We offer a Major Baseball program for 10, 11, and 12 year olds. This is the premier Cal Ripken League division, whose All Stars play in a series of postseason tournaments that lead all the way to the Babe Ruth World Series held every August rotating locations around the country. Only the very best of the 10 year olds and the better 11 year olds will make this division. This year the Cal Ripken Major Division will play by new rules for more advanced play. Our Fields will be converted to represent these rule changes. For the first time in the Major Division level, we will have 70 foot bases, a 50 foot pitching mound, and baserunners get to lead off bases and steal without waiting for the ball to cross home plate. Also, if a player strikes out and the the ball touches the ground, the batter can run to first base (if open or 2 outs) and be safe if the catcher does not throw him out (dropped 3rd strike rule). The pitching is very advanced, with fastballs usually in the 50-60 MPH range and offspeed pitches commonplace. Hit baseballs (line drives) can often exceed 100 MPH! Players should only register for this program if they are fully prepared to participate at this most advanced level of Cal Ripken play.
In very rare situations where safety is a significant concern, 12 year olds whose safety might be endangered by the high speed pitching or very hard hit and thrown baseballs prevalent in the Major division may be considered to be held down in the AAA division. If you feel your 12 year old child's safety is a concern playing in Majors, register them anyway for the Major division (age eligibility precludes AAA Division registration of 12 year olds on the website), but note your concerns in the Special Reguest field of the registration form and someone from the league will personally discuss your situation with you following evaluations. It will reguire league approval by the Safety Officer and Executive Board for your 12 year old child to play in AAA Division.
Evaluations will be held for every registrant of this program and will be announced at a later date. Everyone who signs up for this program must be evaluated to be drafted onto a team in this division. All registered participants will receive a card the week before their scheduled evaluation date with the exact time the child is scheduled to be evaluated. If a scheduled evaluation date is missed the first weekend, it will be rescheduled the following weekend. If both evaluation dates are missed, the child will not be eligible to play in Majors and will be drafted into AAA instead. Proof of age (original birth certificate) must be brought to the evaluations (along with the registration fee if not yet fully paid) and presented at the sign-in table at the Snack Shack in order to certify each child for participation in the program and register him/her to be evaluated.
