Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Park Cleanup Day - Saturday, Dec. 3rd

Please join us this Saturday, December 3rd, for our annual fall park cleanup day at the MPTLL fields at Randolph Park. It begins at 9am and will last most of the day. There will be leaves and other debris to collect, as well as other projects that need helping hands.

We are truly fortunate to have one the the finest youth baseball and softball facilities around. And there is a reason - our volunteer grounds crew does not have an offseason. There are routine maintenance tasks (like grass cutting, debris cleanup, equipment maintenance and dirt replacement) and special projects (like field construction, sod cutting, painting, tree removal, concrete pouring and drainage control) all year long. I think one of the greatest challenges for our grounds crew is simply how to prioritize all the work. But they are always committed to getting it done.

I've been associated with Myers Park Trinity for most of my life and I have never seen the park looking so great on a consistent basis like it has in recent years. Nor have I seen such a hard-working and dedicated volunteer grounds crew. Regardless of the weather, the season or the time of day, I see either Tony McNay, Boyd Correll or another member of our grounds crew working at the park almost every time I go out there for lessons or practice. Their commitment is really amazing.

Occasionally they ask for our help, and we need to deliver. So please try to find some time this Saturday to lend a hand. And spread the word to other parents and coaches about this event so we can get as many volunteers as possible. You can send them a link to this post.

It starts at 9:00 am and will last all day. So even if you have basketball or some other activity to attend, hopefully you can spend a couple of hours before or after at the park. If you have a gas-powered leaf blower, please bring it. If not, bring a rake. A couple of snow shovels will be needed too for debris removal. Hope to see you on Saturday.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Little League Rule Changes for 2012

Little League International has announced its rule changes for 2012, some of which will directly affect Myers Park Trinity. Our Major League division may now play "dropped third strike" rules. And the residency documentation process for All-Stars has gotten more strict - documents must now come from within a specific time frame. More details are here.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

MPTLL Wall of Champions

Next time you're at the park, check out the latest addition beyond the right field fence of Randolph East Field. It has been dubbed the "Wall of Champions" and it celebrates our recent string All-Star tournament winners. Each team has a sign commemorating its accomplishment with a team photo and roster.

So far there are signs for the following teams that have won Little League banners over the last four years: the 2008 9-10-year-old District 3 Champions, the 2010 11-12-year-old District 3 Champions, and the 2011 10-year-old and 11-year-old TOC Champs. The 2011 9-year-old TOC and State Invitational Champions will be added soon. And we hope to add many more signs in the years to come.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Little League Bat Regulations Announced For 2012

Little League International has announced its bat regulations for the 2012 season. There do not appear to be any major changes at the Major League level and below. The composite bat moratorium and updated list of approved composite bats remains in effect. Here is more info.

Keep in mind that the Myers Park Trinity Softball division, as well as our Junior League baseball division and above, are NOT governed by Little League.