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Charles-St. Mary's Baseball League Home of Southern Maryland Adult Baseball |
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Charles-St. Mary’s Baseball League, Inc. By-Laws 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Article I The League
Article II The Board of Directors
Article III The Officers and Duties
Article IV Elections
Article V Meetings
Article VI New Franchise
Article VII Committees
Article VIII Franchise Fees
Article IX League Rules for Playing Baseball
Section – A Player Eligibility Section – B Players Section – C Member Clubs Section – D Rules of the Game Section – E Fines, Forfeitures, Protests, Suspensions and Other League Issues
Article X Playoffs
Article XI Annual Banquet and Trophies
Article XII Official League Documents
Article XIII Amendments and Changes to By-Laws
Article I The League
1. Shall be known as the Charles-St. Mary’s Baseball League, Inc.
2. Is defined as a group of member clubs who play each other for the League championship in Charles/St. Mary’s Counties.
3. Shall be governed by a Board of Directors.
Article II The Board of Directors
1. Shall consist of a representative from each member club, the President and Vice President.
2. Shall govern the League in accordance with these Articles of Incorporation and these By-Laws. However, the President and/or Vice President shall not vote unless as directed in Article III.
3. Shall elect the following officers:
a. President b. Vice President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Officer Scorer f. Historian (rev 2008)
Article III The Officers and Duties
1. President:
a. Shall not be associated with any member club of the League in the capacity of manager. b. Shall preside at all meetings of the Boards of Directors. c. May appoint standing committees for any purpose. d. Shall vote in case of a tie. e. Shall not vote on any matters affecting a team for which he is directly affiliated. f. Shall handle all necessary communications with the appropriate Umpire’s Association. g. Shall select a Player of the Week award winner based on each week’s results and the recommendations of the managers as noted on game reports. e. Shall resolve all rule related issues or protests unless the issue or protest affects a team for which he is directly affiliated. (rev 2008)
2. Vice President:
a. In the absence of the President or when the President must exclude himself because of team affiliation, shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and exercise the duties of the President. (rev 2008)
3. Secretary:
a. Shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Board of Directors. b. Shall be required to send notice of all meetings to all officers and the Board of Directors and their alternates at ten (10) days prior to all meetings. c. Shall contact each team representative from the previous year in person, or by phone, in addition to a written notice prior to the January meeting. d. Shall transmit to the Treasurer a record of all fines levied against any member club.
4. Treasurer:
a. Shall keep proper books of account and receive and disburse all League funds subject to approval of the Board of Directors. b. Shall submit a financial report to the Board of Directors at all meetings.
5. Official Scorer:
a. Shall keep and preserve a complete record of all players’ performances. b. Shall inform the President of all teams failing to mail a properly signed, properly filled out and properly postmarked game report. c. Shall retain the home team’s game report for League statistics.
6. Historian
a. Shall have the collateral duties of League Historian. The Historian shall accumulate and compile League history, records and statistics. (rev 2008)
Article IV Elections
1. The Board of Directors shall elect all officers, prior to or at the League’s annual banquet. They shall take office at the January meeting of the Board of Directors after termination of any old business to come before the January meeting and shall hold office until the next annual election or until the successors are chosen and qualified. They shall be recognized officially at the annual League banquet.
Article V Meetings
1. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held on the first Monday of January, February, March, April, June and November unless conflicting with a holiday.
2. The November meeting will be designated as By-Laws meeting. At this meeting, revisions to the current By-Laws can be brought to motion.
3. At the January meeting, the first topic of business will be to vote on revisions from the November By-Laws meeting and to approve the most current set of By-Laws for the upcoming season.
4. Special meetings may be called by the President:
a. If, in his sole discretion, said meetings are necessary for the operation of the League or required by these By-Laws. b. Upon written request of the official representative of any member club.
5. The location and time of the next regularly scheduled meeting shall be determined and announced by the President at the close of each meeting.
6. A special roster meeting will be called at a site to be determined the Monday prior to the first scheduled game of each half.
7. Only the officers and members of the Board of Directors shall participate in any meeting of the Board of Directors except upon approval of a majority of the Board of Directors.
8. A member club shall:
a. Name an official representative who shall be the club’s representative on the Board of Directors. b. Name an alternate representative who shall be the club’s representative on the Board of Directors in the absence of the official representative. c. Submit the name of its official representative and alternate to the Secretary at the January meeting.
9. All clubs shall be represented at each meeting of the Board of Directors or suffer the penalties hereinafter adopted.
10. A fifteen (15) minute grace period after the scheduled start of any League meeting will be allowed to any member club. Failure to answer roll call after said grace will result in a missed meeting fine for member club.
11. The League divisional, regular season and all-star formats, schedule dates and starting times for all games shall be established at the February meeting of the Board of Directors.
Article VI New Franchise
1. A new franchise may be admitted to the League upon the affirmation of the majority of the Board of Directors.
2. An application for new member club’s franchise shall be made by the January meeting in order for the Board of Directors to take action on the application prior to the beginning of the next season of play. The new franchise shall complete and submit to the league an official franchise application form. (rev 2007)
3. Each new franchise must present proof of an approved playing field, tentative roster and solid financial backing (sponsorship). This proof must be submitted prior to acceptance into the Charles-St. Mary’s Baseball League.
Article VII Committees
1. The Board of Directors shall select a protest/player eligibility committee of three (3) individuals by the February meeting. The President may sit on this committee. No member of this committee may be affiliated with any member team as a player or a manager.
2. Banquet and trophy committees are to be established by no later than the January meeting.
3. The President shall appoint a committee at the January meeting to arrange the schedule for the coming season. After Board of Directors approval, the committee shall be responsible for the printing and distribution of the schedule. The schedule shall be printed and distributed no later than the April meeting.
4. The Board of Directors shall appoint a committee each season to promote the league to each county high school baseball team and/or local 16-18 year-old youth leagues. (rev 2007)
Article VIII Franchise Fees
1. Each member club at the January meeting shall pay a franchise fee of $75.
2. Any member club which has not paid its franchise fee or fines by the January meeting shall not have a vote in matters coming before the Board of Directors until franchise fees or fines are paid.
3. Any member club, which has not paid its fees or fines by the February meeting of any season, shall not play in any League games.
4. The franchise fee of $250 shall accompany each application for a new member club’s franchise. The franchise fee shall be returned if the application is denied. If the new franchise is approved and participates through its entire inaugural season without a forfeit, the league shall reimburse the franchise $175 at the end of the season. (In essence, the league will keep $75 from the franchise in correlation with the fee for existing franchises). (rev 2007)
5. All Umpire pre-payment fees (Currently $10 per game) and league insurance costs must be paid by the first half roster meeting or teams will forfeit games until fees are paid. (rev 2008)
6. All estimated fees for field usage, etc. for the remainder of the current season must be paid by the second half roster meeting or teams will forfeit games until the fees are paid. (rev 2008)
Article IX League Rules for Playing Baseball
1. All players of the Charles-St. Mary’s Baseball League must fulfill the requirements of the following:
Section – A Player Eligibility
1. All players must meet one (1) of the following qualifications:
a. Be a native born citizen of Charles, St. Mary’s, Calvert, or Southern Prince George’s County. b. Have a permanently established residency in Charles, St. Mary’s, or Calvert County prior to the roster meeting at the beginning of a season or at the second half. The Prince George’s County boundary for player eligibility is Colonial Farm at Accokeek to Floral Park Road to Route 301 to Route 4 to the Patuxent River/Anne Arundel County Line. The Board of Directors will determine the prospective player’s residence and will require all of the following criteria elements to be provided where applicable:
i. The address on the player’s driver’s license. ii. Where the player’s automobile is registered. iii. Where the player is registered to vote. iv. The address on the player’s income tax return. v. Where the player is presently attending public high school.
c. Be employed in Charles, St. Mary’s Calvert, or Southern Prince George’s County at least three (3) months prior to the opening of the season in order to play the first half, or be employed in Charles, St. Mary’s, Calvert, or Southern Prince George’s County for a least three (3) months prior to the opening of the second half in order to play during the second half of the season. Any such employment in Charles, St. Mary’s, Calvert, or Southern Prince George’s County must be the player’s principle employment and principle source of income. d. Have previously played in the League as an eligible player. e. Be a member of the regular Armed Forces of the United States in accordance with Section C, Member Clubs, #5. f. Any individual whose father or grandfather had previously played in the League would be eligible to play regardless of their residence or employment status. g. College students must also be enrolled at a local institution within the League’s established boundaries or be dependents of parents who have full time employment within those same parameters. (rev 2008)
2. Physical proof of eligibility for any of the above criteria for any new player will be presented at the roster meeting.
3. Member club(s) are eligible to add to their rosters replacing any player(s) that sign a professional contract.
4. Allow a one-time eligibility exemption for existing teams that want to enter the League. All members on the current roster are granted eligibility. Section – B Players
1. No player shall be compensated in any manner for playing in the League. Any player who receives compensation for playing in the League shall be suspended from the League for a period to be determined by the Board of Directors. Any game(s) in which the player participated shall be declared a forfeit upon satisfactory proof to the Board of Directors and a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
2. All players must be properly signed to a League contract on a form approved by the Board of Directors. At the last meeting of the Board of Directors prior to the opening of the season, each member club shall submit signed contracts and the required releases together with ten (10) copies of its roster to the President prior to the reading of the rosters. No additions to the roster of any member club shall be permitted for the first half after their rosters are submitted to the President, except as hereinafter provided.
3. No player shall be allowed to play with more than one (1) team in any one (1) half.
4. No player shall be eligible for League play while under professional contract, unless said player has a written release from the professional club prior to the end of the professional club’s season and is on a current team roster. (rev 2008)
5. A player who is in the regular Armed Forces of the U.S. at the time rosters and changes are submitted may be carried on a club’s roster without the necessity of submitting a contract. However, any member club carrying such player must furnish the President with a properly signed contract for such player prior to any such player participating in any game.
6. Any member club which allows a player to participate in a game prior to submitting a properly signed contract shall be charged with a forfeit loss for each game in which such player participates.
7. All players signed with a member club are held over to the following season or until a written release from the club is obtained. Any player who was signed for the preceding season and is not included on the current season’s roster is automatically released.
8. Any player desired to transfer to another member club must request a release at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting of the Board of Directors at which roster and changes are to be submitted. Said player is responsible for the following:
a. Notifying the manager of the former member club. b. Taking care of any financial or equipment obligations to former member club.
9. Any player dropped from a member club’s roster at a roster meeting has seven (7) days to fulfill his obligation to previous member club, obtain a written release from previous member club, and sign a contract with a new member club, to be submitted to the League President.
10. In the case of controversy concerning a player’s release, the Board of Directors shall consider the matter and may award the release upon majority vote.
11. Any player to be eligible for post-season play must have made a minimum of three (3) regular season game mound or plate appearances. (rev 2008)
Section – C Member Clubs
1. Shall not be required to submit a contract for any player from its most recent roster for which a contract has been previously submitted.
2. Shall have a playing roster not to exceed twenty-five (25) players.
3. Shall use as their playing roster the team’s roster on the date the game is actually played.
4. Shall be permitted to add an unlimited number of new players between halves provided each new player meets eligibility requirements and that the member club’s roster does not exceed twenty-five (25) players.
5. Shall be permitted to sign an unlimited number of military and/or college players per team. Military members must be stationed at Patuxent River, Indian Head, 8th & I Marine Barracks, Henderson Hall, Quantico, AAFB, Webster Field, Dahlgren or any other military installation within the League boundaries not mentioned. College students must also be enrolled at a local institution within the League’s established boundaries or be dependents of parents who have full time employment within those same parameters.
6. Which lose the services of a player, or because of medical disability, upon a doctor’s certificate, may replace said player with another eligible player upon approval of the President. Any club replacing a player must submit a properly signed contract for the new player to the President at least four (4) days before the first game for which the new player is to be eligible. A contract that is mailed and postmarked by the deadline shall suffice to meet this requirement. The President shall notify the other clubs of the replacement. Any member club which allows a replacement player to participate in a game prior to submitting a properly signed contract shall be charged with a forfeit loss for each game in which such a player participates.
7. Desiring to replace a player lost because of injury must make same replacement within two (2) weeks of the time the replaced player becomes incapacitated. A player who is lost because of injury may not be replaced if held from one half to the next.
Section – D Rules of the Game
1. No smoking will be permitted on the playing field.
2. The playing rules of the American League shall govern play in the Charles-St. Mary’s Baseball League unless otherwise stated in these By-Laws.
3. The following schedules will dictate the number of regular season games to be played, in accordance with the number of participating teams per season. Scheduled doubleheaders will be seven innings per game; single games will be nine innings.
Number of Teams in League Number of Regular Season Games Scheduled 6 teams 20 games (1 DH, 2 SG against each team)
7 teams 24 games (1 DH, 2 SG against each team)
8 teams 28 games (1 DH, 2 SG against each team)
9 teams 24 games (1 DH, 1 SG against each team)
10 teams 27 games (1 DH, 1 SG against each team)
(DH = doubleheader SG = single game) (rev 2007)
4. All games shall be played on or before the scheduled dates. The location or time of any game may be changed by the home team upon approval of the visiting team, and only after consulting the President. It is the President’s responsibility to assure that the umpires have been notified of the change. Any member clubs, which change the location or time of any game without notifying the President shall suffer a double forfeit loss for the game. In the event of a scheduled doubleheader, each team will suffer one (1) forfeit with the second game of the doubleheader being rescheduled for play as a 7-inning contest.
5. The home team shall notify the visiting team and the League President on the day of the scheduled game earlier than three (3) hours before game time if the home field has been determined unfit for play. The League President shall notify the Umpire’s Association. (rev 2008)
6. Both managers involved can reschedule all games postponed, regardless of reason, within three (3) days to be played within fourteen (14) days of the regularly scheduled date. The home team manager shall notify the President within three (3) days as to the date and time of the rescheduled game. If the game is not rescheduled in the three (3) days, it will be played on or before the first available Saturday at the regularly scheduled time, or at a time mutually agreed upon by both teams. If the weather permits and the rescheduled games are not played, both teams will be charged with a forfeit loss. All doubleheader games postponed will be rescheduled on a date prior to single game dates. Any rained out night game must be made up on or before the first available Saturday. If any member club has more than one (1) tie game or games postponed because of weather conditions, the games shall be scheduled on or before the following Saturdays until all postponed and tie games are played.
7. Games suspended because of field curfew, darkness or rain which end in a tie should be continued at next meeting of two (2) teams involved or a date mutually agreed upon by the clubs. If one (1) team is ahead at curfew after game length becomes official by American League rules, said game will be considered officially completed.
8. Any game may be played without the assigned umpire or umpires upon agreement of the managers of the competing clubs, if the assigned umpires are not present at game time. Any game played without the assigned umpires upon agreement of the managers shall be an official game.
9. Run-rules will be in effect for the following situations: Single game (9-inning game): 10 runs after 7 innings. Doubleheaders (7-inning games): 10 runs after 5 innings. (rev 2007)
10. The home team shall be responsible for paying the umpires, furnishing baseballs and a field with suitable playing conditions. No game shall be played on a field which does not have an outfield fence and lined foul lines from home plate to the outfield fences unless agreed upon by both managers to play under present field conditions.
11. If field rules allow, the visiting team should be given the field forty-five (45) minutes prior to game time. The home team then gets it back fifteen (15) minutes before game time. The home team should then release the field to the umpires five (5) minutes before official game time.
12. Player line-ups shall be exchanged between the competing managers and the umpires prior to time of the conference at home plate. No game shall be started until line-ups have been exchanged.
13. All players, coaches and the manager shall be in full regulation uniform.
14. All players shall wear head protective helmets while batting, with the ear flap being optional.
15. Wood or composite wood bats must be used in all League contests.
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