Resources for Managers and Coaches

Your game schedule: Click "Game Schedules"

Rule Differences between Cal Ripken and Little League: Click here for a document from our Umpire In Chief, Joe Goldsmith

Coaching Certification: All managers who are interested in managing an All Star team this year MUST be certified through Ripken baseball.  Click "Coaching Certification", take the course, then take the test.  The league President is notified via email when you successfully pass.

Background Check: As mentioned in the pre-season manager's meeting, all volunteers with repeated access to players MUST fill out a volunteer form and give it to the league President.  A background check will be done before a manager or coach is allowed on the field.  Click Links/Docs to the left to print the form

Accident Insurance Claim Form: click Links/Docs

Batting Cage Safety Procedure and Obtaining a Key for Use:

Hopefully you know we have batting cages with a pitching machine at Red Oaks.  The facility is open to all Minor, Major, 15u, 18u teams.  It is secured with a lock.  The lock is being replaced at lunchtime Thursday, April 22, and new keys made.  Safety is of utmost importance, and we ask that you read the following rules, understand them, and follow them.  If you have a desire to use the cages, send an email to Ken Merritt (bbfan@optonline.net), our President, stating "I have read and understand the safety rules for the batting cage and will abide by them at all times". When you send a note, you will be able to get a key. The rules will also be posted on a sign in the cage.

- Only adults may use the pitching machine.  Adults must make sure the batter has a helmet on at all times and is set in the batters box, facing the machine, before a ball can be put into the machine
- Only one child is allowed in the cage at any given time.  The child must enter the cage with a helmet on his head.
- If the ground is wet, the machine is not to be used.  The balls could get wet, slip out of the machine, and throw an errant pitch.
- Should the adult leave the cage for any reason, it should be immediately locked, and everyone should leave the cage.
- The adult should make sure the machine is covered and protected when the batting is done, the machine turned off, and the cage door locked.
- If the adult notices any problems with the wheel, or any part of the machine, he should immediately stop using it and notify the Division Coordinator.
- Teams scheduled to play on the field that day have first choice whether to use the cage or not, before the game starts.
- If managers who are not playing on a day that they want to use the machine, they should check the schedule first to make sure no team is playing on the day in question.  Managers can check with Joe Goldsmith, who owns the master schedule, to make sure a manager has not already booked the field for a practice.  If a manager wants to use the cages, but a team is either scheduled to play at Red Oaks, or the field is booked for a practice, it's still possible that the cages may not be used.  The managers desiring the cage can simply make a call to the manager who is either playing or has the field booked for a practice, to see if he plans on using the cage or not.
- The league will be purchasing the special pitching machine balls.  The balls will be available for use inside the cage.  After using the machine, the balls should be gathered up and placed back in the bucket.
- If you have any other questions, contact the equipment manager, Ed Marsh, or your Division Coordinator.

Notifying Poughkeepsie Journal of your team's scores: We encourage all managers in Minors/Majors/15u/18u to get their players' name "in the paper".  Here's how, from the Sports Editor of the Journal:

Scores, photos, and other Poughkeepsie Babe Ruth news will be published each Thursday
in the Poughkeepsie Journal Players section, which is at the back of the
sports section. The weekly deadline for submission is Monday at 9 p.m.
Scores received after that time will be published the following week.

Bottom line: If you send it in, we'll print it eventually. Here is the format for submitting scores:

Name of League: Poughkeepsie Babe Ruth
Level of Play: Minors 9/10 or Majors 11/12 or 15u or 18u
Final score:
Winning team highlights:
Losing team highlights:

Example

Name of League: Poughkeepsie Babe Ruth
Level of Play: Minors 9/10
Final score: Stewart's 19, Dairy Queen 18
Stewart's: Johnny Slugger 3-4, 2 2B, 5 RBI; Joe Blow 1-2, BB, 3 runs, 5 RBI;
CC Sabathia, 6 IP, 5 Ks
Dairy Queen: JT Slugger 5-5, 4 HR, 16 RBI; Schulyer Hitman 4-5, 3 BB, 8 RBI;
Andy Pettitte 2 IP, 6 Ks

Please follow this format EXACTLY. Please be sure to include first names and last names for each player, and please be sure they are SPELLED CORRECTLY!! Also, please be sure to use proper uppercase and lowercase punctuation (not all lower or all uppercase, as this takes time to retype).. If you follow all of these instructions and results do not have to be edited and retyped, you can feel free to submit as many names and highlights (within reason) for each game, since we will just cut and paste it into the roundup.

Additionally, if you have photos you would like to submit, you can do that at any time. We will publish all photos online at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com and as many as possible in print. Any photos will be accepted. We ask that you send them in JPG format, file sizes 300k to 500k, and if you send multiple photos, limit each email to 3 photos. Again, the more the better. We love photo galleries at our Web site.

All results, news and photos should be emailed to the following address: players@poughkeepsiejournal.com. If for some reason that does not work (the inbox gets overloaded at times), you can send it directly to my account, which is pcolaizzo@poughkeepsiejournal.com

If there is ever an issue with scores not being published, or if you have any questions, you can call the Players Hot Line any time at 845 437 4848. I usually work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the morning and evening, and sometimes on Sunday afternoons. But you can call any time.

Pete Colaizzo
Poughkeepsie Journal
Players section editor
845 437 4848
players@poughkeepsiejournal.com
pcolaizzo@poughkeepsiejournal.com