|
PREFACE
FlutterBall™ originated in the summer of 1986 in Fenwick, Ontario,
Canada. It was created in order to make baseball accessible to individuals
when a full player roster was not available. Many versions of StrikeOut,
BoxBall and Wiffleball are currently being played throughout North
America, however, most lack the strategy, challenge and excitement of
FlutterBall™ .
The focal point of FlutterBall™ was based on finding the most
realistic and versatile gameball known to man. After countless trials and
errors, the FlutterBall™ was designed to be the official game ball. It
is very similar to a real baseball because it is the same size, can be
thrown just as fast as one and when pitched properly, it curves, rises et
cetera. On the other hand it is soft so it does not injure and travels a
maximum distance of up to 115-30 feet.
Combine this, with a uniquely designed FlutterBall™ playing field
consisting of unparalleled dimensions and night lighting system, a
carpeted batter's box featuring the FlutterBall™ Strike Out Zone
with a special strike out pocket, as well as raised pitcher's
mound.....exemplifies just how much FlutterBall™ has evolved into
the ultimate adult baseball game.
SECTION
I
1.0 THE PLAYING FIELD
1.1 The PLAYING FIELD shall be laid out according to the instructions
below. Fenwick FlutterBall™ Field was designed using the traditional
grass infield/outfield concept and pitchers mound. Future league diamonds
may have a playing surface made up of either dirt, grass, artificial turf,
concrete, or asphalt.
1.2 Future FlutterBall™ fields should be equipped with an outfield
fence. The OUTFIELD must be enclosed by either a fence, wall, or some
completely different surface as to distinguish home runs from other base
hits. The distance from home plate to straight away center field should be
no less than 100 ft and no more than 125 ft.
1.3 The INFIELD shall be marked with one line, extending from one foul
line to the other, crossing directly through the pitchers mound. This line
is used to determine if a base hit had occurred. Any hit ball landing past
this line and staying within either foul line will be defined as a base
hit.
1.4 The FOUL LINES shall extend from home plate to the base of the foul
poles, in left and right field, clearly defining the limits of
"Fair" territory for the playing field. The foul poles must be
clearly marked before any play begins. The distance from home plate to the
base of any foul pole shall be no less than 90 ft and no more than 125 ft.
1.5 The BATTER'S BOX shall consist of an official home plate extending
forward 3 ft from the front edge of the FlutterBall™ STRIKE OUT
ZONE. Alternatively, the entire home plate area may be carpeted, but the
batters box must be clearly marked on either side of home plate itself.
1.6 The FlutterBall™ STRIKE OUT ZONE shall be located directly
behind home plate. The strike out zone must be 22" wide by 32"
tall and 15" off the ground. It must also be equipped with an
automatic strike out hole that is 10" wide by 10" tall.
1.7 The PITCHERS MOUND must have an exact distance from home plate to the
front edge of the pitching rubber of 50 ft. The maximum height of the
mound is 2 ft.
1.8 The BACK STOP shall be any distance behind home plate that will not
interfere with the calling of balls/strikes or affect the full backswing
of a hitter. The recommended size for a back stop should 13ft wide by 10ft
tall.
2.0
EQUIPMENT
2.1 The official ball used at the Fabulous FlutterBall™ Field should be
none other than the revolutionary FlutterBall™.
2.2 The game ball may not be altered in any way prior to or during an
official game. Also, no tape or other foreign matter can be placed onto
the ball.
2.3 A ball that is significantly damaged (i.e. cover cut) to the extent
where its flight is altered must be removed from the game. A set of
replacement balls must be available at every game.
2.4 All wooden or aluminum team BATS must be pre-approved by the League's
Board of Governors. Any game bat used by a player must be made available
to the opposing team.
2.5 All types of BASEBALL GLOVES are permitted, however they are not
mandatory.
2.6 The use of a BATTING HELMET is optional, but not mandatory.
2.7 Players are free to wear GLASSES, either prescription glasses or
sunglasses.
2.8 No BATTING GLOVES or SPIKED SHOES shall be permitted, except if they
are required due to inclement weather.
2.9 Team UNIFORMS must be worn during an official league game. All team
jerseys must include a team and FlutterBall™ logo. Baseball style
hats are optional, however, if one is worn it too must make reference to
FlutterBall™ .
2.10 No league game may take place without an official FlutterBall™
Strike Out Zone. Human or computerized umpiring may not be substituted at
any time.
2.11 Any player found using the following ILLEGAL EQUIPMENT will be
subsequently suspended and/or fined accordingly by the League's Board of
Governors. The list is subject to revision at anytime by the league:
Earrings, Sandpaper, Emiry Board, Tape, Cribnotes, Cork or Spikes.
2.12 Any player found using any of the following PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES
will be immediately suspended by the League's Board of Governors. There is
a zero tolerance rule in effect for the entire FlutterBall™
regular season and post-season. The list is subject to revision at any
time by the league: Benedril, Sudafed, Anabolic steroids, Testosterone,
Estrogen, Ben-Gay, Muscle Relaxant, Cigarettes, Chewing Tobacco, Aspirin,
Vaseline, Rogain, Growth Hormones, Decongestants and Generic Drugs.
2.13 Any player found to be purposely DAMAGING and/or DESTROYING the
playing field, any equipment or INSTIGATING a fight/brawl in order to gain
an advantage or have play suspended will automatically forfeit the game.
The player shall also be responsible for the purchase of replacement
equipment and/or any medical expenses incurred by their opponent.
3.0 UMPIRING
3.1 There will be a maximum of 4 BALLS and/or 3 STRIKES per batter.
3.2 A BALL is any pitch which does not hit the FlutterBall™ strike
zone and is not swung at by the batter.
3.3 A STRIKE is any pitch which is directly thrown onto the FlutterBall™
strike zone, fouled off and/or the batter swung without getting a base
hit.
3.4 A WALK will be issued if a batter receives four balls during an at-bat
or is hit by a pitch in certain circumstances (see section 3.16).
3.5 An OUT is recorded if a batter receives three strikes against during
an at-bat, when a fouled ball is caught or when a defensive player catches
any fly ball.
3.6 If a batter fouls off a third strike pitch directly into the strike
out zone it will be counted a THIRD STRIKE and the batter is therefore
out.
3.7 A batter will be considered to have GROUNDED OUT when upon hitting a
fair ground ball, the pitcher or fielder manages to stop the ball, in one
motion throw it and hit the FlutterBall™ strike out zone or the
ball rolls under the strikeout zone between the two supports. If the
player fails, the play will be ruled a foul ball.
3.8 If a pitched ball directly lands or is fouled back into the
FlutterBall™ strike out pocket and remains inside, the batter is
AUTOMATICALLY OUT.
3.9 A batter caught attempting a BUNT will be called out automatically.
3.10 During a fair pop-up, the opposing team may call out "double
play." Then they must catch the ball and then in one motion throw it
and successfully hit the FlutterBall™ strike out zone. This will
result in will a DOUBLE PLAY. If unsuccessful, the baserunners will
advance one base.
3.11 It is the responsibility of the batter to make all FAIR and FOUL
calls on hits.
3.12 It is the responsibility of the pitcher/fielder closest to the ball
to make LINE CALLS, with respect to a fair ball being a single, double,
triple, or homerun.
3.13 It is the responsibility of the batter to make the call on a CHECK
SWING.
3.14 If a pitcher deliberately stops during their windup or does not fully
complete the pitch, it will be assessed a BALK. All baserunners will
advance one base.
3.15 A WILD PITCH is a pitch that misses the backstop entirely. All
baserunners will advance 1 base.
3.16 The first HIT BATSMEN will be ruled a ball. Subsequent hit batsmen
will be rewarded first base.
3.17 The OFFICIAL SCORE must be updated by the player at-bat and/or the
batter-on-deck.
3.18 A 10 minute time limit will be allowed for finding lost or hit
gameballs.
3.19 When making an UMPIRING DECISION, the player responsible may ask his
opponent for advice, but has the final say.
4.0 STARTING/ENDING OF AN OFFICIAL LEAGUE GAME
4.1 All League games shall last a minimum of 3 innings (2 outs / half
inning).
4.2 Official ROSTERS shall have no more than 2 players registered for any
one team. No team can use a borrowed or traded player for an upcoming
league game until receiving written or verbal approval by the League's
Board of Governors.
4.3 No team shall start or play an official league game without both teams
having an equal number of roster players present.
4.4 A team's STARTING LINE-UP consists of all the players who appear in
the batting order at the start of the game.
4.5 A team's BATTING ORDER shall have no more than 1 roster players appear
on it at the start of the game. The batting order must remain the same
throughout the entire game unless someone is substituted due to injury.
4.6 All roster players not appearing in the batting order at the start of
the game shall be considered BENCH PLAYERS and are available for
substitution.
4.7 If a game is called, it is ruled a REGULATION GAME if 2/3 of the
innings have been completed and if either team has a lead. (2 innings of a
3 inning game)
4.8 The home team shall call GAME DELAYS if field or weather conditions
are deemed too severe or dangerous for play. Play shall not resume until
the home team determines the situation has passed. If harsh conditions
persist and the match cannot be completed on the same calendar day (by
11:59 pm that night), the game will be considered to never have started.
4.9 If a game is called, it is ruled a SUSPENDED GAME if 2/3 of the
innings have been completed and neither team has the lead. A suspended
game will continue from the point at which it was called and will end when
it meets the parameters of a regulation game.
4.10 If for some inexcusable reason a league game fails to be completed or
is subject to enormous controversy, the team responsible for the problem
will automatically FORFIET the game and the opponent will be awarded a
win. The game will be reviewed by the League's Board of Governors and an
executive decision will be made on the outcome of this matter. All
decisions are final.
4.11 If the score is tied after regulation play, the game shall continue
into one EXTRA INNING. Each team will begin the extra inning with the
bases loaded. The winning team is the one who has scored the most total
runs after completing a full inning. The losing team in extra innings is
awarded a tie, no team can lose in extra innings only win.
4.12 There will be no PROTESTS permitted on judgment calls by any league
players. All other substantiated protests will be reviewed by the League's
Board of Governors and an executive decision will be made on disputed
game. All decisions are final.
SECTION II
5.0 PITCHING
5.1 The pitcher must begin every windup/delivery having his plant foot
touching the PITCHING RUBBER, to be considered an official pitch. Any
pitcher caught cheating by the batter will result in the forfeit of outs
for that inning.
5.2 An OFFICIAL PITCH must be thrown using any over-hand pitching style.
Submarine type pitches are the exception.
5.3 During the PRE-GAME WARMUP, starting pitchers will be allowed a
maximum of 5 practice pitches as well as adequate time to stretch and
loosen up.
5.4 Pitchers will be allowed up to 3 warm-up pitches during all subsequent
INNINGS.
5.5 A PITCHING SUBSTITUTION can be made at any time, as long as the
current pitcher has pitched to a minimum of 3 consecutive batters.
5.6 A pitcher who has suffered a SERIOUS INJURY can be substituted for a
reliever at any time. The pitcher will not be allowed to play in any
capacity for that entire calendar date.
5.7 All RELIEF PITCHERS will be given up to 5 practice pitches prior to
resuming the ball game.
5.8 After a pitcher is relieved, they must maintain their original spot in
the team BATTING ORDER.
6.0 DEFENSE
6.1 Fielders cannot stand in front of the PITCHING LINE, but may field the
ball past the line after the pitch has been made.
6.2 A defensive fielder shall not position himself directly behind the
pitcher. The batter can make an appeal and have the fielder reposition
himself out of the BATTER'S HITTING BACKGROUND before the next pitch is
delivered.
6.3 A pitcher or defensive player shall not engage in any inappropriate
ACTION, MOVEMENT or SOUND with the intent to distract the batter. The
penalty for this action is an automatic ball being called even if an
official pitch was not delivered.
6.4 Each team will be permitted to make DEFENSIVE SUBSTITUTIONS at any
time during a game. The substituted player must be listed in the starting
lineup.
6.5 All Games must have one outfielder, either from your team or an
independent team. The outfielder must be made available to each team if
they wish. The outfielder never bats.
6.6 The outfielder is responsible for all balls hit to him/her. A rolling
ball may be thrown and the batter out if the play adhearse to section 3.7.
The fielder then will be award a three points in the regular season
standings
6.7 Any time the outfielder makes a catch in the field that is recorded as
an out for the pitcher, the fielder shall be awarded one point the the
regular season standings
6.8 If the outfielder causes an error while in the outfield they will be
deducted 3 points from the regular season standings. The Pitcher will be
rewarded 2 points for the miscue by the fielder. An error is recorded if:
i) the fielder while attempting to throw a runner out, misses the backstop
completely and hits no part of the batting surface. ii) the fielder misses
or fumbles a batted ball which results in the batter making it to a base
when they would not otherwise. This error can be nullified if the fielder
recovers the bobbled ball while it is still in motion and then throws the
batter out (see section 3.7). If successful this will nullify the
error and any baserunner that would have occurred. Please note that during
the throw the preceding section (i) is also in effect so it is possible
that a double error could occur in one play, but at no time shall the
batter or any runners advance more then one base ever with a double error
occuring.
6.8.2
An error caused by an outfielder will result in only the equivalent to a
single for the batter, no matter where the ball lands after the error has
occurred, and at no time can a run be scored off an error. If it is
the case that a runner is on third when an outfielding error occurs then
the runner will remain on third while all other runners will advance.
6.8.3
Rule number 6.8.2 could result in the placement of two runners on third
base at the same time, this is permitted and any subsequent hit or walk
will result in both runners previously on third base scoring.
6.8.4
Rule number 6.8 ii) is only in effect for a fair ball that would have
resulted in a hit, not a ground ball that if the fielder throw was
unsuccessful would result in a strike.
7.0 BATTING
7.1 Each player shall bat when their name appears next on the team BATTING
ORDER.
7.2 A batter will be called out, on appeal, if it is determined they are
BATTING OUT OF ORDER. The next hitter will then take their turn at bat.
7.3 A batter has officially completed their AT-BAT when they are put out,
manages a hit or is walked.
7.4 BATTING STANCE - a hitter is required to have both feet in contact
with the batter's box but cannot encroach towards home plate. A batter
found using an illegal stance will be called out.
7.5 The batter may not CALL TIME-OUT once the pitcher has started his
motion towards home plate or has turned his head away as part of his
pitching motion. If a hitter steps out of the box during any part of the
pitcher's delivery, it will be called an official pitch and is not subject
to an appeal.
7.6 The hands of a batter will be ruled as an EXTENSION OF THE BAT, except
when a batter hits a fair ball off of his hand(s). Then and only then it
will be ruled a foul ball.
7.7 Any pitched ball which hits a batter who is legally positioned within
the batter's box and is not in the act of swinging will be ruled to have
been HIT BY A PITCH.. The batter must make an honest attempt to get out of
the way of a pitch.
7.8 If the batter is deemed to have intentionally moved into a pitch in an
attempt to block it from hitting the FlutterBall™ strike out zone,
it shall be ruled BATTER INTERFERENCE and the pitch will be called a
strike.
7.9 The batter or batter-on-deck has the responsibility to THROW BACK a
pitched ball to the pitcher. All players must effectively return the ball
to the pitcher. No stalling tactics will be tolerated. Continuous attempts
to stall will result in a strike being called.
8.0 OFFENSE
8.1 SINGLE - is any fair hit ball that lands beyond the pitching line and
does not roll to the outfield wall. A fair line drive or flyball that is
dropped by a fielder will also be ruled a single.
8.2 DOUBLE - is any fair hit ball that lands beyond the pitching line and
rolls or bounces to the outfield wall. A fair hit ball that lands beyond
the pitching line and bounces over the outfield wall will be ruled a
ground rule double.
8.3 TRIPLE - is any fair hit flyball that hits the outfield wall without
coming into contact with the playing surface first.
8.4 HOME RUN - is any fair flyball that hits a foul pole or lands on the
other side of the outfield wall without first touching the playing
surface.
8.5 If a pitcher BALK'S or throws a WILD PITCH it will result in all
baserunners advancing 1 base.
8.6 A hitter who draws a WALK will automatically advance to first base.
8.7 After the first HIT BATSMEN, subsequent hit batsmen will be rewarded
first base.
8.8 All "ghost" runners will automatically advance the same
number of bases as the batter.
9.0 OTHER GAME SITUATIONS
9.1 For any events, predicaments or disputed calls that fall outside of
the above written rules, the best judgment of all the participants shall
prevail. A vote can be taken to arrive to a fair decision. There must be
an odd number of players present, if not than the teams must arrive to a
compromise. The incident should be immediately documented and signed by
all participating parties. Furthermore, a new rule amendment must be
devised that will resolve the scenario if it were to take place again.
9.2 No team, league player or outside participant shall behave in a way
that will discredit, bring disrespect, or cause scandal to the game of
FlutterBall™ . If a player is found to have dishonored the game or
spirit of the rules, they will immediately be dealt with by the league's
governing body, and may be suspended for an undetermined amount of time
without any compensation.
SECTION III
10.0 PLAYOFF STRUCTURE
10.1 The winner of the regular season will automatically play in the Chantler
Cup Finals.
10.2 The second place team at the conclusion of the regular season will
automatically make the playoffs and play the first place team for the
Chantler Cup.
10.3 The third place team at the conclusion of the regular season will
play the outfield for both teams in the finals.
10.4 The final championship series will consist of three innings, with
extra innings (no automatic bases-loaded rule, in championship games). The
location of the games will be home-away-home- way-home or
home-home-away-away-home. The first place team has the option to decide
the playoff format.
10.5 The Winner of series, will be deemed the FlutterBall™ Champion, and
take possession of the "Chantler Cup©" for one year, or until
the next champion is awarded, whichever time is less. Note: The "Chantler
Cup©" is the property of FlutterBall™ Board Of Governors and can
only be held by the champion and no other team.
11.0 REGULAR SEASON POINT SYSTEM
11.1 Every game played must be recorded in the season stats.
11.2 Only the two teams playing can receive points for winning or losing
the game. The outfielder accumulates or loses points based on their
performance.
11.2.1 The winning team receives 10 points
11.2.2 The lossing team losses 10 points
11.2.3 If a game is tied, the team receives 0 points
11.2.4 A game won in extra innings is worth 5 points, but a game lost in
extra innings should be recorded as a tie.
11.3 Fielders will receive or loss points according to their performance
in the game (see Section 6.0).
11.4 Final standings shall be determined by the total points from playing
and fielding.
RULE CLARIFICATIONS (1998-2005)
1) Hit Batsman Rule Clarification
A Hit Batsman (or from now on referred to as HB) shall for the purposes of
FlutterBall™ be defined as, Any time a pitched ball comes in contact
with any part of the batters body, when the batter is legally positioned
in the batters box and before the ball comes into contact with the hitters
bat.
For the 1999 Regular Season, there will still be a one HB (clemency) per
game/pitcher. When that first HB occurs, it shall be deemed a Ball, and
should be duly noted on the Official Game Score Card that the first HB has
occurred.
For each and every subsequent HB, a walk will result unless one of the
following circumstances occur in their entirety:
a) The batters foot/feet have moved outside of the official batters box
AFTER the pitchers windup started and REMAINED outside the said box when
the ball strikes the batter. In such a circumstance, the pitcher has the
following options:
i) Rule the batter interfered with play, and thus call the pitch a strike,
or ii) call the pitch null, and proceed as if the pitch never occurred. It
is at the complete discretion of the pitcher on which call he makes, and
the pitcher should not be influenced in any way by the batter or his
teammates. (It should be noted that if the batter has either (or both) of
his feet completely outside of the batters box before the pitchers wind-up
then the pitch is void and does not official count no matter what the
result. Furthermore, if the pitcher continues to quick pitch, before the
batter is set, the pitchers actions shall be reviewed by the Leagues
President, and the pitcher may be reprimanded by the president at his and
only his discretion.)
b) The legally pitched ball hits the batters hand(s) during an official
swing. The batters hands in this case (and only in this case) will be
classified as an extension of the bat, and thus the pitch shall be ruled a
strike. (If on the other hand the ball hits the hand(s) of the batter when
they are not in the act of swinging, then the pitch shall be deemed a HB.)
c) The batter must make what is deemed as a reasonable effort to elude
being struck by the pitch. This clause is ambiguous in as to what one
person feels is reasonable, could be unreasonable for another person. In
adding this clause, it should be noted that the spirit and integrity of
this great game is at stake, and this should impact on how the pitch is
called. Both the pitcher and batter must agree on the subsequent ruling
before it can be implement, if an agreement can not be reached, the
decision shall revert to and be made by the highest ranking FlutterBall™
league representative at the ballpark at that time. (A notable exception
to this clause follows, see section d).
d) (i.e. The Banana Curve Clause) If the Pitch is curving in a drastic
manner, from the inside of the plate (from the batters perspective) toward
the strike zone (and the pitch has a "legitimate" chance of
resulting in a strike if it did not hit the batter), but the said pitch
still comes into contact with the batter (who must be legally positioned
in the batters box), then the following rulings are available:
i) If both the batter and pitcher agree that the pitch would have hit the
strike zone, and that the batter was legally positioned in the batters
box, then the said pitch will be deemed null, and the game will proceed as
if the pitch had never occurred.
ii) If the two cannot agree on the call then the decision will revert to
the sole discretion of the highest ranking FlutterBall™ League
representative, who's decision will be final. It must also be noted that
the batter has the inherent right to stand his ground, and not move out of
the way of a ball, which is drastically curving through the batters box
towards the strike zone. If the rules forced the batter to give-up his
legitimite batting stance in favor of the pitchers throw, then an unfair
advantage would be created for the pitcher. Consequentially, the above
clause was added to the official rule of FlutterBall™ to keep the games
equal balance between pitchers and batters rights.
2)
To help change the current walk to win structure of extra innings, it was
decided that all games that are tied after regulation will only have one
extra inning, and that each inning will start with base runners on 1st
and 2nd base only, (unlike last year where the bases were
loaded). In addition the winner of an extra inning game will only
gain five points, versus 10 points last year. By making these
changes, the board of governors hope that more games will be won in
regulation, since it is in the teams best interest to gain the
additional points there.
3)
Only
the top two teams will advance to the post season, for a chance to win the
coveted Chantler Cup. This
change will help to make the regular season that much more
significant, and should also help to improve the enjoyment of games
for our great fans.
Finally, there will only be one mid-season skills competition
every year versus the
three normally scheduled in the past.
Points
will still be awarded toward the final season totals.
Having
one skills competition, will increase the importance of each regular
season win
or loss.
ANNUAL
MEETINGS
Hi-Lites from the League
Board of Governors Meeting 2000
April 27 to May 3, 2000 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
Halifax, Nova Scotia was the home for the 2000 FlutterBall© League
Governors Meeting with the Prince George Hotel providing accommodations.
Some very important league matters were discussed including:
- Adjusting the Regular Season League Scoring System
- Adding additional responsibilities to the Outfielder
- Moving the Outfield fence out an addition 10 feet
- Installing a new artificial turf hitting surface
- Replacing the strike-out zone with a new Plexiglas surface.
- Installing a weather resistant pitching mound to reduce injury.
- Underground power to be added for easy access and future lighting
By a majority vote the league standings will now be effected by how each
player performs in the outfield. Every catch and error will either
positively or negatively effect the standings, this new system was
implemented to move more responsibility on to the outfielder and away from
the pitcher. This new system should help to encourage all players to
improve their fielding skills.
Since the teams have been improving and Home-runs have increased, the
board of governors agreed to move the outfield fence back 10 feet. This
should again make the fielder more important and speed up the game.
Weather has effected the ability of the teams to perform at their peak,
since rainy conditions made the pitching mound treacherous and the cement
batters box slippery. To improve safety, and new crushed stone pitching
mound re-enforced with cement will be added, and for the batters the
entire home plate area will be cemented and covered with impact absorbing
astro-turf.
The 2000 meetings ended very positively, with the expectations of all
involved that the 2000 season will be the greatest ever.
Hi-Lites from the League Board of Governors Meeting 1999
February 28 to March 4, 1999 (Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A)
Las Vegas, Nevada was the home for the 1999 FlutterBall© League Governors
Meeting with the Imperial Palace Hotel providing accommodations. Some very
important league matters were discussed including:
- New Rule Changes,
- Expansion Teams,
- Stadium improvements,
- and New Marketing Strategies.
In regards to rule changes, FlutterBall© will now be played on a one on
one basis with an additional outfielder. Because of this fundamental
change, many rules will be changed and/or added. Consequently, a new
revised 1999 rule book will be released in the very near future.
Unfortunately, during the off-season the Stoney Creek ScrewBallers©
franchise was dismantled, and their roster and assets were officially
transfered to FlutterBalls© newest franchise, the Burlington BeanBallers©.
The Burlington BeanBallers© have negotiated a new long-term contract with
Rich "That's Craziness" Ivancak and have designated him their
franchise players to circumvent the leagues salary cap. More details on
the new Burlington Franchise will be release in the very near future.
Also on the meetings agenda was establishing a budget for all Fabulous
Fenwick FlutterBall© Field stadium improvements. In a complex financial
transaction that included stocks, dice, sports wagering, futures trading
and schenanegans, a firm budget was assigned for the installation of
lighting fixtures. With the possibility of playing night games, the
leagues upcoming negotiations with a national broadcaster will be that
much easier.
New marketing strategies were also discussed. The only detail that can be
released at this point in time is that the League has purchased the rights
to use the web-address of www.FlutterBall.com and the leagues official web
site will be linked to this address in the very near future.
Hi-Lites from the League Board of Governors Meeting 1998
January 13-15, 1998 (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A)
Application submitted by the Stoney Creek ScrewBallers© requesting
permission to relocate to Burlington, Ontario, for the 1999 season. (As of
now no request for a name change has been submitted)
Last year's exhibition games with the Tokyo Tornado's© and the New York
Express© proved extremely successful. Therefore exhibition games with
international teams will continue this season (schedule to be announced).
A new type of ball will be tested in pre-season games between the Fenwick
FireBallers© and the Stoney Creek ScrewBallers© and if it proves to be
better then the current Louisville Slugger® Sponge baseball, then a vote
by the League Governors will be held to decide if it should be used for
the entire season.
Plans for the leagues newest stadium (tentatively called "FlutterBallTM
Park") have been hammered out over intense negotiations, the final
budget set, and construction is now underway. The date of completion is
scheduled for May 28, 1998.
League wide sponsorship deals (to offset league expenses) are in the
works. If you or your company is interested in having signage place in the
new stadium, please send a e-mail to the League Executives.
St. Catherines Smoke© have been tentatively transferred to a new
conglomerate, but will for the 1998 season remain in St. Catherines.
As a condition of the transfer, the previous owners of the Smoke©
requested a new expansion team be granted to them. As of this date a new
team has been awarded to the city of Stoney Creek, and will be called the
Lochside LineDrivers©. Since a new stadium could not be built in time,
all home games will be played at "FlutterBallTM Park" for the
1998 season.
A New Franchise was awarded to the Wainfleet Revengers©, who with their
first draft choice selected Branko Petrusic as their star player.
|
