opening Day Sunday April 18th

Gents:


We kick off our season with a single game against the Bridgeport Brewers starting at 9 am.
Some points to note: Players from last year will find the following familiar but with new faces I thought it would be good to review how we approach things


1) We have the field until 8:40 am when we are obliged to let them take infield or use the time as they wish. With that in mind please get there early enough to take the field around 8:20 for infield/outfield. It is a good idea to stretch before hand to give your muscles some warning you are going to be pushing it

2) We ask that you do not say anything negative or argue with umps. If there is something to discuss Jim , Charley or I will have that discussion with them. We will have our share of calls with which we beg to differ but we need to accept it and move on and focus on what we can do as a player. Make the next pitch , take the next swing, make the next play in the field… focus on the matter in front of you and let go the last ump call--he is not going to rethink it. For new players-be especially ready to swing with two strikes and remember the zone expands in the ump's eyes especially for guys new to the league.

3) Bats: we want to avoid breaking one another's bats and as such have several team bats available. If you break your bat please use a team bat as opposed to another players "go to " bat. No one enjoys coming in to hit and finding his bat has mysteriously broken. We have about 5 Team bats including several brand new ones that feel good. Feel free to use a team bat at your convenience or preference ( Note the new 34 has a lot of hits in it! )

4) Attendance: we understand and anticipate that players will have conflicts. You can help us manage this by simply letting us know during the week if you are Not going to be there for the subsequent game. We have a decent size roster and pretty much have players available for each position in the event we are missing players. As it happens I will be missing this opening game myself as will Jose and Bob Ryan. Raff may be on the DL for a week or two. But even with the four of us out we still have a strong team and should be fine this Sunday. ( note I will be back next Saturday and be there for the New Canaan game but Jose is out two weeks)

5) Game management: as Jim and I are both pitchers we generally try to focus on the matter at hand-. Thus if Jim is pitching, I will be running things ( with the exception of the next game) if I am pitching Jim will be running things. When neither of us is pitching Jim generally coaches third and sends the signals- Jim will review the signs prior to the game on Sunday. We try to get everyone in the game and spend considerable focus on this. This is not a guarantee everyone plays every game but the better you play, the easier it is to find a spot for you ( the converse holds as well). We ask that you think of playing time as part of the function of being on a team. This is not going to be a democracy in allocating things evenly among all our players. We have players who hit over .400, ( Roneil and Bobby both hit over .400 last year with John Liz right behind them ) that we need to get a lot of at bats. The best way to get more at bats is to hit well and we plan to start the Sunday game with Roneil, John and Bobby at the top of the lineup. Defensively , we tend to make more changes and give players a chance . We will split the catching with Charlie and Alex for the first three games and then we have a double header which they will each have a game. As for pitching Sunday Jim will start and Tim will follow him. For the first three games as we are getting into shape pitchers will do as much as they can but generally a few innings until mid may when the arms develop some stamina.

6) Weather : During the season it is possible for doubtful weather to give you some uncertainty as to whether we play or not. To handle this , when the weather is doubtful or the forecast is discouraging , Jim and or I get up early and determine if we are going to play or not. In general if it looks unlikely we postpone rather than play in wet conditions . After the decision is made we update the blog with the determination. If is sunny out and blue skies we are not blogging away as we assume you will be able to determine we are playing. But if doubtful we update the blog with information. you should check before you leave home so as not to come all the way and find out we are not playing. Additionally, Jim and I need to deal with the umps and opposing teams as well . So to make it simple just check the blog before you leave and if nothing is there then the game is on.
This worked well last year during a season of much rain and we will ensure we do our bit to enable you to use your time well.
http://wiltonredsox2009.blogspot.com/

7) Energy: Let's hustle as a team and play your best. We all love the game and let it show in your energy for the game


Win next week!


Cheers,

Dave