Athletics

On Behalf of the Entire Board of Directors we wish to Congratulate the newly elected Mayor George Vallejo for the City of North Miami Beach.

Your dedication to your family and ours has been unwaivering in your goals to make NMB a cleaner and safer place for children to grow up in.  Without you, baseball wouldn't be baseball!

We have watched you flourish from being a coach, manager, umpire and Chief Umpire....all on your own volunteer time! We know the City of NMB is in good hands.

We wish you all the best in your new position and hope it brings to you the joy that you have brought to the children of North Miami Beach Little League.

Erica Chao

NMBLL, President

Here is a review of our game cancellation policy. It is vital that we do not unnecessarily cancel games. To help you manage your teams and play your games, the following policy established in prior years continues to be in force:

1. The presumption always is that a game will be played. Rain at 12 does NOT necessarily (or even often) equal an unplayable field at 2. Therefore, managers should tell their players not to call them asking if the game will be played. It will be, unless their manager tells them otherwise. Managers, in turn, should NOT call Presidents, Vice Presidents, or other Board members asking whether games are on. They are, unless they receive a call to the contrary.

2. Only our Chief Umpire, or the division VP or the President, is authorized to cancel a game ahead of its scheduled start time. He, in turn, will only cancel a game if, to paraphrase NFL instant reply rules, the evidence is INDISPUTABLE that the field will not be playable by game time (plus one-half hour on week-days, or one hour on weekends). The philosophy will be, "When in doubt, play it out." In the event the Chief Umpire decides a game cannot be played, that decision must be based on first-hand knowledge of field conditions by George or his approved designee; should be made at LEAST two hours before start time; and should be immediately communicated to the involved managers and umpires.

3. When a game is NOT canceled in advance by George, once the managers arrive at the field, they must agree on the fitness of the field before the game starts. In the event they do not agree, the following individuals are the President's representative for purposes of determining this issue: 1) Chief Umpire, or, in his absence, 2) the Vice President of the involved division (Baseball Paul Bianco; Softball Gene Baer), or, in their absence, 3) Safety Officer Lou Montello. If all three of these officers are coincidentally in the Bahamas when you call, then try harder to come to an agreement!

4. Once the game begins, the umpire is the SOLE judge as to whether and when play shall be suspended; as to whether and when play shall be resumed; and as to whether and when a game shall be terminated after suspension. However, if BOTH managers agree that a umpire's decision to continue play poses an unreasonable safety risk to the players, then they may bilaterally decide to suspend play.) The game shall not be called until at least 30 minutes after play has been suspended. LL Reg 3.10 (b).

5. If a manager is unavailable for a game and assigns managerial responsibility to a coach, that manager is responsible for insuring that the coach is aware of and follows this policy.