Intermediate Baseball Division
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the field dimensions for the Intermediate Division?
A: Fields are required to have a pitching distance of 50 feet and distances between the bases of 70 feet. For comparison, McGuane Park uses a 46 foot pitching distance and 60 foot basepaths. Full size baseball fields use a 60 foot pitching distance and 90 foot basepaths. Fences are to be a minimum of 200 feet but we expect many of the fields we play on to either not have fences or have fences much further than 200 feet.
Q: My son or daughter plays another sport. Is the Intermediate Division going to allow them to miss practices and/or games?
A: The Intermediate Division is being offered by Darien Little League as a supplementary program for those players with advanced skills and where baseball is their primary spring sport. We suggest that families with children signed up in multiple sports consider not participating in the Intermediate Division.
Q: If my child does not play in the Intermediate Division, will that hurt his or her chance of playing on the District and Friendship teams in the summer?
A: The process for selection of the District and Friendship rosters will not change. Voting by the Major league players and managers will determine the composition of those rosters.
Q: How many teams will Darien Little League have in the Intermediate Division?
A: We plan to field one or two teams, but we will not know for certain until after the tryout.
Q: How many games will the Intermediate Division play?
A: Darien Little League expects to play between 12 and 16 games in the Intermediate Division against other towns from April through June.
Q: Will Darien Little League have an Intermediate Division District team?
A: Although Little League International is offering a World Series level tournament for the Intermediate Division, Darien Little League does not plan on having an Intermediate Division post-season team in 2013.
Q: What days will the Intermediate Division play?
A: Leagues offering Intermediate Division baseball are working on those details now. For information purposes, Darien Little League has proposed playing on Fridays and Sundays.
Q: Darien doesn’t have the right size field. Where will the Intermediate Division play?
A: Baker Field is in the process of being converted to the proper field dimensions for the Intermediate Division. Home games and practices will be played there.
Q: If my son or daughter is selected for the Intermediate Division, how much will they play each game?
A: Regular season minimum playing time rules will be in effect so every player is required to play a minimum of two innings in the field and get one at-bat. Intermediate Division games are seven innings so we expect many kids will play a minimum of three innings.
Q: How many kids will be on the team(s)?
A: We expect that team(s) will be 12-13 players. However, based on tryout results we may adjust that number accordingly. Little League regulations require that rosters be no less than 12 players.
Q: Can I use the same bat that I play with at McGuane?
A: If your bat is an alloy bat, then it can be used for Intermediate Division games. All composite bats shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats shall be so labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark.
Q: Can I get a “big barrel” bat for Intermediate Division games?
A: Yes, a bat with a barrel not exceeding 2 5/8” can be used for Intermediate Division games. Any composite bat must be BBCOR-certified.
Q: I already have a big barrel bat from my older sibling, can I use it?
A: You can if the bat is BBCOR-certified and the barrel is no bigger than 2 5/8”.
Q: Do the pitch count rules used in Majors apply to Intermediate Division also?
A: Yes, pitchers’ pitch counts will be kept in both Majors and Intermediate Division games and days of rest will apply. For example, a player who pitches 85 pitches in a Majors game on Thursday cannot pitch in a Majors OR Intermediate game until the next Tuesday (four days of rest). The Intermediate Division coaches will work with the Majors managers to manage pitch counts accordingly. We expect to enact local rules limiting pitches in Intermediate Division games in order to give more kids the opportunity to pitch in the Intermediate Division and limit impact to Majors teams.
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Darien Little League Baseball
Frequently Asked Questions
When will team rosters be announced?
We anticipate announcing Majors Baseball rosters prior to the Winter school break.
The Minors Baseball rosters should be available after the school break, likely during the first full week of March.
AAA Baseball rosters should be available in mid March.
AA, A Ball and T Ball rosters should be available in late March or the first week of April.
Why is there a delay between when the tryouts occur and the teams are announced?
Our goal for our competitive leagues (Majors, Minors and AAA ), in which we keep standings, hold playoff tournaments and recognize league champions, is to create balanced teams.
In Majors, the teams are balanced by a player draft which is conducted by each of the Majors managers. Those managers attend the two Majors tryouts to evaluate prospective players and also consider manager evaluations from last season. We allow the managers a few weeks to get organized for the draft, and then once the draft is completed we first speak to the parents of every player who does not get selected before releasing the rosters.
In Minors and AAA, the teams are created by the respective league Commissioner and Player Agent. Once the Majors rosters are finalized, we assemble the Minors teams, attempting to create balanced rosters. We use a combination of the 2015 tryout and 2014 coach evaluations to determine the skill levels of each player in an effort to create those balanced rosters.
Once the Minors rosters are completed, the AAA teams are built using a similar process, with the Commissioner and Player Agent working together. Usually a few 2nd graders are needed in order to have an equal number of players on each AAA team roster, so we hold a specific tryout for 2nd graders who are at least 8 years old. This year that tryout will be in early March.
We recognize that there is a gap between when the tryouts take place and the teams are finalized. We do try to get the various gyms necessary for the tryouts prior to the start of the YMCA basketball tournaments, and hopefully the above descriptions of the processes involved help explain the time consuming efforts we make to create parity. Once the Majors teams are finalized we can move on to the Minors and then AAA, but they do need to happen sequentially in case there are drop outs and kids need to be moved out of one league up to a higher division.
How are teams created?
As outlined above, the teams in Majors, Minors and AAA are created with the intent of balancing the rosters. Majors is created via a manager draft, and Minors and AAA are created by the respective league's Commissioner and Player Agent.
In AA, A Ball and T Ball rosters are based primarily on schools. We try to have two schools represented on each team.
Can I make a request to have my player paired with another friend?
Friend requests or specific manager requests are not granted in Majors (though certainly siblings can play together). In Minors and AAA, we do accommodate some requests on a case by case basis. As we are trying to create balanced teams, some of those requests could create unfairly stacked teams. As long as the requests are reasonable, we do our best to make them happen.
We are happy to accommodate specific requests in AA, A Ball and T Ball.
Can I request to coach my child?
Each year we have between 250 and 300 parent coach volunteers, and Darien Little League could not be as successful as it is without that incredible effort.
The best way to request to coach is to “check the box” on the registration form. If you did not do this but are interested in helping out as a manager or a coach this season, please send a note to Akshay Das (thedases@gmail.com) or Shawn Ryan (shawn.g.ryan1@gmail.com)
In all leagues except Majors, we permit two or more coaches to request to work together prior to the creation of the leagues. Please make sure one of the three individuals listed above recognizes this request if you are interested in pairing up with someone specific.
When will the game and practice schedule be available?
Weather permitting, Majors, Minors and AAA teams will begin outdoor practices in late March. The regular season for Majors, Minors and AAA begins in late April (just after the school break). We anticipate that full season game and practice schedules for each team will be available in early to mid April.
AA, A Ball and T Ball do not have weekday practices. AA has games on Saturdays and Sundays, and the regular season begins in late April. A Ball and T Ball play on Saturdays only, and opening day for those leagues is also in late April. Full season game schedules for those 3 leagues will likely be available in mid to late April.
