Well folks - the Season of Change is upon us. The off-season this year had a myriad of changes, chaos and more, but as usual, the FBL came through it all stronger in the end.
A few major changes that are worth noting:
A few major changes that are worth noting:
- The Kids have shut down operations completely and are no longer a team in the league. The league owes the players from the Kids a debt that will never be paid back in full, but hopefully as the years pass, we'll learn to appreciate each of the players from the team, what they did for the league and how they helped shape the league over the span of 30+ years. They're welcome back any time for a game, spare or just a libation! With that in mind, we are still trying to confirm if we will have 10 teams this year or not. We have a few inquiries, but no decisions have been made to date.
- The concession stand is no more - as voted on unanimously by the league managers. OH NO!! Where will I get my food and beverages now?" you may think - well, fear not. We're preparing for a new era in the FBL - BYOB(everages)! As for food - we're opening up the ability to host BBQs (or whatever food you'd like to sell) as a method of fundraising - SPFK/Make A Wish!
- As a result of the Concessions being eliminated, we also get the added bonus of a massively reduced set up and tear down activity each week. All duties are not finalized at the moment, but we've also eliminated the need for a team to bring ice at 1p (as well as the teams setting up bringing ice in the morning).
As a personal bonus (and no - I didn't vote to get rid of the concessions) - I get my Saturdays back as I no longer need to battle morons at CostCo and then painstakingly scrubs coolers and wash cutlery for 4 hours a day. Hello golf! - With all of the above - we're also introducing the much discussed balanced schedule with 18-games a year. This allows all teams to play each other twice. How is this being done? Well, check out the schedule to see - but the short answer = Sunday Double Headers (2 games at 1130a and 2 games at 1p on most every Sunday). The schedule is not finalized. In order to meet the balanced schedule requirements, a need to start a week earlier than normal is required - so our tentative start date for this year is April 23rd. Stay tuned for more details.
- Now, I feel like I'm saving the best for last! We're not going completely bat-sh*t crazy, but the BYOB is in fact true! That said, we're proud to announce our new league sponsor - Central City Brewing. I won't go into the details of the agreement here, but we have a great deal in place for the league and I hope we can prove our worth to those over at Central City Brewing. Managers will be required to submit their receipts to me each week and I will be monitoring our return to Central City. I have set a goal for each team as well as a goal for the league as a whole so hopefully we blow by those goals. All I and the managers ask in return from the players - support our new partner every chance you can!! Not just at the field, support them away from the field as well! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
