West Hartford Youth Baseball Announces Changes

As I gaze out the window of my home office, I am greeted by a bleak and barren landscape covered with several feet of snow and topped by an icy glaze. All I can think about is the need for sunshine, warmth, and springtime weather. Everyone seems to be tired of the winter already, so when deciding on the topic for today’s column, I thought I would write about something that brings to mind visions of warmer days – baseball!

I caught up with Rob Gallo, the new (WHYBL) President, to talk about upcoming changes to the league’s schedules, fields, and overall organization.

Perhaps the biggest news is WHYBL’s recent affiliation with Cal Ripken Baseball, which is a division of Babe Ruth Baseball. WHYBL has operated as an independent league since its founding in 1949, and although they have considered affiliations with national baseball organizations in the past, it was never the right fit. “Cal Ripken Baseball is currently a driving force in youth baseball,” said Gallo. “They are a big name organization, and they are growing in Connecticut, but most importantly we can keep most of our current structure in place while having greater opportunities for our summer travel teams to participate in Cal Ripken tournaments.”

Additionally, all managers and coaches, most of whom already have at least five years' experience, will now be required to pass the Cal Ripken online certification course. The league will also adopt the Cal Ripken rules for limiting the number of innings pitched to six per calendar week. Players who pitch at least three innings in a game will require two days of rest before pitching again. This will impact both the Major and Minor League spring teams as well as the summer league and travel teams. League organizers believe that this will result in increased safety for pitchers and will also encourage teams to develop more pitchers.

Summer travel programs will have more options for play since they will now be able to enter or even host Ripken district tournaments. “We are still planning to send the Travel A team to Cooperstown this year,” said Gallo, “but eventually we may look at opportunities to play in a Ripken tournament in Myrtle Beach or at the headquarters of Ripken Baseball in Maryland.” He said it would also open up more possibilities for the Travel B (12U) team to take a trip as part of their summer season.

At the same time, John Gaglioti, who has been named “Umpire in Chief,” is working to upgrade the level of play by requiring all umpires for Major League and tournament games to be certified through the Super East Baseball Umpires. The certification requires at least 10 hours of training. “It will bring more consistency to the umpiring process, and even the presence of umpires in their uniforms with the certification patches will bring a more professional look to the game,” said Gallo.

Other changes include the addition of two inter-league games to the Major League spring schedule, for a total of 16 games to be played by each team. The playoffs have also been expanded to include the top 12 teams, and will take place over a two-week period with an elimination round followed by the Town Championship and President’s Cup consolation games.

WHYBL is also making some enhancements to its fields. An electronic scoreboard has been installed at the field, thanks to a donation from the family of former WHYBL President Al Parven. “The process of redoing the entire infield at has already begun, and the field will drain better and be playable faster and for more games this season,” said Gallo. He also said that Wolcott’s existing PA system will be used to play the national anthem and announce players before each game.

Other upgrades, such as the installation of a press box with an improved PA system and the building of “professional” quality dugouts, are dependent on the league’s fundraising success. Brian White, a veteran coach who led the 2010 Travel A (12U) team to three tournament championships, a 22-0 record on the 60-foot diamond and 6-3 record in Cooperstown, has been tapped to lead the Fundraising Committee. He will look to generate additional revenue through donations, the sale of league merchandise, and partnerships with businesses such as new sponsor .

Additional changes to the WHYBL Executive Board include naming Jim Yanosy as Vice President of the Major League Division, Steve Cudo as Vice President of the Minor League Division, and Rob Paolitto as Vice President of the Training Division. Jim Hungerford, who is currently WHYBL Treasurer, manager of a major league team, and has an unprecedented track record as two-year manager of the Travel C (10U) team, will now head up the Travel Committee.

“Our press release announcing changes in the organization has been very well-received, but we are still working to be sure people understand the difference between West Hartford Youth Baseball and Little League,” said Gallo. He said that for the younger players, the main difference between the leagues is that WHYBL forms teams by elementary schools. WHYBL Major League teams use a draft (with picks afforded based on experience the previous season), rather than a group practice, to select players. However, once chosen, a player remains with the same team throughout their “career.” “We’ve been criticized for developing ‘super’ teams, but the way the league is structured, and as shown by eight different teams winning the town championship over the past decade, we feel our system gives teams a very good representation,” said Gallo.

“The new board is great. There is so much energy and experience,” said Gallo, who added that following this spring season the board will survey parents as they look to continue to upgrade the baseball experience for all of the participants.

For more information, visit the WHYBL website www.whybaseball.com, and start thinking about springtime!