News and Announcements

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2013 BAT RULES, ALL DIVISIONS

Posted by Peter Moore at Mar 12, 2013 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Babe Ruth League, under which Cal Ripken league is affiliated, has issued this year's ruling on approved bats.  Below is a summary of requirements.  Please note that even though a bat may meet the dimensional and marking requirements, it could fail performance testing!  There are already a number of bats listed as non-compliant; please refer to BRL Bat Rules for details.

APPROVED BATS FOR 2013:  To follow up our previous correspondence and information posted on the Babe Ruth League website, the following details on all baseball bats approved by Babe Ruth League, Inc. for 2013 local league and tournament play. Such descriptions are included as part of the 2013 Babe Ruth League Rules and Regulations.

CAL RIPKEN BASEBALL DIVISION:  The bat may not exceed 33"in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2¼" in diameter. Only 2¼" barrel non-wood bats marked BPF 1.15 will be allowed. Wood 2 ¼" barrel bats are allowed.

13-15 BASEBALL DIVISION:  The bat may not exceed 34" in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2 5/8" in diameter. All aluminum/alloy barrel bats and all composite handle (only) aluminum/alloy barrels are allowed. Only composite barrel bats certified and marked BBCOR .50 will be allowed. Wood barrel bats conforming to the specifications of Official Baseball Rule 1.10 are allowed.

16-18 BASEBALL DIVISION:  The bat may not exceed 34" in length and the bat barrel many not exceed 2 5/8" in diameter or be greater than a -3 length to weight ratio. Only metal/composite bats certified and marked BBCOR .50 are allowed. Wood barrel bats conforming to the specifications of Official Baseball Rule 1.10 are allowed.

NON-COMPLIANT BATS:  Following s a list of non-compliant bats as of 3/13/2013.

- Nike #Aero CX2-BTO636 (light grey), CX2-BTO573 (dark grey) and CX2-BTO598 (blue)
- Marucci CAT-52 33" model, CAT-52 34" model, and Black 33" and 34" models
- Reebok Vector-TLS 33" model
- Louisville Slugger (Hillerich & Bradsby) TPX Dynasty bat (Model - YB12D -- (black/red/grey)
- Mattingly Sports, Inc., Balistk bat (Model - BTKYB, blue)
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2013 SKILL ASSESSMENT DATES

Posted by Peter Moore at Mar 12, 2013 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Minors & Major division skill assessments will be taking place on Saturday 3/16, with Rookie division assessments taking place on the following Saturday, 3/23.  Note that there are no skill assessments for the T-Ball division.  Here are the specific dates, times and locations:

• Saturday, March 16th Minors / Majors Assessment Majors start at 9am / Minors start at Noon @ LMS
• Saturday, March 23rd Rookie Assessment 9am start time @ LMS

 

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2013 ANNUAL LETTER FROM LBA PRESIDENT

Posted by Peter Moore at Feb 18, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
Dear Parents, spring is right around the corner which means it’s almost time to PLAY BALL!

The Litchfield Baseball Association has a 25+ year history supporting youth baseball players in Litchfield, NH. We have built a strong foundation for thousands of kids ages 4-16 & have developed teams that have won championships at the state and division level.

Each year the Litchfield Baseball Association strives to improve the player experience and this year is no different. We have been working hard in the off season to make 2013 a great year for the LBA and look forward to seeing everyone back on the field.

Over the past year we completed a variety of projects to improve the facilities we play upon. Examples of projects completed in 2012 include: Replacing the dilapidated dirt floor/concrete block dugouts at GMS with concrete slabs, fenced dugout & bullpen. Reworking the Jeff Lane infields into an all dirt surface and upgrading one field to have both 50’ & 60’ base paths. Building a safety rail between the parking lot and the spectator area at Corning Field. We also standardized uniforms and established a new LBA logo (see below).

We will continue our efforts to improve the player experience in 2013 as well, including the purchasing of new equipment, additional coaches clinics geared towards teaching new coaches how to run an efficient & fun practice, patched umpires at the minor and major level games, and maybe even a game under the lights one night.

I welcome your input and ask that you do not hesitate in reaching out to me directly if you have a concern, complaint, suggestion, compliment, or the desire to give back to your community.

Due to the attrition of existing Board Members, we have many open positions available. It is vital to the future of the league to fill these positions. Playing a role in your childrens athletic endeavors is extremely rewarding and creates a bond much stronger than if are just a casual observer. There is no specific experience necessary and we will show you everything you need to know in order to be successful.

We do not require fundraising from our families and the fees for our program are the same or lower than other local baseball programs. We are made up entirely of volunteers and need your help to create an enjoyable experience for your children. We do expect every family to donate some time to make the season run smoothly. We ask you to contribute your time in two ways:

1) Field / Facilities Maintenance (Field Day / Field Projects). Every year we have an annual Field Day before the start of the official season to tackle spring cleanup at each of the fields. We ask every family to help, even for part of the day, to make this event a success. We will send additional information when the date is solidified. If you are not able to attend field day, we always have projects that need to be completed such as painting, stocking materials for the fields, etc. that we can assign to you.

2) Field Preparation for games / Operating Concession Stands. Before, during and after every game, certain tasks must be performed to make it a successful event. We need parents to commit to preparing the fields (i.e. raking infield, putting down foul lines) and staffing the concession stand. Your team manager or team parent will organize a rotation for these tasks. Please make sure you participate.

We recognize that this involves some work, but it’s not a lot. If everyone pitches in and shoulders their share, all should go well. Please support our league, managers, and players by taking care of your responsibilities as a member of the organization.

I would like to thank everyone that contributes their time to our organization, especially the present, past and future Board Members & Team Coaches/Managers. We could not run this organization with out your commitment.

Creating a positive & healthy athletic experience for the youth of our community is an extremely rewarding experience. We thank you for helping us reach this goal.

I look forward to seeing you at the ball park!

Sincerely, Russ Pelham President – Litchfield Baseball Association Cell: (617) 999-5387(617) 999-5387 Email: Russ@PelhamFamily.com
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LBA SEEKING YOUTH UMPIRES

Posted by Peter Moore at Feb 18, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
Once again, the LBA is seeking youth umpires for the 2013 spring season.  The league holds teaching clinics and works with the umpires throughout the pre and regular season.  The rule of thumb we attempt to hold to is that a former player should be two years beyond the division they desire to officiate in.  This year, the league is making a change and will be utilizing adult umpires behind the plate for the Major and Minor divisions.  Youth umpires will be used on the basepaths, and will be paid $20 for Majors and $15 for Minors, per game.

If interested, please register at our online registration site at www.sportssignup.com/litchfieldbaseball.  Please note that the youth must create their own SportsSignup account.  They should use an email address that is checked regularly.
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2013 SPRING REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Posted by Peter Moore at Feb 18, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
Registration for the 2013 spring season is now open.  You can register your player online right now at www.sportssignup.com/litchfieldbaseball.  Registration closes on Wednesday, March 13.  The 2013 age chart is as follows:

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr League
Age
Division
2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 4 T-Ball
2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 5 T-Ball
2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 6 T-Ball
2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 7 Rookie
2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 8 Rookie
2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 9 Minors
2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 2003 2003 2003 10 Minors
2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2002 2002 2002 2002 11 Majors
2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2001 2001 2001 2001 12 Majors
1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 2000 2000 2000 2000 13 BR Prep
1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999 1999 1999 1999 14 Babe Ruth
1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1998 1998 1998 1998 15 Babe Ruth