The highest level of the BYB spring program.

Eligibility:

A player must be 13-16 years old on August 31 of the year of the spring season. A player who turns 13 in September or later, or turns 17 in August or earlier, is not eligible. A player who is on the roster of a high school baseball team is also not eligible.

Format:

Two competitive leagues in which players are taught more advanced skills on larger baseball fields.

Schedule:

Two or three seven-inning games per week, followed by playoffs.

What's New:

Games are played on a full-size baseball field. Leading and stealing are allowed without restriction. Penalties are enforced for balks. Under certain conditions, a batter may run to first base on a dropped third strike.

NEW FORMAT FOR POST-MAJOR LEAGUES -- PLEASE READ

Parents and coaches have requested that BYB consider adding a league for players who are eligible for the Pony League but who would benefit from playing on a somewhat smaller field. Many other towns have a league with infield dimensions and a pitching distance that are greater than those in the BYB Major A League but less than those of high school, college and Major League Baseball. A league with an intermediate-size field can enhance the baseball experience for the many players who would benefit from playing on a field with dimensions that reflect the players' continued growth and development but do not require the degree of physical development that is necessary for success on an infield with Fenway Park's basepaths and its pitching distance. Such a change could create many new opportunities for developing players to pitch and play infield positions that might not have been as accessible on a Major League Baseball-sized field. In addition, players who may have dropped out because of the challenges of playing on the larger field will have new opportunities to continue playing with their peers.

In response, BYB is planning two changes to the league structure for players who were born before [September 1, 1994] and after [August 31, 1990]: (1) to add a league with an intermediate-size field (larger than Major A and Major B but smaller than Major League Baseball), and (2) to add a year of eligibility for high school students born after [August 31, 1990] and who are not playing on their school teams.

We are planning to accomplish this by creating two leagues for this age group:

(1) a revised Pony League that will use an intermediate-size field, and
(2) a new Senior League with Major League Baseball's infieldimensions and pitching distance.

By way of comparison, the infield and pitching dimensions of BYB's Major, Pony and Senior Leagues will be as follows:

-- Major A and Major B Leagues: 60' basepaths and 45' pitching distance (no change)
-- Pony League: 80' basepaths and 54' pitching distance
-- Senior League: 90' basepaths and 60'6" pitching distance

The League Vice President will be responsible for making player assignments and may use tryouts, consultations with coaches and other League Vice Presidents, and such other criteria as s/he deems appropriate, in determining the most appropriate League for each player. It is expected that nearly all 7th graders will play in the revised Pony League, and the Pony League will also be available to all other players for whom it is most appropriate. All registrants should plan to participate in tryouts, so that the coaches and League Vice President can determine the appropriate league for them. As in the past, high school students are eligible only if they are not also playing for their school baseball teams.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CREATION OF THE ADDITIONAL LEAGUE IS DEPENDENT ON THE REGISTRATION OF ENOUGH PLAYERS. REGISTRANTS BORN BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 1990 AND AUGUST 31, 1994 SHOULD CHOOSE THE COMBINED PONY LEAGUE/SENIOR LEAGUE OPTION -- NO CHOICE SHOULD OR CAN BE MADE. AFTER THE TRYOUTS, PLAYERS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE APPROPRIATE LEAGUE BASED ON THE CONSIDERATION OF A NUMBER OF FACTORS.

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it for more information.