Opening Day!

(From May 5)

Good morning baseball studs,

Happy Opening Day! It's time to get baseball ready and put all that practice to work. Just remember, baseball is simple: throw the ball; catch the ball; hit the ball. Do those three things as best you can, and you'll have a blast.

Please arrive at the ballpark no later than 5:15 p.m. in full uniform. That includes those hats. Game starts at 5:30 p.m.

Parents,

A few notes about the rules and playing time.

We play five innings or one hour. Innings can't begin after time has expired or if there is five minutes or less remaining in regulation. Not surprisingly, many of our games will last only four innings.

At this level, every player on the team bats. In our case, we have 12 players. Depending on how hot our sticks are, everybody will get two or three at-bats per game.

There are only nine positions in the field, so when the opposing team is at bat, we will have three players on the bench. Everybody will play at least three of the first four innings. If we play five innings, some players will get an extra inning.

In determining who plays which positions, we must consider the safety and skills of the boys. For example, a player who routinely struggles to catch a thrown ball is not well suited for playing first base. And putting such a player at first base endangers the boy's teeth. We know dentists need work, too, but we're not interested in being the ones providing the supply to meet that demand. Of course, all fielders must be able to catch, but the infield positions are more demanding and first base and pitcher are the most demanding, at this age.

Simply put, our lineups are focused on making sure these boys are safe, playing positions that give them the best chance at success and are having fun.

Having said that, we'll rotate the players around so that everybody plays a different position every inning they play. Ultimately, we would like to have every player capable of playing every position. With eight games and eight practices left, that's challenging. But it's our goal.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions.

See you tonight!
James