WITH OPENING DAY ONLY TEN DAYS AWAY, HERE IS AN INFORMATION PRIMER THAT WILL BRING PARENTS AND PLAYERS UP TO SPEED ON WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AS WE MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2014 SEASON
A MOMENT IN TIME: As the baseball hurtles towards home plate, Pirates batter Jackson (3) prepares to take a swing as Dodgers catcher Kaden (13) and TP Umpire Joel Scott look on during the the top of the fourth inning at the Bickford Park South Diamond on August 29, 2013.
The TP Baseball Committee would like to take an opportunity to welcome everyone on board for the 2014 Toronto Playgrounds House League Baseball Season.
The Committee would like to extend a special welcome to all of our new registrants who will be participating in our baseball program for the very first time. And, we wish to extend a warm and hearty welcome back to all the parents and players who are returning for another season with us.
There will be a lot of things transpiring within the next few weeks as we gear up for another season of house league baseball down at Christie Pits and Bickford Park. In a concerted effort to keep everyone up to speed on what is happening as we prepare for Opening Day on May 20, the TP Baseball Committee has decided to issue this information primer to let parents and players know about some of the important events that will be taking place within the next thirty days:
TEE BALL (2007-2010)
Tee Ball pre-season practices have commenced and will continue until Thursday, May 15. During this period of Spring Training, the Committee is hoping that each team will be able to have two practices, although we realize that not every player will be able to attend all of the practices.
Here is a PDF link to the 2014 TEE BALL DIVISION PRESEASON SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE.
Regular season games for our Tee Ball Division teams will begin on:
- TUESDAY DIVISION: Tuesday, May 20
- THURSDAY DIVISION: Thursday, May 22
- FRIDAY DIVISION: Friday, May 23
The Tee Ball Division Regular Season Schedule will be posted on the website and sent to all parents when it’s finalized by May 15. During the regular season, all Tee Ball games and practices will take place at either 5:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Each team will play a game once a week.
All of the pre-season practices and the regular season games for our Tee Ball teams will take place at the Tee Ball diamond located in the north end of Bickford Park.
Photo Day (individual & team) will take place on a Saturday in mid June. (Date, Place and Schedule will be posted when finalized.)
ROOKIE BALL / MOSQUITO / PEEWEE / BANTAM / MIDGET
Pre-season spring training practices for players in our Rookie Ball, Mosquito and Peewee age groups will continue in full swing until Thursday, May 15. During this period of Spring Training, the Committee is hoping that each team will be able to schedule two to three practices for each team, although we realize that not every player will be able to attend all of the practices.
Here are the PDF links to the Spring Training Schedules for players in our Rookie Ball, Mosquito and Peewee age divisions:
- 2014 ROOKIE BALL DIVISION (2005-2006) PRESEASON SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE
- 2014 MOSQUITO DIVISION (2003-2004) PRESEASON SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE
- 2014 PEEWEE DIVISION (2001-2002) PRESEASON SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE
The Regular Season Schedule for teams in our Rookie Ball/Mosquito/Peewee/Bantam/Midget divisions will be posted on the website and sent to all parents when it’s finalized on May 15.
The 2014 TP House League Baseball Regular Season will commence immediately after the Victoria Day long weekend. Here are the Opening Day dates for each age category:
- ROOKIE BALL (2005-2006) > WEDNESDAY DIVISION: Wednesday, May 21; MONDAY DIVISION: Monday, May 26
- MOSQUITO (2003-2004) > Thursday, May 22
- PEEWEE (2001-2002) > Monday, May 26
- BANTAM (1999-2000) > To Be Determined
- MIDGET (1996-1998) > To Be Determined
UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION [revised on May 13]
Parents and Players in our Tee Ball (2007-2010) and Rookie Ball (2005-2006) age classifications who were unable to make it to their respective uniform distribution days on May 7 and 8 are advised that the TP Baseball Committee will be holding a third uniform distribution session on Thursday, May 15 at the Alex Duff Pool Building from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Committee will be distributing uniforms on the following dates for house league players in the following age categories:
- May 14 and 15: Mosquito (2003-2004); Peewee (2001-2002)
Uniform Distribution will take place in the lobby of the Alex Duff Pool Building (779 Crawford Street), located in the northwest quadrant of Christie Pits.
All Players will be issued a TP Baseball cap and team jersey at that time.
Please note that ALL players in our Mosquito and Peewee age categories will be size measured for their pants on the scheduled uniform distribution days. These players will receive their pants before the start of the regular season.
For more information about the May 14 & 15 uniform distribution, please click on this MAY 14 & 15 UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION link.
PHOTO DAY
Photo Day (individual & team) for all registered House League players will take place on Saturday, June 14. (Schedule will be posted when finalized.)
PLAYER SKILL CLINICS
The TP Baseball Committee will be scheduling a series of weekend Player Skill Clinics during May and June for all interested players who are registered players in our house league baseball program. These free outdoor clinics at Christie Pits will allow qualified coaches in our organization to teach players the basic fundamentals of the game (hitting, fielding, pitching, catching, base running, etc.) that will allow them to have a more enjoyable experience on the diamond. Clinic Schedules will be posted and emailed once they have been finalized.
SCOREKEEPING CLINIC
TP Baseball is offering any interested parents the opportunity to learn the art of scorekeeping a baseball game. Participants will attend a Sunday game involving the Intercounty Baseball League Toronto Maple Leafs at Christie Pits and be given hands on instruction on how to score a baseball game like a professional. If you’re interested in learning the scorekeeping trade, please contact us at tpbaseball@gmail.com.
2014 SEASON OPENING WEEK EVENT
To kick off our regular season in grand fashion, all registered members of our TP Baseball Family are cordially invited to attend our second annual TP House League Season Opening Week Event on Saturday, May 24 at Christie Pits. Players can partake in fielding, batting and pitching clinics. Everyone in attendance can chow down on some delicious food, snacks and drinks at our TP Baseball Barbecue Pit. In addition, Players and Parents in attendance are invited to partake in a group photo to commemorate the special event. Please click on the following link for more information concerning our 2014 TP HOUSE LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON OPENING WEEK EVENT.
WEATHER OR NOT
Since baseball is an outdoor sport that is contingent upon the whims of Mother Nature, we kindly ask ALL Parents and Players to check our Hotline, Website and Twitter feed on days of questionable weather to obtain updated information on the status of their practice or game.
The TP Baseball Committee will post updates at least 1 to 1½ hours before the scheduled start time of your practice or game. You can access this information using our:
- HOTLINE > (416) 392-1914 [Press ‘4’ for weather information]
- WEBSITE > www.tpbaseball.ca
- TWITTER > @TPbaseballnews (using your cellphone/internet/or clicking the tweet icon at the bottom page of our website)
Your support of TP House League Baseball is a testament to not only the wonderful baseball program that we offer, but also to the community that we serve.
We look forward to seeing you down on the diamonds at Christie Pits and Bickford Park this season.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at tpbaseball@gmail.com.