MPTLL Postseason League Tournaments

It's tournament time at Myers Park Trinity. Click on the links below for the updated brackets for each division. Final games will be played at 12:00 on Saturday, just before Closing Ceremonies. Good luck to all the teams.

Major League Tournament

National League Tournament

American League Tournament

Al Browne Wins Major League Title

Al Browne clinched the 2013 Major League championship on Wednesday with a 16-4 victory over Christ Church in the final game of the regular season. The offense was led by Avery Schwartz, who went 4 for 5, including his 2nd HR of the season.  Raul Beltran had 3 hits and his 3rd HR, while Darnell Craig added 2 hits, including his 1st career HR over the left field scoreboard. Henry Merchant handled the bulk of the pitching, allowing 2 hits over 5.1 innings.

Congrats to the players of Al Browne, who led the team out of a late season slump to finish on top. This is the team's 6th league title in the last 9 years.

Little League Opening Day - Sunday, April 7

Games begin this Sunday at Myers Park Trinity in the Major League, National League and American League divisions. This will be the 62nd Opening Day in our league's history. The traditional Opening Ceremonies will take place on Saturday, April 13th at 10:30 am.

Check this site throughout the spring season for pictures, game news, standings and announcements. Or have it delivered to you via Twitter. And parents and coaches - help us gather the latest game info. Tweet your highlights and pictures to @mplittleleague to share with the rest of the league. We will retweet any game news we get. If you're not on Twitter, you're missing part of the experience. Sign up at www.twitter.com and follow us at www.twitter.com/mplittleleague.

Here is the schedule for Sunday's opening day of games.

Major League:
Al Browne @ Harry & Bryant - 5:00 - New Field
Christ Church @ Regions Bank - 5:00 - Founders Field
Cameron Harris @ Carolina Pad - 7:00 - New Field
Trinity @ Bryant Supply - 7:00 - Founders Field

National League:
JW Demolition @ Baird - 3:00 - Wade Field
Charlotte Roofing @ TR Lawing - 3:00 - Founders Field
JJ's Red Hots @ Raymond James - 5:00 - Wade Field
Urban Building Group @ B. Whittington Construction - 7:00 - Wade Field

American League:
Sunset Slush @ JE Dunn Construction - 1:00 - Randolph East
Andrew Roby @ Bradley Arant - 1:00 - Kiser-Chapman Field
Blythe Development @ Bray & Long - 3:00 - Randolph East
US National Whitewater Center @ MedChex - 3:00 - Kiser-Chapman Field
Empowered Benefits @ Cotswold Barber Shop - 3:00 - Grier Heights #1
Chick-fil-A @ Griffith Real Estate Services - 5:00 - Randolph East
Mama Fu's @ Leroy Fox - 5:00 - Grier Heights #1

Best of MPTLL #3: Versatility

Myers Park Trinity Little League is a multifaceted youth sports organization. At its heart, it is a recreational baseball and softball league, open to all players regardless of their individual talent level. From the most experienced ballplayer to the beginner playing for the first time, there is a place for everyone in our regular season. The less experienced players may participate in one of the league's instructional divisions, while the more experienced ones may enjoy a more competitive division, complete with standings, tournaments and a rich history. Our regular recreational season is a quality league unto itself. But we are more than a "rec league."

During the summer months, Myers Park Trinity places an emphasis on the All-Star season. Our tournament teams have a long history of success, including a steady string of championship banners earned in recent years. In the last two years alone, Myers Park has won NC State Baseball Championships in each of the 10, 11 and 12-year-old age groups. But we are more than an All-Star program.

In the spring and fall seasons, our Challenge program provides an additional baseball experience and an alternative to travel ball, with a tournament schedule and an increasing emphasis on instruction and talent development, led by the new MP Academy. But there is still much more to Myers Park Trinity.

We are a softball program made up of competitive girls teams playing all over Mecklenburg County. We are a non-profit community organization, providing scholarships each season to over a hundred less-fortunate kids that would not otherwise be able to participate. We are a family of volunteers, not only maintaining a great league and outstanding facilities, but also building lifelong friendships and helping each other out when there is a need.

Such versatility by a youth sports organization is rare. Many leagues are unable to provide all of these opportunities for their families. They may exist primarily as a recreational league, and lose players wanting a more competitive experience. Or they may focus more on their Challenge or All Star programs, at the expense of their regular season league. But Myers Park Trinity is able to do both and serve the community at the same time. It is a complex task, and we are faced with more challenges each year. But the league is committed to making improvements in all areas every season so that we may continue the upward trend that began generations ago.

In case you missed it.....

Best of MPTLL #1: Community Atmosphere.

Best of MPTLL #2: Dedicated Coaches.

Best of MPTLL #2: Dedicated Coaches

Jake Wade, Harry & Bryant
Manager, 1957-Present

The eight Major League managers at Myers Park Trinity Little League have over 150 years of cumulative experience coaching their teams. The Minor League division has a few dedicated coaches of its own who return each year. The same can be said for our 13 and over MP Academy teams and some of the other areas of our league. You would be hard pressed to find many leagues in the world that can make those statements.

Myers Park Trinity is fortunate to have many parents that are willing to coach a team or help the league in some other capacity. Volunteer organizations depend on these types of valuable participants.

But being a parent with a child on the team is not a requirement for coaching at MPTLL. In our Majors division, it is the exception to the rule. Some of our longest serving coaches' children aged out of the program many years ago. Others do not yet have kids old enough to play. And some have kids who aged onto their teams after more than a decade of coaching. Volunteering to coach at Myers Park Trinity is a choice we make based on our dedication to our teams, the league and the game. We are caretakers of our teams and we strive to perpetuate the positive effects that youth baseball has had on our players for generations.

We do not coach our teams in order to create an ideal situation for our own children. We are here to stay, so we think long-term regarding what's best for our teams and the league - not just what makes our own kids have an enjoyable experience. "Daddy-ball," as it is often called, is a problem in many areas of youth sports. That is why many people have advocated for non-parent coaches. By having dedicated, full-time coaches in these divisions of play, Myers Park Trinity takes "daddy-ball" out of the equation for most of its players aged 10 and up during the regular season and all-stars. That is extremely rare these days, and it is one aspect of our league that sets us apart from so many. It is one of the fundamental reasons that MPTLL is a great league.

In case you missed it......

Best of MPTLL #1: Community Atmosphere.

Bryant Supply Clinches Majors Title

Congratulations to Bryant Supply for clinching its first MPTLL Major League championship with a 7-3 win over 2nd place Al Browne on Wednesday night. 11-2 Bryant is up three games in the standings with one to go. The eight Major League teams will play a post-season tournament beginning Wednesday.

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.

2011 Spring Season Wrapped Up

The 2011 Spring Season was finished on Saturday with tournament championship games and postseason trophies and awards. Congratulations to the following tournament champions:

Major League  -  Christ Church

National League  -  TR Lawing

American League  -  JE Dunn Construction

Congratulations to the following regular season champions:

Major League - Christ Church and Carolina Pad

National League - TR Lawing

American League - JE Dunn Construction

Congratulations to the following team sportsmanship award winners:

Major League  -  Judge Fred Hasty Award  -  Regions Bank

National League  -  Stone Barnett Award  -  McGladrey, Inc.

American League  -  Sean Schultz Award  -  Chick-fil-A

Thanks to all the parents and volunteers for a great season. Special thanks goes to our grounds crew, whose year-round tireless efforts have made our park the absolute best.

Closing Day Schedule is Set for Saturday

The MPTLL league tournaments continued this week with semifinal games on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the Major League division, Christ Church defeated Cameron Harris and Al Browne beat Carolina Pad in 8 innings. CC and AB will meet on Saturday at 12:00 on the "new field."

In the National League, TR Lawing beat Cotswold Barber Shop in 7 and Empowered Benefits beat US National Whitewater Center to earn a spot in the final on Saturday at 12:00 on Wade Field.

And in American League action, JE Dunn Construction defeated K&L Gates and Bray & Long beat Andrew Roby. The two will meet in the tournamant championship on Saturday at 12:00 on Randolph East.

Major League consolation games will be played at 10:00. Good luck to all the teams playing on Saturday.

Closing Cermonies will begin on Founders Field at 2:00, or immediately following the last tournament final. Annual trophies and awards will be presented to various teams and players. Everyone is invited.

Post-Season Tournament Update

League tournaments will resume next week with semifinal action on Tuesday for the American and National Leagues, and on Wednesday for the Major League. Tournament finals will be played at 12:00 on Closing Day, just prior to 2:00 Closing Ceremonies. Click on the links below for updated brackets:

Major League
National League
American League

MPTLL Postseason Tournaments Are Underway

The MPTLL Little League divisions have wrapped up the regular season and are playing their annual postseason tournaments.

The American League (Machine Pitch) Division began its tournament on Saturday with a six game slate and will continue with the quarterfinals on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The National League is also down to the quarterfinals and will play its games tonight at 5:30 and 7:30.

The Major League Division has named its league co-champs - Carolina Pad and Christ Church - and will begin its postseason tournament on Wednesday. Each ML team will play three games regardless of the outcomes.

Good luck to all the remaining teams.

Congrats to Major League Co-Champs

Congratulations to 2011 Major League Co-Champions Carolina Pad and Christ Church. Both teams won their games on the final day of the regular season to finish tied for first place at 12-2. Congrats on an outstanding season by both teams.

Big Weekend of Games at Randolph Park

     

Three Major League teams will be playing for a league championship on Saturday. After beating Cameron Harris on Wednesday, Christ Church is tied for first place heading into the final day of the regular season at 11-2. They will play Al Browne at 10:00 am on Wade Field.

Carolina Pad, which defeated Regions Bank on Wednesday, also sits at 11-2. They will play Trinity immediately following the CC-AB game.

For Christ Church and Pad, a win earns them at least a share of the Major League title. Cameron Harris is now a game back at 10-3, and must win and rely on both CC and CP losses in order to gain a piece of a 3-way shared championship. Best of luck to these teams, who have all had great seasons.

In the National League and American League, their end-of-season tournaments will begin on Saturday in a single elimination format. Congratulations to NL regular season champ, T.R. Lawing Realty, and AL regular season champ, JE Dunn Construction. Best of luck to all the teams in tournament play.

Three Teams Tied Atop Major League Standings

The MPTLL Major League pennant race is poised for another fantastic finish. After Christ Church's win over Carolina Pad on Saturday, there is a three-way tie for first place heading into the final week of the season. With two games to play, Christ Church, Carolina Pad and Cameron Harris are all knotted up at 10-2.

Pad is hoping to repeat as league champion after sharing the title with Al Browne in 2010. Cameron Harris last won the league in 2003 when it tied with Harry & Bryant.  And Christ Church is looking for its first title since winning back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.

It should be an exciting week of baseball. All three teams will play under the lights on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm:

Christ Church vs. Cameron Harris on Founders Field
Carolina Pad vs. Regions Bank on Wade Field.

Best of luck to these teams. Check out the Current Standings and Historical Standings pages above for more information.

Regular Season Tryouts Are This Weekend

Players signed up for the American League, National League or Major League at Myers Park Trinity must come to a skills assessment tryout this weekend at Randolph Park. All players will be drafted into one of those divisions based on their skill level and age as of April 30th.

Tryouts normally include baserunning, batting, fielding drills and pitching in the older divisions. Players should dress appropriately and bring the necessary equipment - glove, hat, cleats, etc. - if possible.

The schedule for tryouts is below. Please arrive early to sign in and get a tryout number prior to hitting the field. If your child must miss his scheduled tryout time that was chosen at registration, come to one of the other times for the same age group. If he or she must be absent all weekend, there is a make-up tryout session on Monday at 5:30. But rain is in the forecast for that day, so come this weekend if you can.

Please note that players cannot be drafted by a Major League team without attending tryouts. T-Ball players, Softball players, and returning Major League players that have previously been drafted do not need to tryout.

Saturday, February 26th - 3:30 p.m. - 6 year olds Sunday, February 27th - 3:30 p.m. - 6 year olds Saturday, February 26th - 9:00 a.m. - 7 year olds Saturday, February 26th - 12:30 p.m. - 7 year olds Sunday, February 27th - 12:30 p.m. - 7 year olds Saturday, February 26th - 10:30 a.m. - 8 year olds Saturday, February 26th - 2:00 p.m. - 8 year olds Sunday, February 27th - 2:00 p.m. - 8 year olds Saturday, February 26th - 9:00 a.m. - 9 year olds

Saturday February 26th - 3:30 p.m. - 9 year olds

Sunday February 27th - 12:30 p.m. - 9 year olds

Saturday, February 26th - 10:30 a.m. - 10 year olds

Saturday February 26th - 2:00 p.m. - 10 year olds

Sunday February 27th - 2:00 p.m. - 10 year olds

Saturday, February 26th - 12:30 p.m. - 11 year olds

Sunday, February 27th - 3:30 p.m. - 11 year olds

Saturday, February 26th 12:30 p.m. - 12 year olds

Sunday, February 27th - 3:30 p.m. - 12 year olds

Immediate Moratorium on All Composite Bats

Little League Baseball, Inc. has placed an immediate moratorium on the use of all composite bats in its Major League and Minor League Baseball Divisions and below.

This decision extends its previously announced moratorium on such bats in the Little League Junior, Senior and Big League Divisions. The rules for these three older divisions do not apply to Myers Park Trinity, as we are affiliated with the Babe Ruth League at those levels. The moratorium also does not apply to MPTLL Softball, but it does affect our Major League, National League (minors) and American League (machine pitch).

The new ban refers to any bat constructed with a composite barrel, which means it is made with a woven composite of metal fibers. This construction provides such advantages as lighter barrels, less vibration and greater energy transfer. It is my understanding that composite handles are still allowed.

Little League's recent study conducted at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell found that new composite bats meet the required Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or below. But once broken in, the bats can exceed these mandatory safety standards.

At this time, all composites are banned. But as they did above the Major League level, Little League will allow bat manufacturers to apply for an exemption on certain models. If any models are approved for such an exemption, Little League will post them on its website.

But for now, this means we will be using aluminum bats this spring - which isn't all bad. There are several good aluminum alloy bats on the market to be had. And if they are considered to be safer for use on our small field, then we should welcome the change.

For more information on composite bats and this recent announcement, check out the article posted by Little League and read through my previous posts regarding bats.

Happy New Year!

MPTLL History Project

The history of Myers Park Trinity is a large part of what we are today. As the oldest existing Little League organization in Charlotte, we have a tradition and a respect for our history like none other.

But much of that history has been passed down by word of mouth and is at the risk of being lost or accidentally rewritten. So I have set out to document our history using pictures, first hand accounts, draft records, scorebooks and newspaper clippings. Much of the work was done by a few of us prior to the league's 50th anniversary in 2002. But many holes remained and inaccurate legends persisted.

The MPTLL History Project will attempt to document as many facts as possible that make up our real history. The main part of this endeavor is to track the history of our oldest and most prominent division of play - the Major League division. It all began is 1951 with Harry & Bryant, and we became a chartered league - the Myers Park Civitan League - in 1952 with HB, Al Browne's Service, Farmers Dairy and Blythe Motors. But what happened the next year?

Little League Expands 50-70 Pilot Program for 2011

Little League Baseball announced on September 27 that it will expand its pilot program involving use of the "50-70" field for the 2011 spring season. 

Last year this optional program was available as a 12-13-year-old division for leagues choosing to use Junior League rules - most notably allowing baserunners to take "leads" from bases before a pitch reaches home plate -  but on fields with 50-foot mounds and 70-foot basepaths.  It was viewed as a transition from the 46-60-foot Minor and Major League field to the 60-90-foot field normally used for Junior League and beyond.

Based on feedback from leagues around the world, Little League will continue the program in the coming year and has added the option of an 11-12-year-old 50-70 division. In this new "supplemental" pilot program, Junior League rules will be used, but the bats must be the 2 1/4" barrel variety approved for the 12-and-under divisions. 11-12-year-old Tournament Rules (All-Stars) would remain under 46-60 rules.

This style of baseball is still optional, but I would expect some area leagues to try it out next season. Several of them have an 11-12-year-old Majors Division anyway (MPTLL's is 10-12), so rules and field modifications would be the biggest changes.

Final 2010 Major League Standings

Al Browne  11-3

Carolina Pad  11-3

Christ Church  8-6

Cameron Harris  8-6

Regions Bank  6-8

Bryant Electric Supply  6-8

Trinity  4-10

Harry & Bryant  2-12