Rookie Ball Division Expands To Eight Teams


IN AN INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND AND ALLOW MORE INTERESTED KIDS TO ‘PLAY BALL’, TP BASEBALL IS ADDING TWO MORE ROOKIE BALL TEAMS FOR THE 2013 HOUSE LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON

July 4, 2012 Rookie Ball Jaguars & Tigers1The Toronto Playgrounds Baseball Committee has had an incredible level of interest in our Rookie Ball (2004-2005) house league baseball program this season. In fact, we have been well ahead of past year’s registration numbers since the beginning of the year! 

We usually aren’t even approaching being full with our six teams until a couple of weeks into our regular season. As of April 13, we surpassed the number of players to fill six teams, however, and were in a position of establishing a waiting list. As the list continued to grow, however, our committee realized that this was unlike past years.

TBA 100a  logo Final-003In order to provide an opportunity for all interested kids to “play ball”, the TP Baseball Committee has made the decision to expand the Rookie Ball division from six to eight teams.

This move, while allowing us to clear the waiting list and letting all the kids play, has necessitated some slight changes to our schedule. The most important thing to emphasize, though, is that the regular season nights for Rookie Ball have not changed…the rookie ball teams will still practice and play on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Here’s the change…in the past all Rookie Ball teams played each week on Wednesdays (5:45 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.) and practiced every second Monday. This will still be the case for one four-team division. The other four-team division will play each week on Mondays (5:45 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.) and practice every second Wednesday.

Here is the revised 2013 Rookie Ball House League Schedule:

  • There will be two four-team Rookie Ball divisions; each team will play a game once a week and practice every second week.
  • Games will take place at Christie Pits Diamond # 3. One four-team division will play on Mondays and the other four-team division will play on Wednesdays. There will be a game at 5:45 p.m. and another at 7:00 p.m. on those respective days.
  • Player evaluations will take place on April 27 and 28 at Christie Pits Diamonds 2 & 3. (Schedule has been posted.)
  • Spring Training commences on May 4. (Pre season practice schedule will be posted by May 3.)
  • Regular Season Practices will take place at the Bickford Park South diamond on Mondays and Wednesdays between 5:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. The four teams that play their games on Mondays will have a practice every two weeks on Wednesdays. And, the four teams that play their games on Wednesdays will have a practice every two weeks on Mondays.
  • The Rookie Ball Division regular season begins on Wednesday, May 22. The regular season usually ends around the third weekend in August with our Rookie Ball Celebration Day events.

We are assuming that, since Mondays and Wednesdays were already the nights that were set aside for Rookie Ball, this change won’t cause any great inconvenience. However, if for whatever reason it will be really difficult for your family to be involved in the playing on Mondays/practicing on Wednesdays division, please let us know at tpbaseball@gmail.com and we will accommodate that requirement.

Again, since we are maintaining the original division nights, we’re hoping that this won’t be an issue or problem for many people…what it will allow us to do is provide a chance for even more players (and their families) to participate in our great Toronto Playgrounds House League Baseball program!