ARLINGTON BABE RUTH

Q:  WHEN DOES THE SEASON START AND WHEN ARE PRACTICES AND GAMES?

A: The season starts in late April.  All team’s play an 18-20 game schedule with the season ending usually before the 4^th of July.   Most weekday games start between 5:30 to  7:00 with a few late games under the lights.  Weekend games are on either Saturday or Sunday with various start times. Generally, teams will have 3-4 games per week. Practices are at the discretion of the manager.

Q:  HOW ARE PLAYERS SELECTED?

A:  Babe Ruth gives players every opportunity to showcase their skills with “fall ball”, a fall tryout, a spring tryout and a senior drafted tryout. Managers do talk and get information from all available sources but it is mostly from what they see in these pre season stages.

Q: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SENIOR AND INTERMEDIATE LEAGUES?

A: The better players, as judged by the managers, go into the Senior League. The senior league has 6 teams and intermediates 5. Both leagues play about the same number of games, have about the same number of players on each team and play competitive baseball.  Intermediate players can try out for seniors each year.

Q: DO ALL PLAYERS PLAY EVERY GAME?

A: The Senior League does not have a minimum playing time rule.  The manager controls the amount of time each person plays.  It is possible that a Senior League player will not get into all games.  The Intermediate League requires everyone to play a minimum of 3 innings per game.  

Q: WHAT IS AN AFFILLIATION?

A: The affiliation was designed to ensure that games would be played at times when some players would not be available for various reasons. Each senior and intermediate team would be assigned as affiliates and new senior players would be able to go and help their intermediate affiliate and ANY intermediate player could help their senior affiliate. Each year intermediate players can try out for the senior level and they can be drafted by ANY team.

Q: WHAT IF MY CHILD DOES NOT WANT TO PLAY IN A PARTICULAR LEAGUE?

A: All players are placed based on their current skill and while we make every attempt to please players, we must make sure that the players are at the correct skill level.

Q: ISN’T THE INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE ONLY FOR “POOR” PLAYERS?

     A: No! Every year Intermediate League rosters contain former little league all-stars, major leaguers and minor leaguers.  Think of the Intermediate League as the “Pawtucket” of Arlington Babe Ruth.  At the beginning of each year a few Intermediate League players are selected to play in the Senior League.

Q: WHAT ARE THE COSTS TO PLAY ARLINGTON BABE RUTH BASEBALL?

     A: Registration is set each year based on overall league costs. There is also a mandatory raffle where a player must sell a minimum amount in order to play (or pay the balance in cash). All fees are paid upfront with the raffle money collected stayin with the parents, as a way to reduce overall costs.  The senior 13 year olds may  also be required to do an additional fund raiser to support the all-star program.

Q: WHAT IS FALL BALL?

      A: Fall ball is a program that was designed only for recent little league (AYBSA) graduates and/or "new" to Babe Ruth players. We now open it to ANY player wishing to play during the fall. It cost (set each year based on actually league costs) is per player and runs Saturdays (possible Sundays) during September and some of October. It is a teaching/games program to get the new kids a better feel for playing real baseball on a large field.

Q: WHO PLAYS IN THE ALL STAR TOURNAMENT?

      A: Senior league players have an opportunity to be selected to play on an all star team.   Senior league managers make their selections following the conclusion of the regular season.  There must be agreed upon committment of players