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| More than 20 years of promoting Fun, Fraternity and Fitness!!! |
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| Debbie Montgomery, | Commissioner |
| David Montgomery, Jr., CPA., | Vice Commissioner |
| Robert Bodi, | League Chaplain |
| Rob Else, | Communications Director |
| Kevin McInerney, | Resident Baseball Historian |
| John O'Rourke, | Fieldland Security Officer |
| Billy Rockwell, | PE Drug Policy Compliance Officer |
| David Montgomery, Sr., Esq. | Founder, Flunkie and Fashion Cop (Emeritus) |
Founded in 1992, it has been the mission of the Manatee Adult Baseball League to provide a wholesome
participatory
wooden bat baseball program for adults where "baseballl relationships" and
the enjoyment of the game for all players of both teams are of the highest priority.
No trophies and no significant prizes are awarded. We believe that baseball is a
journey; not a destination. We try to play baseball as it was meant to be played -
for the enjoyment of all participants, inning by inning. We now are generally limiting
new players to those aged 30 years and older.
We play "CLUB BASEBALL" in the tradition of
the 1850's New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club when Base Ball games
were played by social and fraternal clubs seeking exercise among friends, and before
it became a "commerical spectacle. Of course, baseball has become its own focus and an
entire industry. Our Club (because it really is not a "league" in which independent teams
seek fame and fortune, typically at the expense of other teams) seeks to embody baseball's
roots by rededicating ourselves to baseball's social and fraternal roots. Our focus upon
the virtues of competition MUST be secondary to our relationships with each other as
club members in a baseball fraternity! "If you are not prepared to be our friend, then
please do not join our club." If you know of happy or unhappy news about one of
our players or his family, then please do not hesitate to inform our League Chaplain,
Bob Bodi, whose job also is to keep the League's focus on our fraternal aspirations.
“Baseball is the reason that America is the way it is. It teaches that there is no disgrace in swinging and missing. That goes on to every aspect of life. People are not like; 'Oh, no. I failed so I’m not going to try any more.' It’s like; 'I failed, but that doesn’t matter. I get another two pitches. I’ll have another crack at it.'" Craig Ferguson (Scotsman now American) hosting the Late, Late Show, 7/2/10.
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2011 Turkey Bowl Double Header |
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Commissioner Debbie Montgomery and Chaplain Robert Bodi presented Brent Kuehl with a check for $1,300 donated by the players through the Manatee Adult Baseball Charitable Trust for the Junvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The League later presented a SECOND check for ANOTHER $1,300. We are very proud of the generosity of our players! |
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The Manatee Adult Baseball League (operated by Manatee Adult Baseball, Inc.) is a four team participatory recreational wooden bat baseball program for ONLY good sports. We try to limit players to age 30 and over. Some younger players are accepted, but older players are encouraged.All players register with the League and are placed on a team to help ensure parity. Special rules for safety and parity include no stealing of home, a sliding requirement, limitations on a pitcher returning to the mound after the pitcher's team is leading by 5 or more runs, and ending a half-inning at the end of the play during which that team's fifth run of the inning is scored.
We play a year long
Our team managers have basically two sets of duties. One is to set the player postiions
(batting, defense, pitching rotation). That role is critical to the success of the
team. On that, we like to let the team largely select their preferences. The other set
of duties is to be the "eyes, ears, and spokesman" for the league in the
dugout. That is an indispensible role which is critical to the overal success of
the league. The League largely makes that selction in consultation with the team leaders.
We strive for a "club" atmosphere where all teams play at the same time and at the same complex on the same day each week. Batting practice and warm-up begin one hour before game time. The season ends with what is essentially a double-elimination playoff tournament. To the extent we can, we have 3 types of players: (1) Roster players; (2) Taxi Squad players; and (3) Walk-On players. (1) Roster Players: We only can accommodate approximately 48 roster players. We try not to place more than 11 players in the dugout sharing field time and at-bats. Roster players pay an annual registration fee (typically $35-$45 for 2012) and game fees (typically $15 per game). Roster players have to attend regularly, and must pay game fees even for those games for which they are not present. Roster players may request to be removed from a roster and pay game fees for only those games which they attend, but are available to any team. Rosters are carefully policed and openings occur frequently. (2) Taxi Squad Players: Taxi Squad players pay the annual registration fee and then the lower game fees, but do not have to pay game fees for games which they do not attend. These players are eligible to be placed on a roster when they request and when an opening occurs. These players are available to any team. (3) Walk-On Players: These players are invited to participate in batting practice, fielding practice and warm-ups, and all other activities except, perhaps, games if there are already 11 players "in the dug out". We count the number of roster players at the field at the start of the game, and often, but not always, assign unregistered players to teams only for that night. IF WE CAN GET THE PLAYER INTO A GAME, then the rnregistered player pays a higher game fee (typcially $20).
WHAT TO DO: We play at
For our Training Games, Special Games and other Special Events, we make
commitments based upon clearly defined participation goals. In order to determine whether
we can expect to meet those participation goals, we issue a call for reservations with
a clearly set cut-off date and time. At that cut-off date and time, we make our
"Go/No-Go" decision based upon those reservations. Consequently, any who
has a reservation who cannot fulfill that reservation will be charged for the activity unless
1) they cancel the reservation a reasonable time before the event AND 2) we reach
our participation goals without them fulfilling the reservation. The League reserves the
right for ANY reason to charge for the reservation even if these two conditions are met.
IDEALLY, player assignments would result in 2 teams with a 51% winning
percentage, and 2 teams with a 49% winning percentage. This means that ALL teams must
accept their "share" of losses. If you cannot live with losing your "share" of games,
then our league is NOT FOR YOU! Nobody except for the Commissioner should discuss
with any player that player's participation, or encourage any player to transfer to
another team. Any person doing so is subject to discipline. |
SPECIAL SAFETY RULE - Stealing Home Prohibited: Any
runner at third base who in an attempt to advance to home breaks for home before the ball
has passed the plane of back point of plate shall be declared out, and all other
players must return to their last legally acquired base. Any batter who reasonably
should have been aware of a violation of this rule and who swings at or near the pitched
ball shall also be declared out. A clear attempt to bunt (not including a slash bunt)
is not a violation of this rule by the runner or the batter.