h                                                            Cranberry Baseball League

                                                        BYLAWS

I- Name & Purpose

X- CBL Rules Rules- Leaving Positions

II- Membership

Rules- Postponements

Rules- Throwing At Batter

III- Officers

Rules- Officials

Rules- Bench Jockeying

IV- Voting Procedures

Rules- Special Circumstances

Rules- Protests

V- Dues

Rules- Length of Games

Rules- DH

VI- Schedule

Rules- Forfeits

Rules- Pre-Game

VII- Rosters & Eligibility

Rules- Suspensions

XI- Equipment

VIII- Post-Season Format

Rules- Language

XII- Adoption of Bylaws

IX- League Standings

Rules- Fighting

Appendix A- Tiebreakers

 

  

 

Article I: Name & Purpose

Name

Section A: This organization shall be known as the Cranberry Baseball League, Inc. and shall be on an amateur standing. The league is incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Purpose

Section B: The purpose of the league shall be to protect and stimulate competition among amateur baseball teams in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Agreement

Section C: All franchises and team members agree to abide by the by-laws of the Cranberry Baseball League, Inc. [Back To Top]

Article II: Membership

Members

Section A: The membership of this league shall consist of duly elected and accepted baseball teams, each one of which shall hold a franchise in the league. Any team holding a franchise in this league shall retain and exercise its franchise without need for re-acceptance to membership, providing that it has fulfilled all of its obligations to the league.

New Members

Section B: Applications for new franchises will be reviewed by the Membership Committee; the Membership Committee will report its findings and recommendations with the Board of Directors.  A new franchise may be elected to membership by achieving a 60% favorable majority of the league members present and voting at a league meeting. Each application for membership will be acted upon individually. New franchises will be acted upon no later than the January meeting of the membership.

Membership Revocation

Section C: Membership status may be revoked by a 70% majority of the franchises present and voting at a league meeting. Any franchise whose membership is in jeopardy shall be notified, in writing, by the President of the charges against them and be given the opportunity to respond to the charges at a league meeting conducted no earlier than seven days from the date of written notification from the President. [Back To Top]

 

Article III: Officers

President

Section A: The President shall be elected by majority vote annually at a fall meeting of the league. He/she is the chief executive officer of the league and is responsible for its overall functioning and security.

Vice President

Section D: The Vice President shall be appointed by the President and will perform league duties as delegated by the President.

Treasurer

Section E: The Treasurer shall be appointed by the President and shall be responsible for keeping an account of all league revenue and expenditures.

Social Media Director

Section F: The Social Media Director shall be appointed by the President. He/she shall manage the publicity of the league through Social Media and Print.

Umpire-In-Chief

Section G: The role of the Umpire-In-Chief will be to assign umpires to league games and to assure the appropriate level of quality officiating in league games. The Umpire-In-Chief shall be appointed by the President.

Executive Committee

Section H: The function of the Executive Committee will be to conduct the monitoring of all league business. The executive committee will consist of all league officers and one General Manager/Manager appointed by the President to be the Team Representative. The Executive Committee is chaired by the President.

Board Of Appeals

Section I: The Board of Appeals shall rule on all game protests and team player suspensions. The board will consist of a minimum of two (2) league officers, chaired by the President. All rulings by the Board of Appeals shall be final and binding. [Back To Top]

 

Article IV: Voting Privileges and Procedures

Member Club

Section A: Each member club is entitled to one vote on all matters brought to a vote at any league meeting at which it is represented.

President

Section B: The President, or in their absence his/her designee, is entitled to vote if there is a tie vote among member clubs at a league meeting.

Quorum

Section C: Presence of 60% of the league's members shall be sufficient for conducting business at a league meeting.

Majority

Section D: All matters brought to a vote at league meetings shall be decided by a simple majority of members present and voting unless otherwise specified in these bylaws. [Back To Top]

 

Article V: Dues

Approval

Section A: Annual dues of member franchises shall be established by the Executive Committee prior to December 1 of each year.

Payment Due

Section B: Each member franchise shall submit its league dues in full to the President before May 15th. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of membership. A new member must submit the sum of $500.00 to the President at the time of being accepted as a league member. This sum will be in addition to its annual dues and is non-refundable. If the franchise is in default, the money will become the property of the Cranberry Baseball League. [Back To Top]

 

Article VI: Schedule

Schedule Deadline

Section A: The regular season schedule of league games shall be submitted by the President for approval at a league meeting prior to March 15 of each year. Prior to March 15, member franchises must indicate to the President the dates on which their home field is available, and their desire to schedule home doubleheaders. After the schedule is approved, no changes may be made without the approval of the President.

Starting Times

Section B: The starting time of weekday regular season games shall be 6:00 p.m. Starting times for night, holiday, Saturday, and Sunday games shall be set by the home team with the approval of the President. A team unable to field nine players at the scheduled time may have an additional 15 minutes before a forfeiture is awarded and an additional 45 minutes before the second game of a doubleheader is forfeited. [Back To Top]

 

Article VII: Team Rosters and Player Eligibility

Player Eligibility

Section A: No player shall be paid for his playing services by any team in the league. If said player is found guilty, he will be suspended for the rest of the season. The team will forfeit every game that the player was compensated for and participated in. Any player/manager that receives a stipend to manage the team must be met with the approval of the President.

Section B: The youth group team (American Legion, Babe Ruth, CYO, etc.) will take priority when games for such players are to be played on the same day. When a player has two games scheduled, he is ineligible to play for the Cranberry League team. Penalty: Article X, Sections F-H.  [Back To Top]

 

Roster

Section C: The Rosters are considered “open” from opening day throughout the regular season.   Teams can add/drop at will as long as they do not exceed 25 players for any one game.    Playoff rosters are set for each series/round when line up cards are exchanged for the opening game of a new series/round.  There is a 25 player limit that applies to the series/round. [Back To Top]

 

Article VIII: Post-Season Format

Playoff Games

Section A: Prior to the opening of the regular season, the executive committee, with the approval of the league members, will design a playoff format.

Schedule

Section B: At a meeting called at the end of season's play by the President, the President and the playoff managers shall arrange for the scheduled playoff games of each competing franchise.

Home Team

Section D: The team with the highest league standing for the year shall be the home team for the first and deciding games. [Back To Top]

 

Article IX: League Standings

Regular Season Standings

Section A: Standings shall be determined by the awarding of two points for a win and one point for a tie. The President shall establish a procedure for the reporting of game scores.

Playoff Positions

Section B: All regular season games must be played. Unless the President determines the game has no bearings and both teams approve the game not to be played.  The Umpire-in-Chief shall directly supervise the re-scheduling of any postponements. [Back To Top]

 

Article X: The Cranberry Baseball League Rules

Cranberry Baseball League Rules

Section A: The MLB rulebook shall govern the playing of all league games except rules that are specific to the Cranberry Baseball League as contained herein.

Postponements

Section B: 

The home team manager may postpone a game because of inclement weather conditions. Within 48 hours of a postponement, the home team manager must offer the manager of the visiting team at least two possible make-up dates on which it does not have a league game scheduled. The visiting team manager must indicate his acceptance of one of these dates within 48 hours of notification. These games must be played within fourteen (14) days after the postponed date. If the home team cannot get a field, they should work with the visiting team to try and secure the visiting teams field within the same amount of time (14) days.   In the event that the two teams cannot resolve a make-up game the home team should request assistance from the Commissioner.   At that time a date and field will be assigned.   If either team cannot field a team it will result in a forfeit.

a) If a game is postponed in the final 2 weeks of the season all efforts should be made to play the game immediately.   If a date cannot be settled on seek assistance from the commissioner.

Games that are postponed within 24 hours of game time due to issues with permits for fields are subject to 1/2 payment to the umpires assigned as well as a $100 fine payable to the commissioner.  Should the postponement/notification occur within 2 hours of game, the umpires will receive full pay.

  [Back To Top]

Officials

Section C: No league-sanctioned games may start with less than one league-assigned umpire present. Only league-assigned umpires may be used for scheduled games. League umpire assessments may not be used for non-scheduled league games. [Back To Top]

Special Circumstances

Section D: Postponements for any other reason may be made only with the approval of the President. Failure to obtain approval will result in a forfeit by the team. The President may grant a waiver in the case of extenuating circumstances. [Back To Top]

Length Of Games

Section E: All regular season games shall be scheduled for seven innings. An 10-Run Mercy Rule shall be in effect for Double Header games. Under the mercy rule, the game will end and a win will be awarded when the home team is ahead by at least 10 runs after 4 1/2 innings or behind by at least 10 runs after 5 complete innings. If the visiting team expands to the lead to 10 or more runs in the top half of any inning from the 5th inning and after, the home team must bat in the bottom half of the inning.  Teams should attempt to play beyond seven innings in the event of a tie unless halted by darkness, curfew, or inclement weather. Playoff games shall be played the prescribed number of innings. If interrupted by weather or darkness, they shall be completed from the point of interruption on the next scheduled playoff date, if so directed by the President. The team trailing in score at the time of suspension may elect to waive this provision and accept the score as it stands. [Back To Top]

Forfeits

Section F: A team which forfeits a game shall pay to the President a fine of $50.00 as well as all umpire fees and any additional expenses incurred by the home team (lights, field) in full for games that are forfeited. Payment must be made before the team's next scheduled game or within 48 hours of originally scheduled game. Fines must be in the hands of the President at that time; failure to do so will result in successive forfeits until all fines are paid.

Section G: A team will be suspended from further league play if it has forfeited games on two separate dates during a season. Its remaining scheduled games shall be recorded as forfeits and its membership in the league shall be revoked. The balance of fees and umpire assessment, if any, shall become the property of the Cranberry Baseball League. Said team may re-apply for membership the following year and if accepted must pay a $500.00 fee.

Section H: The President shall award a forfeit for the use of ineligible players. [Back To Top]

Ejection And Suspension

  1. Section I: The Umpire-in-Chief shall report to the President, within 25 hours, the names of any player or coach who may have been ejected from the game and circumstances surrounding the ejection.

    1. The First Time a player, coach, or manager is ejected from a game, he shall be fined $50.  
    2. The Second Time a player, coach, or manager is ejected from a game, he will be fined $50 and suspended from the next two league games.
    3. The Third Time a player, coach, or manager is ejected from a game, the team will be fined $50 and the player, coach, or manager will be suspended for the rest of the season. If he desires to play, coach, or manage the following season, the team that he wishes to participate for must apply for re-instatement to the league and said application must be approved by a majority of the voting members.
    4. When the Umpire In Chief notifies the President of an ejection, the President or Comissioner will call the respective coach, who will inform him of the situation. With this call, the President will institute the appropriate penalty for the ejection. If payment of a fine is forthcoming, payment must be made prior to the teams next game or the player, coach, or manager cannot participate
    5. If a player or coach has physically abused an umpire, he will be suspended for the next three games, following notification from the President. Additional sanctions may be assessed.  A second incident of any type of physical abuse shall result in the suspension of that player for the remainder of the season. If he desires to play the following season, the team that he wishes to play for must apply for re-instatement to the league and said application must be approved by a majority of the voting members.
    All ejections and fines can be appealed.   The appeal will be heard by the President, Team Representative, and the Umpire in Chief.   All fines can be rescinded or reduced at their discretion. [Back To Top]

Conduct Rules

Section J: LANGUAGE: Players must refrain from using vile and profane language. In general, it is expected that players will be under control and not use obscenities. It is further expected that the manager will control the language used by their teams. The standard for the League is that if, in the umpire's judgment, inappropriate language can be heard by a fan in the stands, that player will be ejected. If the player does not leave the field immediately or if he persists in using foul language, the manager will also be ejected. If the situation continues to persist, the umpire will forfeit the game to the other team. [Back To Top]

 

Section K: FIGHTING & PHYSICAL ABUSE OF OFFICIALS: Any physical confrontation with opposing players or officials- including pushing, shoving, striking with arms, hands, legs, feet or equipment or attempt to make such physical contact- will result in the following penalties:

  1. For the first offense by an individual, ejection from the game and a suspension from the team's next Game (the 2nd game of the doubleheader if appropriate) as well as a $50 fine.
  2. For the 2nd offense, ejection from the game and suspension from the next 3 games as well as a $50 fine.
  3. For the 3rd offense, ejection from the game and suspension the season; additionally, the team must pay a $50 fine.
  4. If the physical confrontation is directed toward an umpire, the provisions of Section I.e (above) will apply. [Back To Top]

 

Section M: INTENTIONALLY THROWING AT A BATTER: If a pitcher is ejected for intentionally throwing at a batter, he shall be suspended for the team's next four games, beginning with the 2nd game of a doubleheader if appropriate. If a warning to the teams had been previously given, then the manager shall be ejected as well and be suspended for one game, beginning with the 2nd game of a doubleheader if appropriate. All other ejection rules will be enforced.  [Back To Top]

Section N: VERBAL ABUSE/BENCH JOCKEYING: Game personnel will not use language that reflects negatively on opposing players, coaches, umpires or spectators. The umpire will issue one warning and if the abuse continues, will eject the offending personnel. If the abuse does not subside or if it cannot be ascertained who the offending individual is, the manager shall be ejected. All other ejection rules will be enforced.  [Back To Top]

Protest

Section O: Games are to be protested in accordance with Official Rule 4.19.[Go To Rule] No later than 24 hours following the game, the manager of the protesting team must submit in writing to the President the reason for the protest. The President shall respond to the protest within 72 hours of its receipt. If the protest is upheld, the money will be returned. [Back To Top]

Designated Hitter

Section P; A designated hitter may be used in accordance with Official Rule 6.10.[Go To Rule] [Back To Top]

Pre-Game Field Use

Section Q: Visiting teams may have use of the field 15 minutes before the start of twilight games. All practice on the field shall end five minutes before scheduled start of a game. There shall be no practice time allotted between games of a doubleheader. Teams shall be ready to present lineup cards to the umpires and to review ground rule five minutes before the scheduled start of each game. [Back To Top]

 

Article XI: Equipment

Uniforms

Section A: All players, coaches and managers shall be in proper, complete team uniform.  Coaches and Managers are premitted towear a jacket or sweatshirt with the team colors.

Baseballs

Section B: The home team is responsible for supplying all balls necessary to complete a game. Only one brand of ball will be used during the course of the season.  The ball must have the CBL logo.  Any exceptions must be approved by the President.

Helmets

Section C: All batters, base runners, and catchers must wear protective helmets. The batter's helmet shall have an ear flap on the side facing the pitcher.

Base coaches are not required to wear helmets.  This overrides the MLB rule 1.16 (e).

Bats

Section D: Wooden bats that meet the specifications of the American League Rules will be used. [Go To Rule] The use of aluminum bats, laminate bats, or composite bats is prohibited.

[Back To Top]

 

Article XII: Adoption of By-Laws

Approval

Section A: These by-laws will be effective when approved by a majority of the league's members present and voting at a league meeting.

Amendments

Section B: These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of quorum of league members present and voting at a league meeting.

[Back To Top]

 

 

Appendix A: Tie Breakers

In the event of a tie for a position in the standings, tiebreakers will be:

      1. Most Wins,
      2. Record vs. Tied Teams,
      3. Most Runs Scored vs. Tied Teams,
      4. Least Runs Allowed vs. Tied Teams,
      5. Most Runs Scored vs. All Teams,
      6. Least Runs Scored vs. All Teams,
      7. Coin Flip. [Back To Top]