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West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association
"Home for fantasy campers before and after camp" |
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CURRENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO We are fantasy camp alumni who had a fantastic time at camp and made some great, new friends. Seeing those friends once a year at camp was not enough for us. We decided to organize some tournaments with our good friends from the Los Angeles Dodgers Fantasy Camp (See Dodgertown West Home Page). These tournaments were a big success and have evolved into annual events. In 2001, the Giants campers formed their own San Francisco Bay Area league which played a schedule starting in March and ending in October. The three-team league eventually grew to six teams when the Oakland A's fantasy campers were invited to enter two squads. In 2006, the Giants campers formed a non-profit organization to help run the league and tournament events and it was called the West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association. In 2010, the WCFBA Board of Directors voted to mix the Giants and A's league players into one single player draft and make all of the A's official members of the WCFBA. This is your site for information on tournaments and other activities for WCFBA members. This site is not affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco Giants Fantasy Camp, the Oakland A's, or the Oakland A's Fantasy Camp. We are a volunteer organization and need member help in putting together our events. One of the hopes for this web site is that we can generate interest in helping organize and run future tournaments. Work for each tournament includes (in no particular order):
This web site should relieve some of the communication burden from volunteers and save on some of the mailing expenses that are incurred. We would like the team managers to take on more of the responsibility of handling their team rosters such as batting order, defensive alignment, and player availability. Let us know if you have any other ideas. For further clarification of what we are about, read the following letter that was sent June 11, 2006:
NOTE: Per our bylaws, we invite anyone who has played at ANY fantasy camp associated with a professional ball team to participate with us. It is not limited to the San Francisco Giants. Please refer to section III.1 of the bylaws.
NON-PROFIT STATUS AND TAX RETURNS During the course of the 2006 season, Doug Rusch put in countless hours to file the required paperwork to make the West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association a non-profit corporation. By becoming a non-profit entity, we see benefits regarding our ability to rent facilities, rent them at a lower cost, gain insurance discounts, and receive tax exempt status. What Doug has done is a behind-the-scenes effort, but without his work, our costs are much higher and we may not be able to play at some of the facilities we have had the privilege to play at. Please thank him for his efforts. What follows are the documents which we must
make available to retain our status.
They are in Adobe PDF format so you must have
the free Adobe Reader to see them. If
you don't have it, I've provided a link where
you can get it for free! First off is
our ByLaws . . .
West
Coast Fantasy Baseball Association - By Laws
Version 3.1.
WCFBA MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT Every sports organization eventually feels the need to invoke a member 'code of conduct' and the West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association is no exception. The new Board of Directors spent part of the off-season putting together a set of standards by which players and coaches should conduct themselves while participating in events sponsored by the WCFBA or any other fantasy baseball organization. This code of conduct states the organization objective, our stance on alcohol and smoking at events, and a rough outline of member penalties which may be applied at the discretion of the league commissioner, the tournament commissioner, or the Board of Directors. To view the short document, click on the link below: West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association Code of Conduct In general, most
Fantasy Camp tournaments follow the same,
three-day format. Six different teams are
put together with a best effort made to
insure that the teams are somewhat equal
in ability and have enough pitching and
catching. For a WCFBA-Dodger tournaments,
each organization will bring three teams.
The team you are assigned to will play a
different team each day at a different
time. For WCFBA-Dodger tournaments, each
WCFBA team will play every Dodger team
once. The typical tournament schedule is
as follows: Games have a two and a half hour time limit
to insure the daily schedule is completed.
Visiting and home teams will be determined
prior to the start of each tournament. FANTASY CAMP TOURNAMENT PLAYING
RULES In order to make our games a
safe and enjoyable experience, we have made some modifications to the standard
baseball rules. We WILL play the game of baseball except for
the following changes which will reduce the potential for
injuries and provide a competitive environment for all players. It is important to note that the umpires are NOT responsible for
the enforcement of all rules. Batting order, courtesy runners, and
pitching limitations are enforced by the coaches. If a coach believes one
of the rules is being violated, they should call time and discuss it with the
opposing coach. STEALING:
Stealing of bases is not allowed if the
pitcher delivers from the stretch position. If the pitcher goes into a
full wind-up with runners on base, runners may attempt to steal. However,
under NO circumstances may a runner steal home. LEAD OFFS:
Runners may only lead off to the cutout of each base before the pitch is delivered.
Once the pitch is delivered (leaves the pitcher's hand), runners may take a
secondary lead. PICK-OFF PLAYS AND OVERTHROWS:
Even though there is no stealing when the pitcher is in the stretch,
runners are still
susceptible to pick-off throws by both the pitcher and the catcher. PITCHER
- Per standard baseball
rules, the runner must be tagged out if the pitcher attempts a pick-off
move. If there is an overthrow on an attempted pick-off
play by the PITCHER, all runners may advance without retagging their bases. CATCHER
- A throw
to an occupied base by the catcher can result in a force out. In other words, a runner must beat the catcher's throw to the
base - it is NOT a tag play. If there is an overthrow on an
attempted pick-off play by the CATCHER, the runner occupying the base that
was thrown to must go back and tag up
before advancing. ALL OTHER runners may advance without retagging
their bases. PASSED BALLS /
WILD PITCHES: Runners may not advance on passed balls
or wild pitches, unless one of the following three things occur: The wild pitch or passed ball makes contact with the backstop
- The ball is dead and the runner(s) move up one base automatically.
This includes runners on third base advancing to home and scoring. No defensive play can be made.
The wild pitch or passed ball
does NOT make contact with the backstop, but the runner(s)
are attempting a legitimate steal as outlined in Rule #1 above
- In this case, the runner(s) must have begun the attempted
steal before the pitch crossed the home plate area. The ball is
live and runners may advance at their own risk. The wild pitch or passed ball
is a dropped third
strike which will be scored per normal baseball rules
- If
first base is unoccupied with less than two outs or there are two outs
AND the third strike to a
batter is not fielded cleanly by the catcher, the ball is live and all
runners (including the batter) may advance at their own risk. A
runner on third base may attempt to score on a dropped third strike
since this is not considered to be a steal attempt. FREE
SUBSTITUTION OF PLAYERS ON DEFENSE:
Any team player can substitute for another
player on defense at any time. FULL BATTING ORDER:
Barring injury, all
players on the team must hit (not just the nine currently in the field).
The batting order is rotating. In other words, the leadoff hitter for
game #2 is the batter who was in the on-deck circle when the final out was
made in game #1. The same applies to game #3's leadoff hitter which is
based upon the final out of game #2. TIME LIMIT:
No new inning can begin after the
two hour and 25 minute
time limit. The umpire maintains the master clock which
each coach should synch up with prior to the start of the game.
Games are expected to start at their scheduled time unless prior
games were delayed. All infield
practice, umpire pre-game meetings, and pitcher warm-ups should be completed
before the official starting time of the game. Opposing coaches should
coordinate their infield practice so each team has the same amount of time
to use the field without affecting the starting time of the game.
INJURIES AND COURTESY RUNNERS:
All batters
must run from home plate on balls put in play. Once a player
reaches base, a courtesy runner is available under the following
circumstances:
·
Prior to the
game, each team will be allowed to designate up to two
players in their batting lineup who are to be replaced by courtesy
runners once they have reached base. Once the game has started, NO
changes or additions can be made to this designated player list.
·
When a
player who is currently playing the catching position defensively is
still on the base paths with two outs, a courtesy runner can be
employed. This is not mandatory, but it does allow the catcher to
get their gear on and be ready for the start of the next half
inning.
If one of the players described
above reaches base, they will be replaced on the bases by the last
recorded out. When determining the last recorded out, keep
in mind the following:
·
The last
recorded out is the player who exits the field when the last out was
recorded.
·
In the event of
a double play, the last recorded out is the second out recorded.
·
The courtesy
runner will be the second to last recorded out if either of the
following are true:
o
If the last
recorded out is also designated to receive a courtesy runner
o
If the last
recorded out is currently playing the catching position and there
are two outs
·
If a runner is
required in the first inning of a game and an out has not yet been
recorded, the runner shall be the last player in the batting lineup
provided they do not also require a runner.
Since a team’s designated runner
list must be set before the game, any batter who is unable to run
the bases after the start of the game must be removed from the
lineup and the lineup will be collapsed. When that player’s
position comes up again in the lineup, they will be skipped, but no
out will be recorded. It is permissible for any such player to
continue playing defense, but they cannot be added back to the
batting lineup.
Team coaches are responsible for
insuring that the correct courtesy runner is used. The opposing
team can challenge whether or not the correct courtesy runner is
used and if they challenge successfully, the runner will be removed
from the bases and an out will be recorded. Any challenge must take
place before the runner in question scores or the half inning
concludes. OUTFIELD PLAYS AT FIRST BASE:
A batter running to first base on a ball hit on
the ground to an outfielder cannot be forced out at first base
on a throw from the outfielder.
It
is permissible for the outfielder to have their throw relayed to
an infielder and then to first base to achieve a force out, but
they cannot throw directly to first base.
WOOD BATS: Wood bats will be used. Exceptions
to this rule are
men 60 and over and any ladies who choose to use metal bats.
SLIDE OR GET OUT OF THE WAY:
In order to avoid injury, runners must slide
or get out of the way if there is a play at the base they are
attempting to advance to. For example, if a ground ball is hit with a runner at first which results in a play at second base, the runner
from first
must slide into second base or peel off toward the outfield so the fielder may
attempt to turn a double play if they so wish. Even if a double play is not
in order, the goal is to prevent unnecessary collisions resulting in injury. THREE HIT BATTERS PER GAME:
** NEW FOR 2013 **
A pitcher must be removed from the pitching position if
he/she hits three batters with pitches in one game. That
person cannot return to the pitching position during the course
of that game. TOURNAMENT
INSURANCE In order to secure the
finest of facilities, fantasy camp tournament
coordinators will need to acquire insurance
for the facility. The insurance cost is about
$250 per team per year and is
covered by the entry fees charged to each
player. We have made a practice of acquiring
our coverage from Gagliardi Brothers Insurance
who are well known throughout California for
providing sports related insurance. Their
contact information is: Gagliardi Brothers Insurance Phone : (408) 414-8100
Sample Insurance Certificate for 2007 Lodi Tournament The policy
DOES
NOT cover loss or injury to the
following groups who are attending the
function at their own risk:
The policy DOES
cover loss or injury to individuals who are
not involved with the tournament group. A good
example is a passerby outside of the facility
who is struck by a foul ball. Most stadium
organizations will require this coverage
before they will allow any groups to use their
facility. INSURANCE
MEDICAL CLAIM FORMS As part of their responsibilities, all league
managers and tournament hosts need to report any accidents requiring
medical attention. Should there be any such accident during a
West Coast Fantasy Baseball event, fill out the following form and
return it to the league commissioner (for a league game) or the
tournament commissioner (for a tournament event). They will
make sure it is filed with our insurance representatives.
Medical Claim For for West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association OPEN LETTER TO
SOLICITATE FIELDS Acquiring fields for league games and
tournaments has become more and more difficult over the years.
Competition for facilities is heated and those that do rent
their fields out want to know they have somebody they can trust.
Use the link below to print out a sample letter which you can
use as a form of introduction. Feel free to replace my
name and contact information with your own.
Open
Letter to Solicitate Fields for West Coast Fantasy Baseball Association
(Microsoft Word format) |
