HDL RAIN Policy and Typical Season Goals

HDL RAIN POLICY:  (edited 3/20/2017)

Rainy conditions and wet fields have been a common problem every season.

The HDL is notorious for doing what it takes to avoid a rain-out, but sometimes we have no alternative.  When field conditions are too wet, communications with players and umpires is our first priority.  Normally, a league officer will check the field as early as possible on game day to determine if conditions are playable.

If team players have not heard from anyone by one hour before game day, and local conditions are questionable, players should Call, Text, Email or check the HDL Blog Home Page to confirm conditions. League officers will make every effort to let team managers know if field is playable.  The Blog Home Page will be updated at earliest opportunity.  Note, if you have an email ID, you can tag the Blog Home page to send you a notification anytime there are changes made to this webpage. If managers have any doubt about field conditions they should contact league president (RM/LR) for details.

As standard practice, if a player has NOT been contacted, then we recommend players ASSUME the game is “ON” and make plans to be at Tobey by 30 minutes before game time. League Officer Cell phone number is:  901-827-6830

Thanks for your cooperation.

Larry Rutledge

==================================================================

Seasonal Goals:

1. We need players.  Not just casual players but players who have a passion to play a full baseball season. Attendance is purely voluntary and we understand it is rare for any player to make 100% of games.  There are too many other obligations in each of our lives to expect to play in every single game. But if you can’t make it to the ballpark on any given Sunday, please let someone know, as soon as possible, so we can plan lineups and get substitutes when needed.

2. Balanced team rosters. This is our goal every year. But this is a complicated challenge.  Baseball is so unpredictable. Any position player can have a dominating season and affect all attempts to balance the league into turmoil. But that is the challenge of HDL baseball.  Each team should compete to “win” but winning is not in itself anymore significant than playing your best and having “fun” trying to win. If every game was decided by one run and the same team was always on the positive side of this equation, wouldn’t it still be “fun”.  In the HDL, that situation is very rare and not likely to happen. So true balance in an HDL season would be all teams having a .500 record at end of regular season. Let’s play the season and see how it turns out.

3. Wood Bat baseball has been adopted to the HDL schedule for the foreseeable future.  The last time the HDL was an all Wood Bat league was probably in the late 70’s.  I should know because that is last time I remember all bats were wood.  I am excited about this addition.  You can bring your own bat or use some bats that the league will have available. If anyone wants to buy their own personal wood bat, they are sold at:  All American (Summer Av), and Dicks Sporting Goods or several on-line sporting good companies, i.e. “justbats.com”

4. The weekly HDL game schedule is merely our “planned” dates for games. The HDL does not have preferential use privileges for Tobey Field so other demands upon the Memphis Park Services Administration for use of Tobey can occasionally cause unscheduled changes.  We have always been fortunate to avoid disruptions due to our games being played on Sunday mornings. But we do have some Friday night games scheduled and those can be a problem during Football season. There is also the unpredictable weather of Memphis.  Sunday games that show a “single” game may change to a double header at anytime to plug-in a “make-up” game. We will do what we have to do to play all the games on the schedule, but even that is no guarantee. At end of season, if all teams played same number of games, before the play-offs, then good enough.

5. Better communication.  Already this new Blog Website is being maintained with timely and constant updates.  It allows you, the reader, to voice your comments.  You can use it to get your questions answered.  It will tell you about any changes that will affect the games you are playing. This Blog is also tied to Facebook so you will know if something is being posted here.  It has ability to link to Twitter but I need players to request that (Twitter) before adding Twitter. But of course, for those players/members who lack computers or smart phones, the old fashion phone call is what you will depend on.  So if you’re only connectivity is by regular phone, we need to know that so we can meet your needs.

That’s all for now.  This page may be updated as new topics of importance come up.

Welcome to:  hdlmemphisblog.wordpress.com or hdlmemphisblog.mlblog.com or hdlmemphis.org

Larry Rutledge, HDL President Emeritus