Tri‑County Baseball League
Johnson is no stranger to the struggles of business, having filed for Replica Handbags UK bankruptcy in 2012, but to her it's all part of the ride. "It ain't hard when you love it," she deadpanned. "It's beautiful when you love it, and I still love it after 50 years. I still love it. I'm creative consultant for all my brands, so I kick them in the ass when they need to get a little more Replica Designer Handbags creative. It's great. It's just perfect. I've had a Cheap Watches UK perfectly wonderful, happy life."As for her plans for the Fake Watches UK awards ceremony, she'll attend with her family, including her daughter, Lulu, Hublot Replica UK and two granddaughters. "I'm going to drag my whole family on stage to cartwheel with me," she laughed about what she'll do when she accepts the Christian Louboutin Replica UK award. Just another thing to look forward to at the CFDA Awards ceremony on June 1.
Constitution and By‑Laws
Revised: January, 2002
Article 1: Name and
Purpose
The name of this organization shall be the Tri‑County
Baseball League, formed for the purpose of Athletics; to stimulate and
participate in healthful games, sports and recreation; and to secure enjoyment
of outdoor benefits and pleasures. Its
members shall be pledged to the highest standards of ethics of amateur and
courteous contest.
Article 2: Officers
Section 1: Election of Officers
The officers of this League shall be: Commissioner, President, Vice‑President, Statistician,
Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Director, and a member of each organization.
The President, Vice‑President, Statistician,
Secretary, Treasurer and Publicity Director are to be nominated and elected at
the first annual meeting by secret ballot.
Section 2: President
The President shall preside at all meetings of the League and
shall enforce the Constitution and By‑Laws and in case of a tie vote, he
shall cast the deciding vote. He shall
be compensated three hundred
dollars ($300) for his
services. He shall direct the calling
of all meetings of the League, conduct all the business of the League when not
in session, make a report for consideration at the next meeting of the
representatives, and appoint pro‑tem all committees not otherwise
provided for.
If, after a player's contract has been approved, the
President is in doubt as to a violation of any By‑Laws, he shall have the
privilege of suspending said player until an investigation has been made by
him. If, upon investigation, he feels
the player has not violated the By‑Laws, he can reinstate the player at
once. The President shall at once
notify the manager of the team involved as to the standing of the player.
The President shall have absolute authority as to the
playing dates of all games postponed, unless the managers directly involved
arrange to play the postponed game within 10 days from the date of the
postponement. The home team manager can
call off a game in case of rain one hour before game time. The manager of the home team is to
communicate with the manager of the visiting team and the umpires. The home team manager must notify the
Publicity Director within 48 hours, or a fine of $10 will be levied. No scheduled game can be called off unless
weather does not permit, or unless previously agreed upon by both managers and
the League President. Agreement must be
made within ten (10) days of postponement.
The League President will not be allowed to represent any
team at a league meeting. The League President cannot be the
manager of a Tri‑County League team. Also, If the League President is an active member of q Tri-County
League team, any rulings made during the year involving his team must be
deferred to the Vice-President, in consultation with the Commissioner, and if
the Vice-President is also an active member of a Trico team, then any ruling
involving both the President’s AND Vice-President’s team will be handled by the
Commissioner.
The Publicity Director will
be responsible for providing the President with a list of outstanding games at
each League meeting. The President will
then verify if these games have been rescheduled. If not, the representatives are responsible for scheduling the
game at the meeting; otherwise, the League President will schedule the game.
Games rescheduled at the League meeting will be listed in the minutes.
All rescheduled games must be played before the end of
the regular season, or the home team shall be fined fifty ($50) dollars per
game and a forfeit of each game. All
games must be rescheduled within ten (10) days or by July 14 on next open date
for both teams. Failure of the home
team to contact the visitors within 10 days to set up a playing date will
result in the game being played at the visiting team's field (home and visitors
will not change as far as actual playing of game). Any discussions will be settled by President. For a team to be eligible for the playoffs,
all its games must be completed by the last Tuesday in July (unless
circumstances okayed by the President make this impossible). If, in the last week of the season, a game
between two non‑playoff teams results in a tie, the game need not be
replayed if both managers agree.
Section 3 ‑ Vice‑President
The Vice‑President shall preside at all meetings and conduct
all business in the absence of the President, and perform such other duties as
the President may direct. In the event
of the resignation of the President, the Vice‑President shall succeed to
the Presidency. At times when the Vice‑President
is acting in the President's absence, baseball‑related matter shall be
handled through consultation with the Commissioner. He shall be responsible for making the league schedule and shall
receive the sum of two hundred ($200) dollars as compensation for his services.
Section 4 ‑
Statistician
The Statistician will be responsible for providing statistics to
team managers and Publicity Director at an interval of every three weeks as
well as immediately before the All‑Star and Playoff meetings. This rule will be strictly enforced. All data included on the Statistics sheet
shall be included in Statistics reports.
The Statistician will also keep President apprised of cancelled games
not rescheduled. The Statistician will be paid
a sum of $35 per team, plus any viable expenses (mail & phone)
incurred during the season. The Statistician will be responsible for the
website.
Section 5 ‑ Secretary
The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the
representatives, and perform such other duties as may develop upon him. He shall receive the sum of two hundred
($200) dollars as compensation for his services, plus any expenses incurred.
Section 6 ‑ Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the League,
and he shall give and take the receipts for all monies handled by him. He shall keep all monies in the bank in a
checking account. He is responsible for
providing financial reports on the All‑Star Game, League Banquet, and
other special events. He shall keep
records of monies owed by team and keep the President apprised of outstanding
balances. He shall receive the sum of two
hundred ($200) dollars as compensation for his services.
Section 7 ‑ Publicity
Director
The Publicity Director shall keep the newspaper(s) informed of the
League schedule and any changes thereto.
He shall be given any changes and reschedulings of games and keep a
record of games not rescheduled, which he shall provide a copy to the
Statistician and the League President on a regular basis. He shall also verify unscheduled games with
the Statistician.
He shall also prepare a newspaper article preliminary to
the season. For this article, each team
is required to supply the Publicity Director with preliminary information about
the team ‑‑ site changes, new managers, new and returning players
with relevant statistics, and other information of interest. The
Publicity Director may edit at his discretion.
He will keep the newspaper informed of All‑Star, Playoff and
Banquet activities. He shall receive
the sum of two hundred fifty ($250) dollars for his services, plus any expenses
incurred.
Section 8 ‑ Umpire
Assignor
The Umpire Assignor shall be selected by vote of the team
representatives and shall receive the sum of $35/team per season, not including phone expenses. The Umpire Assignor shall present the League
with a full roster of umpires (with phone numbers) before the start of each
season. He is responsible for
assignment of umpires to scheduled and re‑scheduled games and for
dealings with the Bethlehem Umpires Association.
Section 9 ‑ Officer
Enforcement of By‑Laws
The President, Vice‑President, Statistician, Secretary,
Treasurer, and Publicity Director shall have the power to enforce any violation
of the By‑Laws and can take the necessary action immediately upon
violation. Officers missing more than
two meetings per year will be fined $20 for each meeting missed (except in the
event of unusual circumstances as verified by the President).
Section 10 ‑
Commissioner
A Commissioner shall be appointed by the Representatives. His appointment will run indefinitely, and a
new Commissioner will be appointed when needed. His powers, duties and responsibilities shall be to settle all
baseball‑related matters submitted to him by the President and according
to these By‑Laws.
Section 11 ‑ Additional
Responsibilities and Compensation
A number of additional responsibilities shall be given to
individuals appointed by the President and shall receive compensation as
follows:
* Banquet Manager: The individual who manages the banquet, to include head count,
contact with banquet site, table arrangements, and determination of monies owed
by team (in consultation with the Treasurer) shall receive $100 credit toward
Banquet ads for his team.
* Complimentary Banquet Tickets: Shall be awarded to all officers, to include
the Commissioner and the Chair/Chairs of the Hall of Fame Committee.
Article 3: Franchise
Section 1 ‑ Franchise
Fees
A new franchise deposit of two hundred ($200) dollars
shall be deposited with the League Treasurer on call by the President at the
first League meeting of the new year.
The franchise deposit is a non‑returnable fee payable after the
team is accepted by the League.
If a manager of a team (one who has already paid the
franchise fee and fielded a team for at least one full season) is unable to
field a team during one regular season, but returns to the League during the
following season, his team will be exempted from paying the franchise fee. This exemption applies to one year of
absence from the League only; after that year, franchise fee must be paid.
Also, there will be a website fee of $5 per player for
every person listed on the final rosters on June 21, or there will be a flat
fee of $100 (or another amount), depending on what the Treasurer decides.
Section 2 ‑ Transfer of
Franchise
A transfer of franchise from one manager to another must meet at
least two of the following conditions to be considered a transfer, rather than
a new team:
1) Team must play at same field as in prior season
2) Team must retain at least 5 players from the prior season
3) Team must use same uniforms and team name as in prior season
If at least 2 of the conditions are not met, the team
will be considered a new team and is subject to franchise fees and approval by
League representatives.
Section 3 ‑ Team
forfeits twice in one season
If
a team has forfeited 2 games during the previous season or has added
legion/legion-age players after the roster deadline to complete the previous
season, then that team must be voted in as a new franchise to remain in the
league. The franchise fee would not apply in this situation…
Article 4: Representatives
Section 1 ‑
Representatives, Roll Taking, and Fines
The Representatives shall consist of a member of each team, which
board shall control all matters of interest to the League. It shall have the power to decide questions
appealed to it from the different Clubs, act upon complaints and charges
brought and shall settle such business as may be brought before it by such
Officers of the individual Clubs.
A quorum shall consist as follows: If a six‑team League, shall have three
members; if an eight‑team League, shall have five members; if a ten‑team
League, shall have six members; if a twelve‑team League, shall have eight
members; if a fourteen‑team League, shall have ten members; and if a
sixteen‑team League, shall have twelve members. When the roll is called at any meeting of the League, the representative
must answer by giving his name instead of the usual yes. This signifies who shall do the voting for
that Team or Club.
A twenty ($20) dollar fine shall be imposed upon a Club
for not having a Representative at a meeting and shall be paid at the next
meeting. According to Article 13,
section 2, fines will be doubled if not paid at the next meeting; this doubling
will be rigidly enforced. Any team
failing to have a representative at two consecutive meetings, or missing more
than three meetings per year (except in the event of a game or unusual
extenuating circumstances as verified by the President), will result in a fine
of $100. Failure to pay said fine shall
result in suspension of further League play by that team until fine is paid,
and all suspended games will be forfeited.
Any team forfeiting three League games during the season shall lose its
membership.
If a team is missing due to a
game but its opponent comes to the meeting, the team's absence is not excused
and appropriate fines will be imposed.
Late arrival at league meetings (excluding teams with
games): Representatives arriving over
fifteen minutes late (except in the event of unusual circumstances verified by
the President) will receive a warning on the first occasion and a $5 fine on
each occasion thereafter.
League fees will be determined by the Treasurer before
the start of the season. League Fees
are due and payable in May. All teams
must pay their league debts by no later than the
start of the season or they will be unable to play until the fees
are paid. Each game missed due to
failure to pay will count as a forfeit.
If a team folds while owing money to the League, the team's manager will
be placed on the monies‑owed list until the balance is paid to the
league. Any debts incurred during the season must be paid at the next
meeting, or all games after the meeting will be forfeited until the debt is
paid.
Article 5: Players
Section 1 ‑ Roster
Eligibility
Each team shall have the privilege of having 24 players, signed
according to form. This does not
include the 2 non‑playing Coaches and non‑playing Manager if signed
in that capacity.
If the player is a professional baseball player returning
from organized baseball, he cannot play until 2 days after the President has a
release or a copy of a release in his possession (i.e. the president receives
the release on Monday, verifies the release on either Monday or Tuesday, then
the player is eligible to play on Wednesday). Also, the same rules apply to a
player placed on the voluntary retired list, written evidence must be provided
to the President.
A professional player may be placed on any roster and
does NOT have to be released before June 21st to be eligible to
play, as long as the above requirements in the above paragraph are met (i.e.
Ken Griffey is placed on a roster on June 20th, gets released on
July 9th, provides proof of his release, he is eligible to play on
July 11 and if he gets 8 games and qualifies for playoffs, he is eligible for
that, too).
Section 2 ‑ Roster Date
Each respective team shall have their final roster completed by
June 21st, at Midnight. The Statistician will immediately post the
Final rosters on the website on June 22nd.
Section 3 ‑ Players
with Multiple Contracts and Outstanding Debts
Should any player sign contracts for 2 teams in the Tri‑County
League, he shall be barred from further participation in League games during
the current season until he receives a release from one team.
If a player is dropped or quits, he cannot sign with
another team until he is released from the original team and returns all
uniforms, equipment, and monies owed.
After a player has returned uniforms, equipment, and monies owed, his
release cannot be held up by the original team and becomes automatic. If his status is in dispute, the President
or his representative will determine his playing eligibility. There will be a three‑day interim
period after the date of the release during which the player cannot play for a
new team.
Outstanding debts not paid to
team: Each team will turn in at the
March (third) meeting a list of players who owe teams money, uniforms or
equipment from the previous year. These
players are not eligible to play for any team until the debt to the original
team is settled. This will give the
player time to settle the debt before the season starts; if the debt is not
settled, he cannot be placed onto a roster.
If the player's original team decides to take him back, they must
determine whether or not to remove him from the list. If the player disputes whether he has settled with the previous
team, the managers will vote on his status.
The list of players owing uniforms and/or equipment (not money) will be
exchanged with the Blue Mountain League (BML), and players owing uniforms
and/or equipment to one League will not be allowed to play in the other.
There will be a 3-day
interim period starting the next calendar day after the release during which
the player cannot play for another team…The release does not take effect until
the statistician has been notified via voicemail, email or direct contact. So
if a player is released ANY time on Monday, then that player is NOT eligible to
play until Friday.
Section 4 ‑ Suspension
of Players
For any offense which merits player suspension, the penalty for
such offense shall be decided by the President. The President will notify the team's manager of such a
decision. The player may appeal his
case.
Section 5 ‑ Ejection
from Game
Any player being ejected from a game must leave the ballpark and
remain outside hearing distance of the ballpark. Use of profanity or excessive throwing of bats and/or helmets is
a condition for being ejected from a game.
Ejections and distance from the ballpark will be at the umpire's
discretion.
On the first offense, an ejected player will receive a
warning that future ejections will result in suspension. On the second offense, he will be suspended
for the next game. On the third and
subsequent offenses, he will be suspended for the next three games. Umpires are responsible for notifying the
Umpire Assignor of ejected players, and it is the responsibility of the Umpire
Assignor to keep records of ejected players and number of offenses. The Umpire Assignor will keep the
President and Secretary apprised of these ejected players and their status.
Section 6 ‑ Bodily
Contact with Umpire
Should any player, coach or manager strike, bump or shove an
umpire, he is to be immediately suspended for at least 3 games (with penalty to
be determined by the President). If a
second offense occurs, player will be suspended for balance of the season.
Section 7 ‑ Uniform
Regulations
A batter must wear a protected headpiece when batting. Coaches, to coach on the bases, must be in
full uniform. Uniforms must all be team
uniforms; it is preferred ‑‑ but not critical ‑‑ that
they all match. Games cannot be held up
or protested due to uniforms that don’t match.
Section 8 ‑ Appearances
for Playoff Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the play‑offs, a player must participate
in twenty‑five percent of the team's games during the regular
season. Courtesy runner does not count
as an appearance.
Pitchers are eligible to pitch in the playoffs if they
meet one of the following criteria:
1) If they have at least 20 plate
appearances; or
2) If they pitch a number of innings equal to or greater than
half of the total number of the team's games
played plus 1.
Forfeits reduce a number of team's games played; ties add
to number of team's games played.
Example: In a 32‑game
schedule, the pitcher must have at least 20 plate appearances or have pitched
at least 17 innings.
If a player switches teams during the season, the first
team’s stats do NOT count toward the player’s playoff eligibility.
Section 9 ‑ Teams Using
Ineligible Players
Each playoff team should receive a list of eligible players for
each playoff team from the Statistician prior to the playoffs. Score books will be made available at the
meeting prior to the playoffs. If the
list cannot be provided due to games not received at the time of the meeting
before the playoffs, final verbal confirmation of eligibility should be made at
the meeting and lists should be sent to each playoff team as soon as they are
available.
If a team is determined to have used ineligible players,
the team will be fined forfeit fees for all games involving said ineligible
players. The manager will be suspended
both as a player and as a manager for his entire next season (he must serve a
one‑year suspension). The
ineligible players used in the playoffs must also serve a one‑year
suspension.
Article 6: Umpires
Section 1: Selection and Payment of Umpires
The League shall chose Umpires for the League from a list of
applications approved by the League Representatives. If only one official umpire is present at a game, the game must
be played with 1 official umpire, and the umpire shall receive two times his
usual compensation if he acts alone, one‑half of the second umpire's fee
being reimbursed by the Bethlehem Umpires Association within seven days. The home team shall be reimbursed for
contacting the Umpire Assignor within seven days if only one umpire is present.
Umpires will be paid by the end of the fifth inning. In the event of an incomplete game, umpires
are paid for 1/2 fee from start of game until the completion of the fifth
inning. After the fifth inning is
complete, they are paid the full amount.
If a team fails to pay after the fifth inning, the team will be warned
on its first occurrence, fined $10 on its second occurrence, doubling on each
successive occurrence. The umpire must
inform the Umpire Assignor, who will keep a record.
A spectator can be picked to umpire bases, if both
managers agree, and he shall be compensated.
However, if a spectator acts as a co‑umpire, the official umpire
shall receive his usual compensation.
Any umpire who plays on a
League team is prohibited from umpiring in the League, unless both teams agree
to his use as an umpire. The Umpire
Assignor must notify both teams in this event prior to the game.
Section 2 ‑ Umpire
Regulations
The Umpires shall make it their business to arrive on the playing
field and be dressed and prepared to begin the game 5 minutes before starting
time of the game and see that the infield, foul lines and batter's box are
properly marked. He is not to start the
game until any defects are corrected.
At start of game, each umpire must sign the score book of each
team. Umpire names should be listed on
lineup card.
An Umpire shall be reported to the Umpire Assignor (who
will notify the Bethlehem Umpires Association, if applicable) if he arrives
more than fifteen minutes after starting time of a scheduled ball game. A ten ($10) dollar deduction from his fee is
imposed after fifteen minutes. If an
Umpire arrives at a game before the start of a game that is rained out, he is
to be compensated eight ($8) dollars. A
team will be fined thirty ($30) dollars for failure to notify Umpires
concerning a rescheduled game. This
money is to go to the visiting team.
If both Umpires fail to show up for a game, it will be up
to the Managers to decide whether or not to play the game with fans
officiating. The Umpire Assignor must
be notified within seven days if either or both umpires fail to show up for a
game. If an Umpire does not show up for
two games without a satisfactory reason, the Umpire Assignor will remove him
from the list of eligible umpires. For
any other situations involving the actions of umpires where the manager has a
concern or grievance, the Umpire Assignor should be contacted within seven
days.
Section 3 ‑ Assignment
of Umpires
The Umpire Assignor shall present the League with a full roster of
umpires before the start of the season.
Teams may, at this time, indicate umpires to be placed upon their
individual team black‑list and not to be used for any game involving
their team, except in the case of emergency.
Teams will take the Umpire Assignor's word as to what constitutes an
emergency. At the meeting prior to the
start of the season, the Umpire Assignor will present a draft of the assigned
umpires for each game, with copies available for each representative. Teams will have an opportunity to state any
umpire difficulties and request reassignment at this time. Umpires on a team's blacklist cannot be
assigned to umpire a playoff game. The
team can protest in the event a black‑listed umpire is used.
Teams may blacklist 2
umpires for the regular season, home and away games…The Umpire Assignor shall
adhere to these lists, unless there is an emergency and he is short on umpires,
in which case, he may assign an umpire to the bases ONLY if he calls the
manager and gets his permission for that game. If problems arise during the
season and a manager wants to permanently blacklist an umpire from all games,
then the manager can do so if the Umpire Assignor agrees that this is the best
course of action…If the Umpire Assignor does not agree, then the manager can
appeal to the President for a decision…Managers, do not abuse this privilege…
Article 7: Scorekeepers
Section 1 ‑ Forwarding
to Statistician
The Home Team shall forward the official score sheet to the
Statistician to be received not later than 4 days following the playing of the
game. At the end of the season, all
teams must submit statistics on remaining games not later than two days after
the team's final game. All statistics
sheets must be received by the Statistician prior to the meeting before the playoffs. A fine of ten ($10) dollars for failure to
comply with this rule must be paid at the next meeting.
Section 2 ‑ Official
Scorekeeper
The Home Team Scorekeeper will be the official scorekeeper. In case of a disagreement between
scorekeepers on a call, the Home Team and Visiting Team Managers will confer on
the situation and decide accordingly.
At the conclusion of a ball game, both Scorekeepers shall check the
Scorebooks to make sure all statistics are the same (hits, runs, errors, etc.) First and Last Name are required on both
Lineup Card and Statistics Sheet.
Lineup card must also include name of manager, record of team, and names
of umpires.
In the event of a team having more than 5 statistics
sheets outstanding, the Statistician will notify the President. If there are no extenuating circumstances,
the team will be suspended from all league play until all statistics sheets are
received, and all suspended games will be forfeited. Any team forfeiting three League games during the season shall
lose its membership. When a team loses
its membership, all previously recorded games will count as a loss. All statistics recorded will stand.
In the event of a significant problem in scoring, do not
call the Statistician. The home team of
the game in question (who originally submitted statistics) should submit
changes in writing to the Statistician.
Section 3 ‑
Notification of Newspaper
It will be the responsibility of the Home Team to call all game
results into the Morning Call before 10 p.m. the day of the game. (Phone # 820‑6558). In the event of a night game, the results
will be called in on the following day.
A fine of ten ($10) dollars for failure to comply with this rule must be
paid at the next meeting. In the event
of the newspaper's error in failing to report a game, the League will accept
the word of the home team's manager as to whether the game was called in or
not. It will be the Statistician’s
responsibility to monitor games being reported. Optional ‑ Call the Easton Express/Times for
games involving teams in the Easton or Bethlehem areas.
Please note that the starting pitcher must pitch 5
innings to record a win, unless it is a 6-inning game, then 4innings is enough
for the win. Beginning in 1993, Walks
and Strikeouts are to be included in the Scorebooks, Score Sheets mailed to
Statistician, the League Statistics as printed regularly and included in the
Banquet Program. Beginning in 1994,
Saves are also to be included.
All
“local” teams in the Express-Times coverage area must call that paper with
their results. Call in all home games, plus any away games when the home team
is not in the Express-Times coverage area…Be aware that they take more
information than the Morning Call. They take doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs,
double plays and pitcher’s walks & strikeouts. A fine of $10 will be paid
for failure to call the website with game results (only need runs, hits, errors
and “stars-of-the game”). There will be a $5 fine for all Express-Times “local”
teams not calling in their games. An Express-Times “local” team will be
determined by the President in conjunction with the Sports Department of the
Express-Times. The statistician will call the Express-Times with all
scores/results from “out-of-area” games. There
Section 4 ‑ Deliberate
Misreporting of a Game
If, in the opinion of the President, a deliberate misreporting of
a game in the newspaper has occurred, the situation will be discussed at the
next League meeting. Representatives
from each team involved will be allowed to state their case. All representatives will vote on whether
the misreporting was deliberate. If it
is so determined by a 2/3 vote, the guilty team will be fined $100 for the
first occurrence, $200 for the second occurrence, and suspended from the League
on the third occurrence.
Any deliberate and/or egregious misreporting of statistics turned into the Statistician will
be dealt with according to the severity of the offense(s). The Statistician
will recommend to the President what punishment fits the crime and the
President will decide what is fair. The punishment can be a monetary fine ($25
a game), or if there are multiple offenses by one team during the year, the
president can place that team on probation for at least one year. A condition
of that probation will be that the team will have all of their home games
monitored or “double-checked” by the Statistician (i.e. once the Statistician
receives a home game from the team on probation, he will call the visiting
team’s scorekeeper and verify ALL stats for that game).
Article 8: Playing Rules
Section 1 ‑ American
League Rules
The official rules of the American League contained in Reach Guide
shall govern all games except when in contradiction to the By‑Laws or
ground rules. Each team must have a
copy of the American League rules and the Tri‑County League By‑Laws
available at each game.
Section 2 ‑ Courtesy
Runner
An optional courtesy runner is permitted for the catcher when
there are two outs unless there are no extra players.
Section 3 ‑ Number of
Players
A game must start with 9 players.
Game can continue if team loses players due to injury, ejection, etc.,
and the team still has 7 or more players.
Section 4 ‑ Catch and
Carry Rule
There will be NO catch and carry rule in League play. As long as the defensive player has two feet
in play when he makes the catch, the catch is good, and any baserunners may
advance at their own risk. If the
defensive player should step over the out‑of‑bounds line after
making the catch, the ball is still in play (the ball is not dead), and the defensive
player is free to make a play.
Article 9: Official Ball
and Bat
Section 1 ‑ Approved
Baseball
The Baseball to be used in the Tri‑County League any season
shall be the approved ball as decided at the last League meeting of the season.
Section 2 ‑ Game Balls
All games must be started with at least 3 new balls, and the other
balls must be acceptable to the Umpire‑in‑Chief before being used.
Article 10: Games
Section 1 ‑ Schedule
At the first League meeting, a determination will be made of how
many teams will play in the League during the season. A Scheduling Committee will be appointed at the first League
meeting to develop alternative scenarios for schedules. The possibility of various divisions (and
their ramifications as far as the playoffs) will be examined by the Scheduling
Committee. Representatives will agree
to vote in favor of one of the proposed scenarios; if they wish to make a
proposal, they should volunteer to be on the Scheduling Committee. The person who prepares the schedule is
entitled to two free dozen baseballs or $100, whichever he prefers.
One open date will be saved each month for League
meetings, bearing in mind the dates of the All‑Star Game and the
playoffs. Playoff and All‑Star
games shall be included in the schedule.
Final League schedule must be adopted by no later than the March
meeting. On the Monday and Tuesday
preceding the playoffs, no games should be scheduled other than rainouts for
the last two weeks only.
Ground rules must be in
writing and available at the field prior to the start of a ball game. A copy must be turned in to the League
before the start of the season. In the
event of a protested game, the Umpires shall keep the written rules and forward
them to the League President. Lineups must
be given to opposing manager and umpires prior to the start of the game. Acting manager must be indicated on the
lineup card. Umpire name should also be
indicated. Names on lineup card should
include first and last name and be clearly spelled for newspaper and
statistics.
Section 2 ‑ Game
Conditions
All games shall be 7 innings and if conditions are unfavorable,
the matter shall be left to the discretion of the Umpire‑in‑Chief.
Section 3 ‑ Game Times
All weekday games shall start at 6:00 p.m., and Saturday and
Sunday at 5:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted on schedule. The starting time of each game has a 15‑minute
grace period. If two games are
scheduled on the same date, the first game is to start at 2:00 p.m. unless
otherwise agreed upon by the two managers.
The visiting team will be allowed to have the field for infield practice
for a period of fifteen minutes before a scheduled game. This practice period will start 20 minutes
before a scheduled game. Failure to
yield field, if the game is protested, will result in the game having to be
replayed; but the game must be protested prior to the start of the game. All teams must be off the field 5 minutes
before scheduled starting time to go over ground rules.
Playoff weekday games at
unlighted fields should begin at 5:45 p.m. to allow for complete games when the
evenings are shorter. Weekend games can
begin earlier by mutual agreement and with approval of President.
If, on any lighted field where a game is scheduled, other
teams or leagues are still in possession of the field at game starting time,
teams will wait one‑half hour to attempt to start their game (unless both
managers agree to reschedule it immediately). If, after one‑half hour, the previous game is still
ongoing, the visiting team has the option to force rescheduling the game. The home team will be responsible for umpire
or any other fees.
If possible, night games should start no later than 7:30
unless there is a conflict with the facility on that particular evening. Lights must be turned on no later than 8:15,
prior to the start of an inning. All
games at lighted fields will play 7 or more innings, related to darkness rather
than playing conditions. Managers of
both teams will agree to pay the cost of the lights (if any). Managers of both teams must agree prior to
the game that the lights will be turned on to complete the game.
Section 4 ‑ Playoffs
Playoffs will be scheduled to start three days after regular
season is completed on closest Saturday in order to allow for rainouts and ties
at the end of the season. The League
President is responsible for setting all playoff dates. Any changes to the playoff dates will have
to be reported to the President.
Failure to do so will result in a forfeit for the home team with all
forfeit penalties applied.
First Round: Seven teams make the
playoffs:
In One‑Division League, top seven teams by record make the
playoff. Best record gets bye.
In Two‑Division League,
Two division winners automatically qualify for top 2 seeds. Best record gets bye. Five wild‑card teams (best remaining
records from any division) also qualify.
In Three‑Division
League, Three division winners automatically qualify for top 3 seeds. Best record gets bye. Four wild‑card teams (best remaining records
from any division) also qualify.
Round one consists of #2 vs. #7, #3 vs. #6, and #4 vs. #5 (best 2
of 3).
Second Round: #1 vs. lowest seed;
other two winners ‑ highest seed is home. (best 3 of 5).
Final Round: Highest seed is home
team. Best 3 of 5.
Tie‑Breaker Rules:
When 2 teams are tied for #1
seed or #7 seed, a one‑game playoff will be played with home team to be
determined by tie‑breaker format.
In one‑division league, if teams are tied for seeds #2
through #6, higher seed will be determined by tie‑breaker format.
In two‑ or three‑division league, division winners must be
determined first. If three or more
teams are tied for any seed, then: All
tied teams must be seeded using tie‑breaker format. 2) Use one‑game playoff format, if
applicable. If two division winners
have the same regular season record:
1) teams must be seeded using
tie‑breaker format. 2) Use one‑game playoff to determine
final top seeds. When 2 teams are tied
for division title, #4, #5, or #6 seed,
(or #3 seed in a two‑division League), there is no need for a one‑game
playoff. Higher seed will be determined
by tie‑breaker format.
Tie‑Breaker Format:
1) Best head‑to‑head record between all teams
tied. If a tie remains:
2) Best division record (between intra‑divisional teams
only). If a tie remains:
3) Team in the division with the best overall division
record. If a tie remains:
4) Best run‑differential in head‑to‑head
games between all teams tied. If a tie
remains:
5) Coin toss.
One‑Game Playoff Format:
* If three teams are tied:
First round: #1 seed has
bye. #2 (home) vs. #3. Second round: #1 (home) vs. winner of first round (#2 vs. #3).
* If four teams are tied:
First round: #1 (home) vs. #4;
#2 (home) vs. #3. Second round: Winners play with highest remaining seed
home team.
* If five teams are tied:
First round: #1, #2, and #2 have byes.
#4 (home) vs. #5. Second
round: #1 (home) vs. winner of first
round (#4 vs. #5); #2 (home) vs. #3.
Third round: Winners play with
highest remaining seed home team.
Overall Playoff Rules and Regulations:
The winner of the final round will be the League Champion
for the year and will represent the League in any series to be played against
other Leagues.
In each round, playoff games postponed because of rain or
darkness shall be considered a complete game if more than 4 1/2 or 5 innings,
or if tied played over at original site.
There will be one day off between each playoff series.
The Publicity Director must be kept informed of all
playoff game dates, times, sites and any changes and reschedulings. He will be responsible for having the
playoff schedule submitted to the newspaper(s) and keeping media apprised of
any changes.
All playoff games must be played with two official
Umpires, unless agreed upon by both managers.
An additional third umpire may be supplied free of charge by the
Bethlehem Umpires Association. Playoff
teams can supply Umpire Assignor with a list of 5 non‑preferred umpires
for their playoff games. Assignment
will be made by Umpire Assignor ‑‑ teams cannot protest if another
umpire is chosen. The team has the
option to have an additional umpire for a playoff game if they are willing to
pay; the decision is entirely up to the home team.
Section 6 ‑ Regular
Season Dates
The Tri‑County League shall open the season on Mother's Day
Weekend and close the regulation season by the last Tuesday in July.
Section 7 ‑ All‑Star
Game
Each representative shall select the two or more best players from
his team to represent the League in the All‑Star Game. Prior to nominating any player from his
team, the manager MUST verify that the player has given his commitment to play
in the All‑Star Game (and for the Tri‑County League ONLY) if
selected. A player may be nominated to
the All‑Star team at only one position.
These nominations will be mailed to the League Secretary so they are
received no later than one week before the League meeting prior to the All‑Star
Game. The League Secretary will compile
these nominations by position and mail copies to each team manager so that the
manager has received them several days before the League meeting. The League Statistician shall also mail
statistics to each manager at this time.
Managers will be responsible for evaluating nominations with regard to
statistics and being prepared to vote for the All‑Star Team at the next
League meeting. No games will be
scheduled on the two nights before the All‑Star Game (scheduled or
rainouts).
At the League meeting prior to the All‑Star Game,
managers or their representatives will vote, position by position, for players
to represent the League in the All‑Star Game. Prior to voting, any representative who wishes to make a
statement concerning a player may do so.
Two players shall be voted per position, with the player receiving the
higher vote total being selected as starter at the manager's discretion. Two designated hitters and all pitchers will
be chosen at the manager's discretion.
If a team is not represented,
its manager may select one player who will represent the team and be
introduced. Alternates will also be
selected, one per position with two alternates for pitcher. Alternates will be contacted at least two
days before the All‑Star Game if they are needed to fill in for a player.
The manager of the All‑Star Game will be the
manager of the year selected by the League the preceding year. He will pick his own assistants. In the event that the manager of the year
from the preceding year is no longer participating as a manager in the League,
the representatives will elect a manager for the All‑Star Game; this will
be indicated on the ballots when mailed.
Three dozen balls will be purchased by the League and kept as practice
balls for the All‑Star Game.
Any person picked to be on the All‑Star Team or as
a manager thereof is obligated to participate in the All‑Star Game and
must be available on both the scheduled date and the rain date. If a conflict arises, notice must be given
to the all‑star team manager at least two days before the scheduled date
of the All‑Star Game so that an alternate can be notified. If a person selected to the All‑Star
Team or as its manager does not attend and does not give notice, the President
will verify his reasons for not attending.
If his reasons do not constitute an extreme emergency, he will be
considered ineligible for selection to the All‑Star Team for two years
and will additionally be suspended for the next three games of the regular
season.
At the league meeting after the All‑Star Game, any
managers of absent players should be polled as to why their players did not
attend. Players will be penalized if
appropriate.
Article 11: Protest
Section 1 ‑ Protest Notification
In case of disputes resulting between teams on the playing field,
the President must be notified in writing within 48 hours (postmarked). The decision will be made by the President
and the Commissioner if the President cannot make the decision. There will be no appeal.
Please keep in mind that if you are protesting a play
during the game, that protest must be made before the next pitch or the protest
then becomes invalid.
Section 2 ‑ Protest
Fees
Protest must be accompanied by fifty ($50) dollars. If protest is not allowed, the money shall
become the property of the League. A protest
can be withdrawn by notifying the League President within 48 hours. Games can be protested only for rule
infractions or By‑Law considerations, not for umpire judgment calls.
Article 12: Contracts
Section 1 ‑ Official
Form
The Tri‑County League contract must be signed by every
player and managers must get these contracts to the Statistician in a timely
manner. Personal information will NOT be posted on the website, but player bios
with general player info can be posted on the website. The player’s contract
shall be the official contract for this League. All player contracts are binding until their team's last game or
until they are released by their team.
Section 2 ‑ Turning In
of Contracts
Contracts should be turned in to the League Statistician by the May meeting or as soon as possible thereafter. Every player in the league should fill out their own contract. By signing a league contract, a player understands that they will not hold the Tri-County League or any of its officers liable for any type of injury occurred during a sanctioned Tri-County League game.
Section 3 ‑ Roster Additions or Deletions
Teams releasing any players or signing new players shall present
individually signed contracts to the Statistician immediately. The expiration date for signing players
shall be June 21. Contracts are valid
for one season.
Section 4 ‑ Legion
Player Eligibility
All legion players must have
written proof that they have permission from their legion coaches and that
piece of paper must be delivered to the Statistician before he can play in our
league. If there is a dispute between player and legion coach and written
permission is impossible, then the player must seek permission from the
President, and if an issue remains, a vote by the managers on the player’s
status will be final. According to Legion rules, a
player is ineligible for a Tri‑County game at the time of a scheduled
Legion game.
Section 5 ‑ Player
Releases
A player seeking release from a team must ask for a verbal release
from the manager. A signed and dated
release form must be given by the manager to the player, and the statistician
must be notified. A manager cannot hold
up a release if the player seeking release has returned all equipment and
settled any monies owed. There will be
a three‑day interim period after the date of the release during which the
player cannot play for a new team (see Article 5, Section 3).
Article 13: Fines and
Penalties
Section 1 ‑ Failure to
Mail Scoresheets or Call In Games
For failure of score sheets being received by the Statistician within
4 days after a game, the Club shall be fined ten ($10) dollars for each
offense. In the event of a team having
more than 5 statistics sheets outstanding, the Statistician will notify the
President. If there are no extenuating
circumstances, the team will be suspended from all League play until all
statistics sheets are received, and all suspended games will be forfeited. Any team forfeiting two League games
during the season shall lose its membership.
When a team loses its membership, all previously recorded games will
count as a loss. All statistics
recorded will still stand.
All League games must be called in to the Morning Call by
10:00 p.m. on the day of the game, with the exception of night games, which
should be called in the following day. Failure to call in games will result in
a fine of ten ($10) dollars. In the
event of an error by the newspaper in failure to report a game, the League will
accept the word of the home team's manager as to whether the game was called
in, although the Statistician does monitor teams that do not phone the Morning
Call. All games must be called in to the website by 11:30 p.m., and please see
Article 7, Section 3 for calling the Express-Times. Failure to call the website
will be a $5 fine and it will also be a $5 fine for not calling the
Express-Times. Fines are to go into the League Treasury and are payable at the
next meeting.
Section 2 ‑ Payment of
Overdue Fines
Should any team have fines charged against them, fines must be
paid at the next scheduled League meeting.
Failure to pay said fines within stated time would result in suspension
of further play until fine is paid and all suspended games forfeited. Members with fines outstanding shall have no
voting privileges at the next scheduled meeting. Fines will be doubled if not paid at the next scheduled meeting.
Section 3 ‑ Forfeit
Fees
For the non‑appearance of nine eligible players, a team
shall be fined an amount equal to $30 plus the fees for two umpires (payable to
the League) plus a forfeit to the other team.
Thirty ($30) dollars of this money and a forfeit of the game will go to
the other team. The remainder of this
money will go the the Umpire's Association.
After the second offense, it shall be the responsibility of the League
President to notify this team about their obligations concerning the second
forfeited game. The team forfeiting two
games in the same season must pay forfeit fees to the league before the next
scheduled meeting. If the second
forfeit game would be the first game of a doubleheader, the second game of the
doubleheader shall not be classified as the next scheduled game and for record
purposes count as a double loss. After
the third forfeit, a team will be suspended from the League for the remainder
of the season.
In the event of a team losing too many players to be able
to field a team to complete its season, a team will be allowed to pick up
legion or legion‑age players to complete the season with the approval of
the President.
Section 4 ‑ Overdue
Fees and Fines at End of Season
Any team failing to have fines and fees paid at the last meeting
of the season (which will be held after the banquet) will be subject
to a $20 fine per month (beginning September 1) until the debt is paid. If the monies have not been paid by the
first meeting of the following season, the team will be considered a new team
and will be subject to new franchise fees and approval by the representatives.
Section 5 ‑ Use of
Ineligible Players
Any team using a player or players whose contract has not been
approved shall forfeit the game to the opposing team. Any previous game that the player has participated in shall be
forfeited.
Section 6 ‑ Clearance
of the Bench
Umpire‑in‑Chief can be petitioned by the non‑offending
Manager to clear the bench of non‑playing personnel, allowing one
scorekeeper, one non‑uniformed bat boy, two ball chasers and one trainer
on the bench. (Non‑compliance
within five minutes can constitute a forfeit.)
Article 14: Finances
All fines or other money collected by the League shall be
used for League expenses unless otherwise provided for.
An audit of the books will be conducted between the first
and second meetings of the year. An
audit committee of three persons will be appointed.
Article 15: Rule Change
The Tri‑County League Teams will be allowed to use
a designated hitter following the American League Rule Book.
Article 16: Order of
Business
Section 1: Order of Business
The League hereby adopts the following as the order of business to
govern all meetings:
* Roll Call
* Reading of Minutes of the Preceding Meeting
* Collection of Fines and Monies Owed
* Treasurer's Report
* Bills and Communications
* Committee Report
* Unfinished Business
* New Business
* Remarks for Good of League and Adjournment
Section 2: Final Decision on Matters of Business
Any matter of business before the meeting shall be considered
closed when the President announces his declaration, or when the Secretary
announces the result of a vote. All
remarks on any matter must be addressed to the Chair.
Officers (except for the President) get a vote in all
league matters.
Section 3: Secret Ballot
EVERY issue to be voted on will be done so by secret ballot unless
EVERY manager verbally agrees that it is ok to vote by a show of hands.
Section 4: Meeting Dates
Regular scheduled meetings will be held from January through and
including the League Banquet. The By‑Law
meeting will be held no later than November.
Article 17: Awards
Section 1: Champions
The teams ending up in first place of each division at the end of
the season will be called divisional champions. The team winning the post‑season playoffs will be declared
the Tri‑County League Champion.
Section 2 ‑ Seasonal
Awards
Trophies to be voted upon
each year are as follows:
* Most Valuable Player
* Most Valuable Pitcher (see
Section 4 for Eligibility Criteria)
* Manager of the Year (voted
on before playoffs begin)
* Rookie of the Year (player
is considered a rookie the first year he meets standards for playoffs, whether he is on a playoff
team or not)
Other trophies to be awarded
are as follows:
* Divisional Champions (team
with best League record should also be noted on divisional trophy and receive a bigger trophy)
* League Champion
* MVP of All‑Star Game (manager
and coaches select after game) -*This is an optional award.
* Leading Player, Runs Batted In
* Home Run Leader
* E.R.A. Leader (see
Section 4 for Eligibility Criteria)
* Strikeout Leader
* Save Leader
* No‑Hitter, 7 innings (one
award to pitcher per occurrence, if any)
* Leading Batter
* 20 Years Service to League (includes
time as player, umpire, and/or league official)
* Optional Special Awards (to
be chosen by President: examples: Most Improved Team,
Most
Courageous Athlete, Facilities Use Award, Comeback Player
of the
Year)
Section 3 ‑ Batting
Champion Eligibility
To be eligible for the League batting trophy, a player shall have
at least 2.4 batting appearances per game during the season.
Section 4 ‑ Most
Valuable Pitcher or E.R.A. Leader Eligibility
To be eligible for the League Most Valuable Pitcher or E.R.A.
Leader award, a player shall meet at least one of the following criteria:
1) Involved in at least six (6) pitching decisions
2) Must have pitched a number of innings equal to the total
number of games played by the team during
the season
3) Must have pitched in at least half of the team's games
4) The most valuable pitcher must also have a winning record
during the season.
Section 5 ‑ Awards
Voting
At the League meeting held immediately prior to the banquet, each
representative will vote by secret ballot for first, second and third place for
each voted award:
* Most Valuable Player
* Most Valuable Pitcher
* Manager of the Year
* Rookie of the Year
Complete seasonal statistics will be made available at
the meeting by the Statistician. A
representative will not be able to vote for anyone on his own team.
Section 6 ‑ Hall of
Fame
The Hall of Fame was developed to honor league participants for
outstanding contributions to the League, whether as a player or in other
capacities. Eligible for induction into
the Hall of Fame are:
* Players
* Managers, Coaches or other Team Personnel
* Umpires
* League Officials
Criteria for
eligibility:
* At least 7 years participation in the League
* Evidence of outstanding performance as a player, or
superior commitment to League if nominated in another capacity
* For players, must have not played at least 3 years and must
agree they will not return to the League
as a player
League Eras:
* Original Era, up to 1963 (prior to statistics being
available)
* Modern Era, 1964‑present
The Hall of Fame Committee will meet in Winter and
nominate candidates to the Hall of Fame.
League Representatives and Officials may make recommendations to members
of the Hall of Fame committee if they so choose. Voting on nominees is done by the Committee and members of the
Hall of Fame. Up to a maximum of 8
inductees, 4 from each Era, may be selected for induction into the Hall of Fame
at the League Banquet. Those selected
for induction will be notified of their selection by early Summer.
Section 7 ‑ Banquet
Every team must buy tickets for at least 5 players/people for
attendance purposes.
Article 18: Amendments
During Year
These By‑Laws will be in effect, after initial
review, for the entire season. They
cannot be amended until the By‑Law meeting following the season, unless
the President or Commissioner decides that an amendment is required. Any such amendment must be approved by a 2/3
vote of the Representatives. Anyone
proposing such an amendment must attend that year's By‑Law meeting.