Under a rule change imposed by Major League Baseball for 2013 season, pitchers are no longer be allowed to fake a pickoff to third base and throw to first as a way to dupe a runner on first base into breaking for second. That move is now a balk.
If a pitcher steps to 3rd, he must throw to 3rd. Pitchers can still step off the rubber and fake to third.
OVYBL Umpires are asked to enforce this rule. MLB Rule 8.05(c).
Rain Outs & Reschedules
This weekends rain storm pounded many local fields causing a bunch of cancellations on Monday. Please work with the opposing coaches to get them rescheduled. Policy remains that the teams have 5 days to reschedule game. If game has not been rescheduled for a future date within the 5 days, OVYBL will reschedule the game. Keep in mind that umpires are thin until the High School season ends on May 10th.
Until May 10th, and if you use Steubenville Umpires, it is prefered that reschedules occur on Sunday. After May 10, we ask that make ups are scheduled on Wednesday, Friday, or Sundays.
Early this season, it was decided that games could only be postponed in the event of weather, field availability or umpire availability. This is an effort to eliminate the postponing of games when players are not available. Team are asked to call up in that case.
ALL POSTPONED GAMES SHOULD BE REPORTED AND SENT TO ovybl@comcast.net
In the situation where coaches need to reschedule a future game for any reason, coaches must agree on new date prior to the Wednesday in the week before your scheduled game. BE PROACTIVE, as last minute cancelations can only be granted for weather, field availabilty, or umpire availability.
Also, as stated above, reschedule to light days (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Thanks.
Opening Day!
The day is upon us! So much work goes into every youth baseball season, however can it be considered work when you love it? It all leads up to today, the day baseball fans dream of all winter. The smell of fresh cut grass, the sounds of baseballs poppin mitts, the cracks of bats, American flags whipping in the wind, and the excitement of kids and adults in the air. These sights and sounds, along with the shutter clicks of hundreds of cameras, make today special.
Good Luck to all teams today as we begin the 2013 OVYBL Spring season! PLAY BALL!
FINAL Schedules for 2013
Annual schedule meeting went well last night, and as weather reaches 80 degrees today, it is safe to say Baseball is Back!
Please take a moment to review the schedule online and compare it to the paper you may have carried from the meeting. After I keyed the changes this Tuesday morning, I did a complete audit. During the audit, I attempted to balance home/away in the Mustang divisions that play divisional opponents twice. I also came across a few double bookings and had to move the game day and/or location.
If you find that you have a non favorable home/ away balance, I apologize. The software does it's best to balance, however field limitations quickly come into play. The 2013 OVYBL Schedules are now FINAL.
ALL GAMES HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED. Schedule will be sent to Steubenville Umpire Association on Monday, April 15th (same day rosters are due).
Annual Schedule Meeting
The weather is about to break, teams have begun outdoor practice, and baseball feaver is in the air. When asked what I did all winter, I'd answer "Stared out the window, waiting for Spring Baseball." Thanksfully, the 2013 season is quickly approaching.
On Monday, April 8th, the annual schedule meeting will be held at the St Florian Hall in Wintersville at 7:00pm. As in the past, this meeting is MANDATORY for all team managers. At this meeting, you will be handed a schedule. You have the ability to make changes with other coaches, if agreed. If you are not present, and a prior arrangement has not been made, your schedule is up for changing. It is in your best interest to attend this meeting. Once we leave the St Florian, the 2013 Schedule will be FINAL, uploaded to the website, and distributed to the Steubenville Umpires. Thanks.
OVYBL Rolls Out Concussion Policy
All Umpires and Officials are required to take the following 30 minute course. Associations competing within the OVYBL are asked to enforce that thier managers and coaches also take the course. Policies and Procedure docs can be found in the menu to the left under Printable Docs.
Per ORC 3707.52 as enacted by Ohio HB 143 of the 129th General Assembly, ODH is required to post free training programs that train coaches and referees in recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussions and head injuries.
The following free online trainings have been approved by the Ohio Department of Health for coaches and referees:
Click on the button that says, please login to order. In the window that appears, click Register Now.
When your registration is complete you may "order" the free concussion course offered along the left hand side of the page. Continue following prompts. Although it may look like you'll be charged for the course, there is no cost.
Once you've completed "checkout," you'll be able to take the free online course.
When you've completed and passed the course, you have the option of printing a certificate of completion.
PLEASE NOTE:The course offers a “certificate of completion” upon successful passage. The NFHS course allows organizations to search for and track coaches who have completed the course.
Next Meeting Monday March 11th
Registrations are going well in the OVYBL communities, as they wrap up and begin team selection processes.
Next OVYBL meeting is Monday, March 11, 2013. 7p at St Florian Hall in Wintersville.
League reps need to bring confirmed # of teams per division, $30 per team ($50 if you did not play in OVYBL last spring), coach contacts, any/all blackout dates for teams, and field limitations.
Checks made payable to OVYBL. $18.50 goes to Pony for sanction fees for Mustang, Bronco and Pony. Remainder goes to year end tournament trophies for 1st and 2nd place.
2013 Season is Approaching
Greeting baseball fans! The 2013 Spring OVYBL season is right around the corner. Many associations will soon be announcing registration dates.
The first OVYBL meeting will be held on Monday, January 28, 2013 at 7:00pm. The meeting will be held at the St. Florian Hall in Wintersville, OH.
All competing OVYBL communities are welcome.
2012 OVYBL League Champions
Congrats to the players, coaches, families and fans of the 2012 Champions.
They are.....
2012 OVYBL Mustang Champions-
WINTERSVILLE CARDINALS
In 2012, we saw a ton of great baseball and close games throughout the playoffs, but when the dust settled, it all came down to 2 Wintersville teams to decide the 2012 Mustang Championship.
The Wintersville Cardinals came into the game as the #1 seed and the Wintersville Phillies as the #5 seed, with the Cardinals coming out on top.
The 2012 Mustang Champion Wintersville Cardinals are Tyler Corella, Corey Cottis, Klay Cottis, Noah Hilderbrand, Bella Merriman, Justice Morris, Chris Parker, Skyler Pfouts, Dylan Scalise, Ethan Stout, Garrett Swickard, and Isaiah VanDine. Managed by Josh Morris & Stan Cottis.
2012 OVYBL Bronco Champions-
WEIRTON YANKEES
The 2012 Weirton Yankees defeated the Wintersville Reds in an epic Bronco Championship game under the lights in Weirton on Thursday, July 5, 2012
After multiple rain delays in the semi finals for each team, with both advancing. The championship was a great game and a close battle with the Weirton Yankees eventually coming out on top, with a final score of 6-5.
The 2012 Bronco Champion Weirrton Yankees are Dylan Austin, Ryan Bodrog, Julian Farren, Zach Frazier, Dustin Keyes, Ashton Knutila, Collin Lonick, Nick Paul, Will Rice and Jacog Rosnick. Managed by Rod Rosnick, along with coaches Ed Austin, Jeff Bodrog and Chris Paul.
2012 OVYBL PONY Champions-
STEUBENVILLE PIRATES
No Piicture provided.
Completed brackets can be found on the Past All-Stars and Champion page.
Home Run Club Updated 5/20
Home runs are among the most popular aspects of baseball and, as a result, prolific home run hitters are usually the most popular among fans and consequently the highest paid by teams — hence the old saying, variously attributed to slugger Ralph Kiner, or to a teammate talking about Kiner, "Home run hitters drive Cadillacs, and singles hitters drive Fords".
Personally, I'd prefer to witness a perfect game than a game full of long balls, however they remain an exciting part of the game we love.
I apologize for the delay in updating the page. Nice job to all listed, and keep 'em comin..... there can only be one leader!
OVYBL Rule Reminder
RULE #4 on the 2012 OVYBL Pony Rule Sheet clearly states, "No Steel Spikes Permitted". It has been brought to our attention that teams are not following this rule, and have players wearing metal cleats, even when in some cases they have molded cleats in thier bags.
Managers, this is one of the most simple rules to understand. It has been in place for years for the safety of the kids.
During the pregame meeting of managers with the umpire, the umpire asks "Coach, is all of your teams equipment legal?" This is not only in regards to the bats, but all rules on equipment, including shoes. Any infraction of these rules, after you have stated that your teams equipment is legal will result in the equipment being removed from playing field, the manager being ejected from the current game, and suspended for the next scheduled game.
Thanks.
PONY Decertified Bats Announcement
See the notice below from Pony Baseball regarding a couple bats that have been labeled as ILLEGAL.
January Post Meeting Update
The initial 2012 OVYBL meeting welcomed 30 youth baseball fans and local league representatives to the St Florian Hall in Wintersville on Monday, January 30th.
Discussions consisted of 2012 Bat restrictions, setting of pre-season timelines, 2012 Rule ammendments, Steubenville Umpire updates, and planning for the March 5th meeting.
You can view a copy of the meeting minutes by clicking the link in the Main Menu to the left.
Thanks again to all who attended, and see you on March 5th for the Team Registration meeting. Note: 2012 will be $30 per team for existing, and $50 per team for new. Checks to be made out to ___________. (To be determined.)
2012 Pony Rule Changes
Below you will find the link to Pony's Rule changes effective for the 2012 season. The MOST important rule change for families and coaches to take note is 8C, in regards to legal bats. I encourage all Associations the compete within the OVYBL to copy and paste this info to thier league websites. Parents should be cautious and review these rules before purchasing a bat. Be careful when seeing $300 bats on sale for $80...they are likely illegal.
There has been (1) revision and (3) new entries to Rule 8C regarding approved bats. Tom O'Connor from Pony has advised that it is important to read and interpret each rule unto itself, and shared the following summary of the new bat rules:
- 2 3/4" barrel bats are illegal in all divisions of PONY Baseball.
- 2 5/8" barrel bats are legal in all divisions. If a 2 5/8" bat is a -3, it must be BBCOR certified (stamped on the bat). Currently, there is no testing protocol for -5, -7, -9, etc. They are legal.
- 2 1/4" barrel bats are legal in all divisions.They MUST have a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or less stamped on the bat. In addition, the bat must be stamped "approved for play in PONY Baseball".
The following Penalties for illegal bat infractions will be utilized that were put in place by Pony and are written as follows:
Page 24-25 (new entry) – Rule 18 E (6): Penalty for use of an illegal bat: (a) If detected before the first pitch of an at-bat, the bat shall be removed from the game. The batter is not out and is required to use a bat that conforms to bat regulations. The manager of the team shall be removed from the game as well as the next scheduled game. (b) If detected after the first pitch (whether the pitch is swung at or not) the batter is declared out and base runners shall not advance. The manager of the team shall be removed from the game as well as the next scheduled game. (c) If detected after a ball is hit, the batter is out and base runners shall return to their original base prior to the hit. The manager of the team shall be removed from the game as well as the next scheduled game.
Please take a moment to review the rule changes by clicking the link below. Thanks.
Ohio Valley Youth Baseball is now on Facebook. Think we can reach 1000 "likes", I do. Really that is about 60 people from each Association involved with the OVYBL. Could it be a week, 2 weeks, or even by Opening Day? Take a minute to "like" the OVYBL by clicking below, then go about your day...daydreaming about BASEBALL!
OVYBL Board Votes Unanimously- Policy Approved
Following a season of discussions around players bouncing from Association to Association around the OVYBL, we took the suggestion of PONY Baseball to adopt the "Play Where You Live" policy. The OVYBL voting Board (Follansbee, Oak Glen, Weirton, Wellsburg, Wintersville) approved the policy on Feb 3, 2011. Vote was 4-0 in favor with only Wellsburg not reached for vote.
Rules on Release:
1. This policy begins in 2011. Where ever player played in 2010, that association is his home, as we register for 2011. 2. If Pony Baseball is offered in a player’s community, he must play for his home association. If the player desires to play in a neighboring community within the OVYBL, this release form must be completed and filed with both associations, and OVYBL. 3. The organization you competed within the prior season is your “Home or (Released From)”. 4. Once season is played with “New” organization, then that becomes the players “Home” for the following season. 5. In a case where a family moves residence to a neighboring community, player has option to play in new community or prior community. Once season is played for choice, that becomes “Home”. 6. This Release is not valid until all appropriate signatures are complete. 7. OVYBL must be aware of the release. E-mail form/ details to ovybl@comcast.net
The Official Release Form can be downloaded in the Meeting Minutes section of this site.
Thank you.
PONY vs. Little League
The primary features that distinguish Pony baseball from Little League baseball are those of a two year age bracket system and scaled diamonds. Additionally, Pony teaches lead offs and base stealing starting at age 9 (Mustang Division), or earlier while pitchers learn pick off moves and holding runners on base to counter the potential steal.
In organizations, such as Little League, player age can differ by as much as 3 years within a division. As a result, the younger players, because of their lack of maturity, ability and size, find it hard to communicate with the older players. They often find themselves spending a disproportionate amount of time on the bench and may feel disconnected from their team. With players of only two ages involved, as is the case with Pony baseball, it is far easier to permit every player to play more positions since the difference in skills within the age groups is not that great.
In addition, Pony baseball scales the size of the diamonds to match the physical capabilities of the players within each division. The base and pitching dimensions for Pony baseball are:
50ft bases for Shetland 5 & 6 year olds
55 ft bases and 38ft pitching for Pinto 7 & 8 year olds
60 ft bases and 44 ft pitching for Mustang 9 & 10 year olds
70 ft bases and 48 ft pitching for Bronco 11 & 12 year olds
80 ft bases and 54 ft pitching for Pony 13 & 14 year olds
These base dimensions are the result of extensive experimentation to determine the size on which players of each age group can properly play the game of baseball. Pitching distance is also scaled to the ability of the player and in proportion to the size of the diamond.
The scaled diamonds allow the players to make the plays made by major leaguers. Home runs become a possibility. Outfielders can play in a position proportionate to that played by a major leaguer. The double play, squeeze play and various strategies and tactics, difficult for adults and nearly impossible for youngsters on a full size diamond, become a probability rather than impossibility.
Comparison: Pony League Baseball and Little League Baseball
Pony League
Little League
Two Year Age groups
Yes
No
Scaled Age Appropriate Diamonds
Yes
No
Scaled Age Appropriate Pitching Distances
Yes
No
Play by Major League Rules
Yes
No
Mix of Softball and MLB Rules
No
Yes
Limit 5-6 year olds to T Ball Only
No
Yes
Limit 7-8 year olds to Coach/Machine pitch
No
Yes
Competitive baseball starting at age 7
Yes
No
7-8 year olds sit out a maximum of two innings per game
Yes
No
Challenges Kids at every age group
Yes
No
Drafting up or down during season
No
Yes
Teaches base stealing earlier
Yes
No
Teaches Pitching sooner
Yes
No
Teaches Leading off Sooner
Yes
No
Prepares kids for Highschool Baseball
Yes
No
Ohio Valley Youth Baseball has as its goal the preparation of your child for the next level of baseball, from Mustang to Pony.
If you want your child to learn the game of baseball, Pony Baseball is the league for you!
