and eat a hot dog too!

District 5 Burger Combo Competition... who's got the BEST DEAL in District 5???  Find out this season as District 5 ballpark concession stands take the test!

It’s been a long season, and the official District 5 Burger Combo Competition has been completed.  Our anonymous tester made the rounds to many of the District 5 Ballparks and reports that all District 5 concession stands are worthy of your dollars as we found a great value everywhere.  Slowing the taste testing was our anonymous tester’s visit to his physician and the discovery that his cholesterol levels were too high and too low and red meat and fried foods were basically eliminated from his diet.  But not before there were some excellent discoveries made.

District 5 Burger Combo Merit Awards

District 5  Seal of Approval - Every league receives good marks for overall value, tastiness, and the all important courteous service.  There’s no better place to get your burgers than your local ballpark!

Best use of lettuce and tomato – Northern Little League.  The burger was “generously” garnished and served with a smile! 

Best French fry – without a doubt, Cedar Creek, home of fresh cut real potato French fries.  I must have eaten these right before going to the doctor.

Best Theme – The Swamp at Key City, home of the Gator Burger.  Who knew gator meat could taste so good.  And if you’ve ever been around after a rain, you’ll now where the name comes from!

Best Burger with it’s own t-shirt – The famous Dixie Burger at Dixie Little League.  Many there think the burger came before the baseball!

Most creative chef hat – Southern Little League not only had a great burger deal, but it came with a cool chef hat and an interesting megaphone!  Charlie, your order’s ready!

Best chili cheese dog – Sweetwater Little League - Drove all the way to Sweetwater and passed up Mrs. Allen’s to have a chili cheese dog at the ballpark.  Who knew a hot dog could be so good!

Best Sweet Tea – Merkel Little League - didn’t get to eat there when passing through (just finished that chili cheese dog in Sweetwater) but the tea really hit the spot!

Best free burger – Abilene North Jr/Sr, now they really know how to influence the anonymous tester, and it was tasty too!

Rookie of the Year – Wylie Little League volunteers took over the concession stand this year and provided great food and service.  Not bad for their first run at it in many years!

The anonymous tester visited many other ballparks, but doctors orders ruined the competition. 

Plans are in the works to do a better job of testing the competition next year, like skipping the doctor’s appointment.

Thanks to all the concession managers.  Your job is one of the toughest in Little League and your hard work and dedication is appreciated! 

An election was held on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 for the purpose of electing a District Adminstrator for a three year term beginning in August.  

Tim Crowe was elected to serve as the Texas District 5 District Administrator.

Mike Perry will continue to serve as DA until the official date, and has agreed to serve as an Assistant District Administrator.

The Texas District 5 Tournament Interest Form is now available.  All leagues need to complete the form and return by email or fax as soon as possible so that we may proceed with plans for the post season.

Tournament Interest Form

The date for the District Tournament has been changed to June 7 through June 14, 2008.  The change came at the request and approval of the leagues in attendance at the Presidents Pre-Season Meeting on February 16th. 

Contrary to information we received earlier at the Little League Road Show, the two new rules for minor league are not "at the league's option".

The 5 run rule and the continuous batting order are "mandatory" for all levels of minor league.

Please help us implement the new rules District wide.  Your cooperation is appreciated.

“The selection of players for the various teams within a league shall be in compliance with the Little League Draft Selection System as detailed in the Operating Manual. NOTE: All candidates who are league age twelve (12) must be drafted to a Little League Major Division team, or to a Junior League team. Exceptions can only be made with written approval from the District Administrator, and only if approved at the local league level by the Board of Directors and the parent of the candidate.”

The purpose of the new regulation is to ensure that local leagues are using the Minor Division as a training ground, and not keeping capable 12-year-olds from “moving up.” For those 12-year-olds who may lack the skills to play at the Major Division level, there is a process for allowing them to play in the Minor Division, provided certain conditions are met. (However, the prohibition on 12-year-olds pitching in the Minor Division remains.)

Our previous news article on this new rule

Waiver Form for 12 Year Olds in Minors

Little League Roadshow Brochure

I could not get my copy to print properly, but all the information is viewable on your computer screen!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

9:00 to 4:00

450 Pecan, Abilene, TX  79602

Use the following link to the Little League Website for information regarding League Boundary Maps.

Little League Baseball and Softball, as another benefit to local league volunteers and parents, is offering a direct link from the Little League website: www.LittleLeague.org, to ChoicePoint’s VitalChek program in order to provide an express birth certificate service.

Providing service in all 50 states, VitalChek is officially authorized by the United States government in agencies throughout the country to safely and conveniently provide a copy of your child’s birth certificate.

Using VitalChek’s birth certificate services, parents can order a birth certificate on-line.

“An original birth certificate is one of the primary proofs of age and identification that Little League requires for a child to participate in a local league,” Pat Wilson, vice president of operations for Little League Baseball and Softball, said. “The VitalChek program allows for parents to receive a valid copy of their child’s birth certificate without the delay and inconvenience that comes with working through a hospital’s hall of records, or a state’s health department.”

A vital record is a document issued by the government that provides proof of a major life event - birth, death, marriage, and divorce. As a U.S. resident, you have a right to have these certificates both for yourself and for certain members of your immediate family. VitalChek's Express Certificate Service provides a convenient way for you to order these documents online - quickly, affordably, and with added security to ensure your documents are safe.

About VitalChek:
• Provides direct-to government service in all 50 states.
• Allows you to conveniently order on-line, by fax, or by phone with credit card and electronic check payment options.
• Reasonable fees.
• Express service available at all locations.

If you, or a parent in your league, is in need of this service, direct them to the front page of the Little League web site at: www.LittleLeague.org, and have them click on “Obtaining Birth Records.” Click the link to Vitalchek.com at: www.vitalchek.com to order a child’s birth certificate.

Sincerely,

Little League International

Dear Little League Volunteer:

Recently, we provided you with a reminder about one of the agenda items at the 24th Little League International Congress in Houston earlier this year, regarding the stipulation that all league age 12-year-olds must be placed onto a Major Division team.

Once again, it is important to remember that this item was placed on the agenda after a significant number of District Administrators recommended it. The agenda items were provided to local league volunteers more than three months before the Congress, so that they could let their District Administrators know how they wanted them to vote.

At the Congress in April, 68 percent of the District Administrators voted for this change. (A District Administrator is a volunteer elected by the local leagues in each district.)

The new Regulation V. (a) reads:

“The selection of players for the various teams within a league shall be in compliance with the Little League Draft Selection System as detailed in the Operating Manual. NOTE: All candidates who are league age twelve (12) must be drafted to a Little League Major Division team, or to a Junior League team. Exceptions can only be made with written approval from the District Administrator, and only if approved at the local league level by the Board of Directors and the parent of the candidate.”

It also is important to remember, for those 12-year-olds who may lack the skills to play at the Major Division level, there is a process for allowing them to play in the Minor Division, provided certain conditions are met.

Recently, questions have been asked about putting this new regulation into effect. We have listed the answers here. 

Another issue is this: For leagues that traditionally place a large number of 12-year-olds in the Minor Division, how will they accommodate the extra 12-year-olds who must now be moved up to the Major Division?

First, such leagues are doing a disservice to the children of the community, since they are pre-determining the number of 12-year-olds who are capable of playing in the Major Division, without even giving them a chance to prove themselves in a tryout!

Second, the answer is to expand the number of Major Division teams, which gives more children a chance to compete and excel at a higher level (and to be eligible for selection to the Major Division All-Star Team). The TOTAL number of teams in the local league will not change, since those 12-year-olds who are “moving up” would have been on Minor teams anyway.

A league that expands its Major Division solely because of this new regulation, and goes beyond 10 teams in the Majors, is NOT automatically required to field two All-Star teams. If factors such as the total population in the league boundaries, competing programs, the size of other leagues in the district, etc., are such that a split is not required, the league (by action of the Charter Committee in Williamsport) would be able to continue fielding one All-Star team.

A new form has been developed for local leagues wishing to place a 12-year-old in the Minor Division. The form is simple to fill out, and should help expedite these requests. It can be found at this link: http://www.littleleague.org/media/12yrold_waiver.pdf.

As always, thank you again for your service to the children and families of your community. 

Little League Rule 1.06 requires "breakaway" bases beginning with the 2008 season. 

Click here for the complete 2008 Rule Changes from Little League International.

There are lots of changes to the rules this coming season.  League Officials need to read up on these rules and make adjustments to your respective local rules before the season begins.

Oct. 4, 2007

This is a follow-up to the notice we sent earlier this week regarding the updated and enhanced pitching rules for baseball.

The response, as we expected, was excellent. Most volunteers realize that protecting young pitching arms is the right thing to do, and that Little League always has safety as its primary concern. We are gratified to know that the vast majority of Little League volunteers feel the same way.

A few questions did arise, and we would like to answer them below.

Pitchers and Catchers: “Regarding the prohibition for a pitcher to play the position of catcher later in the day/game – does it make a difference if the pitcher is removed based on the pitch count, or just removed for ineffectiveness before the pitch count is reached? What if the pitcher is not removed and finishes a game – could he/she be a catcher in a game later that day? Why not also restrict a player from moving from catcher to pitcher?”

Answer: The intent of the rule is based on the fact that experts in pitching injuries say that a player who warms up to pitch, and then pitches in a game, should not play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. Any other position is acceptable. The same is not true for a player moving from catcher to pitcher. This portion of the regulations and rules has been clarified. You can find the text of the regular season pitching regulation here and the tournament rules here .

Game of Rest: There is now a requirement for a game of rest under some circumstances – does that mean the player cannot play at all in the game in which he/she must rest?

Answer: The rest requirement in this case only applies to pitching – same as it always has been in tournament play. The pitcher who needs a game of rest is only prohibited from pitching in that specific game.

More Pitchers: “Won’t this mean our managers and coaches will have to develop more pitchers?

Answer: Yes, managers and coaches will need to develop more pitchers.

 Again, the complete regular season pitching regulation for baseball may be found at: http://www.littleleague.org/media/RS_Pitching_Regulation_Changes_Baseball_2008.pdf  The complete tournament pitching rule for baseball may be found at: http://www.littleleague.org/media/T_Pitching_Rule_Changes_Baseball_2008.pdf

Thank you again for your service to the children and families of your community. 

Sincerely,
Little League International

As you know, the 2007 season was the first in which a mandatory pitch count was used in all baseball divisions of Little League.

The program has been an unqualified success, as districts and local leagues understood and embraced the important reasons for the change. They have done outstanding work in putting the regulation into effect.

We also are grateful for the continued support of Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Glenn Fleisig, who contributed invaluable data and advice in crafting the Pitch Count Pilot Program in 2005-’06, as well as the regulations and tournament rules in 2007. Dr. Andrews is the chairman and medical director for the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) in Birmingham, Ala., and Dr. Fleisig is the research director at ASMI. They are the world’s foremost authorities on the subject of pitching-related injuries.

As noted when the regulations were first introduced, the regular season pitching regulations and tournament pitching rules were expected to evolve as time progressed. The ASMI, led by Dr. Andrews and Dr. Fleisig, have worked closely with Little League International to continue the development of this initiative.

"The first year of using pitch counts in Little League Baseball appears to be a success at all levels, and we are pleased that Little League continues to refine the program. The changes for the 2008 season reflect the leadership position Little League has taken to protect young pitching arms, and we wholeheartedly endorse these actions.”- James R. Andrews, M.D. and Glenn S. Fleisig, Ph.D. American Sports Medicine Institute

Here are the significant enhancements for the 2008 season for all divisions of baseball:

• A pitch limit for pitchers league age 7-8 has been added, with a maximum of 50 pitches per day. Previously, the limit for these ages was the same as for pitchers who were league age 9-10.
• A provision has been added that prohibits a player who has been removed as a pitcher in a game from playing the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. This was a recommendation of Dr. Andrews and Dr. Fleisig, and is intended to further prevent overuse injuries. The position of catcher, according to Dr. Andrews and Dr. Fleisig, has the second-most overuse injuries, which can be acerbated by moving from pitcher to catcher in the same day. (However, moving from pitcher to any of the other seven positions, or from catcher to pitcher, apparently does not cause the same concerns.)
• Pitchers league age 16 and under who deliver 41 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed. Pitchers league age 17-18 who deliver 51 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed. This enhancement is designed to help ensure that teams develop more pitchers, and to help ensure that scheduling anomalies do not result in undue advantages for some teams.
• The “automatic” intentional walk was removed. If a pitcher wishes to intentionally walk a batter, he/she must do so by pitching four pitches intentionally outside the strike zone that are not struck at by the batter, and are called “balls” by the umpire. All such pitches will count in determining that pitcher’s pitch count.

 The complete regular season pitching regulation for baseball may be found at: http://www.littleleague.org/media/RS_Pitching_Regulation_Changes_Baseball_2008.pdf  

Tournament Pitching Rules

• As noted above in the regular season regulations, a provision has been added that prohibits a player who has been removed as a pitcher in a game from playing the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
• Pitchers league age 16 and under (except those 16-year-olds playing in Big League) who deliver 21 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed. Big League Division pitchers league age 16-18 who deliver 36 or more pitches in a game must also have a game of rest, in addition to the number of days rest prescribed.
• A rule allowing the pitcher of record in a suspended game to continue pitching on a subsequent day in that game has been added. However, in the case of a game resumed more than one day after the suspended game, the number pitches delivered in a game in between those dates will also be used to determine eligibility.
• Failure by the manager to remove a pitcher before that pitcher becomes ineligible will result in the suspension of the manager for the next two tournament games, with further penalties possible if the Tournament Committee deems that the infraction merits it. (This removes the automatic forfeiture penalty. However, the Tournament Committee could impose a forfeit if the situation warrants it.)
• The “automatic” intentional walk was removed, as noted in the regular season regulation above.

We also continue to receive advice from volunteers regarding breaking balls. All of the evidence so far points to overuse at the main reason for pitching-related injuries. However, Little League continues to monitor this situation, and is in fact taking part in a multi-year scientific study that we hope will settle this issue. Once that study is complete, Little League will take the appropriate measures.

 Thank you for your efforts in making 2007 a great year, and for your service in the coming season. 

Sincerely,

Little League International

Warner Robins Little League wins the old-fashioned way.  Read the Little League story behind their World Series Championship by clicking the title of this article.

• District 5 Dues are due by April 1, 2007.


• Little League District 5 Dues are $9 per Little League team


• Junior/Senior District 5 Dues are $9 per Junior/Senior League team


• Your dues go toward operating the District.  What does the District need money for?  Banners and pins for All-Star Tournaments, postage to contact leagues, office supplies, website fees, cell phone to be available to leagues (especially during tournaments!), along with training for district volunteers.  No one gets paid to do this job!


• Please mail your check to the address at the top of this webpage!


• Make your check payable to District 5 Little League