Open Letter On Team Placements and Playoffs

There has been a lot of talk recently about the Hockomock summer league and playoff placements and the removal of teams from eligibility. We as a league would like to take the opportunity to address this as well as the thought process behind it.

First, it needs to be understood that our organization is made up of volunteers. We all participate in the organization because we have a shared belief if town, recreational baseball. There are countless hours put in behind the scenes on the operational processes and technology to ensure there is both a spring league for town’s senior aged players (13 and up) as well as Summer baseball. All proceeds the league takes in from registration fees and fines all go into league operations and scholarships. Additionally, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience of all league participants.

To this end, one of our primary objectives is to make sure that teams are properly declared across our three divisions of play to ensure that this experience is commiserate for all. Obviously, a team that is not able to compete against teams of top level talent shouldn’t be in our all star division, nor should teams with all star level caliber players be declared in our D2 or D3 divisions. In an ideal world, every team in every division would go 5-5 with all games being competitive and close.

This obviously will not be the case in every situation, but the league has put controls in place to help assure that divisions are balanced. One of these controls is that if the league has not had the opportunity to see a team play in our league, then the first time they declare, they must play in Division 1. If that team does not perform well, then the following season we have an exception process where a town can ask for a waiver to play in a lower division. We want all kids to have a positive and competitive experience.

This year, the league received several requests from towns seeking waivers to compete at the 9U Division 2 level. As noted above, the league’s general practice is not to approve these requests when we have not previously had the opportunity to evaluate a team’s level of play. However, in each instance, the requesting towns represented that, based on the teams’ performance in the Friendship League the previous season, they anticipated their teams would be unable to compete at the Division 1 level and would likely even struggle in Division 2.

After careful discussion, the Board agreed to grant these waivers with a clearly defined condition. It was understood by all parties that, if at the conclusion of the season the league determined that a team’s on-field performance demonstrated it should have been declared as a Division 1 team, that team would be ineligible for postseason play. This condition was established to preserve competitive balance and ensure fairness for the Division 2 teams that had been appropriately declared at that level. The requesting towns acknowledged and accepted this condition before the season began.

As the regular season has come to a close, the Board completed its agreed-upon review. Based on the teams’ performance throughout the season, it was determined that two of the teams granted waivers demonstrated a level of play consistent with Division 1 competition. Accordingly, the Board applied the postseason eligibility condition that had been agreed to during the declaration process.

This was not a decision the Board took lightly. No one wants to see any team become ineligible for postseason play. However, maintaining the integrity of the league requires that the standards and agreements established before the season be applied consistently. Upholding those commitments, even when the outcome is difficult, is essential to ensuring fairness for every team in the league.

Going forward, the board is examining eliminating exception requests to avoid these situations entirely.