Don't forget to swing hard,
in case you hit the ball. 
~Woodie Held

BOSL NEWS - 2016

December 9, 2016
Sad News - Monique Grenier Obituary

We received the sad news that Robert Grenier's wife has passed away.

All of us who know Bob, knew Monique as they were inseparable. Bob's daughter Nancy has asked us to pass this news to all his BOSL family. ‎

Visitation and services details are attached.

October 25, 2016
Reminder: BOSL AGM

Tomorrow: Wednesday October 26 - 7:00 PM
Location: The Black Bull, 1124 Guelph Line

We still need a volunteer to act as our elections officer.Please volunteer to help out.
 
We will have a raffle for two prizes for those in attendance (tickets $5.00 each) :

$225 Napoleon’s gift certificate

1 hour free massage

1. Registration (please sign in when you arrive)
2. Determination of a quorum
3. Acceptance of the 2015 AGM minutes  
4. 2016 Financials
5. Awarding 2017 BOSL financial review to Deeth & Co.
6. 2016 Charity Update
7. 2017 Board of Directors Election, 12 candidates for the 9 Board Positions
1. John Andersen
2. Glen Baxby
3. Steve Bourke
4. Scot Cameron
5. Carl Camilleri
6. Steve Dostal
7. Ron Evinou
8. Jim Hindley
9. Mike Maycock
10. Steve Rowsell
11. Scot Sinclair
12. Mike Starr
8. New By Law Proposals:
1. The Burlington Oldtimers SloPitch League is a draft league with an intention to maximize player movement between teams from season to season. No mechanism (save for draft limitations set by the elected Board of Directors), formal or informal, shall be permitted to cause or prevent a particular player being on the same team as any other player or player. Exception: on a one-time basis, a reasonable request to play with a family member, if approved by the elected Board of Directors, will be enforced.
2. Returning members from the previous season, provided their registration has been accepted by the elected Board of Directors and their registration payment has been made by the communicated deadline, will receive first priority for placement in the annual player draft. Players returning from previous seasons or new to the Burlington Oldtimers SloPitch League will be eligible for the draft based on approval of their registration by the Board of Directors and payment of their registration fee subject to the available positions in each annual draft as determined by the elected Board of Directors.
9. Prize Draws
1. Free 2017 membership to be drawn from a list of members who registered by midnight September 24, 2016
2. Prizes will available to be won by those in attendance
10. Looking ahead at 2017
11. Open Discussion
12. Adjournment

October 11, 2016
Notification of the Burlington Oldtimers SloPitch League Annual General Meeting

Date & Time:
Wednesday October 26, 2016.
7:00 PM
 
Location:
The Black Bull
1124 Guelph Line
Burlington, Ontario
L7P 2S8
 
Below are the agenda for the meeting and minutes from the 2015 AGM for your review.

AGM Agenda 2016
AGM Minutes 2015 (unapproved)
AGM Presentation 2015

I encourage you to take the time to join us to participate in the Board of Directors election process and the discussion and vote on 2 proposed new by-laws.
 
We do need a couple of volunteers to be our returning officers for the election process, if you can help, please let us know by emailing ideas@bosl.ca. Thanks again for a great 2016 season and hope to see you the 26th.

Regards.

Jim Hindley
BOSL President

September 26, 2016
We want your input

To make this league a success, we need your help! 

We do have an email - ideas@bosl.ca, to give our players a suggestion box of sorts to get their ideas to the Board of Directors in an official manner.  Your ideas on rule changes, player recruitment, league events, etc. are all welcome!

A few rules of engagement;

1. As a Board, we value your feedback which is why we have this communication tool, however, know going in that an e-mail to this address does not automatically mean the idea will come to fruition.  All e-mails will be read by the current President, brought to the next Board Meeting to be discussed and evaluated amongst the Board of Directors, and then will either be implemented, declined or put off for further discussion at a later date.
   
   I have personally heard several ideas from players over the years that on the surface are excellent, but after being thoroughly evaluated it becomes clear that they are just not practical for our league or perhaps the timing just wasn’t right.  So please don’t be offended if you put something forth that you think is slam dunk and it comes back differently.
    
2. All e-mails sent to this address will be confidential and if an idea evolves into reality down the road, it will do so anonymously.  The last thing we want is the pressure of having a player’s name attached to a new idea and to have that idea not work out, etc.
    
3. All e-mails will be replied to after the Board has had a chance to discuss them regardless of the decision.

September 22, 2016
Join us at our BOSL AGM

The BOSL Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday October 26th starting at 7:00PM at the Black Bull Pub (http://www.blackbull.ca/).

The AGM is meant to provide an update to our members on the on and off field accomplishments of the 2016 Board of Directors and to set the course for the upcoming 2017 season. There are two items that are time sensitive as set out in our by-laws which I need to bring to your attention: 

1. Election of the 2017 BOSL Board of Directors. Our by-laws allow for a maximum of 9 board members. In 2016, we operated with 8 board members and we do have a couple of board members who are not able to commit to next year due to personal or work commitments. We are looking for individuals to put their name forward to join the board. To be nominated, you simply need to obtain the endorsement of 2 other BOSL members and send this to ideas@bosl.ca no later than 21 days before the date of the AGM. Should there be more that 9 individuals seeking a position on the board, a vote will be held during the AGM meeting. 

2. Changes to the the BOSL by-laws. The by- laws can be found here - www.bosl.ca/BOSL_bylaws.htm - any proposed changes to a by-law must be be submitted to the the 2016 Board in writing (ideas@bosl.ca), signed by 10 BOSL members at least 30 days prior to the AGM.

Please take the time to consider joining the board and review our by-laws and make time on October 26th to attend.

Jim Hindley
BOSL President

September 20, 2016
A great opportunity donated by one of our BOSL Career Achievers!

Our own Nick Townsley has graciously donated 9 certificates to our AWARDS NIGHT prize table that will help the lucky winners build a dream vacation! 

These resorts offer, luxury accommodation, amazing restaurants, activities for the whole family,  pools that defy imagination, world class entertainment and unmatched service. There are also 5 gorgeous golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman nearby.

The certificate allows you to purchase 7 nights’ accommodations (2 adults, 2 children) at any of 7 Vidanta resorts (www.vidanta.com) located on some of the most coveted beaches in Mexico for only $600.00 USD (travel from the airport is included). The normal booking rate for these resorts can exceed $1,000.00 USD per night! Flight and meals are not included in this offer.

This offer is good until December 31, 2017 and you need to book at least 8 weeks in advance.

You can purchase your awards night tickets online at http://www.bosl.ca/awards.htm and we will have your tickets ready for you at the door.
 
Hope to see you this Saturday night!

Jim Hindley
BOSL President

September 9, 2016
BOSL - Hats off Weekend

Our caps are looking pretty ugly after the whole season so we thought we would pretty things up.

Starting tonight (for just a $5 donation) all players can wear whatever hat you want and the $ will go to the Food Bank. Captains will collect any of the player payments for this and give it to Steve Bourke (BOHC) on the weekend. Or just pay at the bunker.
 
Remember we are also running 50/50 draws, Partnership West will be there taking donations and Jim Hindley will be collecting $25.00 per team for the Holiday Inn draw.
 
On Saturday there will be rain that starts in the morning and runs till at least 4pm... It's not looking good for us. The parks at Sherwood are booked until 11:00 PM on Saturday and the scheduling minions are on standby to deal with any needed changes Saturday night to get missed games in if possible.
 
Jim Hindley
BOSL President

September 8, 2016
BOSL - Everyone is a Volunteer

Thanks again for playing with us this year. It was almost perfect with the weather – which is probably why we are going to have such a mix of it for the final season end tournament. Looks like tonight will be a hot one and Saturday we may lose a few games if we see lightning. Bring a rain jacket Saturday and maybe a can of food for the food bank.
 
You may have noticed we show all the team names as volunteers for set-up / take down based on when you are playing. We will be there at Sherwood on Friday/sat/sun early enough to measure and chalk the three diamonds and we will leave a couple tarps to put up for each bench along with the bases for you to hammer in. If you have the final games then please just take the bases, tarps and gear back to the bunker/garage for us. Someone please bring back the de-fibs and the first-aid kits.
 
We always need help taking down the pavilion area each day – and the rebar poles need to come back as well. That’s all there is to it so if you are closing up the bar with us then please help us carry a table or two back to the garage.

Every year we host an awards night with a fabulous buffet and fantastic speeches from your favourite BOSL players. BOSL’s Got Talent – auditions start at 9pm! If you've got hidden talents - lets see it! Please join us for the night and represent your team, bring your girlfriend or wife, buy some raffle tickets – then sit back and win stuff all night.
 
Now click here to register yourself for 2017 and tell a friend. Register before the AGM and win a free membership. Payment not due till March 1, 2017
 
Good luck this weekend and thanks in advance for picking up a hammer or carrying a table for us. Regards.

Jim Hindley
BOSL President

August 31, 2016
2016 BOSL Year End Tournament

The Championship Tournament starts next week and I would like to share some information.

1. The tournament this year starts Thursday September 8th on our regular season Diamonds
2. Only 3 diamonds are available at Sherwood Forest Park, so we have 2 games at Nelson Central on Friday night
3. The POD draw will be determined by the final standings after the games of Tuesday September 6th and the schedule will be posted the following Wednesday morning on the website

To run the tournament successfully, we need your help! Diamond set up and take down will the assigned to the teams playing first and last. We need volunteers to help set up on Friday afternoon starting at 4:00 PM and please make yourself available to help with the take down of the Pavilion area before you leave for the day.
 
Our Charity – Partnership West Food Bank – will be there accepting food donations. Here is a list of items that they are most in need of:

• Canned fruits
• Canned vegetables
• Family size Fruit Juice in cans (apple, orange, pineapple, etc.)
• Fruit juice boxes (for kids' school lunches)
• White & brown rice
• Canned pastas (spaghetti, ravioli, etc)

NOTE: The food bank has a charity box set up in their truck for cash donations as well.   For some it is easier to give cash

Thank for everything you have done to support us this year and best of luck at the tournament.

August 25, 2016
BOSL - Willard Pilatzke Memorial Award

It is hard to believe that the 2016 season is winding down. I would like to ask you to take a moment from your preparation for the year end tournament and help with the awarding of our major individual award – the Willard Pilatzke Award. This award goes to an individual in our league who best exemplifies our core values of “fun and fellowship” and “giving back to our community”. For more information on the award and past winners, please visit :   http://www.bosl.ca/fame_WPmemorial.htm.
 
Here is what we need from you:

1. Please forward the name of the individual you want to nominate to ideas@bosl.ca by  midnight August 31st. All nominees will be recorded on a ballet that will be distributed to all members at the Year-end tournament.
2. Please vote for one individual on the ballet and hand it in to the bunker at Sherwood Forest Park on Friday/Saturday/Sunday.

 
After the tournament the votes will be counted and the winner announced at the annual awards banquet on September 24th.
 
Thanks in advance for taking the time to recognize one of the many individuals in the BOSL who help make this league the best in Burlington.

We will have a great prize table at the Awards night with proceeds as always going to our charity. I hope to see you on the 24th and best of luck in the Season End Tournament.
 
Regards.

Jim Hindley
BOSL President

August 13, 2016
BOSL Awards Night

Our season is quickly coming to an end, the year end tournament organizing is underway and thanks to you all we are on a record fund raising pace for this year's charity - Partnership West Food Bank.

For you new players and forgetful veterans, we wrap up our season with a final event...

The 2016 BOSL Awards Banquet

This is held at the Holiday Inn on Saturday September 24th.

Tickets are $60 and are available through your captains or can be purchased online (www.bosl.ca/awards.htm). Those who purchase their tickets by August 31st will be entered in a draw for a free hotel room on the 24th with a complementary breakfast the next morning.

This is a great opportunity to wind up the season, recognize some great members of our league, have some laughs and demonstrate the same unfortunate skills on the dance floor as we do every Tuesday and Thursday on the diamond.

We will have a great prize table with proceeds as always going to our charity. I hope to see you on the 24th and best of luck for the remainder of the 2016 season.
 
Regards.

Jim Hindley
BOSL President

July 15, 2016
July 23rd Golf Day Update

We may miss some people with their contact information or information going to junk mail. Please make sure that everyone in your foursome is aware of the details below.

We are very excited about the upcoming BOSL Golf Day on July 23 at Tyandaga Golf Course. Just some important reminders for everyone regarding the times and logistics for the day of the tournament. We now have tee off times posted on the site. Registration opens at 10:15 a.m. After the game there should be some time on the patio to enjoy a drink and a light BBQ lunch while we wait for the final groups. Please note that we play rain or shine.

We have many prizes and contests out on the course. Our putting contest is included in your registration price. The putting contest will be held throughout the tournament. As groups move between the 18th green and the 1st hole, they will participate in a putting contest for a prize. Bobby Grenier will be on hand to organize the event for us. We will also be selling raffle tickets at registration and during the game so please participate. Remember any profit goes directly to our charity.

Some of the amazing draw prizes we will be offering are Bills tickets, foursome at Tyandaga, Ti-Cats tickets. We will also have draw prizes for lots of great items such as golf umbrellas, physio assessment from PLR, Golf simulator time at FarAway, mini-tablets and so much more! Thank you to everyone who has donated to the tournament as well as our sponsors for helping out.

On top of this, we will have a closest to the pin and longest drive in both the men’s and women’s category. There will be a Beat the Fox challenge on one of the Par 3's to test your accuracy.
 
This is also the last call for any cancellations and applicable refunds. After today we won’t be able to provide a refund due to commitments to Tyandaga.

Thanks to Rick Fox, Robert Grenier for all of their efforts. Also a big shout out to our volunteers ~ oh right - I need volunteers!!. Someone to welcome everyone at the reception table. Someone to take a few photos, someone to help Bob. Thank you to Jim Hindley for being our Master of Ceremonies for the awards presentation.

Scot Cameron
BOSL Director

June 21, 2016
Please JOIN US now for our two summer events

July 23 - Golf Day

Our final push is on for the annual BOSL Golf Day.  If you have signed up but haven’t paid yet, now is the time to do  it.  If you are thinking of playing we need you to register now, we have to let the course what format we are having, shotgun, tee times etc., the format is dependent on the number of golfers we have.
 

We are looking for prizes for the prize table, if anyone has anything for the prize table it would be greatly appreciated!

August 6 - Slo-Pitch Day

Hey guys, we are almost full for the August 6th Beat the board tournament! We still need a few registrations to complete this and we need to order the shirts no later than this week. Please take a second and register now and remember this is for Charity and a chance to beat up on us!

Thanks to everyone already signed up!

June 21, 2016
Join Our ONE-Day Slo-Pitch Tournament

Same fun as our Mid-Season Classic will a fraction of the aches and pains!
 
We are planning to play with just four teams on a beautiful day in August
SATURDAY AUGUST 6, 2016

Play a few games and meet other BOSL players - and support the charity of course :-)

All you need to do is:

1. Click here to REGISTER yourself - but ACT NOW - we need to get the sizes our our cool jerseys in right now! and with just three teams to play against us there aren't many spots.
    
2. Pay up - just $35 - wot?!?
    
3. FUN guaranteed - we will put you on the best team, don't worry.
    
4. Partnership West Food Bank is our charity for the season

June 15, 2016
The Mid-Season Classic 2016

Tonight we are having a Captains' Meeting at Hectors lounge to discuss the Mid-Season Tournament and to draw seedings. Once this is complete, the 1st round schedule will be posted on the website on the Tournament page. 
 
We would appreciate your support and help with :

1. We need some individual volunteers to help with the diamond and park setup on Friday afternoon. If you can volunteer to be at Sherwood Forest park at 4:00 PM Friday, please let us know info@bosl.ca
    
2. Reminder that parking on the grass is not permitted (you could get ticketed)
    
3. Food Services – we are using a new provider - Waxy's on Wheels - please check out their menu offering
    
4. Partnership West Food bank will have a donation truck onsite and we ask that you all bring a contribution. They are in urgent need of:
• condiments (mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, relish, salad dressing)
• jam
• coffee (regular, decaf, instant)
• Juice (in big cans and also juice boxes - for children)
• fruit cups (for children)
• granola bars (nut free)
• baby pablum
• baby fruit jars
• hot cereals
• canned fruit
• diapers (size 5)

The weather forecast looks great for the weekend, so please bring sun screen, play safe and have fun!

Jim Hindley,
BOSL President

2016
BOSL More Games - Survey Results

Thanks to all who took the time to respond to the survey! The final results are:

Based on the results we have decided to go with the option that received the most votes. The scheduling minion(s) are now back at work to insert June 16th and June 21st games into the schedule. Please watch the website for these games.
 
Thanks again for your participation and feedback!
--
Jim Hindley
BOSL President

Hey everyone, hope you guys are enjoying this great Spring weather!

We have our charity events coming up in July & August and we have already seen a good turnout in registrations for both (GOLF and BEAT the BOARD). Please help us plan your events by REGISTERING now!!

For Beat the Board Slo-Pitch tournament...
To ensure we get everyone the correct shirt size we need to finalize the registrations sooner than later, PLEASE REGISTER HERE, and if you have already registered please don't forget to pay either via PayPal, electronic transfer or cash to one of the Board members. Spots are limited for this event so please act fast to reserve your spots.

For Golf Day...                           
As always, we need to know our number of players so that we can properly reserve the course at Tyandaga and determine if we have enough for a scramble format. PLEASE REGISTER HERE as a single or as a foursome  

What is Fall Ball?!       
There are some players that are interested in getting together to continue to play after the BOSL season ends until the snow flies. While many of us quickly move into Hockey mode, we are looking to see if there are others in the BOSL who aren’t quite ready to put the cleats away. There are some diamond times available and if there is enough interest, we need to look at our diamond options. Email me at steveb@bosl.ca to let me know if interested

Thanks everyone! Please JOIN NOW.

2016

In Keeping with the Burlington Oldtimers SloPitch League's commitment to "Giving Back to the Community", We are are excited to announce that the Partnership West Family Support Network (http://www.partnershipwest.org/home.html) will be our designated charity for 2016.

This organization has a long tradition of supporting the Burlington community by supplying food for families in need. We will be working with Paul Tammeorg from Partnership West to help us plan our fund raising and donations. As always, our fund raising success depends on the support and participation from our membership, we are always looking for volunteers to help us plan our fundraising events.

Please reach out to a board member or your captains if you want to help!

Jim Hindley,
President BOSL

May 18, 2016
BOSL Pool Players

We are setting up a player pool once again to help out our teams when needed.  This pool can be joined by anyone who is already a player in our league and wishes to be a substitute when it is possible and convenient, and it will be administrated by Steve Rowsell and Mike Maycock.  As in the past, special efforts will be made to match the skill levels of absent players with equivalent available players from the pool.
 
To join our pool, please send an email to pool@bosl.ca, including your name, team, and any exclusions you know of in advance.
 
Please give your Captains as much advance notice as possible. We recognize that its not always possible because – like all of us – we want to play every game possible – and sometimes it is a last minute issue. It’s tough to fill last minute requests but we will do our best for your team Captains

See you on the diamonds,
 
Steve Rowsell & Mike Maycock
.
 pool@bosl.ca

May 16, 2016
BOSL Player Update

I hope everyone is settling in nicely with your new teams and have enjoyed your first games of the season. We are very pleased with this year’s recruitment drive as we now have 240 players on 16 teams, which rounds out everyone’s rosters to a full 15 man team. That being said, injuries are a fact of life in our league and we are looking to bolster our pool of replacement players, sooooo, if the unfortunate does happen, we will be able to carry on relatively unscathed.
 
If you happen to know of anyone that might be interested in playing Slo-Pitch with BOSL this summer please pass along our invitation to enroll, it’s not too late to join and if it works out, you may still receive a referral QB’s gift card.
 
BOSL Golf Day – We’ve just posted up information about our BOSL Golf Day 2016 - http://bosl.ca/golf/index.htm so please join us all – friends and family are all welcome. We hope to have the same numbers as last year so tell your friends.
 
Thank you and best regards, 
 
Jim Hindley
BOSL President

May 4, 2016
Burlington Oldtimers Slo-Pitch League – 2016

Welcome BOSL players
 
My name is Mike Maycock and as one of your board members this season, part of my responsibilities is to look after managing the rules and as well looking after the Umpires schedules. We do our best to help our players and our umpires work together and share the same goal – Fun & Fellowship above all else. I have been working with the Captains to try to clarify some of the grey areas we have had in the past. That is why I have attached the rules from the website and add a section of misunderstood rules.  Let me know if you have any questions

I look forward to seeing everyone on the ball field this year.

Thanks - Mike Maycock

View our complete BOSL Rules 2016
 

Misunderstood Rules

1. Left hand turn from first or single hitter

• A runner forfeits his/her exemption from liability to be put out if, after overrunning first base, he/she makes an attempt to run to second base.
• The key to this rule is to continue to second base. There must be at least an attempt towards second base. It does not matter which direction the batter-runner turns after reaching first base if they are coming back to first base without attempting to advance to second base.

2. Award of bases on overthrow.

• The common misconception with this rule is the old rule of “one plus one,” a rule that was changed long ago. The correct ruling is that when a thrown ball goes out of play (beyond the established boundary lines of the playing field)
• all runners, including the batter-runner shall be awarded two bases from the last base legally touched based on their position at the time that the thrown ball left the fielder’s hand
• if there are two runners between the same bases, the award is based on the position of the lead runner  

Keys to remember with this rule:

• the award is based on their position at the time the throw was made, not at the time that the ball went out of play - watch for that very long overthrow from the outfield
• the award is two bases from the last base legally touched - if a runner is returning to first base to tag up on a fly ball, they will still be awarded two bases which is second base and third base as the last base that they had legally touched was first base
• The proper mechanics for this situation are to call “Dead Ball” as soon as the ball goes out of play then award the bases accordingly. Your award should be swift and decisive.
• With multiple runners or a long overthrow, if you have any doubt consult with your fellow Umpire(s) immediately before the award and get it right the first time.

3. Batted ball hitting home plate, first base, second base or third base.
Home Plate

• A batted ball remains alive and in play when it strikes home plate: This is a common misconception - many, many years ago when a batted ball struck home plate it was declared a dead ball.
• In the event that a batted ball comes to rest on home plate, it shall be ruled a fair ball and the plate umpire shall signal accordingly.
• Remember, the fair/foul lines come to the back point of home plate so the plate is completely in fair territory.

 First or Third Base

• When properly installed, first and third base are positioned on the diamond completely in fair territory. A smart Umpire looks around between pitches to ensure this is always true.
• Once a batted ball strikes first or third base without having been first touched by a player, the batted ball shall be ruled a fair ball regardless of where the ball ends up.
• Once the ball touches first of third base it does not have to pass the base, touching the base is all that is required to make it a fair ball.
• The plate umpire should signal fair ball immediately once the batted ball strikes the base

  Second Base

• Once a batted ball strikes second base without having been first touched by a player, the batted ball shall be ruled a fair ball.

4. Batter stepping on home plate or mat or directly in front of home plate or mat.
  Stepping on Home Plate or Mat

• the batter is out if any part of their foot is touching home plate or touching the mat when the bat contacts the ball
• the ball is dead and runners may not advance on the play.

  Stepping directly in front of Home Plate or Mat

• The batter is out if their foot is completely outside the lines of the batter’s box and touching the ground when the bat contacts the ball - therefore if the batter’s foot is completely in front of home plate their foot is obviously completely outside the lines of the batter’s box.
• The batter is out if their foot is completely in front or behind the mat touching the ground when the bat contacts the ball.
• The ball is dead and runners may not advance on the play.

  Points of Emphasis:

• There is no penalty unless the batter makes contact with the ball.
• The position of the foot must be judged at the time the bat makes contact with the ball - if the foot is in the air and then comes down on the ground after the ball is hit, there is no penalty.
• With the exception of the foot touching home plate or touching the mat, the foot must be completely outside the lines of the batter’s box - touching any part of the lines is acceptable as the lines are part of the box
• The same penalty applies whether the batted ball is fair or foul - “Dead Ball” is called as soon as the batter makes contact with the ball.

5. Fair ball bouncing out of play or off a defensive player.
When a fair ball bounces out of play, including if it deflects off a defensive player, the umpire shall declare “Dead Ball” as soon as the ball goes out of play.

• All runners shall be awarded two bases.
• The award is based on their position at the time of the pitch - not at the time that the ball went out of play.
• The award is the same regardless of where the ball actually goes out of play.
• Be prepared that this rule could actually end up bringing runners backwards.
• A long rolling ground ball goes out of play and the batter is already past second base - the batter goes back to second base.
• Same play, runner starting at first base is already past third base and on their way to score when the batted ball goes out of play, the runner is returned to third base.

6. Infield Fly.
Requirements for an Infield Fly:

• Runners on first and second base OR first, second and third base.
• Less than 2 out.
• Not a bunt.
• Not a line drive.
• Can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort this includes the, pitcher, catcher or any outfielder positioned in the infield.

 What should the umpire do?

• In an infield fly situation, prior to the first pitch of the at bat, the umpires should give the infield fly signal to each other. When it becomes apparent that a batted ball is an infield fly (typically when the ball reaches its’ highest point and is just on its’ way down) the plate umpire shall declare “INFIELD FLY, IF FAIR - THE BATTER IS OUT”

  Once an Infield Fly is declared:

• if the hit becomes a foul ball, no penalty, treat like any other foul ball
• if the hit remains a fair ball
• the batter is out regardless of whether the ball is caught or not
• the ball remains alive
• the runners may advance at their own risk
• if the fly ball is caught, they must tag up
• if the fly ball is not caught, they can choose to advance but as the batter has already been declared out there is no force play

7. Difference between Interference/Obstruction
  Interference:

• Typically an act by an offensive player.
• Also possible to have umpire interference and spectator interference.
• Results in “Dead Ball” being called (exception - umpire interference).
• Results in an out if by an offensive player.
• Common misconception - catcher’s interference is actually catcher’s obstruction.

  Obstruction:

• Is an act by a defensive player.
• Results in a delayed dead ball.
• Award is determined at the end of the play (exception - if the obstructed runner is called out)
• An obstruction call does not entitle the obstructed runner to keep attempting to advance until played upon.

  These two rules require:

• an immediate call when either interference or obstruction occurs - do not hesitate, these are not the type of calls to be made after the fact.
• A decisive call

Contact does not always mean interference or obstruction occurred. There is such a thing as incidental contact - 2 players both unsure of where to go and contact is made. Rule 8.10(c) states that the runner is not out when more than one fielder attempts to field a batted ball and the runner comes in contact with the one who, in the umpire’s judgment, was not entitled to field the ball.

• TIP - when contact occurs and in the umpire’s judgment that neither interference nor obstruction occurred, make a “SAFE” signal with no verbal call - shows that you saw it and you made your decision that no call was necessary.

8. Double Base.
The Double Base is used at first base with the orange portion in foul territory and the white portion in fair territory. Referring to 4. above - a batted ball striking the white/fair portion is declared a fair ball, a batted ball striking the orange/foul portion is declared a foul ball - a batted ball striking the centre of the double base is declared a fair ball as it therefore hits a portion of the white/fair portion of the base.

• The defensive player (typically the first baseman) must use only the white/fair portion of the base at all times. (see Exception below)
• The offensive player must use only the orange/foul portion of the base on his/her first attempt at first base when a play is being made on him/her. This includes when the batter-runner runs on a dropped third strike. (see Exception below)
• On a ball hit to the outfield with no play being made at first base, the offensive player may touch either portion of the base on his/her first attempt at first base.
• Once an offensive player has touched the orange/foul portion of the base on his/her first attempt at first base, he/she must then use the white/fair portion of the base:
• when returning to the base after overrunning first base
• when taking his/her position prior to the next pitch
• when tagging up on a fly ball

  Points of Emphasis:

• the defensive player - when he/she is required to use the white/fair portion, provided any portion of his/her foot is touching any portion of the white/fair portion of the base, he/she is considered to be in contact with the base    
• the offensive player - when he/she is required to use the orange/foul portion, provided any portion of his/her foot is touching any portion of the orange/foul portion of the base, he/she is considered to be in contact with the base
• once the offensive player has made his/her first attempt at first base, for simplicity sake the orange/foul portion of the base no longer exists for him/her

  Exception (introduced 2013)

• On any live ball play made from first base foul territory, the batter-runner and the defensive player may use either base. When the defensive player uses the foul portion of the double base, the batter-runner can run in fair territory and if hit by a throw from the foul side of first base, it would not be interference (unless it is an intentional act like throwing up their arms etc.) 

April 27, 2016
Welcome to BOSL 2016!

This will be the BOSL’s 37th season of operation and I am looking forward to another year of fun, fellowship and some baseball! As always, it’s a lot of work getting us ready for opening day. Our membership numbers are up (Thanks to all of you for spreading the word about our league!) and I know that our new players will be made to feel welcome in no time. We have lost some friends due to injury and work commitments, but know that they they will return to the fold in the future. 

While we deal with schedule and park challenges while waiting for Nelson Central to re-open, I ask for your understanding and patience. We have permanently replaced Nelson East with Brant Hills on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Our league is committed to “Giving Back to the Community” by supporting local charities. I am pleased that again this year we are supporting Breast Cancer Support Services. It was obvious that this charity resonated with many players across the BOSL, and we look forward to supporting their great work that helps to battle this dreadful illness.

We have a great group of Captains  who are all committed to ensuring a great experience for all their players. I want to thank them all for stepping up and working together to make 2016 another great BOSL season. I would also like to recognize our Sponsors, and like to thank them for their ongoing support and encourage you all to support them in return. Sponsors are all invited to join us at our opening night stag (this Thursday at 7pm) for a drink and to please share any information about their services so we can get to know them.

New players note that our grey pants are difficult to find out there but Corbetts in Oakville sells them and will bring a supply to our opening stag along with very cool new LEGAL bats. BOD Steve Bourke will also be there to help Sticker any of your existing bats.

We are seeking advertisers to join us in our website banner ads to help us pay the bills!
And finally, I would like to thank my fellow 2016 Board of Directors who have been giving their time since November getting us ready for opening day.

I wish you all a great season and look forward to seeing you all on and off the field.

Jim Hindley 
BOSL President

April 13, 2016
Welcome to the 2016 Season!

Many of you have been visiting the website (www.bosl.ca) and have seen the updates and videos, however, I wanted to send out an update to all members on a couple of key items:
 
Player Draft
 
For the 1st time in several years, we have a full roster of 224 players (and a handful on the wait list). The draft will be held April 16th – watch the website for the team rosters! I would like to thank the Board of Directors, our captains and of course each of you to make this the our best recruiting year ever! You will see on the website that we are still accepting registrations for 2016 as we always need replacements…
 
2016 Schedule
 
This has been a challenge for us, as part of the City of Burlington`s ongoing park revitalization program, we have been impacted by two projects:

1. Nelson Central – Fence and Netting replacement –  underway with a target completion of June 30, 2016
2. Sherwood D – changing the field configuration and replacing the infield – start date August 2016 with a completion date of spring 2017

We are not the only field user group and with these parks unavailable for parts of the season, finding diamond time was extremely challenging, we will open the season with games scheduled on Mondays and Fridays along with maintaining our normal Tuesday and Thursday bookings and will be using a couple of secondary parks (Optimist and Hidden Valley) until Nelson Central is made available for our use. You will also see that we will no longer be playing games at Nelson East, which has been replaced by Brant Hills on Tuesdays and Thursdays – this has been in the works for some time as Nelson East is not considered suitable for adult play.
 
I look forward to seeing you all at Stag night on April 28th and to thank you in advance for bearing with the schedule until Nelson Central re-opens (fingers crossed for good weather that will allow for this to happen sooner than scheduled)
 
Jim Hindley
BOSL President