UCSSL MEETING MINUTES FOR APRIL 4, 2018

The following is a summary of our league meeting of April 4, 2018.

30 were in attendance, with all 23 teams represented.

Managers were reminded that a registration/waiver form must be signed prior to a player engaging in any team/league activity, and all registration materials must be received before a player participates in league games.

Managers are also reminded that "preliminary" rosters are due by league rule "before the scheduling meeting that is held in early April." Because our final pre-season meeting is early this year, and the season begins in less than 2 weeks, managers will have until Monday April 9 to submit their initial roster, using the NJSSA form in either WORD or Excel format. This is one week prior to our season openers.

These are needed so the commissioner can inform teams as to what registration materials have not been received, and so a thorough check can be made on things such as too many OOC players on rosters, so a list of 70+ players eligible to use senior bats can be compiled, etc.

Final rosters are due on or before May 15, following four full weeks of league play. This should be more than enough time to finalize rosters and gather all completed registration materials. Reminder of the revised UCSSL Rule that pertains:

4.4.1. ALL registration materials must be in the hands of the commissioner by the usual May 15th deadline. Final rosters will be disseminated to team leaders via email immediately after the May 15^th deadline. NO player will appear on a team’s official roster unless his completed registration form and full league payment have been received by that date.

Sponsor checks are due ASAP as are $45 forfeit deposit checks.

Softballs -- each team received 2 dozen Tattoo 52/300 softballs at the March meeting and received two more Tattoo softballs tonight. These 26 balls will cover each team's games through their first two playoff games, as usual.

Bats -- a schedule for bat testing has been created based on the location of fields and ease of moving from one location to the next. Officers (and a skilled volunteer) will be testing as many teams as possible on each of these nights early in the season. Weather permitting, this can be accomplished during the first week and a half of league games.

Bats not tested on the designated date for their team will need to be made available at a later time/place.

New bats only can be tested prior to the season, most likely at the commissioner's house in Westfield, at a time to be announced; probably either Saturday the 14th or Sunday the 15th.

Bats with a 2017 UCSSL sticker can be used until the deadline for the completion of 2018 testing, after which only those bats with a 2018 label may be used in UCSSL games. This deadline is expected to occur as early as the week of April 30 (the third week of the season).

Bats that pass the test will receive a GREEN pre-printed (with "UCSSL 2018") "tamper evident" label. Senior bats will also be tested, and will need to meet the same slightly less stringent compression threshold as last year to pass. These will receive a round WHITE "UCSSL 70+ 2018" label. Please understand that it is possible that ASA approved bats can develop a very low level of compression due to extensive use; these bats will fail the compression test which is unfortunate, but these bats do present a safety concern which is the primary reason for the bat testing program.

The link to the ASA website's "Non-Approved Bat List" will again be emailed to managers, who are encouraged to print a copy of this list to put together with the team's UCSSL Rules and ASA Rule Book.

Pitcher protection (another safety concern): Pitchers are again strongly encouraged to wear a protective mask in all UCSSL games. To that end, UCSSL agreed beginning two seasons ago to reimburse pitchers (one per team) for the purchase of a mask, up to a maximum of $45. The mask will remain the property of the league, held by that team.

Please understand that many leagues require the use of pitchers' protective gear or have mandated the use of a protective screen in front of pitchers. It is possible that one of these may eventually (perhaps before long) become a USA/ASA requirement.

For now, we believe we have taken sufficient safety measures through bat testing, the use of the ball deemed safest by USA/ASA, and the recommendation that pitchers wear a protective mask.

The new umpire assigner has been very responsive to our requests for assigning outstanding umpires more frequently and for not assigning umpires we find to be deficient. If you have any umpires who distinguish themselves as being exceptional -- either good or bad -- please let us know so we can continue to have more of the best umpires officiating our games.

League awards banquet TBD, probably a Friday in early October.

There are several days in April and May on the 50+ schedule where Linden has a home JV baseball game at Memorial #3. Their games begin at 4 PM and they have a curfew where no inning can begin after 6:15. These dates are Tu 4/17, Th 4/26, Tu 5/1, Tu 5/8 and Tu 5/15. There may also be a handful of dates where HS baseball games are scheduled on Warinanco #1 or at Rahway River. Those dates are unknown but, unlike Memorial #3, those fields are not lighted --so be flexible but also be ready to begin your game as soon as the teams vacate the field.

We have scheduled 38 regular season games at 7:45 on Linden lighted fields. The time is an approximation based on the typical length of the preceding games. Be ready to play these late games 10 minutes after the conclusion of the 6:30 games.

Some reminders and notifications:

1.  Items you received recently (or will receive soon) via email: 

2018 UCSSL Rules (make special note of our new rules), 2018 Managers/Officers Listing, 2018 Schedules for both 50s and 60s as well as for bat testing, 2018 Field Permits, and links to USA/ASA Approved and Non-approved bat lists.

2. Game day reminders:

Home team occupies bench on first base side of field, supplies bases, strike mat, pays umpire $45 cash; each team supplies a new ball.

Speed-up rule is in effect the first two weeks on unlighted fields – no infield, only two warm-up pitches after first inning.

Paying umpires if a delayed rainout -- pay them $10 "show up" fee if umpire must call the game before a pitch has been thrown. They get full $45 if there is a game time forfeit.

Do not play games on fields that are closed. The county has final word on their fields, Ed Kushner has the final word on Linden fields. I will coordinate with them, and emails will be sent as soon as a determination has been made on rainouts. The county website is not always updated and early morning times usually are merely the previous day's final status.

Please report game results in a timely manner to your division coordinator and to me so we can send publicity early each weekend. Photos and videos can be uploaded directly to Facebook (Union County Senior Softball League) or through Marty Marks.

3.  Items you should bring and be giving to us, if you have not already done so:

Your sponsor's fee, your $45 forfeit deposit, remaining player registration forms and fees (please be sure that checks are payable to UCSSL, or are endorsed to UCSSL), and your preliminary 2018 roster.  (Any of these items you did not bring to the meeting will need to be delivered -- email or otherwise -- to the commissioner's home prior to the start of the season.)  Players may not participate without a signed waiver form!  Rosters should be emailed as an attachment.

4. Items distributed at tonight's meeting:

A check for umpire fees in the amount of $585.00 to pay for 12 regular season home games plus one playoff home game, two more softballs, a USA Softball Rule Book and a scorebook. Keep the Rule Book for future seasons because 2018 is the last year they will be distributed in the current printed form.

NEN is now Advanced Financial.

10th St. Live Bar is now Conair.

Shirts should be available Saturday, April 14, at Your Tops in Kenilworth.

"Let's play ball and have fun!"