BY-LAWS OF THE REDWOOD EMPIRE BASEBALL  LEAGUE

(Underlined areas highlighted in red for 2008 Season)

     Article I. Name

 1. Name. This organization shall be known as the Redwood Empire Baseball League or “REBL” and shall be affiliated with the Men’s Senior Baseball League/Men’s Adult Baseball League.

 Article II. Governance

 1. Officers.   REBL shall consist of the following officers: Commissioner, League President for each REBL league, Chief Financial Officer. Each of these officers, in addition to the duties of their office, shall serve as a member of the REBL Board of Directors.

 2. Term of Office.  Each officer shall serve an annual term of office commencing December 1 of the calendar year and ending November 30 of the following calendar year.

3. Officer Elections.  Each officer shall stand for election annually. Commencing the 2003-04 term, annual elections shall be held on the first Monday after Labor Day.

(a) The Commissioner shall be elected by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of all REBL affiliated teams. The manager of each REBL team shall vote on behalf of their team on all REBL and league matters. A team may vote by a person other than that team’s manager by written proxy but the proxy holder must be a member of the team casting the vote. The Commissioner need not be a player in REBL.

         (b) League Presidents shall be elected by a majority of the teams of their respective leagues. In the event of a tie vote, the Commissioner shall cast the tie-breaking vote. The league presidents need not be players in REBL.

         (c) The Chief Financial Officer shall be elected by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of all REBL affiliated teams In the event of a tie vote in either league, that league’s president shall cast the tie-breaking vote. A team may vote by a person other than that team’s manager by written proxy but the proxy holder must be a member of the team casting the vote. The Chief Financial Officer need not be a player in REBL. 

(d) Any member in good standing may be nominated for any of the elected offices of REBL. A REBL member nominated must accept the nomination if they are to be placed on the ballot for officer elections. A REBL member may self-nominate for any elected office of REBL. 

4. Mid-Term Vacancies. In the event that an officer of REBL is unable, for any reason, to complete their term office, the Commissioner, with the consent of a majority of the members of the REBL Board of Directors, may fill that office with his/her nominee for the balance of that office’s term. In the event of a tie vote, the Commissioner shall cast the tie-breaking vote to fill that office. 

5. Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of REBL. The Board of Directors shall consist of: The Commissioner, The League Presidents, The Chief Financial Officer, At-large member from each REBL League chosen by a majority of that league’s teams, and an at-large member who may be chosen from any REBL league, chosen by a majority of the teams of the entire league. All actions of REBL not otherwise specifically delegated to any REBL officer by these by-laws must be approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors. 

6. Removal of Officers. Any officer of REBL may be removed from office during their term with cause upon the vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the remaining members of the Board of Directors. Upon such a vote, the issue of that officer(s) removal shall be voted upon by the teams from each league. The action of the Board of Directors to remove an officer shall be approved by either two-thirds of the teams from the National League and two-thirds of the teams from the American League or by three-quarters of the teams of REBL.

7. Meetings. The Board of Directors shall meet on a bimonthly basis from April to September on the second Tuesday of the month. The Board of Directors shall also meet on the second Tuesday of December and the second Tuesday of January, the latter meeting coinciding with the annual managers’ meeting. Managers or their representative or proxy shall also attend the Board of Directors meeting for April and August of each year. 

  Article III. Officer Duties 

1. Commissioner. The Commissioner of REBL shall act as the Chief Executive Officer of the entire league. The Commissioner shall be the signatory to all contracts entered into on behalf of REBL, shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, shall act as the chair of the Board of Directors of REBL, shall be a co-signatory with the REBL Chief Financial Officer to all financial documents on all accounts of REBL, shall be the official spokesperson for REBL, shall serve as the REBL representative in all MSBL/MABL meetings or activities, shall maintain all REBL records, rosters, non-financial assets, and equipment, shall purchase and distribute all necessary equipment and supplies for all REBL teams as needed, and shall serve as the player agent for all potential REBL members not affiliated with a REBL team. The Commissioner shall also perform any duties as they may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors. 

2. League President. Each league president shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of their respective leagues. This shall include, but shall not be limited to, game scheduling, field scheduling, and umpire scheduling for each league. Each league president shall also appoint all necessary members to any committees as set forth more fully below. Each league president shall rule on all game protests. In the event that the League President is a member of a team involved in a protest, the protest shall be ruled upon by the Commissioner. The decision on the protest shall be final and not subject to review or appeal. Each league president shall also serve as a member of the REBL Board of Directors. In even-numbered years, the National League President shall serve as the Commissioner of REBL in the event of the Commissioner’s absence or if the office is vacant during that year and shall continue in that position until the Commissioner’s office is filled or the conclusion of the Commissioner’s term of office, whichever comes first. The American League President shall assume such duties in odd-numbered years. The presidents of each league may coordinate to maximize efficiencies for use of fields, umpires, and scheduling.

3. Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer of REBL shall be responsible for maintaining all financial records of REBL, shall be a co-signatory with the REBL Commissioner to all financial documents on all accounts of REBL, and shall prepare or oversee the preparation of all appropriate financial reports, returns, or other required documentation within standard accounting procedures. The Chief Financial Officer of REBL shall also serve as a member of the REBL Board of Directors and as the Chair of the REBL Finance Committee. The Chief Financial Officer shall make all financial reports available for REBL officers and team managers at each Board of Directors and team meetings. 

  Article IV. Committees 

1. Standing Committees. REBL shall have the following standing committees: Fields and Scheduling, Umpiring, Finance, National League Discipline, American League Discipline, and Communications/Publicity. 

2. Fields and Scheduling Committee. Each league shall have a fields and scheduling committee made up of a chair and two other members. The chair and two members shall be appointed by the League President with the approval of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors. The committee shall be charged with securing all fields for each league for the regular season, playoffs, and championship games. The fields played upon by each league shall be approved by a majority of the team managers in that league. The league field committees may coordinate so as to maximize field use and obtain the most favorable prices for that use. The committees shall also be responsible for seeing that any and all appropriate insurance documents are provided to the field owners. The committees shall regularly inspect the fields to assure that they are in safe and playable condition. The committee shall also arrange for, with the approval of the Board of Directors, the regular maintenance of the playing fields. The committee shall also be charged with developing all game schedules for the regular season, playoffs, and championship games. The league scheduling committees may coordinate so as to maximize the efficient scheduling of games. The schedule shall be approved by a majority of the team managers in that league. The committee shall also be charged with any scheduling changes caused by games being called/canceled or by request of either or both teams. 

3. Umpiring Committee. The Commissioner shall appoint, with the approval of a majority of the Board of Directors, a three-person umpiring committee which consists of a representative from the National League and the American League and a chair that shall come from either league. The committee shall be charged with negotiating with and contracting with umpires for all regular season, playoff, and championship games and evaluating the performance of any umpires. Any organization with which REBL contracts for umpiring may designate a representative to serve as an ex-officio member of the umpiring committee.

4. Finance Committee. At the discretion of the Chief Financial Officer, a finance committee may be established. The finance committee shall consist of the REBL Chief Financial Officer and a representative appointed by the President of each league, approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The committee shall be charged with overseeing all financial operations of REBL including, but not limited to, budgeting, financial reporting, and financial management. All financial transactions in excess of $100.00 shall be approved, upon recommendation of the finance committee, by a majority of the Board of Directors. 

5. Disciplinary Committee. The disciplinary committee shall consist of one member from each REBL division, each appointed by their respective league President, and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. All such members shall be in good standing in the REBL. Under no circumstances may a member of the disciplinary committee hear an issue involving a player within their own league. 

6. Communications/Publicity Committee.  The Communications/Publicity Committee shall consist of a chair appointed by the Commissioner  and a representative appointed by the President of the National League and a representative appointed by the President of the American League with each member being approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The committee shall be charged with overseeing the maintenance of the REBL website, league statistics, media relations, promotion of REBL, and recruitment of players. The Commissioner, as the spokesperson for REBL, shall be an ex-officio member of the committee. 

   Article V. League Structure

1. Team Rosters. Each team shall maintain a roster of no less than 14 players and no more than 18 players (20 for FL teams). The team roster, along with fully executed league participation contracts from each roster player, shall be provided to the Commissioner’s Office with a copy to the league president no later than 10 days prior to the team’s first game. Players may be added to the team roster subject to the limitations set forth herein, at any time, but the time of adding to the roster will effect the player’s post-season eligibility as set forth more fully below. Before any team adds to its roster, that roster spot must first be offered to any person on the player waiting list. In the event that the player or players on the waiting list decline to play for the team attempting to fill the roster spot or there are no players on the waiting list, the team may add to its roster from outside the waiting list. Each team shall be allowed annually to add an unlimited number of players to its roster without those players having to participate in tryouts or be on the waiting list. The league shall maintain the player waiting list on the REBL website with necessary contact information. 

2. Try-Out and Draft. At least 45 days prior to the commencement of each season, REBL shall conduct try-outs for any persons interested in playing in either the National or American Leagues. Any person wishing to try out shall deposit with the league at the time of tryouts, an amount equal to one-fifteenth of the per-team league fee. Players shall then be subject to draft based upon reverse order of finish in the National League. After the National League teams have completed one round of drafting, the American League teams, in reverse order of finish, shall then complete their round of drafting.  The two leagues shall then complete the draft in the same manner, with the National League team selecting first in each round and the American League selecting next.  Any players remaining after all teams have passed in the draft shall be placed on a waiting list and shall be chosen by any REBL team to fill any roster vacancies arising during the season. If the player is not chosen during the season, his deposit shall be refunded to him and he may re-enter the tryouts the following season. A player trying out for REBL may designate that he wishes to be drafted only by a team in the National or American League.

3. Team Fees. Each team shall pay an annual fee to the league to participate in the league. League fees shall be determined by the Finance Committee which shall determine a per game cost which shall be determined by taking the entire annual budget and dividing it by the number of regular season games to be held in the National and American Leagues. One-half of the per game cost shall be multiplied by the number of games scheduled for each team to determine the team fee. A non-refundable five percent overage shall be added to the team fee to arrive at the total cost for each team. Any excess funds at the end of each fiscal year beyond a reasonable reserve as determined by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board of Directors shall be utilized for the team fees in the following fiscal year. 

4. Fee Payment Schedule. Each team shall deposit $500 toward team fees no later that January 15. An additional $1,000 shall be deposited no later than February 15. A second deposit of $1,000 shall be made no later than March 15. The balance of team fees shall be due and payable on or before April 1. Any team not having all funds paid before its first scheduled game shall forfeit, without opportunity to make up or appeal, each game until its fees are brought current. Failure to meet any of the above deadlines shall also result in a 10% penalty on the amount due on that date to be assessed against the team. 

5. Playoffs. Each league shall have a playoff series with a minimum of four teams from the league and a championship series. Any player that has played in at least 30% of his team’s regular season games shall be eligible to play in the REBL post-season. Any player added to the team roster after 80% of the REBL season has passed is not eligible for post-season play.  If the ineligibility of the player causes undue roster hardship for the team in post-season play, the team may apply for an exemption to be ruled upon by the Board of Directors.  The number of teams to make playoffs, the playoff format, including number of games, shall be determined by a vote of the league managers, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. It shall be the objective of REBL that playoff games and championship games shall be played on fields of highest quality within the budgetary constraints of REBL. Each team shall submit a playoff roster with any requests for exemptions as to eligibility at least two weeks prior to the first scheduled playoff game for that league. The Board of Directors shall rule on any exemption requests at least one week prior to the first scheduled playoff game and the decision of the Board of Directors shall be final. Standings shall be determined by awarding two points to a team for every win and one point for every tie. 

          6. REBL Competitive Balance/Season Schedule Maximization. The Board of Directors of the REBL is responsible for the proper governance of the league and all activities, as defined in these by-laws, associated to the league.  Part of that responsibility is to maintain a competitive, balanced environment for all teams in all divisions and to maximize the amount of baseball that can be scheduled and played by those teams (i.e., minimize bye weeks).  To ensure the REBL is able to maintain a competitive, balanced league throughout all divisions and/or to ensure the maximum number of games can be scheduled for all teams, the Board reserves the right to review annually the realignment of divisions as necessary to maintain competitive balance and/or to maximize the playing schedule for each team during the season.  To guarantee there is a consistent process for making an equitable decision about realignment, the following criteria will be followed by the Board: 

To balance a division (competitive and/or season scheduling):

1.       Any team in a lower division that finishes in the top position of its division for two consecutive years (or finishes 1-2 in its division for the last 3 years) will be considered for realignment.

OR

2.       Any team in an upper division that finishes in the last position of its division for two consecutive years (or finishes last/next-to-last in its division for the last 3 years) will be considered for realignment. 

After teams have identified the divisions they will be playing in, financially committed themselves to playing for the season, and before finalization of the upcoming season’s playing schedule, the Board will make the determination for the need to realign divisions in the REBL.  This will allow the Board to assess team make-up within the divisions (divisions with even-numbered teams vs. divisions with odd-numbered teams) and whether or not realignment is necessary.

Realignment will be reviewed annually to determine the effectiveness of previous realignments and, if necessary, change the realignment as required to maintain the competitive balance within the divisions and the league and to ensure each team has the maximum opportunity to play baseball.  The realignment process will only be implemented if there are appropriate upper and lower divisions for the selected team to be realigned. 

7. Discipline. Teams and/or players may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the league. Any player ejected from a game shall be automatically subject to a one game suspension without right to hearing or appeal. A player ejected from three or more games in a season may be subject to greater penalty subject to the right to a hearing as set forth below.

          A. Grievance. Any member and/or officer of REBL may submit a grievance to the appropriate league disciplinary committee when that person has a good faith belief that another member and/or officer of REBL or team has violated a rule of this league or of MSBL or has conducted themselves in such a manner as to bring disrepute upon the good name of REBL and/or MSBL. Such a grievance must be made in writing and shall be signed under penalty of perjury by the complaining party. The disciplinary committee shall not accept or consider any grievance that is not presented in conformity with this requirement. The person or team that is the subject of the grievance shall have ten (10) calendar days to respond in writing to the grievance. This time for response may be extended by the discipline committee for no more than ten (10) additional calendar days. All writings submitted by either party shall be provided to the opposing party at the same time that it is submitted to the discipline committee. If no written response is received within the allotted time, the grievance shall be deemed admitted. The disciplinary committee shall then meet within ten (10) calendar days and provide the person or team that is the subject of the grievance with written notification of the punishment or other relief granted by the disciplinary committee. That decision must be delivered within five (5) days of such meeting. In the event that a response is received requesting a hearing on the grievance, the matter shall be set for hearing in front of the disciplinary committee with the hearing to be held within fifteen (15) calendar days. 

          B. Hearing. The hearing on the grievance shall be held before the three member disciplinary committee. The decision of the disciplinary committee may be appealed to the Board of Directors. The party filing the grievance shall bear the burden of proof in the hearing which shall not be subject to the formal rules of evidence. Parties shall have the right to present documentary and other evidence and call and cross-examine witnesses. The disciplinary committee shall, at least five (5) days prior to the hearing, meet with the parties to set forth the rules of conducting the hearing such as time limits, location, etc. Unless otherwise authorized by the committee, each side shall be limited to one (1) hour to present and argue their position on the grievance. At the conclusion of the grievance, the disciplinary committee may, at its sole discretion, meet in closed session to deliberate and render a decision. That decision and remedy shall be sent, in writing, within five (5) days of reaching that decision to the complaining party, the person or team that is the subject of the grievance, the league president, and the Commissioner. 

8. Stipend. At the conclusion of each fiscal year, the teams, by a majority vote, may award a stipend from any remaining REBL funds, to the officers of REBL for the satisfactory performance of their duties.