2009 Overview of
Black Hills /Cal Ripken Baseball League

Competitive Youth Baseball at its Best.

Mission: 

Draw and develop the best 7 – 12* year old baseball players and coaches from the greater Thurston County Area by being a friendly, well-organized and competitive baseball league.

Our league is divided into four divisions, Majors, Major/Minors, Minors and Rookies. With the exception of our Rookie Division, each player is evaluated and drafted by our coaches to play on a team and division suited for their individual level of play.  Every player who participates in the evaluation will be placed on a team.

Rookies – (Ages 6 – 9), The Rookie Division is our largest division with 13 teams in 2008.  More competitive than T-Ball or Coach Pitch, commonly offered in other leagues, The Cal Ripken Rookies use a Safe-T Ball pitched from a machine at approx. 35-40 MPH.  There is no stealing, very few strikeouts and no walks, so the players hitting and fielding skills are put to the test.  Nine year olds are generally encouraged to move up to the draft unless this is their first or second year of organized ball.  Another consideration for parents, a nine-year old playing in the rookie division is not eligible for the Rookie All-Star program and rarely plays at a level that will enable them to qualify for the 9 year old All-Star Team.

Minors – (Ages 8 – 12) The minor division is fun baseball with a lot of action.  Players experience pitching for the first time and bunting, walking, striking out and stealing are all a part of the game. 12 year olds in this division are not eligible to pitch.

Major/Minor – (Ages 9 – 12) The level of play is very good at this level, primarily this is a league for athletic 10 and 11 year old kids who have a good grasp on the basic fundamentals.  Pitchers are throwing harder, some throwing breaking balls.  Fewer walks and errors occur at this level along with more strikeouts. 

Majors – (Ages 11 – 12)  Cal Ripken Major Baseball is youth Baseball at its best.  The coaches and players have generally been participating in competitive, organized baseball for 4 – 6 years.

All Stars: 

Black Hills Cal Ripken League offers All Star programs that enable players and coaches the opportunity to extend their season and play in post-season tournaments. "A" teams will be selected for the following age groups according to the division they played in:

• 7-8 year old players from the Rookie Division

• 9-year old players from the Major/Minor or Minor Divisions

• 10-year old players from the Major/Minor Division

• 11-year old players from the Major Division

• 12-year old players from the Major Division

In order to provide ample opportunity for post-season play in tournaments, alternate, or "B" teams, will be fielded for each division if there is enough interest.  11 and 12-year old players in the Major/Minor and Minor Division and 10-year old players in the Minor Division are not eligible for consideration for the "A" teams.  They are eligible for "B" team consideration.

The All-Star teams are selected by the coaches in each division.  All-Star coaches are selected by a vote of their peers.  The formula varies at each level and is refined each year to ensure a fair process.   

While the parents and kids who have participated in an all-star program generally have great memories of the experience and relish the competition and camaraderie that develop, there are some considerations.  The season can last an additional 4 – 8 weeks with increasing levels of practices, travel and expense as they progress. 

A Rookie All Star can expect three to four additional weeks of baseball including one or two out-of-town tournaments within a two hour drive.  As with the upper leagues, players and parents can also expect to participate in a fund-raiser project, and be required to pay an additional $50 for uniforms, tournament fees and expenses, along with the travel and meal expenses for the family.  Practices are generally 2 to 3 times per week.

A Minor, Major/Minor or Major All Star Experience can involve 4 to 6 out-of-town tournaments some requiring overnight stays for the family.  Expect additional fees and fund-raising efforts to help pay for the players’ expenses and family expenses for meals and traveling.  In addition, the teams generally practice 3 – 4 times per week during this period.

Be sure you discuss this opportunity with a coach or board member prior to committing to the All Star program if your child is chosen.

New and returning Coaches are expected to complete an application and be interviewed prior to the start of each season to ensure the best candidates are working with your child.  Coaching candidates should also have a sponsor and their assistant coaches lined up prior to the interview. 

New coaches generally start at the Rookie level with their child and move up with the same, small handful of kids each year.  This core-group of kids is generally the sons or daughters of the coaches and sponsor.  And they are allowed to be ‘reserved’ from the draft by the league so that they may stay together for practical purposes. 

Coaches generally come in to the league at the rookie level with their son or daughter and advance with their child as their knowledge of baseball and teaching abilities allow.  Minor coaches are allowed to ‘freeze’ up to five players from the draft, Major/Minors coaches up to four players and Major coaches up to three players from participating in the draft.  Draft picks are lost for each player reserved, but most coaches are in the same set of circumstances, so the draft still remains even.  This is all done to maintain a balanced and competitive division at each level.

The board is an elected group of 15 volunteers who oversee and help organize the league each year.  Feel free to contact any of the board members if you have questions or concerns regarding league operations.  Every fall there is the general meeting where board members are selected.  If you are interested in getting involved, please plan on attending this meeting to express interest and learn more.  Volunteers are always needed to fill a variety of functions.  If you want to volunteer, please contact any board member to express interest.