Mississauga Baseball Association

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The Mississauga Baseball Association (commonly referred to in writing as the MBA) is a not-for-profit summer baseball league that provides opportunities for youth in the Mississauga, Ontario area aged roughly 9 to 21 to play baseball from early May to late August. It is composed of five individual associations -- the Erindale Lions Little League, the Forest Glen Giants Baseball Association, the Mississauga Majors Baseball Association, the Mississauga North Baseball Association, and the Mississauga Southwest Baseball Association. After the 2005 season, the Sheridan Baseball Association was dissolved because it could not produce a board of directors. Prior to the 2005 season (shortly after the conclusion of the 2004 season) the Mississauga Majors Baseball Association was formed as a result of a merger between the Bloor and Cawthra Baseball Associations.

1 Nature of play
2 Levels of baseball offered
3 Structure of league
- 3.1 Schedule, season length, and games
4 Problems for talented players
5 External links

[edit] Nature of play

The association has adopted rules that, while deviating slightly from the rules of Major League Baseball, are more or less universally consistent with the standard rules of baseball. Age specific rules, such as curfews, maximum numbers of innings pitched, slightly smaller mound and base measurements, and less innings played per game have all been added to make the game more suited for some of the younger players.

[edit] Levels of baseball offered

The MBA has loops for 'A' and 'AA' baseball. 'AA' teams were originally made up of players born in one calendar year only. However, as enrollment declined, the association extended the 'AA' division to include players born without a 2-year span and for the 2006 season have implemented a system where there is often a 3-year age discrepancy between players playing against each other in the 'AA' loop. Many close to the association predict that these rule changes will threaten youth baseball in Mississauga, as it will leave a shortfall of 15, 16, and even 17 year olds without 'AA' teams to play on as coaches stock their teams with 18 year olds and extremely skilled 17 year olds. Examples of coaches that have implemented this strategy for the 2006 season include Todd Graveline of the Mississauga Majors Baseball Association and Paul Chadder of the Mississauga Southwest Baseball Association.

[edit] Structure of league

The league functions solely on the support of volunteers and umpires, who are paid little. Many of these volunteers, especially the coaches, are parents, and this creates a potential conflict of interest which may influence playing time, discussed in more detail below.

[edit] Schedule, season length, and games

Teams, regardless of whether they play in the 'A' or 'AA' loop play 18 to 24 game schedules over the course of the regular season. The number of games varies, contingent upon the number of teams entered into a loop. The more teams there are, the more games each team plays.

With the occasional exception of opening weekend, games are played on weeknights. Typically, games are not played on Friday nights. It is possible for make-up games to be played on Fridays and weekends however, depending on various scheduling constraints. Games begin at 6:15 and 8:30 in the evening, with older age groups generally scheduled to play at 8:30. There are curfews: games beginning at 6:15 do not have a new inning start after 8:15 and do not allow a pitch to be thrown after 8:30. Games beginning at 8:30 do not have new innings after 10:45 and no new pitch after 10:55, as the lights on diamonds go out at 11.

In the event that the time for "no new pitch" is reached in the middle of an inning, the score reverts back to what it was after the last completed inning.

One major difference between the MBA and pro baseball is the use of a mercy rule: if the home team is winning by 10 or more runs after 4 1/2 innings, or if the visiting team is winning after 5 innings the game is considered complete.

[edit] Problems for talented players

For talented players interested in using the league as a first step in a major baseball career, there are a number of perceived issues with the current rules that may limit opportunity. Note that this section deals exclusively with the 'AA' branch of the league, and there is no implication intended that 'A' players are always untalented or that all 'AA' are talented.

[edit] Partiality of player selection

By virtue of the fact that the MBA offers what is in effect a "little league" program with minimal opportunity for immensely competitive play, the coaches are all parents of players on the team. Their training is often limited to several short clinics that instruct coaches on how to run drills and deal with players and other parents in a professional manner. Additionally, although generally knowledgable and well-meaning, there is a small minority of coaches that choose to abuse their position of authority.

[edit] Process of forming an 'AA' team

AA teams are formed in the fall. Coaches are asked to submit applications in late August to coach an AA team the next summer. Applications are submitted to the individual association they are with, such as Mississauga Majors or Mississauga Southwest, rather than the MBA itself. The application looks at baseball experience, coaching experience, and experience with youth, among other qualifications. A panel of volunteers - generally umpires, members of the board of directors, and so on - looks at each application and considers its merits. Parent feedback is also given careful consideration, although a limited amount is received.

After an AA coach has been selected, fall try-outs (in September and sometimes into October) are held. The coach must select his or her assistant coaches as well during this time. Because all of the coaches are parents, their children are assumed to be on the team regardless of their skill level relative to that of other children. Coaching is a volunteer position and for this reason this notion is rarely questioned, which makes confronting abuses of authority an awkward process.

[edit] Lack of opportunity to move onto higher baseball

The MBA is understood not to be a watering hole for college, university, and semi-pro scouts. This is a notion that is not problematic for most players who play in the MBA, as by the time they reach the age where scout exposure is important, the ones that are talented and interested enough to give given such exposure have already moved on to higher baseball, notably an ‘AAA’ or elite program, where they can begin to pursue options involving playing at a professional or semi-pro level. However, sometimes limitations about which players can play for which coaches, as well as the necessary cost and time commitment, can hinder player growth and make it more difficult for them to reach this stage.