New Jersey District 20 Little League: Welcome

WELCOME TO THE 2011 FALL BALL SEASON
updated  09/12 @ 11:30am 282435 hits / Dave Poe, District Information Officer (dave78742112@yahoo.com)

FALL LOCATION UPDATE (09/12):  JUNIOR DIVISION:  Hobb Engler's home site is CO Johnson, not the high school.  Thank you.

FALL BALL UPDATE (09/07): Schedules have been posted. Please note that if you visited the site previously, you may have to update the "season" so that it reflects the 2011 Fall Ball season.  There are now menus for contacts and a rule set.  Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

FALL BALL (08/01): Emails have been sent to all the league Presidents regarding the fall baseball season this year.  While the district administrates the league, registrations are held at the local league level.  Personally, I love the fall ball experience.  We get to be the good guys.  Let football and soccer take the heat now.  It's their turn.  Hope to see as many of you there as possible.

SEASON WRAP (08/01): Congratulations to the Jefferson 09/08 team on winning our district tournament.  With that, our district concludes once again.  The District would like to thank all the coaches, parents, umpires, and league officials who participated this year.  A special thank you to all the players.  It is your enthusiasm, skill, and passion for the game of baseball that makes these tournaments so fun to attend and administer.  I would also personally like to thank Madi and Bob Hill of Wallkill Valley LL for once again doing a fabulous job in hosting a Section tournament.  We hicks up north sure can put on a show ;)  Finally, thank yous to the District Staff; Lori for her leadership and guidance, Scott for his wisdom and purse strings, and Vinnie for...well...just being Vinnie (and that's a good thing!).  Look forward to seeing everyone next year.

09-08 SINGLE ELIMINATION (07/27): Jefferson, Sparta, Lakeland, and Hobb Engler will host the quarterfinals Thursday night (see the bracket from the Main Menu).  Each of these teams will provide and pay for the umpires.  SEMI-FINALS (friday)-  The district will provide the umpires BUT each team must bring a check for $50 to pay the umpires.  FINALS (sunday) - The district will provide and pay the umpires.  The better seed will always be the home team. 

09-08 STANDINGS (07/27): Really?  A six-way tie for 3rd through 8th?  Really guys?  This is suppose to be a nice little fun tournament not the SATs for the ADA.  LOL.  Regardless of which tie-breaking method is used, it can only used to advance 1 team.  The first tie-breaker is head-to-head ONLY if all the tied teams played each other.  That didn't happen.  The 2nd step is to use the RAR (runs against ratio) which is the number of runs allowed divided by the number of defensive innings played (which is why it is critical when reporting scores that your information be accurate for both teams).  As I went through each tie scenario advancing one team in the standings, I never did run across a situation where the tied teams all played each other.  Hence, the RAR was used in all cases.  Here is the breakdown based upon the information reported to me during Pool Play; (3) Lakeland - 1.0606 - 35 runs allowed in 33 defensive innings, (4) Hobb Engler - 1.2069 - 35 runs allowed in 29 defensive innings, (5) North Warren - 1.7241 - 50 runs allowed in 29 defensive innings, (6) Lackawanna - 1.8125 - 58 runs allowed in 32 defensive innings, (7) SussexWantage - 1.9286 - 54 runs allowed in 28 defensive innings, & (8) WarrenHills - 2.0000 - 58 runs allowed in 29 defensive innings.  Whew!

CLASS IN SESSION (07/27): A few notes to go over regarding Resumed Games when it is the next day:  (1) Any pitcher who was removed prior to the game being suspended is INELIGIBLE to pitch in the resumed gamed regardless of how many pitches he threw (T-Rule 4.c) / (2) The pitcher of record (moment game was suspended) who threw 1-20 pitches AND pitches when the game resumes assumes a pitch count of zero AND his rest period is based only on the pitches he throws when the game resumes (T-Rule 4.g.1) / (3) The pitcher of record who threw 21-40 pitches AND pitches when the game resumes assumes the pitch count he left off at AND his rest period is based only on the pitches he throws when the game resumes (T-Rule 4.g.2) / (4) Any players who were NOT present for the portion of the game from when it started until it was suspended MAY play in resumed portion of the game but must meet Mandatory Play Requirements (Rule 4.01.d.NOTE).  (5) The pitcher of record who threw 41 or more pitches is not eligible to pitch when the game resumes (T-RULE 4.g)  If anyone has any questions, please reach out to me Wednesday as I will be available all day long.  EXAMPLES: Sitch (1) -  Tommy threw 19 pitches, was removed for Andy who threw pitches, then the game was suspended.  While Tommy would normally be eligible to pitch the next day, the resumed game is the same game that was suspended and T-Rule 4.c forbids a pitcher who has been removed from a game from returning to the mound.  Sitch (2) - At the time the game was suspended, Billy had thrown 15 pitches and is the pitcher of record.  He pitches in the Resumed Game and throws 20 more pitches.  Billy's pitch count will begin at zero.  His required day's rest will be zero games since he only threw 20 pitches when the game resumed.  Sitch (3) - At the time the game was suspended, Zane had thrown 25 pitches and is the pitcher of record.  He pitches in the Resumed Game and throws 26 more pitches.  Zane's pitch count will start at 25 pitches thrown.  His required rest will still only be 1 day since he only threw 26 pitches when the game resumed.  Sitch (4) - Manuel was not at the game site when the game was suspended after 2 innings of play.  The next day when the game resumes, the manager wants to put Manuel into the game.  That is the manager's discretion.  Manuel must meet his MPR for the game and can not be removed until he does.  Sitch (5) - At the time the game was suspended, Larry had thrown 45 pitches and is the pitcher of record.  Since Larry has thrown more than 40 pitches, he must be replaced as the pitcher when the game resumes.  WHEW!  That's was freakin' exhausting!  LOL!  anyway, I hope I answered some of your questions. 

RAINOUTS AND CHANGES TO TOURNAMENT (07/26): Some of our games were affected by the rain Tuesday night AND need to play/finish the game on Wednesday (they must be played).  Therefore, the first round of the elimination tournament will be moved to Thursday.  The semi-finals will still be Friday (edited 07/27 @ 09:46pm).  We've always looked at this tournament as an introduction to all-stars - well - welcome to the dark side!  LOL!  Remember, if a game completed one inning, it is now a "suspended game".  Please email the details of the pitching in any suspended game and I will give you an official ruling on what pitchers are eligible or ineligible when the game resumes.  If a game did not not complete an inning, then the game will start over from the beginning.  Any questions, please call me at 973-459-2869. 

09-08 RAINOUTS (07/25): Any rainouts from today MUST be made up on Tuesday.  We must complete the season.  These games can not be skipped.  Please keep me informed of any scheduling changes.  Any questions, please reach out to me after 6pm this evening.  Thanks.

AND THAT'S 2 OUT OF 3 FOR D20! (07/24): Congratulations to North Warren Little League for winning the Junior Section 1 championship tonight by beating Roxbury on consecutive nights to claim the crown!  Join me in wishing them the best of luck in Freehold for the State Final Four beginning on Friday!  Sorry boys, football is just going to have to wait! 

POST DISTRICT UPDATES (07/22): Wanted to give everyone any update on how our District champions are doing.  10-09s:  Lackawanna played their first round game tonight in the State Final Four Championship.  I am anxiously awaiting word as to how they did.  JUNIORS:  Thanks to Chris Jacksic, who has been keeping up to speed, North Warren has reached the Section finals.  They have a tough road needing to win two straight games against Roxbury, who they lost to by one run earlier in the tournament.  12-11s:  Jefferson put up a heck of a fight but were eliminated from the Section a few days ago. 

LACKAWANNA 10-09S SECTION 1 CHAMPIONS!!!! (07/18): A hearty congratulations to the players, coaches, league officials, and parents of the Lackawanna Little League as they took the Section 1 crown this past Sunday night.  After winning their first two games of the tournament, they faced a very stout Middlesex team in the final.  It was an epic, back-and-forth affair that extended into additional innings but the bunch from Lackawanna won out with true grit and determination.  A complete box score of the game can be found in the Section 1 Championship Bracket on the Main Menu.  Congratulations and we are all routing for you as you move on to the state final four this Friday in North Howell! 

09-08 TEAMS (07/16): To all managers and coaches for the 09-08s - I can not maintain an accurate update to the standings without your cooperation.  As I sit here at nearly two in the morning, I have had one score reported from the five games played tonight (thank you Dave from North Warren).  I just happen to know of a 2nd score.  I completely understand that this may be the first go around for many of you so PLEASE - the winning team needs to report your score the night of your game.  Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

CONGRATULATIONS (07/15): A brief shout out to a number of teams in various divisions.  First shout out goes to the 10-09 Lackawanna team who last night reached the finals for the Section 1 championship.  Good Luck to George and the boys the rest of the way!  Another shout out to the Jefferson 12-11s for bringing home the district championship last night in Sparta.  Best of luck to the Jefferson team as they head off into the Sections!  Final shout out to both teams that made the Junior finals, North Warren and Wallkill Valley.  North Warren's Juniors finished 2nd last year and are back in the finals again.  Wallkill Valley's boys started off pool play 0-4 and have battled back to the district finals.  That's quite an accomplishment!  Best of luck to both teams tonight!

DELAY (07/14): I apologize to anyone for the delay in updating last night and this morning.  However, I have a back injury that pops up once or twice a year that renders me immobile for 18 to 24 hours.  The only real remedy is time and rest.  I think I have everything up to date at this time.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

10-09 SECTION UPDATE (07/11): I will place a box score of each game in the section dedicated to the tournament.  Just click on the tournament section in the main menu and scroll down to the bottom of the bracket.  Thank you. 

JUNIOR DE UPDATE (07/11): All participants, please review the bracket as some of the dates have changed.  Due to the game between Lackawanna and HobbEngler/Lakeland being suspended due to darkness, we will have to complete this game Tuesday and push the next round of games to Wednesday. 

10-09 SECTION UPDATE (07/11): There was never a dull moment for the entire 6 innings tonight as the Section 1 10-09 tournament kicked off between Par-Troy East and Ringwood..  We witnessed some great fielding, clutch hitting, dazzling pitching, and what a shot by #8 from Par-Troy!  It was a great way to start of the tournament.  Thank you to both teams for an exciting and thrilling game.  Best of luck the rest of the week.

09-08 CONTACTS (07/09): Please email Lori Grant at lorignj20@ptd.net with coaching staff contacts by this Monday so that she can put a list together.  In addition, please include at least one email so she can email the list directly to the coach.

09-08 COUNTY TOURNAMENT (07/09): It is critical that you go to the Handouts section and print out and review the tournament rules and regulations.  We are here to help you and the best time to ask a question is before a problem arises.  While we are playing by Little League Tournament rules and regulations, we do have some District modifications that you need to learn and be aware of.  Here are a few important ones; (a) The home team is home team.  No coin flip.  (b) The home team supplies the game balls.  (c) The home team supplies and pays the umpires.  The district will NOT send umpires to these games.  (d) There should be a Tournament Director present.  (e) No one is call the regional office or Williamsport.  The District staff will handle any and all problems and protests.  (f)  Each team is required to have available a pitching log for each game.  There is a penalty if one is not available. 

JUNIORS ELIMINATION (07/09): Just to be clear, we had a 3-way tie between Sparta, Vernon, and Wallkill for the fourth and last spot to make the elimination round.  The first tie-breaker being head-to-head, Wallkill beat both teams involved with the tie therefore Wallkill gets that 4th seed. 

COIN FLIP (07/06): Just a reminder - it's flippin' Little League.  There is always a coin flip to determine home and away right up to the final game of the Little League World Series in August. 

REPORTING ELIMINATION ROUND SCORES (07/04): It is IMPERATIVE that scores be reported immediately after the game.  I will take text msgs (please, no phone calls).  In many cases, games are scheduled for the next day and the location and times of those games depend on who won and who lost the night before, therefore I need to get that information up on the site asap.  Furthermore, in elimination games, I do not need the defensive innings reported.  Just the score and winner will suffice.  Thank you.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY! (07/03): Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy Independence Day.  May you stuff yourselves with all the hot dogs, hamburgers, home-made salads, and beverages that Little League will not allow me state publicly on their website.  Let's just call it Kool-Aid  ;)  Seriously, I'd like to thank all of you for your participation to date and for making this such a fun time of the year. 

ELIMINATION ROUNDS (07/03): Just a reminder as we start the elimination rounds on Tuesday that sometimes game times and/or game sites need to get sifted in order to make room for the elimination games.  Until pool play is concluded, we can not know where and when we need to schedule these games.  Your cooperation and understanding is greatly appreciated.

CONTACT LISTS (07/02): If you are looking for contact lists, Lori has emailed all the league Presidents a contact list for each division.  If you need a copy, please contact your league President.  Thank you. 

REPORTING A SCORE (07/01): When emailing a score, please break the details down into the "away" team and "home" team.  Example - Away Team A, 5 runs, 6 def innings / Home Team E, 4 runs, 6 def innings" or something to that effect.  I need to be sure that the information I am getting is accurate.  It really shouldn't be left for me to interpret whether a complete inning was played or a half an inning.  In addition, please - please make sure you information is accurate.  We recently had a situation where the erroneous reporting of one, single defensive inning meant the difference of a team being in 2nd place or 3rd place.  At the end of pool play, that could be the difference between a home elimination game or an away elimination game oir even making the elimination round.  Thanks all.

ENJOY THE DAY OFF (06/27): I hope everyone enjoys the break that was built into the schedule.  Time to recharge, refuel, and get ready for a busy week of baseball (51 games in 5 days).  Thanks to everyone for a great start!

WHAT'S THE FINAL SCORE? (06/25): An accurate final score and defensive innings is essential.  Why?  Because the 2nd tie-breaker after head-to-head is the amount of runs allowed per the amount of defensive innings played.  Many people think that if a regulation game ends before 6 (or 5 1/2) innings is played, that the final score in some cases may revert back to the last completed inning.  Not true at tournament time.  Rule 4.11(d) states that a called game ends at the moment the umpire terminates play.  The two exceptions to this rule are when the visiting team ties or takes the lead in the incompleted inning.  However, in tournament play if either of the exceptions takes place, the game is suspended, and completed on a later date.  Example, after four innings of play, the visiting team is ahead 7 to 4.  In the top of the fifth, the visiting team scores 3 more runs when the game is terminated due to weather.  What's the final score?  Is it (a) 7 to 4 since that's the score after the last completed inning or is it (b) 10 to 4 since that's the score when the umpire terminated play?  If you answered (b), you are correct.  Neither exceptions to rule 4.11(d) were in play in the example above, therefore the final score is what it was at the moment the umpire terminated play.  If you have any questions about what the final score is, please feel free to contact me or Lori.  Thanks.

PROMPT REPORTING (06/25): A humble request to please email me the scores (and defensive innings) as early in the evening as you can.  I do have (sort of) a life outside of baseball and would appreciate the cooperation.  On a serious note, any intentional delay in reporting game scores will be scrutinized by the district staff and violations will be reported to the regional staff.  Thank you.  ~DP

READING THE BOX SCORE (06/24): When reading the box score, please note that while the "RUNS" are accurate, the number in the "HITS" catagory reflects the defensive innings reported.

ARE YOU READY? (06/23): It's almost time!  Everything I am about to say can be found in the "Handouts" under "2011 D20 Rules and Regulations".  Remember a few key points - (a) This isn't the regular season any more.  Every effort must be made to play the game on the date it is schedule.  If you are hosting and you can't find a field in your league because of weather, then the travelling team must be notified so they can see if their fields are playable.  As a last resort, the District will try to find you a neutral field to play on.  This has been done numerous times in the past.  Regardless, Lori and/or myself need to be notifed so that we can keep our Umpire-In-Chief aware of any sudden changes.  (b) All make-up games will be re-scheduled by the District.  (c) No one other than District staff is authorized to change a game date or a game time. (d) At the game site, each manager needs to present (1) the affidavit, (2) three game balls, and (3) and payment for the umpires.  There is more, but please go read everything in the handout.  Thanks and good luck to all the players!

CONTACT LISTS (06/23): Contact lists will NOT be provided on this site.  However, each President will be given contact lists to distribute to their managers.  The lone exception will the 10-09s since they start Friday in which case, Lori asked managers at the affidavit signings to provide her an email address so she can send them the contacts directly.  If you know your President is not around to distribute the contact lists, please contact Lori.

Funny but when I look back, the details have faded to black
But a certain feeling has never gone away
In part who I have become was forged those nights on that diamond
I know that I am a better man today...
'Cause on those Little League nights with the stars shining bright
Some on the field, some in the sky
The memories we created years later still debated
Remain with you, your whole life
Forever young on a Little League night