Minutes
2009 Jan 27 Mar 12 Mar 19 Apr 7 Apr 15 May 7 May 21
  June 18 June 22 July 29 Aug 3 Aug 24 Oct 27 Dec 17
Jan 27, 2009
The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at Gambino’s. Board of Directors in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Joe Beninato, Tom Herfordt, Torri Pantaleon, Ed Tworek, Mert Opfer and Steve Quinn. Absent: Dave Banghart and Tom Fiscus
  1. Treasurer’s Report - The 2008 year end balance is $7,018. Initial budget projected a year end balance of $8,300. Leaving a shortage of approximately $1,300. This deficit is attributed to cost of the defibrillator purchased during the 2008 season, and an increase of the umpire fees. Some of the other expenses for the 2008 year were offset by promotion and sponsor fees received.
    Projected costs for 2009 include liability insurance fee which has increased from $445 to $550 for the year. Umpire fees will remain at $22. Field costs for the 2009 season will be $3,200 for summer and $1,680 for fall.
    2. Player registration fees for the year 2009 were discussed. With expenses in mind and the projected budget for 2009 it was proposed that the registrations fees for 2009 summer league would be $70 for returning registered players and $95 for new registered players.
    A motion was made by Duane Carolus and second by Ed Tworek to accept these registration fees for the 2009 summer league. By vote, the motion was passed unanimously by all Board Members present.
  2. Metro Omaha Softball Proposal for 2009 Season - In an official proposal received by Duane Carolus from Bob Knudson of Metro Omaha Softball the 2009 Field Fee per team is $320. In keeping with the 10 teams that Nebraska Senior Softball had for the 2008 summer league, budgeted fees for field usage for this summer is $3,200 as proposed in the 2009 budget. These fees will be applied toward Metro Omaha Softball expenses for field maintenance, including lights.
    Per the proposal, Nebraska Senior Softball will play all 2009 Summer games at N.P. Dodge Park located on John J Pershing Drive, on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Summer League will run April 27 thru July 22, 2009. This is a 25 game schedule excluding Monday May 25 for observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
  3. Registration Form 2009 - Board members discussed the updates to be made to the Registration form for 2009. Dates confirmed for the 2009 Summer season included, registration dates and deadlines, and Summer League start and end dates. An addition to the registration form this year will provide players the option to voluntarily give the league permission to list their phone number(s) and e-mail address on Nebraska Senior Softball website. Registration for Summer 2009 is open from Feb 1 to Mar 20. Any registrations postmarked after Mar 20 will be required to pay a $25 late fee. The Registration Form will be available on the website by Feb 1.
    In an added discussion Ed proposed an Occupational Experience Directory. Ed’s proposal stated to add a link to our web site which would list our players’ occupational expertise/profession as a service to fellow players. It would serve to identify sources of information within our league for personal use. Professional, technical, service related skills, etc and other areas of expertise could be catalogued in a consolidated directory. No phone number nor email addresses would be listed; only player names. This would be a voluntary program, the success of which depends on the level of participation. It would be limited to our league players only and is not primarily intended for advertisement, though this may occur as a byproduct.
    It was suggested that Duane send out a mass e-mail to current players for their feedback.
  4. Status of Player Recruitment - Via e-mail, Dave Banghart provided a proposal to all current Board Members regarding player recruitment. By reviewing Metro Omaha Softball files Dave has compiled an extensive list of possible recruits to Nebraska Senior Softball. Of the list, approximately 25% had contact information. Dave suggested sending an e-mail to those proposed contacts providing some general information regarding Nebraska Senior Softball and a link to our website for their further review.
    Other recruitment efforts were also discussed. Steve Quinn suggested working with 1 or 2 sponsors and organizing an open house to introduce new players to Nebraska Senior Softball.
  5. Issues of Concern (submitted by Dave Janda) - In an e-mail submitted to Duane, Dave Janda shared some concerns that he and other members have regarding over regulating rules and player fitness. These are also concerns shared by the Board. In an effort to keep up with the spirit of Fun, Fitness and Fellowship the incorporation of some proposed rule changes may cause a detrimental effect to the league. The proposal of the outfield line seems to be of most concern. At this time the board proposed to abandon this rule change. With only 1 umpire per game, it would be difficult for the rule to be properly enforced. It is believed that the actions and accountability of players should fall back on the mangers and the players themselves.
    In regards to player fitness, the requirements of running, hitting etc need to be enforced and players themselves need to be held accountable to at least perform to minimum standards.
  6. Substitute Player Rule - There was more discussion regarding the appointment of replacement players. It is felt by many that the current system provides a team an unintended advantage simply by being able to “draw” better than average players to substitute for regular roster players who are unable to make scheduled games. A number of concerns and suggestions were brought up by all Board Members present. It was finally decided that a proposal needs to be drafted by the Board and then submitted via e-mail to all current managers and players for their feedback.
  7. 2009 Manager Status - With the exception of Gil Stephens, Duane has heard from all 2008 Summer League managers and all have confirmed that they will return as their respective team managers for the 2009 Summer League. Duke Burgess informed him that if there is an interest from someone else who would like to take on the role of team manager he would be willing step aside for them. We currently are planning for the 10 returning teams and their managers from the 2008 Summer League. Additional team(s) and manager(s) will be addressed if there is a necessity due to an increase of player registrations.
  8. Duane Request of Board Members - Brainstorm things that will need to be addressed with the Managers. It is tentatively planned to schedule a meeting with Managers for early March to discuss the 2009 Summer League. By that time we should have a good idea on number of registrations for the season.
    A topic to keep in mind for the future is the 2009 Banquet. This is the 10 year anniversary of Nebraska Senior Softball, and there is interest to make this an exceptionally special event.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:25.
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Mar 12, 2009
The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at Gambino’s Pizza. Those in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Ed Tworek, Tom Fiscus, Steve Quinn, and Tom Herfordt. Absent: Torri Pantaleon, Mert Opfer, Dave Banghart, and Joe Beninato.
  1. Memorial donation - Jerry Schofield’s father passed away March 7. Duane will contact Mert or Joe to send a Memorial donation to the family.
  2. Insurance - Duane received our Insurance bill. Liability Insurance cost for the upcoming year is $500. A cost of $550 was budgeted for the 2009 year.
  3. Registration - As of 3/12 we have 78 players registered. The draft will include 9 new players, 4 players returning from the Fall 08 season, and 2 current players who have selected to enter the draft for the Summer 09 season.
  4. Injury Refund - A player has made a medical hardship request to the Board of Directors. Due to a scheduled medical procedure that will occur after the start of the season, the player has requested that his fees for the Summer 09 season be prorated due to the fact that he will not be able to play the entire season. He is anticipating being out for at least 4 weeks mid season. It was discussed that in the past the board has taken into consideration players who were unable to continue for the entire season due to injury and other hardships. In cases where a request for a refund was presented to the board, the board has obliged and refunded the portion of the season that a player was not able to participate. A motion was made by Tom Fiscus and second by Steve Quinn to continue to refund a portion of the entry fee to any player unable to play any portion of the season due to injury or hardship, if such a request is submitted in writing to the board. In further discussion it was decided that to be eligible for a refund a player must be unable to participate in a minimum of 5 consecutive scheduled games in the season. It was agreed by all that this player should submit his registration and the appropriate fees at this time. Upon his return to regular play he will then receive a refund for the weeks (games) that he was unable to play due to his physical injury.
  5. Pool Player - Another player has made a request to register for the Summer 09 season as a pool player. Due to other activities and commitments, he feels that he cannot commit to a full time playing schedule, but would like the opportunity to play when he is available. Current by laws indicate that a player will only be designated as a pool player if there are no available vacancies to a current team. It is the goal of Nebraska Senior Softball to assign all registered players to a team rather than designating pool players. A motion was made by Tom Fiscus and second by Steve Quinn to follow the current by laws of Nebraska Senior Softball on this matter. The motion was passed unanimously by all Board Members present. It was agreed by all that this player should submit his registration and fees in the normal manner, and indicate to the best of his knowledge the number of games he would definitely be available to play .
  6. Recruitment - Membership Recruitment is moving forward.
    • A list compiled by Dave Banghart and Ed Tworek provided possible recruitments. Using e-mail and mailed information packets a number of recruits have been contacted. The next step is follow up phone calls. Duane will be sending an e-mail to everyone to request assistance from those interested in handling those follow up calls.
    • Steve Quinn is organizing an open house to promote Nebraska Senior Softball. He has already received commitments from a couple businesses to provide door prizes. He is working on finalizing a suitable location, and then will have a flyer with all the important information - location, time and such, to distribute.
    • Tom Fiscus suggested that NSS consider a sub-division of Senior Softball, possibly building a 40-49 league. This would attract those players who may feel they are past playing with the younger kids, but not yet eligible for the 50 year age minimum of Nebraska Senior Softball. The benefits would be growing the league, and building a base of players to eventually move into the 50 and over league.
    • In a subsequent discussion league recruitment seems to be hampered by the fact that Nebraska Senior Softball is relegated to NP Dodge for their Summer games. Many current players don’t particularly like traveling all the way there. It also seems that in discussions with many interested new players, the negative for them is also traveling to NP Dodge Park. Metro Omaha Softball continually assigns NSS to NP Dodge for the Summer season, although it has been requested many times to try to get us moved to another location, the preference being Seymour Smith. This location seems to be the most attractive to all current and prospective new players. The opinion is that we could increase the membership if NSS played somewhere else other than NP Dodge Park. Dave Banghart suggested we develop a committee to look and get proposals from other complexes (possibly Council Bluffs). In an effort to include players in this process, it was suggested that the committee be comprised of league players. It was suggested that Duane send an e-mail to managers, so that they can present to their roster players and seek volunteers.
  7. Board Elections - Just like last year a League meeting will be held between the Summer and Fall seasons. At that time 3 Board positions will be up for re-election. The Associate Commissioner position, as well as 2 Director positions. Current Board Members are eligible to run again for any open position. A nominating committee will need to be developed. It is preferred that the committee consists of League members and not Board members. Duane is hoping to recruit Del Stokes and Bob Williams with suggestions for a 3rd member.
  8. Manager Meeting - A Manager meeting to discuss the upcoming season will be held on Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 pm at Gambino’s. Duane will notify all Team Managers. At this time we should have a pretty good idea of the number of registered players for the Summer 09 season. Duane will also be sending out a mass e-mail reminder to let everyone know the dead line is fast approaching. Board Members presented items that they believe should be covered at the meeting:
    • Ed Tworek - Address with Managers the rules for courtesy runners and replacement players. He suggested setting up structured practices for the spring training which begins in April. We need to also establish practice times to accommodate for daylight hours since it is unknown if the lights will be available. He is also looking at the issue of the multiple red jersey/hat teams. Since all players receive new hats in the Summer he focused on looking for something to differentiate the teams. He feels he has found alternate hats suitable for the Phillies and Nationals.
    • Tom Fiscus - He also mentioned that the practice schedule, location and fields need to be determined at this meeting. With the input of all Managers, discuss how the draft will be conducted for the Summer 09 League.
    • Steve Quinn - He is working on getting the open house set up, and would be appreciative of any assistance from anyone.
    • Tom Herfordt - To help with new player recruitment, he suggested that Ed try to put together another FUN tournament again this year. Ed is working on something for late season. Tom also mentioned that we have 2 current sponsors on the website who have not donated since last year. We need to see if we can collect from them for this year.
    • Duane Carolus - Since the purpose of Nebraska Senior Softball is a competitively fun league, we may want to consider reviewing some of the tie breakers we currently use. One suggestion was eliminating the run differential category.
The Meeting was adjourned at 8:10.
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Mar 19, 2009
The Manager Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at Gambino’s Pizza. Team Manager/Representative present: Dave Dye (Athletics); Duke Burgess (Jays); Bill Riggle (Braves); Bruce Babko (Cardinals); Ed Tworek (Nationals); Tom Herfordt (Phillies); Paul Kwaak (Rangers); Bill Smuck (Royals); Jim Wilmot (Tigers); Cort Fernald (White Sox). Board Members present: Duane Carolus, Steve Quinn, and Torri Pantaleon. Board Members absent: Mert Opfer, Dave Banghart, Tom Fiscus and Joe Beninato.
  1. Player Registration - Players registered as of 3/19 is 105. However, a new player has sent an e-mail to Duane requesting to withdraw his registration due to personal conflicts.
  2. Batting Practice - Cort has obtained a permit for Churchich Park for batting practices. The permit is good from April 4 thru September, allowing Nebraska Senior Softball to schedule batting practice from 10:00 am to Noon on Saturdays.
  3. Courtesy Runner - It was discussed with the Manager’s that there was some concern within the league that the use of the courtesy runner was becoming more of a game strategy rather than a "courtesy". It is believed that the rule was first implemented with the intent as a safety issue for players who were unable to run the bases due to injury, or minor physical difficulty. Over the years, it seems the rule is being pushed to the point of abuse and becoming more of a game strategy. During some games, it was felt that teams would use their strongest runners excessively to gain an advantage in scoring. Discussion included issues of not wanting to over regulate the league, and request that managers be more judicious in using the rule per its original intent. A suggestion of limiting players to courtesy run only once per the game was made. The league should re-evaluate the original rule, and take a look at the player qualifications standards that are outlined in the league guide lines. One of those qualifications is running, although a "qualified" player is only required to pass 3 of the 4 skills mandated in the qualification. The league was designed for Fun-Fitness-Fellowship. If over competiveness is an issue for any player, then they should consider joining a tournament team.
    Within the current rule it states:
    • A courtesy runner may be used for a base runner at any time, but the same courtesy runner may not be used more than once per inning.
    • Each team will be allowed no more than two courtesy runners per inning.
    Duane proposed an amendment to the rule: An eligible player may not be used as a courtesy runner more than 2 times per game, regardless of extra innings. The penalty for disregard to the rule would be the runner is called out.
    The proposal was passed favorably in a vote of 9 to 1 of the Managers/Representatives present.
  4. Replacement Players - Ed presented a proposal that teams who only have 9 players present at the start of the game would receive a "loaned" player from the opposing team (selected by the opposing team manger) to use as their 10th defensive (only) player. If needed, a team short more than 1 player would then be allowed to fill their line-up with the replacement player draw. With some discussions by all, it was determined at this time there were too many flaws with this proposal and should not be considered.
    It was then discussed that the drawing of replacement players should be limited in order to adequately penalize a team which is unable to field a full team with roster players. As of last season, a team must have a minimum number of roster players to start a game in order to avoid a forfeit (7 for a roster of 12 and 6 for a roster of 11). It was then permitted that any team unable to field a full 10 player line-up was allowed to draw up to maximum 3 replacement players if needed to fill the line-up.
    It was proposed, for the 2009 season, that the current replacement player rule be amended to limit teams with their minimum required roster players present to only draw replacement players to bring their line-up to only 9 defensive players. The proposal was passed by a vote of the Managers/Representatives present with 9 in favor and 1 abstaining. At this time there was no discussion regarding the offensive side of only 9 players and the issue of an automatic out or not. NOTE: This matter should be discussed and resolved at the player draft to be held prior to the start of the season.
  5. Competitive Intensity - The 2 previous issues seem to derive from how competitive teams may be in order to better themselves in the standings. This leads into the league tie breaker issues. Duane proposed that there was no need to go down 4 levels to determine a champion. He suggested we simplify the factors for determining a champion.
    • Proposal A:
      1 - Win/Loss record.
      2 - If any teams are tied at the Win/Loss record, then review head to head competition. The team with the advantage in head to head would then be declared the Champion.
      3 - In the rare event that the teams are tied in head to head, then a 1 game playoff to determine the Champion will be scheduled.
    • Proposal B:
      1 - Win/Loss record only. No tie breaker is used. The teams with an equal Win/Loss record would be declared Co-Champions.
    Proposal A was selected by a majority vote of 9 to 1 by Managers/Representatives present. The run differential will be removed from the standings on the website.
  6. Playing Facility for 2010 - Since Seymour Smith does not seem to be an option for our Summer league. Dave Banghart and a committee will look into getting proposals for alternative sites for next years. Duane has requested that the Managers poll their players to determine the preferences of playing at either NP Dodge Park or Council Bluffs.
  7. Manager/Representative Comments -
    • Cort Fernald - Consider the tournament play format for speeding up games. Teams flip flop batting in the 7th inning. If the visiting team is ahead at the completion of the next to last inning, the teams may (if the managers agree) swap batting order. The Home team will remain at bat but start a new inning. If during this at bat, they score enough runs to take the lead, then the Visiting team will get their last turn at bat. The effect is the possible elimination of ½ inning of playing time.
    • Bill Riggle - He is concerned about the color conflict with the current jerseys. It was explained that alternative hats have been found for the Phillies and the Nationals, to help differentiate the teams on the field. Bill felt that the hats wouldn’t make much of difference, and that it doesn’t help those teams that have the dark blue and black jerseys. It was acknowledged that the color choices for jerseys was not handled in the best manner. However, due to the cost, it is not feasible at this time to consider new jerseys for teams. But jersey color will be considered when it is time to fully re-assign teams.
    • Duke Burgess - He would like to see player qualification standards enforced for all players throughout the league.
    • Bruce Babko - He would like to see any rainout games made up as quickly as possible rather than waiting until the end of the season to try to schedule. If field slots are available every attempt will be made to make up rain outs as soon as possible. This would probably mean having some teams have to play double headers on some nights.
    • Ed Tworek - He is still looking for volunteers to assist with the telephone calls for new player recruitment. It was noted, that new players will not be required to pay a late registration penalty fee. If at all possible, we should try to get all new players registered prior to April 15 in order to have a fair assessment for the draft.
    • Bill Smuck - He brought to everyone’s attention and congratulated Jim Wilmot for his induction into the Class of 2009 Metro Omaha Softball Hall of Fame. Information regarding Jim’s induction and the banquet can be found on the home page of the Nebraska Senior Softball website by clicking the link Metro Omaha Softball Hall of Fame.
      Bill also wanted to let everyone know that if the league is considering using the Base Lake Pavilion for this year’s banquet he needs to know by May 1 to put in his request. It was noted that since this is the 10 year Anniversary for Nebraska Senior Softball, it has been recommended to hold event at another location, and considering have the meal catered.
    • Gil Stephens - although not present, wanted to share his concern regarding intentional walks. He would like the league to adopt the same format as used in tournament play. If a player is intentionally walked, then another player is put on base as a runner, and the player is allowed to remain at bat. It is believed that tournament play is a much higher and intense level of play than the leagues standard play, so will not consider this proposal at this time.
  8. Open House - Steve Quinn shared information with everyone present regarding the Open House. He had flyers that he shared with everyone, and will e-mail the file to anyone who requests so that it can be shared with other players.
    The basic details are:
    • Nebraska Senior Softball League Open House
    • Saturday, April 11th 1:00 - 4:00 PM
    • Route 66 Pub & Grill, 72nd & R St, Ralston
    • Door Prizes/ Refreshments/ Sign Up Immediately!
    • Purpose: To Showcase our League and Recruit New Players
The Meeting was adjourned at 9:00.
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Apr 7, 2009
The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at Gambino’s Pizza. Those in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Mert Opfer, Tom Fiscus, Ed Tworek, Dave Banghart, Steve Quinn, and Tom Herfordt. Absent: Torri Pantaleon and Joe Beninato.
  1. 2009 Summer Draft - We currently have 125 players registered for this year. There are currently 28 players eligible for this year’s draft: 19 new registrations, 6 players returning from the 2008 Fall season, and 3 returning players who have elected to enter the draft. With the current number of players registered for the 2009 Summer season, it has been determined that we can fill the roster for the 10 teams from last season. Five teams would have a roster of 13 players, and the other 5 teams would continue with a 12 player roster. The Open House is being held on Saturday, April 11, and it is believed that we could possibly sign up additional new players for the season. In that event, the rosters will be reviewed and we could possibly add an additional team for this season.
  2. Draft Proposals - Proposals for the draft were presented by Ed Tworek and Tom Fiscus.
    In Ed’s proposal he presented options to create team parity by providing a balanced roster for each team, as well as allowing every team to feel competitive. In his process he suggested 4 steps for setting up the draft:
    • Review each team’s roster based on 2008 results and taking into consideration +/- loss of players to each roster. Evaluate those players not returning from 2008 and project a team’s pre-draft strength/weakness needs.
    • Group teams based on present strength/weakness of their pre-draft roster.
    • State specific rules for each group.
    • Assign draft slots by alternating from the ends toward the middle.
    Draft Award Rules (by team groupings):
    • Top 1/3 teams should not receive draft slots which would strengthen their team.
    • Middle 1/3 teams should not receive draft slots which would allow them to draft high impact players.
    • Bottom 1/3 teams should not receive draft slots which would give them players that would weaken their team.
    Based on these rules, blocks of specific picks would be established for teams based on their grouping. This would leave the middle of the draft section to help balance out teams. Ed provided a visual display to demonstrate this process.

    Tom Fiscus used a grid of current team rosters with returning players. Then filing in open slots with draft selection order giving top picks to those teams which need strengthening from last year. His selection process is based on the win/loss record and strength/weakness of each team based on the loss of players from last year.

    By applying Tom’s selection process to Ed’s open shell theory, the Board found that the two proposals provided a similar outcome. By a unanimous vote of all Board members present, it was agreed to use a combination of the two proposals. The draft will consist of using Ed’s grouping process and shell, and then inserting the selection process (with some slight adjustments) by Tom. Using this format the Board believes that they can create balanced team parity for the 2009 Summer season.
  3. Draft - The draft is scheduled to be held Wednesday, April 15 after practice. The season will begin Monday, April 27.
The Meeting was adjourned at 7:45.
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Apr 15, 2009
The Meeting was called to order at 6:15 pm at NP Dodge Park. Those in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Mert Opfer, Tom Fiscus, Tom Herfordt, Ed Tworek, Torri Pantaleon, and Steve Quinn. Absent: Dave Banghart and Joe Beninato.
  1. 2009 Summer Draft - Although the draft was scheduled for this evening, it was decided to postpone until Monday, April 20. There were a number of new players who had not yet turned in their registration and fees so a final count of registered players was not available. These registrations should be finalized by the end of the night with a confirmation of total number of players for the 2009 Summer season. It is believed that the registration forms submitted this evening will bring the total number of registered players to 135, and adequately allow establishing an 11th team for this year. The Board members present discussed the issue and by a vote of 5 to 1 it was agreed to add another team if the required number of registrations are confirmed.
    The matter of who will manage and draft for the new team was discussed. It was suggested by Dave Banghart to consider either Duane Carolus or Bobby Knowles (who is familiar with the league) to take on this responsibility. Duane stated that Mike Reed, who currently plays with the Phillies, expressed an interest in being a Manager. In the interest of the league, Dave Banghart would agree to release Mike from the Phillies to allow him to take over as the new manager. In a vote by the Board members present, it was passed unanimously to make Mike Reed the Manager of the new team, and he will be responsible for drafting its players. The new team will be established entirely from players currently in the draft. Due to the fact of an odd number of teams the schedule will be set up for double headers in order to avoid any bye games for teams.
  2. Senior Softball Night At Omaha Royals - Steve Quinn has been in communication with representatives of the Omaha Royals. He is happy to announce that the Royals will have a Nebraska Senior Softball Community night at the Aug 11 Omaha Royals game. Although not all the details have been worked out, some things that are in consideration for the night will be an introduction and on field interview with the players from the 60’s tournament team, Old School Legends. They are the 2008 National Champions of the 60+ AA bracket in the SPA tournament held in Dalton, GA last fall. A representative of that team will throw out of the ceremonial first pitch. Having a representative of Nebraska Senior Softball in the radio booth with KFAB and discussing the organization during in between inning chats. He was also informed that we can have a Nebraska Senior Softball information booth set up at the entrance of the stadium, providing information about the league. Steve will provide more information as the details are finalized.

The Meeting was adjourned at 7:05.
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May 7, 2009
The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at Gambino’s Pizza. Those in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Ed Tworek, Mert Opfer, Joe Beninato, Torri Pantaleon, Tom Herfordt, Dave Banghart and Steve Quinn. Absent: Tom Fiscus.
  1. Remainder of 2009 Summer Schedule - Duane Carolus presented the proposed draft of the continuation of the 2009 Summer schedule submitted by Jim Wilmot. Jim felt that he gave his best effort to make it as balanced as possible. Duane also reported that he received an e-mail from Doug Findley who had some concerns with the current schedule and how it would continue for the remainder of the summer season. In his e-mail, Doug stated that he felt that there was some lack of balance in the schedule. As things are currently set up, teams will be playing some other teams 4 times throughout the season; while playing the rest of the teams only twice. He has suggested more effort be put forth to create a schedule which provides a better balance for all teams. He suggested that the Board consider extending the summer season. His reasoning, the league has more players during the summer than the fall. Also during the fall the weather turns colder and more people have a less desire to participate. It was also discussed that part of the lack of balance is due to adding the double headers to eliminate the byes. Byes were not built into the schedule with the understanding that the majority of the league members preferred to play a double header rather than have a scheduled bye. The Board members present discussed taking the time to try to create the remainder of the schedule to create more balance for all teams.
    Ed Tworek will contact Rick Prusha and the two will work together to draft a 2nd round of the schedule to help create a fully balanced schedule, taking into consideration the current 1st round of play.
    Also discussed was the issue of building in dates for makeup games for rain outs. If we wish to makeup as many rain outs as possible, then this could possibly extend the summer season. This would then cause a problem of determining when to begin the Fall season. Currently we schedule a 2 week layoff between the two seasons. This allows for player registration and tryouts for new players to the fall. It was ultimately determined that the summer is a 25 game schedule starting on 4/27 going through 7/22. It was suggested to set a 22 game schedule, leaving 3 open nights at the end to accommodate 2 nights for rain out make up games. The final night would be played as a position round.
    A motion was made by Dave Banghart and second by Steve Quinn to proceed with preparing the remainder of the schedule to be set up with 22 games, balancing the team matchups as best as possible. Games 23 & 24 will be assigned as makeup dates for rainouts. Game 25 will be a position round; teams will play each other based on standings at that time. The #1 ranked team will play #2; #3 will play #4 and so on. The 11th team in the standings will not be scheduled to play. In the event there is a tie for the League Championship; the playoff game will be scheduled. The motion was passed unanimously by all Board members present.
  2. Assignment of Pool Players - We currently have 3 late registrations as pool players. Of the current players, only 1 has played the maximum of 4 games and properly been evaluated. In a review of the current rosters, the Royals are caring a 13 man roster; the Cardinals are now at only11 with the withdrawal of Steve Jordan. The rest of the teams are all at 12 man rosters. Since the Cardinals have the short roster, they will receive the first assignment of a pool player, that being Alan Hardt who is the only one at this time who has been evaluated in 4 games.
    A motion was made by Tom Herfordt and second by Steve Quinn to have the other pool players; Tom Hilt and Phil Eberhart play a couple more games as pool players before they are officially assigned to a team. The motion was passed unanimously by all Board members present.
  3. Rule - Home Plate Outs - The current rule states that the defensive player must have possession of the ball while touching the home plate on the strike mat after the runner has passed the commitment line. Because the defensive player cannot feel the plate (like the other bases), this creates a disadvantage for the defensive player. It was proposed to amend the current rule to state that the defensive player must be touching anywhere on the strike zone mat. A motion was made by Joe Beninato and second by Dave Banghart to amend the rule as proposed. The motion was passed unanimously by all Board members present.
  4. Board Positions Up For Election - Three board positions will be up for election at this year’s League meeting. The position of Associate Commissioner is already established as one of those. The other 2 board members who chose not to run for re-election are Mert Opfer and Tom Fiscus. Duane assigned Del Stokes, Bob Williams and Bill Smuck to the nominating committee. It will be their responsibility to put together the voting ballots. Any League member who is interested in running for any of the 3 openings for election should contact one of these committee members.
  5. League Banquet - This is the 10 year anniversary for Nebraska Senior Softball. We would like to do something extra nice for the banquet. Consideration for venues and catering would be a concern for the budget and probably mean a higher cost than in previous years.
    Trish Rubens expressed to Duane Carolus an interest in putting together a committee consisting of wives and significant others to handle the social planning of the league. This committee could research these costs and then work with the Board on a suitable budget. It was agreed upon by everyone present to allow Trish to spearhead a committee to organize this year’s banquet. There was a discussion of possible dates, taking into consideration that the banquet usually falls during college football season and the high school football playoffs. This would cause a conflict if we wish to get some of the local sports media invited to help advertise and promote the league. It was suggested to consider looking at a Sunday late afternoon/evening event.
    A possible venue location is the Omaha Cancer Center located at 172nd and Right Street. Joe Beninato has contacts there who have expressed a willingness to let us use the facility at no cost.
  6. Board Member Issues -
    • Joe Beninato suggested providing a clarification to the managers regarding the courtesy runner rule. It was stated that the managers have been asked to use the rule as its original intent, a safety issue for players who are unable to run the bases due to injury, or minor physical difficulty. If a player feels that they cannot run the bases, then a courtesy runner can be used. It has been strongly requested to avoid using courtesy runners as a strategy to run up the game score. As of the first 3 games of this season, it appears that this is keeping most of the games low scoring and moving faster.
      Joe also requested that the Board consider allowing the older (70+) players to use the Mikken Ultra bats, giving them the opportunity to provide a positive impact to their teams.
    • Torri Pantaleon requested that the process of this year’s draft be outlined and posted on the website. This would provide all League members to be informed of the process.
      He also stated that he had some concerns regarding the umpire’s for the games on Wed. 5/6. He thought there we some seriously bad calls by both umpires used that night. Kevin is responsible for lining up our umpires and the issue will be addressed directly with him.
    • Ed Tworek brought up the issue of how teams are allowed to draw replacement players when they cannot field a full roster for any game. As noted at the Manager’s meeting on March 19, 2009, it was agreed by the majority present that teams needing replacement players could only draw up to a maximum of 9 players. However, with the current pool players and the need to give them playing time we have had to make some adjustments to this issue. The rule needs to be amended to accommodate for the pool players. A motion was made by Steve Quinn and second by Ed Tworek. In the event that any team has less than 10 roster players present at the scheduled start time of a game; they will be allowed to fill their game line-up to 10 players using pool players, if available. However, in the event that all pool players have been assigned and/or none are available, then a team’s game line-up can only be filled to 9 players using replacement players (card draw). At any time in which a team needs to supplement their game line up using replacement (card draw) players, then that team is limited to only 9 players, playing short on defense, and not be penalized with an automatic out in their batting line up. This would also include the instance of an injury during the game; a replacement player can only be drawn if the injury takes the team’s game line-up below 9 players. The motion was passed unanimously by all Board members present.
    • Steve Quinn suggested that we design a car window sticker advertising Nebraska Senior Softball and the 10th Anniversary. They can then be given to all current league members free of charge great advertising, Steve will research the cost.
      He also provided an update on the Nebraska Senior Softball community night at the Royals. The date is Aug 11, 7:05 game against Reno. There will be an on field recognition of the 60’s Old School Legends team. Wally Jernigan will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. A League representative (Dave Banghart) will be in the broadcast booth with KFAB to do over the air interviews between innings. We can have a table/booth set up at the front gate (manned by volunteers from the league) to provide information and immediate registration for fall league to all who are interested. The Royals will allow our organization to purchase tickets in lots of 100 for $3 per ticket. If we choose, we can then resell those tickets at face value or higher (adding to our league balance) to all league members or others we know who have shown an interest in joining the league.
The Meeting was adjourned at 9:05.
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May 21, 2009
The Manager (Representative)/Board Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at the MOS Office. Those in attendance: Dave Dye (Athletics), Allen Boelter (White Sox), Duke Burgess (Blue Jays), Bill Smuck (Royals), George Scott (Braves), Jim Wilmot (Tigers), Paul Kwaak (Rangers), Ed Tworek (Nationals), Joe Beninato (Cardinals), Dave Banghart (Phillies), Duane Carolus, Mert Opfer, and Torri Pantaleon.
Absent: Steve Quinn, Tom Fiscus, Tom Herfordt, and Marlins representative.
  1. Illegal Bats - Implementing a rule and penalty if caught using an illegal bat during League game play. There is some concern that players are using illegal bats (intentionally and unintentionally) and not being penalized for the action. Although ASA has written rules regarding the use of illegal bats during game play, Nebraska Senior Softball currently does not implement any penalties during League games. In tournaments the penalties can include ejection of the player for the game, and sometimes even the tournament. Because the published list of illegal and non-approved bats is so extensive, not everyone is aware of which bats are not allowed; so some instances of using illegal bats may be unintentional. George Scott has recommended that if any player is considering using or purchasing a bat and unsure if it is legal or not, they should check with the umpires to verify if the bat is legal or talk with some of the veteran players. There are quite a few League members who are familiar with which bats are illegal. Due to the fact that some of the infractions in our League have been unintentional, it is felt that the ASA rule should be modified for Nebraska Senior Softball use.
    A motion was made by Mert Opfer and second by Dave Dye to add the following rule to Nebraska Senior Softball:
    • A player will be given one (1) warning (for the season) if they are caught with an illegal bat prior to stepping into the batter’s box. The player will be instructed to remove the bat from game play, and given the opportunity to select a legal bat to use for the remainder of the game.
    • With or without a warning, if a player is caught putting a ball into play using an illegal bat the batter is called out, and the illegal bat should be removed from game play. If it is discovered that a previous batter has used an illegal bat and a pitch has been made, the current batter only is out (if using an illegal bat).
    • Any subsequent offense (during the game or season) by any player using an illegal bat after a warning and /or 1st offense, the player shall be ejected for that game only.
    The motion was passed unanimously by all Managers (Representatives) and Board members present. In additional discussion regarding illegal bats, the issue of the use of shiny electrical tape as a handle grip was brought up. ASA rule on page 40, #3, paragraph H states a bat’s safety grip will be of cork tape. NO smooth plastic tape (electrical) tape will be allowed. For clarification, plastic tape may be used to secure the grip at the top and/or bottom only, it should NOT be used for the grip.
  2. 2nd Half Schedule - Ed presented Rick Prusha’s first draft of the 2nd half of the schedule. In this draft Rick focused on establishing even pairings for teams for the entire season. He agrees it would need to be fined tuned for balance in regards to early/late and home/visitor games. He also built in a make-up date for games rained out on April 27, and an additional rain make-up dated (if needed) at the end of the season. The discussion included the proposed 2nd half draft from Jim Wilmot reviewed by the Board at the May 7 meeting. Although the 1st half of the schedule was not equally balanced, Jim’s proposed 2nd half would correct any in-balance and also establish even pairings for the entire season. Also in review of Jim’s proposed 2nd half, the game times although not equally distributed, were as balanced as they could be when setting up an 11 team game schedule. Duane Carolus made a proposal to use Jim Wilmot’s proposed 2nd half schedule going through 22 games. Game 23 would be the make-up date for the April 27 rain out; game 24 would be an additional scheduled rain out make-up (if needed); game 25 would be a position round. The proposal was second by Bill Smuck and passed unanimously by all Managers/Representatives and Board members present.
  3. Assignment of Pool Players - Those present discussed how to assign the 2 pool players; Tom Hilt and Phil Eberhart. At this time there is no team with a short roster and a need to fill an opening. It was suggested by Ed Tworek to assign the players based on a purpose of balancing team parity. Duane Carolus has received some communication that there may be 1 or 2 teams whose rosters maybe reduced during the season for reasons not mentioned. Duane suggested a random draw with only those teams who wish to add another player to their roster. Joe Beninato suggested that a random draw include all teams excluding the Royals as they are the only team with a 13 player roster. After additional discussion on all of these options, a motion was made by Joe Beninato and second by Dave Dye to use a random draw with all teams, except the Royals, to assign the pool players. The motion was passed unanimously by all present. The only team not represented at the meeting was the Marlins; it was agreed by everyone present that Sue Kunert (Secretary) would draw for the Marlins. Tom Hilt was drawn by the Athletics, and Phil Eberhart was drawn by the Marlins. Duane Carolus will contact the Marlins and let them know of their assignment of Phil Eberhart. The managers will notify these players of their new team assignment and get their jerseys ordered.
  4. Sliding into the scoring Plate - Duane Carolus felt it was important to address this issue, as there was an instance during a game this season when a player did slide into the scoring plate. Although the current League rules do not state that a player cannot slide into the scoring plate, some of the veteran League members remember it being a rule at one time, which caused some confusion at the time of the incident. Dave Banghart said the rule was removed in 2005, but could not recall the reason. Torri Pantaleon thought the issue was brought to the board back then and after some discussion it was voted to remove the rule and allow players to slide into the scoring plate if they chose to. Dave Banghart felt the rule should be re-instated for player safety. A motion was made by Jim Wilmot and second by Allen Boelter to allow the scoring plate open to sliding. A vote of all those present resulted in a tie, with Duane Carolus abstaining. It was then agreed by everyone present to have only the Managers/Representatives vote on the motion. That vote also resulted in a tie with 5 in favor and 5 opposed. The issue will now go to the board for further discussion and a vote.
  5. Other Playing Rules and Guidelines -
    • In additional discussion, Duane Carolus instructed that runners going into 2nd base with a potential double play should make every effort to get out of the way of the play. Dave Banghart suggested that Duane send out an e-mail from the League Commissioner with the exact wording of the rule regarding Avoiding Collisions as noted in the player rules.
    • Another topic of discussion brought up by Jim Wilmot was whether or not a team’s roster player entering the game late must play an inning of defense before entering the batting line-up. It was verified at this time that no rule exists. However, a player from a team’s regular roster may be added any time during the game, batting in the last position.
    • Duane Carolus then addressed the issue of all players getting into the game. He received an e-mail which questioned why a player of an opposing team was present and in the dugout for the game but did not play, believing he chose not to play in order to give his team a better advantage in the game. Under guidelines on the website, Item #7 Roster-Player Participation states; Every player in attendance shall be in the batting order the entire game and shall play a defensive position, as directed by the team manager, a minimum of four (4) innings per game unless they are injured or request otherwise. As a courtesy, it is the responsibility of all the Managers to notify the opposing team of any present players who will not be playing.
  6. Team Manager/Representative Comments:
    • Joe Beninato (Cardinals) Wanted to let everyone know that after the games last week he and some other players stopped at The Cabin, located at 48th & McKinley. The establishment is under new management and wanted the League to know they are welcome there. The Cardinals received the first pool player assignment, Alan Hardt, and Joe reported that they are happy to him on their team.
    • George Scott (Braves) In the consideration of allowing the 70+ players to use the Ultra II bats, the Braves took a team vote and would be in favor of allowing this consideration. George also requested that the Board consider a transparent draft, and change it from every 3 years to every year. (These 2 items will be under advisement for future consideration by the Board).
    • Bill Smuck (Royals) Is in agreement of George’s suggestion to change the draft to every year. He also commented that so far into this season he thinks the League is going along very well, and is impressed with the number of new players. He wanted to commend Steve Quinn in his marketing efforts to recruit new players.

    Managers/Representatives released at 8:30 pm.

    Board Members Meeting:
  7. Financial Reporting - Duane Carolus reported that we have received the MOS e-mail invoice for a total of $3,520, which are fees for 11 teams at $320 per team.
  8. Sliding into the Scoring Plate - The Board discussed the issue of sliding into the scoring plate. Torri Pantaleon suggested as a League, we encourage players not to slide for safety reasons, but not penalize them for doing it. Mert Opfer suggested that a rule be set and the League abide by it. A motion was made by Joe Beninato and second by Mert Opfer to adopt the rule A base runner maybe retired when sliding into the scoring plate. In a vote of 3-2 the motion was passed in favor of adopting the rule as stated by the Board members present.
  9. Future Pool Players - In the future all potential Pool Players will be assigned to an existing team by way of a random draw.
  10. 2009 League Meeting - A League meeting will be held again this year at the conclusion of the summer season. It was decided that the date would be Wed. July 29 at 6:30 pm. The location will be determined and communicated at a later date. Joe Beninato suggested having the meeting at Elmwood Park. He will check into costs to rent the Pavilion and any restrictions for use of the park. A free will donation was accepted at last year’s meeting, however costs exceeded the donations and the League absorbed those costs. Dave Banghart suggested that we follow the same procedure this year. The election of the Associate Commissioner and 2 other Board positions will take place at the League meeting. Duane Carolus has spoken with the nominating committee of Bill Smuck, Del Stokes, and Bob Williams to try to recruit potential candidates. It was also suggested that the nominating application be posted on the website for League members.
  11. 2009 Banquet - Trish Rubens will be heading up the planning committee for the Banquet. She has already received volunteers of other wives and significant others to assist her. Trish is intending to have a short survey for players to indicate their preferences in the banquet plans. Joe Beninato has a meeting next week with the Omaha Cancer Center and will be talking with his contact there to see what dates they have available for us to use the facility, if the League chooses. It has been mentioned that they would allow us to use this location at no cost.
  12. Nebraska Senior Softball at Rosenblatt - As noted at the last meeting, the date is Aug 11. Duane Carolus has received some suggestions as to what to do with the surplus funds received (if any) from the ticket sales for this game; (1) subsidizing the banquet costs; (2) apply to jersey costs in the future. The Board will need to make a decision soon on the allocation of these funds.
  13. Board Members Comments: