Olde Tymers Softball of Delmarva

GENERAL MEETING

April 2, 2018

In attendance: Executive Officers - Bo Wood, Keith Purdy, Tom Wendorf, Carl Pierce. There were 39 total present.

• The meeting was called to order at 6:00 by Bo. Bo gave a brief history of the league and proceeded to introduce the Executive Committee officers, managers and new players.
• Keith presented the Treasurer’s Report that included a handout that itemized expenditures and revenues by line item. Keith noted this is the best the budget has been at this date in some time, greatly due to a very successful bowling tournament. The handout is at the end of the minutes (not included in website version).
• Bo continued with an explanation of the new irrigation system. Field #2 is completed and Field #1 still has tweaking, but will be ready for practices. The upgrade put a significant draw on the budget. (Post meeting update: work still needs to be done on Field #2.)
• Bo discussed the grass-cutting situation. Sequoia raised its prices to the point where Bo sought other bids and ended with the lowest going to John Walker. His services will NOT eliminate the need for peripheral mowing which will be done by John Allen’s grounds crew.
• April 11 has been designated as a work day where volunteers from the league will help repair damage to the backstop on Field #1. The workers will also construct a roof for the visiting bleachers at Field #1.
• Pat Carey will assist Steve Carey at the umpire training session to be held at the Dagsboro Fire Hall at 2:00pm, April 12. All those interested in umpiring are encouraged to attend.
• The condition of the Hickman Street entrance to the fields was discussed, but no solution was reached. The league will continue to work on this issue. (Post-meeting update: work on the road has begun.)
• Frank Kerns requested that consideration be given for some players to use senior bats. He was advised as to the procedure to have the Board of Directors address the issue.
• A discussion was held regarding the 1-1 starting count with a courtesy foul rule that was approved at the last Board of Directors meeting.
• The league will be using a new brand of softballs this year (Tattoo). Pat Carey has found a source that will give us a better price than what we currently use. These are still .44/375 softballs. A brief discussion was held regarding the handling and supply of those balls by the umpires.
• Bo talked briefly about the the sponsor signs to be put on the fences. The first of these is sponsored by B&E. It will be mounted on the fence when ready and, if generally approved, will promote a search for sponsors for more signs.
• A question was raised about the hike in the registration fee from $60 to $75 and that the increase wasn’t communicated to the league. The Executive Committee reiterated the reasons for the increase: Increased costs for grass-cutting A need for an irrigation upgrade Lower than normal income from the 2017 Golf Tournament (Post-meeting update: The minutes from the October 24, 2017 Executive Committee meeting communicated the increase and the reasons for it. The minutes are available on the OTS website, but here is the portion dealing with the increase: The registration fee for 2018 was discussed. With the update of the irrigation system, more outsourced grass cutting, outfield work and the lower results of the golf tournament fundraiser, it was decided to raise the fee to $75. It was also decided to not continue the discounted registration fee for team managers but to continue to waive the registration fee for the members of the Grounds Crew. These minutes were distributed to the OTS community on November 1, 2017 via email.)
• A motion to adjourn was made by Tom Farrah and seconded by Jesse Bare. The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl J. Pierce , Secretary  

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

March 20, 2018  

In attendance: Executive Officers - Bo Wood, Steve Carey, Keith Purdy, Tom Wendorf.

Team Managers - Johnny Allen, Russ Bowen, Pat Carey, Harry Gowl, Dave Lovelace, Phil Martin, Grady Meredith, Bob Miller, Dick Mullins, Dave Sroka and Steve Unger.

• The meeting was called to order at 1:00 by Bo.}
• Keith presented the Treasurer’s Report. A balance of $6,431 was carried over from the end of 2017. Many expenses have been paid for 2018, but there are still some to come, including field maintenance and grass cutting services.
• In the absence of Carl, Tom reported that there were 170 players registered for the 2018 season. Steve reported that he had received 2 registrations the day before, which brought the total to 172. (Post-meeting update: As of 3/26, 173 players are currently registered.)
  • American Legion Post #24
  • B & E Tire and AlignmentFox’s
  • Pizza Den
  • Pivot Physical Therapy (post-meeting update: check has been received)
• The American Legion Post #28 in Long View was announced as a new sponsor, taking the place of Diamondblade Tileworks. Keith Purdy will manage this team with Buddy Griffith as his assistant.
• Harry Gowl announced his resignation as team manager of Fox’s Pizza Den due to health reasons. Harry will not be a player to start the year, but will continue to be active in OTS, including doing some umpiring. Bob Miller will take his place as manager of Fox’s.
• The sponsors, managers and assistants for 2018 are:
  • All Out Sports - Pat Carey, Gene McCloskey
  • American Legion Post #24 - Johnny Allen, Bucky Wicklein
  • American Legion Post #28 - Keith Purdy, Buddy Griffith
  • Atlantic Orthopaedics - Steve Carey, Mike Krieg
  • Atlantic Physical Therapy - Steve Unger, Paul Moloney
  • B & E Tire & Alignment - Grady Meredith, Neil Fleming
  • Bin 66 - Dave Sroka, Mike Ohr
  • Colonial East Ltd. - Dave Lovelace, Bill Straughan
  • Community Bank Delaware - Russ Bowen, John Bradshaw
  • Edward Jones Investments - Dick Mullins, Eddie Sternberg
  • Fox's Pizza Den - Bob Miller, Dave Archer
  • Ocean View Family Restaurant - John Walker, Phil Martin
  • Pivot Physical Therapy - Bo Wood, John Bokop
• Bo gave a status of several items:
  • The new irrigation system is being installed Sequoia, the company that was used last year to cut our grass on several occasions, has indicated that they cannot to continue to cut our grass at the 2017 price. A substantial increase is expected. Bo will request an estimate from Sequoia and other options will be explored.
  • The first fence ad sign, sponsored by B&E, is in the making and will be displayed as soon as it’s available.
  • A wooden roof will be put over the bleachers on the 1st base side of Field #1 to provide shade. Plans are to have OTS players do the work. A work day will be announced.
• Steve announced that an umpire training session will be held on Thursday, April 12th starting at 2:00. The location will be announced once arrangements are finalized.
• Tom presented the proposed By-Laws amendments an answered questions pertaining to them. A motion was made and seconded to accept all the amendments. The motion passed unanimously.
• Tom presented 2 rule changes made by SSUSA which will be followed by OTS: 
  • SSUSA now allows any player to wear any glove or mitt. (Note: this rule has been in the OTS By-Laws for several years. Since it is now in the SSUSA rules, it has been removed from the OTS By-Laws.)
  • Starting this season, a courtesy runner may enter the game only prior to the first pitch to any batter.
• A motion was made and seconded to change the starting count for a batter to 1 ball and 1 strike and allow a courtesy foul once there were 2 strikes on the batter. The motion carried by a vote of 9 – 6.
• Several topics for open discussion were presented:
  • Steve Unger questioned whether OTS should require pitchers to wear face masks and not give them the option of signing a waiver since this is the SSUSA rule and we get our liability insurance through them. Keith didn’t think this was a problem with the insurance but said he will check with SSUSA. (Post-meeting update: Keith has received confirmation from SSUSA that this is not an issue.)
  • Pat Carey introduced an idea for an OTS Hall of Fame to honor significant accomplishments of OTS players on and off the field. After discussion, the Executive Committee authorized the creation of an ad hoc committee to investigate the development of an OTS Hall of Fame. Pat Carey agreed to be chairman of this committee. Grady Meredith, Harry Gowl, Russ Bowen and Steve Carey volunteered to be members.
  • Pat Carey requested that each team hit their own league softball, which would be marked with the team’s name or other identifying mark. This would ensure that a team was hitting a new ball at the beginning of the game. Currently, the home team manager is to provide 1 new ball and 1 playable backup ball to the umpire at the beginning of each game. It was pointed out that this proposal would double the amount of softballs needed for the season which is an expense the league is not willing to accept. It was agreed among the managers that the new softball for each game would be given to the umpire still wrapped.
  • Pat Carey proposed the creation of a Suspension Review Committee that consisted of more than the Executive Officers. It was pointed out that Section V of the By-Laws allows for an appeal of a suspension of more than one game that will be heard by the Board of Directors. No further action was taken.
  • Pat Carey opened discussion on allowing a non-playing roster player to enter the game as a courtesy runner. Due to the OTS rules allowing substitutions for non-playing roster players, it was deemed to not be appropriate to allow this. No further action was taken.
• The practice schedule was distributed. (Post-meeting update: changes had to be made to the practice schedule. The revised practice schedule will be distributed shortly.)
• Everyone was reminded that anyone pitching, even during batting practice, is required to wear an approved face mask unless they sign a Face Mask Waiver. If a player has already signed a waiver, there is no need to sign another one. Waivers are available in the shed on Field #2.
• Several managers asked for a list of players who have signed a waiver. This will be given to them shortly.
• It was noted that the date for this year’s Golf Tournament is Tuesday, October 16.
• Attendees were reminded of important dates for the 2018 season: 
  • OTS General Meeting - Monday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m., Bethany Beach Town Hall
  • Pre-season practices start Tuesday, April 3 with 2017 teams
  • New Player Evaluation Day – Tuesday, April 17
  • Player draft – Monday, April 23, 10:00 a.m., Dagsboro Fire Department
  • Practice with new teams starts –Tuesday, April 24
  • Season starts – Tuesday, May 1 and runs through August
• The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

T. Wendorf, Acting Secretary

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

March 13, 2018

In attendance: Bo Wood, Steve Carey, Keith Purdy, Tom Wendorf, Carl Pierce.

• The meeting was called to order at 11:30 by Bo.
  
  
• Keith presented the Treasurer’s Report. He noted that funds are adequate for the time being and that most bills are paid for our current needs. He added we need to be aware of continuing maintenance costs and projects that draw on our budget and we should be remain active with our fund-raising events.
  
  
• Carl gave an update on the registration status. As of 3/13, 171 players had registered. (Post-meeting update: As of 3/26, 173 players are currently registered.)
  
  
• Carl gave an update of the receipt of 2018 fees from team sponsors. Teams that still owe the sponsorship fee for 2018:
  
  
  • American Legion Post #24
  • B & E Tire and Alignment
  • Fox’s Pizza Den
  • Pivot Physical Therapy (post-meeting update: check has been received)
    
    
• American Legion Post #28 in Long View, DE was announced as a new sponsor. Managers and assistant managers are being finalized. (Post-meeting update: Keith Purdy and Buddy Griffith will manage this team. Pat Carey and Gene McCloskey will manage the All Out Sports team.)
  
  
• Bo provided a status on several items:
  
  
  • The new irrigation system is being installed.
  • A wooden roof will be put over the bleachers on the 1st base side of Field #1 to provide shade. Plans are to have OTS players do the work. A work day will be announced.
  • Sequoia, the company that was used last year to cut our grass on several occasions, has indicated that they cannot to continue to cut our grass at the 2017 price. A substantial increase is expected. Bo will request an estimate from Sequoia and other options will be explored.
  • The first fence ad sign, sponsored by B&E, is in the making and will be displayed as soon as it’s available.
    
    
• Keith announced that we will be using .44/375 Tatoo softballs. There are still some Trump Stote .44/375 balls left over from last season that will be used in 2018 games. Thanks to Pat Carey for arranging a substantial discount on the purchase of the Tattoo softballs.
  
  
• Several By-Laws amendments were presented for review. These will be presented to the Board of Directors for approval.
  
  
• The availability of numbered shirts for new players to wear during the April practices was discussed.
  
  
• Keith announced that the Weather Line and Port-A-Johns will be available
  starting April 1st.
  
  
• Tom announced that Dave Lovelace and Bill Straughan will run the Monday Open Practices again this year.
  
  
• Steve reported that the March 23rd Bowling Tournament is ready to go. All 24 lanes at the bowling alley have been filled. In addition to bowling, there will be a 50/50 raffle and a Chinese auction.
  
  
• Important upcoming dates were reviewed. The date for the new player evaluation was changed to April 17.
  
  Important Dates:
  OTS General Meeting - Monday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m., Bethany Beach Town Hall
  Pre-season practices start Tuesday, April 3 with 2017 teams
  New Player Evaluation Day – Tuesday, April 17
  Player draft – Monday, April 23, time and location TBA
  Practice with new teams starts – Tuesday, April 24
  Season starts – Tuesday, May 1 and runs through August
    
• The meeting was adjourned at 1:40.

Respectfully submitted,

C. Pierce, Secretary

This year’s Bowling Tournament was the best ever and was a huge success. Special thanks to the Tournament Committee led by Mary Lou Straughan, including Steve Carey and Bill Straughan.

Congratulations to the winners of the bowling prizes:

High Scratch Female: Mickey Ponton

High Scratch Male: Wayne Saia

High Handicap Female: Caryn Luckett

High Handicap Male: Rodney Southerland

First Place Team Handicap Series: Lane 5 (Mulwhinney, Braver, Snead, Sudina)

Second Place Team Handicap Series: Lane 6 (Burd, Hook, Burd, Unger)

Third Place Team Handicap Series : Lane 7 (Marino, Lovelace, Givens, Mary Lou Straughan)

And thanks to the restaurants and other businesses who donated prizes:

Bin 66

Captain’s Pizza & Grill

Coastal Chiropractic

Doyle’s Restaurant

Fenwick Surf Shop

Fisher’s Popcorn

Fox’s Pizza Den - Bayside

Frankford Diner

Georgia House of Millsboro

Lighthouse Liquors

Long Neck Diner

Maaji

Millsboro Bowling Lanes

Millsboro Pizza Palace

Millville/Fenwick Island Pet Stop

Ocean View Family Restaurant

Selbyville Holly Kia

Stargate Diner

Texas Roadhouse

The Starboard

Thanks to those who helped get donations and/or made personal donations: 

Guy Burd

Steve Carey

Phil Martin

Keith Purdy

Dave Sroka

Eddie Sternberg

Mary Lou Straughan

Dawn Bunting

Rick Duncan

Mike Fleetwood

Harry Gowl

Don Hillock

Grady Meredith

Bill Straughan

Mary Lou Straughan

Bo Wood

Leslie Wendorf

And last, but certainly not least, thanks to those who worked the tournament:

Pat Carey

Harry Gowl

Bob Miller

Carl Pierce

Leslie Wendorf

Tom Wendorf

Only a month to go before the 5th Annual Bowling Tournament.

There are only a few spots left - register now. Get the registration form below.