Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, January 16, 2018 – 6:30 p.m. – Biba’s Restaurant

Attendance – Bob Morrison, President; Floyd Dembo, Vice President; Doris Warpole, Secretary; Gary Mastrodonato, Team Sponsorship/Past President; Ron Petre, American League Commissioner; Rick Rhodes, National League Commissioner; Harvey Schulman, AL Member at Large; Eurskine Lyons, NL Member at Large

 

Final 2018 Financial Statement

• Mike did not attend the meeting but he told Bob the league balance was around $10,000. 
• Based on the balance of the financial statement for the Annual Meeting of $4,000, a $10,000 balance sounds about right with the CD balance of $6,400.
• Doris will follow up with Mike for a final 2018 statement and will send out to the Board.
• This will verify if the $10,000 includes the CD. 
• Per Gary, the CD renewal is every 18 months.

 

Insurance ($1,095 in 2017 and 2018)

• SSUSA Team Insurance
  • League has been paying $40 per team (2018 for 13 teams was $520; same for 2016 and 2017).
  • Floyd will follow up with SSUSA to purchase Team Insurance at $40/team for 12 teams.  If needed, we can always request coverage for another team. 
  • Harvey asked if there is a deductible for a claim.  Floyd reviewed the policy with the Board and stated there is no deductible on a claim.
• Directors and Officers Liability Insurance
  • League paid $575 in 2018, $575 in 2017 and $558 in 2016.
  • Doris will follow up with Mike to purchase 2019 D&O insurance and provide us with a copy of the policy and cost of the policy.

 

Application Form / League Fees

• Board decided to go with the Blended – cotton and Dri-fit shirts ($7.00) vs Dri-Fit shirts ($9.50).  Cotton shirts were $5.25.
• No change to league fees (stays at $30 member and $98 per season).
• Decision was made to remove the statement about playing in both leagues.  The number of players requesting this has dropped off and we have only had 1 player (Pete Mariolis) request it in last 2 years.  Pete was not allowed to play in both leagues last year because of the number of AL players signed up and there was not an opening.
• Statement will be added about Online Registration, but the member still needs to mail in a check for league fees.
• Decision was made that we need to have the waiver online and have it print along with the Registration Form when player submits the online registration form.  The player’s agreement to the waiver will be considered the player’s “electronic signature”.

 

First Half Season

• Deadline to sign up will be Friday, February 22 
  • AL Draft – Tuesday, March 5
  • NL Draft – Wednesday, March 6
• American League will start on Monday, March 18
  • Ron is looking at a 10-week schedule with last 2 weeks being playoffs, weather permitting.
  • No games will be held Memorial Week (Memorial Day – Monday May 27).
• National League will have a one pitch Spring Training Tournament March 19 and 21
  • NL will start the regular 12-week schedule on Tuesday, March 26.

 

Capital Expenditures in 2019

• No additional Pitcher Masks are needed.
• Pitcher Screens
  • Per Jim Hannah, the pitcher screens are falling apart.  He can piece together 1 from remaining screens but league needs to purchase 1 new screen.
  • Need 2 old screens for practice and 2 best screens for league play
  • Ron said he would check into purchasing 1 new screen. 

• Pitching Machine
  • Rob Mancini repaired it twice last year due to electrical issues.
  • Decision was made not to order another pitching machine.
  • Bob will ask Jim Hannah to follow up with Rob about looking at the machine to keep it running this year.
• Softballs
  • Bob stated he has purchased 7 cases of Trump softballs - $2,058.
  • This should be enough to get us through 2019 seasons.

 

2019 Managers

• American League Managers – Ed McVeigh, Clif Parker, Craig Pippin, Chris Bolden, Sergio Sencion, Brian Fenton
• National League Managers – Tommy Wiggins, Harry Harrison, Wesley Medford, Nate Henry, Don Buckner, Jim Hannah

 

Board Member Candidate

• Bert Sosnin approached Bob at the Annual Meeting about being on the Board.
• Board discussed whether Bert would need to be a manager before becoming a board member. This was a decision made in the past for members who are only players and not fully involved in league.
• Gary stated Bert has been a sponsor for the last couple of years, and Bob said he supports the league overall.
• Decision was Bert did not need to be a manager before becoming a board member.
• Bob will follow up with Bert about when he could come on to the Board. 

 

Rule Changes for 2019

• SSUSA Rule - Plays at Home - Catcher can stand on any part of the home plate for an out.
• Gwinnett County Change - Bases will be moved back to 70 feet.

 

Suggestions / Rule Changes discussed at Annual Meeting

 

American League Discussion (Harvey Schulman)

 

• 6 vs 7 teams – Straw vote - split evenly among members. 6 Teams
• Batted ball hitting the pitcher’s screen with a 2-strike count and courtesy foul already exhausted.  Straw vote - majority wanted one extra chance. Pitchers voted no. No change
• 5 home run per team per game – Straw vote - Majority would like to see any over-the-fence home runs beyond 5 count as a single, not an out.  All home runs over 5 will be considered a Walk.
• 14 players to a roster – Straw vote – majority preferred 13 players on a roster. Maximum 14 players per team
• Length of season - Straw vote – majority preferred 12-week halves. 10-week season plus 2 weeks of playoffs weather permitting
• Substitutes
  • Suggestion was to open the sub rosters to former league players not currently playing in the league (They would have to sign a waiver).  No
  • Suggestion to create a revolving sub list such that a sub is informed well in advance, maybe even on Saturday or Sunday, that he will be subbing the following week.  No
• Schedule games on Friday night – Straw vote – No
• Convert baseball field into a softball field by shortening the distance to the fence.
  • Members were told this is a Gwinnett County decision and baseball teams play on the field and league has already discussed portable fencing which is not an option.
  • No – County has no place to store portable fencing and the fence would have to be put up and taken down each night.
• Maintain the integrity of the batter’s box lines. 
  • They disappear too quickly. Suggestion to restripe the boxes between games.  
  • No - Board members agreed that if an umpire feels a player intentionally destroyed the lines, the player should be ejected from the game.
  • This complies with SSUSA rules.
• Buy a bat caddy for each field to hang on the fence outside the dugout, perhaps near the on-deck circle. 
  • The cost for each is around $15.  Straw vote – Yes.  
  • Shrimp and Rick both have bat caddies that they will give to the league and be kept in the concession room. 
  • They would have to be placed in the dugout or outside the fence.
  • Doris and Bob will follow up with the County to see if they would be willing to put in the dugouts. 
  • If not, the league could purchase 2 more for the league. 
  • Doris will follow up with Shrimp on the cost of his bat caddy, and Ron said he would also check the price on the bat caddy.

 

National League Discussion (Rick Rhodes)

• One pitch tournament in spring before season starts – Straw vote - Yes
• Player can choose to NOT play on defense but still bat if they want. 
  • The rule states that each player must play the equivalent of one game in the field. 
  • Rick will explain the intent of this rule to the managers at draft meeting.
  • Rick said there may be instances where a player may not have to play on defense.
• Have a runner for a batter from home if player is injured. 
  • Rick said this may happen and there are times when this is needed and should be worked out between managers.
  • Suggestion was to add statement on application if a player needs a runner. 
  • No statement will be added to the application.
• Skills competition between first and second halves.  Straw vote – (only 9-10 players yes). No
• Year end celebration – Straw vote – Yes
  • It was decided a team could have a team celebration at the end of a season or year, and the team manager would coordinate it. 
  • But an overall league year end celebration would not be sponsored by the league.
• Requesting a pitcher when a team has enough players to play but their pitcher is out. 
  • Straw vote – No
  • Rick said that no special consideration will be given to get another pitcher as a sub.
• Subs allowed in the summer even if there are 11 players available due to older players on team needing to rest. Straw vote – No
• Person that made the last out must catch for the other team if the other team doesn’t have enough players. 
  • Concern about that person needing a runner.
  • Rick will discuss further with managers at the draft meeting.

 

SSUSA Rule Changes / Disapproved Bats (Eurskine)

• Eurskine and Ron reviewed with Board the list of Rule Enhancements for 2019 made by SSUSA.
• Majority of enhancements were related to tournament play, but 4 items would impact league play - Foul Tip, Approved Bats, Batter-Runner is Out, Courtesy Runner Coming to Bat While on Base.
• Eurskine and Ron will discuss the enhancements with Ed, David and Nick. 
• Rick and Ron will go over these items with Team Managers at the draft meetings. Doris will also provide a copy of the 4 changes to Team Managers.
• Monarch bat (decaled black/neon manufactured by Sportsmanshop Enterprises) is banned by SSUSA.

 

Tournaments During Year

One Pitch Annual Players Memorial Tournament  

• Board approved having the Memorial Tournament in late September.
• Stephanie Babbitt offered to help in taking pictures at the 2019 tournament.

One Pitch Spring Training Tournament Before First Half Starts

• NL will have the one pitch spring training tournament the week of March 18 with regular play starting the following week.
• AL will not have a spring training tournament.

Playoff Tournament between Seasons or end of Season - top 3 teams and bottom 3 teams

• Decision was made not to try and have playoff tournament between seasons since it is hard to schedule if we have a lot of rainouts like 2017 and 2018.
• However, Ron may have playoffs at the end of each season for AL if weather permits.

 

Meeting with Gwinnett County (To be scheduled in late January)

• No increase in out of county or light fees for 2019. (per Stacy Fowler)
• Items for discussion with County

• Latches on gates are bent and need to be fixed.  Move the latches up higher where they are not hit by players.
• Check score brains again – they were duplicating same scores on both fields.  Need to be individually set so one score brain does not override the other.
• Get a new chalk spreader – current one is not working properly, and lime comes out in clumps or not at all.
• Reapply Turface on both fields
• Reassess drainage problem on both fields
• Check left field lights on softball field at night – players still complaining
• Follow up on the net on softball field from LF to LC – this is a safety issue
• Fields not being lined on several nights – when and why – what is the cut off for field staff to leave
• Calling of games early when the fields could be worked on
• Increase size of warning track on softball field
• Add dirt over JoxBox on both fields before season starts
• Add bat caddy racks in dugout or purchase caddies that could be placed on the outside of the fence by the gates
• Have infield mix available off the field if players need to work on field after County leaves
• Baseball field – cut the weeds back on the inside of the fence – balls getting lost in weeds.
• Status of Monday night Adult Men’s league – any possibility of getting the field?
• Korean league still playing at Best Friend – Friday night or Sunday?
• Continue to line and drag the fields, cut the grass.

 

Forms for Review

• Manager Rules of Conduct Changes:
  • Enforce pre-game batting practice swings to 5 per player.
• Umpire Rules of Conduct Changes:
  • Do not provoke confrontation with a player or manager.
  • Do not follow players to dugout or explain a ruling.  Slows down a game.
  • No conversations during the game.  Keep game moving.
  • Enforce no infield warm ups after first inning of a game.
  • Enforce a maximum of 5 pitch warmup before first inning or change of pitchers.
• Player Movement Guidelines - No changes

 

Team Sponsors (Gary)  

• 12 sponsors lined up for 2019
• Mike Grobman Tax Shark – If needed for 13 teams
• Brian Fenton and Sergio Sencion waiting to be sponsors
• Verify if Sponsors need to be on the team they sponsor – Ron/Rick to discuss at draft
• Two sponsors moving up to National League - Alan Wesley Price Potter.

 

FREE CPR / AED Training 

• Kathy Walker and Children’s Health Care of Atlanta can do CPR / AED training for league members and family/friends at Best Friend Park. 
• Saturday, February 23rd – 11:00 a.m. – Alternate rain date - March 2nd
• 40 CPR mannequins / 20 AED units – can train 200 people in 1 hour
• Flyer will be added to the January mailing, blast email reminder sent out mid-February and posting added to Facebook page.

 

Annual Meeting Feedback

• 78 Members Attended – 35% of Active Paying Membership

 

Gwinnett Stripers Night Out (Bert McDade)

• Friday, May 10 - $100 deposit paid by League
• Order form received from Bert
• Doris will send out blast email to all players in April and post on Facebook page

 

Other Organizations Using Best Friend Fields

• Doris will confirm after meeting with Gwinnett County
• Baseball field – Friday evening and/or Sunday afternoon – Korean baseball league
• NOTE:  Baseball league will remove wind screen for play each week and put it back up in order to take pictures.
• Softball field – Sunday morning – Cricket League

 

Park Facilities Emergency Number – 678.333.6267

• Emergency problems, such as water or flooding, loss of lights or electrical power, hazardous conditions, vandalism, storm drainage, etc. should be called in as soon as possible so Gwinnett County can get a vendor to the field or create a work order for maintenance.