Orinda Baseball Association (OBA)

Dear OBA Pony Families:

After a lot of very vigorous discussion and deliberation, the OBA Board has reached a decision relating to our 2012 Pony program and the number of Pony teams we will field. On behalf of my fellow Board members, I want to take this opportunity to communicate that decision (and the context for it) to all of you.

First, a bit of background. OBA has traditionally fielded two Pony teams to compete in the 680 league. This seemed appropriate given the size and depth of our talent pool and the level of competition presented by the other programs in the area.

Two years ago, OBA experienced a surge in interest among prospective 13 and 14 year old players, and we had enough boys try out to allow us to field three teams. In order to avoid cutting a lot of interested players, a decision was reached to experiment with fielding three teams that year. The "third team" was coached during games by two fathers of players on that team.

Again last year, interest remained strong, and again OBA fielded three Pony teams. In part due to a rash of injuries, the "third team" endured a difficult season, sometimes struggling to field enough players and rarely winning. Nonetheless, OBA planned (and budgeted) to field three teams again this year. Accordingly, we expanded our roster of professional Pony coaches from four to five.

It has become apparent, however, that our numbers and our depth of talent are both down in 2012 compared to recent years. A number of our talented prospective players have decided to turn their attention to other sports or programs. We had only 28 boys show up for the November 12 evaluation. Since then, we have made a concerted effort to convince other potential players to register and come to the January 7 evaluation. As of the recent registration deadline, we now have (barely) enough registered players to field three teams again.

Unfortunately, it is our judgment that depth of talent remains a very significant issue for us this year. The other teams that compete in the 680 league are very competitive all-star / travel type teams from larger communities than Orinda. And while our numbers are comparable to last year, our candid assessment is that our depth of talent is significantly down from last year. We have reluctantly reached the conclusion that it is insufficient - particularly at pitcher and catcher - to field three reasonably competitive teams. No matter how we might try to approach it. And I want you to know that we looked at a lot of different ways to try to make it work!

Still, the board was very uncomfortable with the notion of cutting so many boys who are anxious to play baseball and to work hard to develop their skills. Therefore, we have decided on a rather unique approach for the 2012 season.

We will field two Pony teams this year. One will be a 13/14 mixed team with a required minimum of at least five 13's. The second team is likely to also be a 13/14 mixed team, but there is a chance we will decide (after the January 7 evaluation) to make the second team a pure 13U team. Either way, each of these teams will have 13 players on their Game Rosters. The boys who are not selected for one of these 26 Game Roster spots will be offered the opportunity to choose one of the following options:
All of the 13 year olds will be offered the opportunity to play in the Bronco House league, and
All of the boys (13's who choose not to play Bronco and all 14's) will be offered the opportunity to participate as members of the "Practice Squad" for one of the two Pony teams.
The "Practice Squads" will operate in a manner very similar to "Taxi Squads" in the NFL. That is, "Practice Squad" players will be considered to be important members of the team and will be respected as such. They will be expected to attend and work hard at all practices. They will be expected to develop their skills, to learn all of the plays and signals, and to be ready to play if "called up" to the Game Roster. They will be given game uniforms. They will be welcome (but not required) to come to games, to sit in the dugout, and to support their teammates. Our coaches will stress to all players that one's contribution to the team is not defined merely by one's contributions on the stat sheet during games, but it includes contributions made during practice and in the dugout. Everyone's contributions will be respected and appreciated.

If one or more players on the regular 13-man Game Rosters is injured or otherwise unavailable to play for one or more weekends, "Practice Squad" players will be "called up" as temporary replacements on the Game Roster. These "Practice Squad" players will be selected to be called up on a case by case basis based on their effort and performance in practice. When they are called up, best efforts will be made to get them playing time similar to what is typically accorded the 13th player on the Game Roster.

Weather permitting, we will hold our second and final Pony evaluation on Saturday, January 7. We expect to select and communicate the two 13-player Game Rosters within a week of the January evaluation. At that time, we will also offer the options described above to the players who were not selected to be on one of the Game Rosters, and we will ask that they make their preference known to us within a week of that offer.

Flip and his coaches and I are all 100% aligned with this approach, and we applaud the board for developing a creative solution to the situation at hand. We believe this approach is the best among all of the alternatives considered. We believe it will create the best opportunity for the greatest number of boys to participate in highly productive practices, to learn and develop their baseball skills, and to have a fun and positive baseball experience.

If you have any questions, I hope you will not hesitate to email or call me. I look forward to seeing your player at the evaluation on January 7.