[DG]

Originally posted by bigwes68
In our league, which is EXTREMELY small (only 3 teams, and all of them are barely able to field 9 players on a given night) we have a local league rule that allows a team to play with 8 (start or finish a game), but no fewer. I don't particularly like the rule, but if they didn't have it, there would be forfeits every night and the kids would never get to play.

However, I do think that Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken needs to come up with some guidelines to address this situation. This happens in our league every single year. They will draft a league of 3 or 4 teams with 12-13 players each, then 3 or 4 will quit from each team, and they'll have to redraft to make sure the teams have enough to play. Then kids will just not show up for a game. I'm sure it happens in other leagues, too.

Of course, as disorganized and "good ol' boy" as our league is, they make up rules as they go all the time and I get sick of it. Then they accuse me of being the "college boy who's called some big-time high school games and is trying to act like he knows everything." Quite honestly, I'm the only umpire in the whole league that actually has an umpire uniform or equipment, and probably the only one that has ever read a rule book. The other guys come out there in t-shirts and jeans, and don't even wear plate gear other than a mask. Then they take their check after the game and go straight to the liquor store. Shows what I'm dealing with.

Why do 3-4 players quit each team every year? I have never heard of such a thing. In 12 years of coaching baseball I had only 3 players quit during the season in this entire time.