CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE HOME TALENT BASEBALL LEAGUE Updated and Adopted by Vote on February 12, 2012

Transcription

1 CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE HOME TALENT BASEBALL LEAGUE Updated and Adopted by Vote on February 12, 2012 Article 1 Organization and Name The league is a non-profit organization of amateur baseball clubs in southern Wisconsin and shall be called the Home Talent Baseball League (HTL). Article 2 Objectives of the League 2.01 Provide amateur baseball for home-grown baseball players 2.02 Perpetuate baseball as America s pastime 2.03 Protect and promote the mutual interests of amateur baseball clubs and players 2.04 Establish and regulate the championship of the Home Talent Baseball League Article 3 Membership 3.01 The Membership of the league consists of active members and inactive members. Franchises that are fielding a team during the current season are considered to be active members, while those that have played within the last four years and are in good standing but not participating in the current season will be considered inactive members Requests for any change in status must be made in writing at least one month before the annual meeting. For a period of five seasons, any inactive franchise requesting re-entry into the league shall be given priority over applications from potential new franchises. However, a request to return to active status will be subject to approval by the Executive Board based on current league concerns, such as section alignment Potential new franchises must apply to the Executive Board in writing at least one month before the annual meeting. The Executive Board will consider applicants based on the criteria found in Appendix C and make a recommendation to the membership for approval at the annual meeting. Upon approval, a $500 franchise fee must be received from the new franchise. $400 of this fee serves as a performance bond, and will be credited to the franchise upon completion of three consecutive seasons of successful participation. The performance bond is forfeited if the franchise does not complete three seasons Active franchises will pay all obligations owed to the league prior to beginning league play. If a franchise does not pay in full before the start of league play, arrangements must be made with the League Treasurer for paying the balance. If fees are not paid in full by the end of the season, the franchise will be subject to fines and/or suspension Franchises must be represented at all meetings declared by the League President. Failure to attend may result in fines levied by the Executive Board New or reactivated teams will not be able to vote at the annual meeting, but are allowed to do so at the sectional meetings If a franchise requests and is granted inactive status after being included in a sectional schedule, the Executive Board may assess a fine against the offending franchise. Payment is due upon receipt of notice of the fine The Membership may approve amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws with a twothirds vote, with each franchise receiving one vote. General rule changes may be approved by a simple majority vote The Executive Board must be notified of any changes in the management of a franchise immediately. Article 4 Executive Board 4.01 An Executive Board will oversee the general operation of the Home Talent League. The Executive Board will be made up of not more than seven (7) members. The Executive Board - 1 -

2 will be appointed by the League President, and must include at least one representative from each section Appointments to the Executive Board will be continuous; however, with a two-thirds vote the eligible voters of the League may call for an Executive Board election to take place at the next regular or special meeting of the League The Executive Board will name a President, who may be paid a salary and have an expense account that is audited annually by the Executive Board. The President shall be responsible for the preparation of league schedules, send out notices of meetings, preside at meetings and the annual awards banquet, hear all protests and render a decision, and handle any other duties required to operate the league. The President may designate any of these duties to a member of the Executive Board The Executive Board will name a Treasurer, who may be paid a salary and have an expense account that is audited annually by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse funds, handle all league billing, prepare an annual financial report, and assist the president in organizing the annual awards banquet Fines and player suspensions may be assessed by the Executive Board. The Executive Board has authority to assess fees to each franchise The League will employ a League Statistician and Umpire Coordinator, who will serve as advisors to the Executive Board Executive Board members shall receive free admission to all league games and two tickets to the annual awards banquet. Article 5 Termination of Membership 5.01 Franchises deemed to be detrimental to the League may be terminated by the Executive Board. Reasons may include, but are not limited to: A) Repeated problems regarding conduct, profanity, or general poor sportsmanship directed towards players, managers, fans, and/or umpires B) Failing to meet financial obligations C) Using ineligible players D) Conspiring to lose any game E) Holding a franchise in another league F) Willfully violating any provision of the constitution or any decision rendered by the president or Executive Board 5.02 If a franchise holds inactive status for five consecutive seasons, their membership in the League will be terminated. If an inactive team requests a return to active status but is forced to remain inactive beyond five seasons because there are no openings in the League, they will not be penalized. Article 6 Umpires and Umpire Coordinator 6.01 The Executive Board will appoint an Umpire Coordinator, subject to a majority approval from the Membership The Umpire Coordinator will be paid salary and expenses as determined by the Executive Board and approved by the Membership. The length of his/her employment is to be the same time period as the current umpire salary agreement. Either party may end the employment with 30 days notice in writing to the other Umpires will be paid at a rate negotiated by the Executive Board and Umpire Coordinator, and approved by the Membership Umpires will be reimbursed expenses if they have travelled to an assigned game and the game is cancelled without being started

3 6.05 Two umpires will be assigned for all league games. The number of umpires for playoff games will be determined by the teams involved If an umpire fails to report for an assigned game, he will be fined the amount of money paid to his replacement. If both teams cannot agree on a replacement, one umpire will work the game and be paid double. If both umpires fail to arrive, the teams have the option of finding replacements or re-scheduling the game. The Umpire Coordinator and Executive Board shall be notified immediately regarding no-shows Umpires have complete control of the game. Balls and strikes will not be argued and judgment calls may not be protested. The Executive Board must be notified immediately regarding ejections of players and/or managers Umpires will follow the current Official Rules of Baseball with HTL adaptations listed in Appendix A of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Home Talent Baseball League Umpires working a protested game must be present at any protest meetings held. Article 7 Manager Duties 7.01 It is the home manager s responsibility to be in communication with the umpires and the visiting manager in the event that weather may affect the status or starting time of a game. Every effort should be made to play the game on the originally scheduled date. Options include delaying the start time or moving the game to a different site The visiting team will have access to the field 60 minutes prior to the start of the game. 25 minutes prior to the game, the home team will take infield for 10 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of infield for the visitors. 5 minutes prior to the game, managers and umpires will meet to exchange lineups and discuss ground rules The home manager is responsible to make sure that the field is ready for play. All baselines, foul lines, out-of-play lines, and batters boxes should be marked and clearly visible. In addition, the home manager will present the umpires with League-approved baseballs that are rubbed down and ready for play The home manager or his designee must report the game to the Wisconsin State Journal by 5:30pm following a day game and immediately following a night game. Failure to report games may result in a fine. It is also suggested that teams report to their local media outlets The home manager or his designee must send the game box score to the League Statistician within 24 hours of the completion of the game. Failure to do so may result in a fine. Article 8 Appeals 8.01 After the President announces his decision on any protest or suspension, there will be a 48-hour window for the franchise to appeal. The President shall notify the rest of Executive Board of the appeal and schedule an appeal meeting if necessary, where: A) The President will explain the reason for his decision B) The franchise will present their reason for the appeal C) The Executive Board will then render a final decision Decisions of the Executive Board will be enforced and are not to be revisited An Executive Board member will excuse himself from voting if the matter involves his franchise or his section. Decisions will be made by a majority vote of the Executive Board members present at a called meeting. Article 9 Annual Meeting 9.01 An annual meeting of the Membership will be held at a date and place determined by the Executive Board. The suggested agenda may include, but is not limited to: A) Call to order and roll call B) Minutes of last meeting - 3 -

4 C) Executive Committee report D) Election of Umpire Coordinator E) Approval of new teams, inactive teams, and sectional alignment F) Amendments to constitution G) Amendments to playing rules H) Miscellaneous business I) Adjournment After adjournment, individual sections may meet to address any issues they feel necessary. Article 10 Roster and Player Eligibility The home area of a franchise consists of a six-mile radius from home plate of their diamond. Any player residing within this area can play for that franchise with no releases necessary. If a player lives within a six-mile radius of multiple teams, he may play for any of these teams without requiring a release A franchise may obtain players from outside of their six-mile radius by either of three processes: A) If a player resides within the six-mile radius of a different franchise, he must be released by his home franchise. B) If a player lives in the league s gray area (see Rule 7 in Appendix B), he must be released by all franchises between his home and the team that is accepting him. C) If the franchise is on the perimeter of the league, they may draw players who reside beyond their six-mile radius and outside of the league s gray area, provided those players reside in the same school district that the franchise is located in Legal residence must be able to be verified (via rent receipts, PO Box receipts, mail, tax bill, or other method) upon request by the Executive Board Once a player is established as a legal HTL player, he may move outside of the franchise and league boundaries provided: A) The player remains on his original team each year B) The player applies for reinstatement after an absence of at least one year and is approved by the section C) In both A) and B) above, all necessary releases must be granted and filed Franchises may add players until July 1, at which time all rosters and paperwork for all players must be filed. Players may also switch teams before this date. Teams experiencing roster difficulty after July 1 may petition the Executive Board for assistance. If granted, legal players may be added to the roster in order to complete the season Players may only play for the team on whose roster they appear, unless playing in a junior league such as American Legion, Stateline League, Babe Ruth, CYO, etc. Players participating in baseball leagues sponsored by the City of Madison are ineligible for HTL play Players violating eligibility rules will be declared ineligible for one year from the date of infraction. Violations include filing false information, playing under an assumed name, or playing for a team in another league Players who sign with a HTL team using a non-permanent college address may not be grandfathered onto a roster. They must establish legal residency annually while in college, and they must establish permanent residency within the boundaries of the league once they leave college Players who reside in the cities of Madison, Beloit, or Janesville are ineligible Players released from a professional organization are subject to the same eligibility rules as all HTL players Players participating in a collegiate summer wood bat league are eligible to play in the HTL prior to signing, after being released, or after the collegiate league season is over

5 10.12 Rosters are limited to 25 active players at all points during the season. When a 26 th player is added to the roster, the manager must remove an existing player to remain at 25. If a 26 th player is reported as having played in a game, an additional player fee will be charged and the League Statistician and Executive Board may levy a fine against the offending team. Article 11 Schedules The schedule for each section shall be prepared by the Executive Board (or their designees) and presented at the annual meeting. In the event that the teams mutually agree to change the date, time, or location of a game, the Umpire Coordinator and Executive Board must be notified 72 hours in advance in order to assign umpires and maintain the section s schedule Rainouts must be rescheduled within two weeks of the original postponement, and reported to the Umpire Coordinator and Executive Board. If managers cannot reschedule the game within two weeks, the Executive Board may schedule the game and levy fines In the case of a forfeit, the forfeiting team will be fined $100 and pay any umpire costs for both teams. Two forfeits during a season will result in the franchise being placed on inactive status for the rest of the season and the following season. Any games remaining on the schedule will be noted as 9-0 losses. Note: If a game is forfeited after the first pitch due to injury, emergency, or ejection, fines will not be levied and the forfeit will not count against the franchise No games may be rescheduled after the final regularly scheduled game in the section. Article 12 Sectional Play-offs and League Championship Series Each section may determine their own playoff structure/schedule in order to determine a sectional champion by the date published by the Executive Board prior to the start of the season The four sectional champions shall play a round-robin League Championship Series to determine the Home Talent League champion. Series dates and matchups are to be determined and published by the Executive Board prior to the start of the season No sectional play-off or League Championship Series game can be moved or cancelled without agreement from both teams and approval from Executive Board The League Championship Series participants will meet prior to the first round to determine Series procedures. This will include admission and collectors, carry-in rules, umpire selection, and any other topics based on the uniqueness of the teams or sites involved. The Executive Board, as well as League Statistician and Umpire Coordinator shall be present The League Treasurer will make arrangements for the League to receive a share of the proceeds from admission collected at each League Championship Series game and the final playoff game from each section. From each of these games, the League shall receive the first $10, as well as 10% of the remaining admission All sectional play-off and League Championship Series games shall be played to a full nine innings, unless there is mutual agreement to end the game before nine innings are complete. Article 13 Ejections and Suspensions If a player is ejected from a game, reports will be required from both umpires working the game within 24 hours. These reports and suggestions will be heavily considered when determining suspensions. The President may also request reports from both managers involved. If it is determined that the player acted in an acceptable manner and left the field without incident, there may be no suspension. If upon investigation the President feels a further suspension is warranted, then he may levy a suspension A second ejection in a season will result in an automatic suspension of at least one game If a franchise wishes to appeal the President s decision regarding a suspension, they have the right to the appeal process found under Article 8 Appeals

6 Article 14 Night League The Executive Board shall sponsor and administer the Home Talent Night League, a separate league but with similar rules and culture as the Home Talent League. Franchises are not required to participate in Night League. Alignment, schedule, and championships for the Night League shall be determined and prepared by the Executive Board and/or their designees It is expected that franchises will use legal and eligible players in Night League games In order to be eligible for Night League playoffs, teams must complete their Night League schedule Night League games and results may not be used as a substitute for HTL sectional games and results. Night League games are to be seven innings, with ten-run rule after five innings Teams may use ten batters in the lineup for Night League games, provided the lineup includes all nine defensive starters and the Extra Hitter. Teams may not use a Designated Hitter and an Extra Hitter. Article 15 - Gambling Betting or wagering on any section, play-off, or League Championship Series game is prohibited and will be dealt with through appropriate law enforcement channels. APPENDIX A SPECIAL HOME TALENT LEAGUE RULES ON-FIELD 1 Bats must be wood or wood composite, approved by BBCOR/BESR, and are subject to review by the Executive Board. 2 Official starting time for all games, unless otherwise agreed upon, shall be 1:00pm. 3 Regularly scheduled games will have a 10-run mercy rule after 7 innings. A game may end at any time by mutual consent. 4 All players and coaches representing their team on the field must wear closely matching uniforms. 5 An intentional walk may be issued to a batter without throwing a pitch. 6 The league will observe a re-entry rule as follows: all starting players may leave the game and re-enter once at the same spot in the lineup in which he started. After a starter leaves the game for the second time, he may not re-enter the game. Substitutes may not re-enter the game. 7 All games must start with nine legal players on both sides. A team may finish a game with eight players if injury has caused a player to leave the game. 8 There is a mandatory slide rule at all bases on all close plays. Two factors are used to determine a legal slide: A) Could the runner reach the base in his slide? B) Was there malicious contact instigated by the runner? If the answer to question A is yes and the answer to question B is no, then the slide is legal. 9 The league will observe the Designated Hitter (DH) rule as follows: A hitter may be designated to bat for any defensive starter and any player replacing that starter. The DH must be named on the line-up card prior to the game. The DH is locked into the batting order and may be substituted for. Teams are not required to use a DH, but failure to start a game with a DH precludes the use of a DH for the game. The DH may assume a defensive position, provided he continues in the batting order. The DH may be replaced in the batting order by the defensive starter, at which time the team no longer has use of the DH. 10 The HTL abides by the catch-and-carry rule, as follows: A) Both feet must be in live-ball territory for a catch and out to be made. B) If ball is caught in live-ball territory and carried to dead-ball territory, batter/runner is out

7 C) If ball is caught in live-ball territory and carried to dead-ball territory and fielder falls down, the batter/runner is out but ball is declared dead and all other runners advance one base. D) Once ball is caught and carried into dead-ball territory, the fielder must carry the ball back into live-ball territory in order to make a throw and continue the play. E) If a throw is made from dead-ball territory, ball is declared dead and all runners are awarded one base. 11 It is strongly suggested that all base coaches wear a helmet while coaching the bases. 12 Line-up cards must contain the first and last name of all starting players. Reserves must also be listed on the card. If a player arrives late and is a legal roster player, he may play in the game. The home plate umpire should be notified that the player has arrived. APPENDIX B SPECIAL HOME TALENT LEAGUE RULES - OTHER 1 Protests must be made prior to the next pitch. The umpires are to be notified of the protest and mark it in the scorebook, marking the place in the game where the protest was lodged. Teams will have 48 hours to deliver a written account of the protest to the president, who will conduct an investigation and announce his decision in a timely manner. 2 In the case that the League receives a check that is returned for Non-Sufficient Funds, the League will collect all bank fees incurred from the offending party. 3 Fighting amongst teams will not be tolerated. Anyone who punches a player or umpire may be subject to fine, suspension, and termination as a player in the HTL. 4 Teams may play in the Wisconsin State Baseball Tournament sponsored by the National Baseball Congress. If an HTL player is asked to play in competition beyond the state tournament, he must receive approval from his franchise and the Executive Board. 5 - An exception (approved by the Executive Board on April 30, 2009) to rule is as follows: players who reside in the parts of the City of Janesville that are included in the Milton School District are eligible for HTL play. 6 Double-headers that are regularly scheduled as part of league play are to be nine innings with the mercy rule after seven innings. For double-headers that are scheduled due to rain-outs or other unusual circumstances, the games may be seven innings provided there are no playoff implications and both teams agree. 7 The gray area of the League refers to the area that is within the borders of the League but not within the six-mile radius of any team and not in the cities of Madison, Janesville, or Beloit. The borders of the League are defined by point-to-point lines connecting the outermost legal area of the franchises on the outer borders of the League. 8 The League, based on the work of the League Statistician, will recognize the leading hitter from each section at the completion of the season. The requirement to be eligible for the award is a minimum of 3 at-bats per team game played. APPENDIX C The following are considerations for new franchises applying for membership in the Home Talent Baseball League: A) There must be a vacancy in the league and in a section B) The applicant must be able to demonstrate the ability to field a team C) The possible effect of the new franchise on existing franchises D) The applicant must be able to show financial stability E) Guarantee of three years in league F) Geographical considerations G) Condition and acceptability of playing field - 7 -