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Pittsford Little League Timeline
May 23, 1953 First Opening Day Parade and Ceremonies for Pittsford Little League Baseball, Inc. The Four Original Teams were: Legion - Dave Palmer, Mgr Lions - Craig Smith, Mgr Rotary - Ross Zornow, Mgr Firemen - Bob MacIntyre, Mgr There were four "Farm Teams" (with the same names), one for each team The Original League Officers were: President - John Connors League Commissioner - Gerry Elliott Vice President - Bob MacIntyre Secretary - John Rossman Treasurer - Jim Burdett 1957 "Pony" (Senior) League started 1957 Name changed to Pittsford Junior Baseball, Inc. 1962? Original Field on South Ave. was named Bob Ford Field in memory of the First Umpire-In-Chief, Commissioner and PLL worker. 1963 Helmets were introduced 1964 "B" Field was put into use The softball field at Graflex Co. (now Moscom Building) was used as "C" field 1965 The name was changed again, at the behest of National HQ., to Pittsford Little League, Inc. 1965 A 9 year old League was added 1965 Senior "B" League added 1967 Pittsford and East Rochester together hosted the State Sectional Tournament 1968 PLL was split into two Leagues - North & South 1968 "C" Field on East St. was built, with elaborate sunken dugouts which collapsed after frost upheaval. They are now buried underneath the present dugouts. 1968 New refreshment stand was built at "A" Field by volunteers and the U.S. Naval Reserve Sea-Bee Detachment. This replaced the old wooden building leaft form the original town Softball field at "A" Field. 1978 "D" Field on East Street was ready for play after being uncompleted since a 1973 ceremonial groundbreaking. 1978 25th Anniversary Silver Certificate of Charter presented by National HQ. 1984 "C" and "D" Fields on East Street were renamed "Habecker Fields" in memory of Jim Habecker, longtime PLL manager and Board member and Pittsford Village Clerk. ? 8 year old League was started 1990 Girls Softball League was started, initially with 5 teams, ages 9-12 ? 7 year old League was started 1993 40th Anniversary of original (now North) League was celebrated, and 25th Anniversary of the second (South) League. 1999 Enrollment of 1350 players on 99 teams, ages 7 to 18 Host of the New York State "Road to Williamsport" Championship Tournament New York State Tournament Host - Pittsford (District 4) At Bob Ford Field Participating Teams: Section 1 Champions Johnson City (District 7) Section 2 Champions Colonie (District 13) Section 3 Champions Rolando Paulino (Bronx)(District 23) Section 4 Champions St. James/Smithtown (District 35) Tournament Results: Opening Round: Johnson City 7, Rolando Paulino 6 St. James/Smithtown 1, Colonie 0 (5 innings; rain) Loser's Bracket Semifinals: Rolando Paulino 3, Colonie 2 (elim.) Winner's Bracket Finals: Johnson City 6, St. James/Smithtown 4 (7 innings) Loser's Bracket Finals: Rolando Paulino 6, St. James/Smithtown 3 (elim.) Championship Series: Rolando Paulino 4, Johnson City 3 Rolando Paulino 10, Johnson City 2 (TITLE) 2001 6 year old T-Ball League started Fall baseball and softball leagues started 2002 Ford Field building project adding restrooms, storage facility, covered patio, and a press box. 2003 Pittsford Little League celebrated it's 50th anniversary with a special opening day parade, 50th anniversary yearbook, and a special 50th Celebration at Ford field with a chicken BBQ, silent auction and a special "under the stars" movie. The Pittsford Little League "Road to Williamsport" major league teams from the North and South divisions made it to the District Championship game played at Ford Field. The Pittsford South team advanced to the sectional tournament. 2004 5 year old T-Ball league started Work begins on E field on East St. Enrollment exceeds 1450 players aged 5-18 years on 123 teams Pittsford wins the District 4 11/12 yr old Softball championship Pittsford North wins the District 4 11/12 yr old Baseball championship and makes it to the finals of the Section 1 championship. Pittsford hosts the New York State 9/10 yr old Championships. Section 1 Champions Mel Ott (Amherst) Section 2 Champions Wappinger American (Wappinger Falls) Section 3 Champions South Shore National (Staten Island) Section 4 Champions Merrick National (Merrick, Long Island) CHAMPION 2005 "E" Field opens on East St and is named after long time PLL volunteer and historian Russ Smith. Improvements are made to Habecker "C" and "D" fields including new infield mix, new pitching mounds, bullpens and new fences. Tom Sweet is named PLL Volunteer of the Year for his efforts towards improving the playing fields. The 9 & 10 yr old and 11 & 12 yr old National Tournament "All-Star" softball teams both win District 4 championships. The 9 & 10 yr old team makes it the Section 1 championship game before losing. 2006 Snack bar, bathroooms and storage room built at Habecker/Smith fields on East St. Underground irrigation system installed on Ford A & B fields. Baseball and softball adopt the AAA/AA/A league names. Pittsford hosts the Section 1 9/10 year old softball tournament. After winning the District 4 championship in Pittsford, Pittsford North wins the Section 1 championship as well with a thrilling 11-10 victory over Grand Island. The team represents Pittsford at the New York State championship in Brewster, NY. The team did not win the State championship but represented Pittsford LL well playing competitive softball and displaying first class sportsmanship. Pittsford North wins the District 4 11/12 year old baseball championship. The team was 5-0 during pool and elimination round play and was awarded the championship after Webster National was declared ineligible for using illegal players. Pittsford plays host to the New York State 10 & 11 year old baseball championship. As in 2004, North Merrick wins a State championship in Pittsford. Section 1 Champions Auburn Section 2 Champions Pine Bush Section 3 Champions College Point (Queens) Section 4 Champions Merrick National (Long Island) CHAMPION Fall Ball continues to grow as 470 boys and girls participate this year. 2007 Pittsford hosts the New York State 9/10 year old Softball championship tournament. Once again, Merrick LL from Long Island wins a state championship in Pittsford! Teams particpating were: Section 1 Cicero Section 2 New City Section 3 Brewster Section 4 Merrick 2008 Pittsford Little League mourned the passing of Russ Smith. Russ was a former league President and a tireless volunteer for over 40 years. All player uniforms carried an "RS" on their sleeves in memory of Russ and the Russ Smith Scholarship Fund was established for high school seniors who played in Little League and show a dedication to serving their community. Habecker "D" Field is converted into a softball field with a brand new skinned infield and new dugouts. Habecker "C" and "D" fields have irrigation installed. Former PLL players Kelsey Decker and Tim Rogan are awarded the first annual Russ Smith Scholarships. Pittsford Little League Past Presidents Timeline 2008 - David Hester 2007 - 2008 Steve Hallowell 2005 - 2006 Ken McManus 2001 - 2004 Tom Durkin 1999 - 2000 Gerry Snow 1997 - 1998 Jim Holahan 1995 - 1996 Ron Habecker 1993 - 1994 George Kittredge 1992 Bob Kravetz 1991 John ONeill 1990 Louis Faber 1988 - 1989 Arliene Evangelista 1987 Dave Larimer 1985 - 1986 Joe Thyroff 1984 Mary Vail 1982 - 1983 John ONeill 1981 Denny Carpin 1980 Bill Danesi 1979 Dave McKelvey 1978 Art Stauffer 1977 Marv Heier 1976 Bob Borroff 1975 Dick DeBolt 1974 Dick Polen 1973 Curt Guess 1970 - 1972 Carl Ricci 1968 - 1969 Don Fitzsimmons 1967 Russ Smith 1966 Dr. Don Taves 1965 Scott Norris 1964 Ed Kindig 1963 Fred Hopfinger 1962 Don Blythe 1961 Frank Galbraith 1960 Lou Simms 1959 Ken Lawrenz 1958 Dick Mertz 1957 Charles Bridgman 1956 Ross Zornow 1955 Phil Chamberlain 1954 Bob MacIntyre 1953 John Connors
Great Player Development Options to Help Get Ready for the Season! We are very pleased to again bring a full slate of player development opportunities to our baseball and softball players. Frozen Ropes will again be offering two 4 week sessions for Pittsford Little League baseball and softball players. The league is happy to offer these sessions at a significant discount from normal pricing at Frozen Ropes. In addition to the popular Frozen Ropes four-week sessions, the league is also tapping the coaching talent of Pittsfords high schools. Maureen Kempski, Mendon High School Varsity softball coach, will lead two softball sessions, and Mendons Varsity baseball coach, Bo Bertino, will lead two baseball sessions. In addition, 2-time defending Section V Champion Sutherland Varsity baseball coach, Jim Capellupo, will lead two training sessions. Proceeds from the high school sessions will go towards the respective booster clubs to continue to build these excellent programs. Details including dates, times, locations and fees may be found in the 2007 registration packet (see handout below). If you have any questions, please contact our PLL player development leaders - Baseball: Brian Craig (bcraig27@hotmail.com) and Softball: Steve Bailey (sbaileys5@hotmail.com). Handout: 2007 Registration Packet
IMPORTANT for Managers & Coaches! Please be sure photocopy your drivers license and attach to the completed volunteer application and give to your league GM. All volunteers for the league including managers, coaches, league officials, umpires, concession stand workers and field maintenance volunteers must complete this form. This is now required by Little League International. Thanks for your cooperation! Handout: 2007 Little League Volunteer Application Wednesday, March 14 What Happens Next??? Now that registration is over and for the older players, evaluations are done, parents and players often wonder when they are going to hear about what team they are on. Here is the tentative schedule: We just had the baseball major league draft which starts the ball rolling for the Major, AAA and AA leagues. Once the major league players are notified, the AAA has their draft (3/19) and then they notify those players who were selected for that league. AA has their draft later that week and the managers notify players. Softball follows a similar schedule about a week later than baseball. For all players 9 and under, they should hear from their coaches by April 1st. For those new to the league, we have our annual "Opening Day Parade" to kick-off the season. This year, the parade will take place on Saturday, April 28th. The parade includes a wonderful "Parade of Teams" where all the leagues parade in uniform from Sutherland High School through the village ending at Bob Ford Field. The Pittsford Volunteer Fire Department band marches, numerous local dignitaries and others add to the festivities.We hold a brief opening day ceremony and the ceremonial first pitch is thrown for baseball and softball. April 28th is also the day for team and individual pictures. A schedule for your team will be given to you by your team manager prior to April 28th. Thankfully, it runs very smoothly and you should make sure that you have your player there 15 minutes prior to their time slot so that things run smoothly.
My Player Didn't Make the Team He/She Wanted: What Should I Say? Little League baseball is all about giving kids the chance to play baseball and softball and have fun. Because we want players to play where they are best equipped, at the older ages we have more competitive league options and less competitive league options. Our evaluations are conducted so that we can make the right placement of players in the right situations for them to enjoy the game and have fun. We recognize and admit that the process isn't perfect, but we conduct it in a manner that we believe is as fair and equitable as possible. Baseball and softball managers spend several hours sitting on hard bleachers evaluating every player that shows up. We also have independent evaluators (i.e. volunteers who are not managing a team) submit scores. Despite our best efforts, there are always very tough calls. It may not seem "fair" to yourself or your son or daughter. Here are some suggestions on how to discuss this with your player: 1) Don't Be Too Quick to Blame Others or "The Process" Maybe your son/daughter just didn't have their "stuff" during evaluations or got really nervous. We try our best to calm down the players, but they all handle it differently. 2) Don't Make Too Big a Deal Out of It All of our leagues are balanced and fun. Emphasize that by not being selected by the more competitive league your son/daughter will likely have the chance to play their favorite position more, and he/she will still be with kids the same age. 3) Do Encourage Your Player to Keep Playing One of the responses to disappointment can be the "I don't even want to play this year". Encourage your player to play the spring season, and use it as an opportunity to get ready for the summer season. (Summer offers many different tournament team options, some which do not require evaluation/try-out). 4) Do Listen to Your Player Let them voice all of their concerns and disappointments about not being selected. This can often be one of those "teaching moments" where you can help your son/daughter understand what happened and then work with them to improve their game. Maybe it is through a clinic or some lessons at Frozen Ropes. Maybe it is more time spent in the backyard throwing pop-ups and grounders. If you would like to speak with someone about your situation, we are here to listen. Please contact the league General Manager, any of the League Vice Presidents or the League President, Steve Hallowell. You can reach Steve at 264-1640. LL Baseball Age Cutoff Date to Change in 2006 WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (January 11, 2005) USA Baseball, the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States, has recommended that the league age determination date be changed from July 31 to April 30, for the 2006 season for all of its members. USA Baseball represents amateur baseball in the U.S. as a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Association Federation (IBAF). Virtually every major national amateur baseball organization in the U.S., including Little League, is a USA Baseball National Member. In Little League Baseball and Softball, for the remainder of the 2005 season and 2005 tournament play, a players league age remains his/her age as of July 31, 2005. The move by USA Baseball at its Jan. 8 meeting in Nashville, Tenn., recommends that the new date be implemented not later than 2007. Little League applauds USA Baseball for taking this progressive step, said Stephen D. Keener, president and chief executive officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, and a Director of USA Baseball. The Little League International Board of Directors had previously reviewed the April 30 league age determination date, and had authorized Little League to move forward with the April 30 date if other members of USA Baseball were in agreement. This spring, the April 30 date will go before the Little League International Board of Directors for formal approval to implement the change in 2006. In 2003, the Little League International Board of Directors expressed support for the April 30 date. This spring, the board will meet to formally consider making the change to Little League regulations for the 2006 season. The July 31 date has been used in Little League for nearly 60 years. In the 1950s, most baseball organizations followed Little Leagues lead in adopting the date, so that there would be a seamless transition if players moved from one program to another. We have been examining and discussing this important issue for some time now, said Paul Seiler, executive director/CEO of USA Baseball. As an organization we feel as though this will be a positive change for our sport that will promote continued participation at critical junctures in an athletes development. The chief reason for the April 30 date is so that most players on a team will spend the majority of the regular season at the same chronological age as their league age. Currently, players with May, June or July birth dates spend most or all of the season at a specific league age, even though they have not yet reached that age chronologically.
The volunteers and players of the Pittsford Little League (PLL) are getting a well-deserved rest from a very active 2005 season. The numbers of players participating in PLLs baseball and softball programs included 1350 players in the spring season, 18 tournament teams playing summer ball and over 450 players participating in the recently concluded Fall ball season. PLL offers baseball and softball for players ages 5 to 18. The action began back in January with registration for the spring season which included an expanded focus on player development. PLL offered a number of clinics in February and March so kids could get a jump on the season and work on improving skills. PLL partnered with Frozen Ropes to offer 8 weeks of indoor clinics at Frozen Ropes new facility in East Rochester. PLL players also participated in clinics at St. John Fisher College led by head baseball coach Dan Pepicelli and head softball coach Len Maiorani; and at the Rochester Institute of Technology led by head baseball coach Rob Grow. PLL provided specialized softball pitching clinics held at Pittsford school facilities. These pre-season clinics allow players to develop new skills and increase practice opportunities. They help develop players abilities and confidence adding to an enjoyable experience for players. The programs were very popular with over 400 players taking advantage of the opportunity. The 2005 spring regular season got off to a rough start when rain caused the traditional Opening Day parade through the village to be postponed. The parade was held the following week however, and the weather cooperated for the rest of the season with very few games rained out. The 2005 regular season ended with a repeat of the 2004 major league baseball championship game as Brighton-Pittsford Post faced Pittsford Volunteer Firemen for the second year in a row. BPP was unable to defend their crown as the Firemen won a well played game 2-1. In major league softball; Ballantyne RV won the league championship. July and August saw 18 baseball and softball teams play in various travel tournaments. Tournament are offered for players 9 years old and up in baseball and softball. Multiple levels of tournaments were offered providing an opportunity for players of all ability to continue playing during the summer. The league is considering initiating a 7 and 8 year old summer league in 2006. While many summer teams did well, the highlights of the season were in softball where both the 9 & 10 and 11 & 12 year old tournament teams won the New York State District 4 championship. This was the 2nd year in a row Pittsford won the 11 & 12 District championship. The 9 & 10 year old team played well in the Sectional tournament just missing qualifying for the State championship tournament. Pittsford Little Leagues popular Fall Ball season ended recently with over 450 boys and girls ages 5 to 17 playing baseball and softball. The Fall season ran from early September through mid-October. Little League International offers Fall Ball as a training and development program to provide additional playing opportunities in a relaxed, fun environment. Fall Ball provides players the opportunity to practice and learn new skills to better prepare them for the spring season The league continued to invest in improvements to playing facilities in 2005. Most significant was the opening of a new mini-field on East Street. The new field was named in honor of long-time PLL volunteer Russ Smith and will primarily be used for the growing 5 & 6 year old T-Ball program. Additional improvements included new fencing at Habecker fields on East St, new infield grass on several fields, an improved practice facility at Ford Field and new pitching mounds at Ford, Habecker and Great Embankment Park fields. This Fall, a sprinkler system was installed at Ford field. Improvement plans for 2006 include a snack bar and bathroom facility at the East Street complex. Looking ahead to 2006, Little League International has changed the age determination date for baseball and softball. Historically, a players Little League Age was determined by the players age on July 31st. This date has been in place since the founding of Little League in 1946 in Williamsport, PA. July 31st was the date used by Williamsport schools and was adopted by Little League. Beginning in 2006 the age determination date for baseball will be April 30th and for softball it will be December 31st of the previous year. The changes are being made to better align a players LL Age with their actual age during the season and to align with other national baseball and softball organizations. The change means that players born in May, June or July will remain the same LL age for 2006. No player will lose the opportunity to play at a particular level, but rather will gain an extra year of participation. The board of directors of Pittsford Little League believes the change will have a positive impact on the players impacted by the change. Special considerations for the age structure of divisions will be in place for the 2006 season only as a transitional year. Pittsford Little Leagues success is due largely to the support of the hundreds of volunteers and the support of league sponsors. A highlight in 2005 was a generous donation from Pittsford Rotary from their annual golf tournament. Many preparations are already underway for the 2006 season. Registration for the spring season will take place at Pittsford Mendon High School on January 14th and 18th.
The second clinic will take place on Sunday, October 9th from 4-5:30 at the Ford field practice area. This clinic is for baseball players 10-13. The clinic is free to Pittsford Little League players and no registration is required.
For PLL parents looking for the best bargain in the area on baseball stuff you need to visit Athletic Outlet. PLL manager Mike Abrams (AAA Baseball Manager) runs the show here and you won't believe the prices and quality. Some of the stuff is seconds, but he also has "firsts" available. These prices allow you to buy a couple pairs of pants so you don't have to always be rushing the laundry. Great pricing on embroidery and jersey names too! Here are some of the prices: Pants-$5.00 & up Socks-$4.95 solid or stripe Belts-$5.95 Player names on jerseys-$6.00 Embroidered cap letters-$2.50 Mike Abrams Athletic Outlet
Pittsford Little League Merchandise Now Available! Just in time for the season and back by popular demand, Pittsford Little League is proud to announce the availability of four great options for custom embroidered clothing. Please send us your completed form and we will let you know when your merchandise if available. It is done locally by AVS Sportswear who is a current PLL sponsor and has been in business since 1979. Handout: PLL Clothing Order Form |
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Pittsford Little League View Our Guestbook | Sign Our Guestbook 18 visitors have signed our guestbook. |
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