bethel Methodist Church in Dagsboro
  • All Hands Meeting – Tuesday, December 4, 10:00 a.m. at American Legion Post #28
  • Board of Directors – Tuesday, December 11, 10:00 a.m. at the Dagsboro Fire Department
• The formation of an ad-hoc committee to perform a financial review of the OTS books was approved by the Executive Committee. (Post-meeting Update – Joe Oswald and Paul Litwin will be on this committee.)
• Dates were established for several important events for the 2019 season.
  • OTS General Meeting - Monday, April 1 at 6:00 p.m., location TBA
  • Pre-season practices start Tuesday, April 2 with 2018 teams
  • New Player Evaluation Day – Thursday, April 18
  • Player draft – Monday, April 22
  • Practice with new teams starts – Tuesday, April 23
  • Season starts – Tuesday, April 30 and runs through August
• The need to develop a Heat Policy was discussed. This will be a topic of discussion for the 12/11 Board of Directors meeting.
• Sponsor Appreciation plaques are being procured for the 2018 team sponsors. Jeff Martins is coordinating this effort. A special thanks to Jeff for his efforts, travel and time.
• Ideas for getting more players into the OTS volunteer pool were discussed. Several Executive officers expressed the urgency of having more volunteers for the increasing amount of work generated by a growing league.
• Several rule change possibilities were discussed and will be topics at the 12/11 Board of Directors meeting. No rule changes can be made without the Board of Directors approval.
• Substitute pitcher rule
• Starting count
• Moving the 165’ line to 175’
• Jesse gave a brief update on the OTS Hall of Fame committee chaired by Pat Carey. More info to follow.
• The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

C. Pierce, Secretary

Day 1 of the tournament is over. There were 3 upsets, including a marathon 9-inning slugfest between Atlantic Physical Therapy and Edward Jones Investments that both teams had chances to win. Ed Jones prevailed with a 21 - 20 victory.

The updated bracket and schedule for Game 2 - Tuesday, 8/28, are below. The bracket can also be downloaded below.