Posts by Michael DeSanto

Our popular Winter Workout program has returned to ring in the New Year! Don’t miss the chance to get involved as five of our divisions still have limited openings!

Is there still room for your ballplayer? Yes, in most divisions! With three divisions now sold out and others nearing capacity with the rapid rate of registrations of late, space is limited with only 20 openings remain across seven divisions. Players must register online before attending a workout. We have the following spaces remaining:

BASEBALL WORKOUTS

• • • Junior Rookie — 8 openings
    • Rookie — Wait List only
    • Minor — Wait List only
    • Super Major/Junior Baseball — 2 openings

SOFTBALL WORKOUTS

• • • 8U — 7 openings
    • 10U — 3 openings
    • 12U/14U/16U — Wait List only

Don’t delay! Register your ballplayer to secure his/her spot for these popular winter workouts!

What are your safety plans in light of COVID? We are committed to your ballplayer’s safety, too. Visit the OYO website for our COVID safety guidelines required for all coaches and players during all our indoor sessions. All age groups will follow stringent COVID-19 protocols during these workouts.

When, where and how much does it cost to participate in the Winter Workouts? OYO will host the Winter Workouts at Genesis Sports Performance, located at 5111 E. 65th Street (Indianapolis). Each division will run an exclusive 90-minute weekly session spanning 10 weeks from January 2-March 12. Review the OYO website for the complete workout schedule, including your division’s scheduled day and time for all 10 weeks. And, the registration fee is $100 per player.

OYO IS READY FOR 2021! WE HOPE YOU ARE, TOO!

When we flip the calendars to a new year in just four weeks, our annual Winter Workouts will start in earnest helping our ballplayers prepare for another season of baseball and softball.

And based on the early response to our call for registrations, most of our age groups are more than half full and we’re receiving new registrations daily. Space is limited to just two dozen players per division. Don’t delay, act today!

Following stringent COVID-19 guidelines and protocols to help provide a safe environment, OYO will host the Winter Workouts at Genesis Sports Performance, located at 5111 E. 65th Street (Indianapolis). Each division will run an exclusive 90-minute weekly session spanning 10 weeks from January 2-March 12. The registration fee is $100 per player.

Once again, don’t delay, register today!

Thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Congratulations to all 2021 OYO Board Members! On Tuesday, September 8, 2020, the current OYO Board elected a new slate of board members to help continue serve the OYO families in 2021 and beyond. This board of 40+ volunteers will work tirelessly to uphold The OYO Way and continue to grow our program to serve more than 1600 ballplayers and 1000 families each year. These board members will assume their official roles on November 1, 2020.

INTRODUCING THE 2021-22 OYO PRESIDENT

Each and every family at OYO has their reasons for choosing OYO as their place for baseball and softball. Over the years, we’ve learned families choose — and return to — OYO for many reasons, ranging from our diversity to our focus on equality, from the commitment to player development to game day experiences, from the quantity of teams to the quality of coaching, from the family atmosphere to the park’s proximity, from the concession stand service to the quality of umpiring, and from our Challenger program to rec league to multi-level travel program.

INTRODUCING THE 2021 OYO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

* denotes OYO Executive Board Member serving term through October 31, 2022

The 2020 OYO Fall Ball expanded season involved eight memorable weekends and 11 days of games in 2020. All those efforts culminated with our 13th annual Fall Ball Rec League Tournament featuring all of our teams this fall. We witnessed some memorable and competitive games complete with memorable plays and lasting memories.

Below we have summarized our championship game squads in every divisions. As more photos become available, we’ll update these summaries, as well.

We truly appreciate you choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball. We wish each and every ballplayer and family a memorable offseason.

As we prepare for a fun and exciting 2020 Fall Ball Tournament, there are a few rules that apply to multiple divisions, if not all divisions. While we have captured some of these specific tournament exceptions here, you can access the OYO-specific baseball rules and softball rules online for all the details.

UNIVERSAL RULES | WHAT STAYS, WHAT GOES

• Mandatory infield playing time | Players do not need to play in the infield at any time.
• Limit on number of innings at one position | No longer in effect – except pitching rules
• Players Sitting in MB, SM, 10U, 12U | All players must still sit out once before any player sits out twice

ALL LEAGUES | TOURNAMENT SPECIFICS

• Umpire Manages Time Clock | The National Anthem will only be played before the 10 a.m. games on Tournament Sunday, and the umpires will manage the time clock for all games
• Time limits | 1 hour, 45 minute time limit is still in effect, but teams will now finish the inning
• Same time limit for Championship Game | The championship game in each division also follows this time limit policy
• Unlimited runs | Allowed in only the official last inning (not last inning based on time limit)
• Tiebreaker | California rule (no outs, last batter on 2B) for tiebreakers, but inning rules remain same
• Team Eligibility | Seven players makes you game eligible, but a team must take an out for 8th player
• Player Departure | Player starts game – then leaves for any non-injury issue – team must take out when that player’s spot comes around in the order

PITCHING GUIDELINES

• Shirts | White and gray shirts beyond the length of jersey not permitted in baseball or yellow shirts in softball
• Baseball Limits | Limited to two innings per game, no limit per day
• Softball Limits | Same as regular season
• Baseball and Softball Violations | Balks and Illegal Pitch warnings (one per team per game) remain in effect

8U SOFTBALL, ROOKIE, JUNIOR ROOKIE

• Legal Pitch | Coach-Pitcher must complete the pitch inside the circle (defined as lead foot still has some contact with the chalk circle)
• Coach-Pitcher May Not Coach | Coach-Pitcher may not coach once pitch leaves the hand until play is determined dead
• Baserunners | One warning per team for runners leaving base early

BALL BUCKETS, COACHES AND LIVE PLAY INTERFERENCE

Sunday, October 11, marks the eighth and final weekend of games at OYO for this expanded Fall Ball season. We are excited to end our 13th annual Fall Ball season with a fun single-elimination tournament featuring all of our teams this season. As we prepare for Tournament Sunday, here are some very important reminders:

• Different Set of Game Times | Please read your game times and brackets carefully. All game times are as follows, 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. While these are slated game times, if a previous game or games run long, then times may slide back accordingly. In no instances will games start sooner than the scheduled time. Also, the National Anthem will only be played before the 10 a.m. games and all game time management will be moderated by the umpire.
• Finish the Inning Now In Effect | Once the 1 hour, 45 minute time limit is reached, teams will finish the inning (and, if needed in the event of a tie) play extra innings until a winner is determined.
• Keeping the Day on Schedule | It’s getting darker sooner, so we will keep the day rolling along on schedule as much as possible. So, if we reach the time limit and either (1) the home team is up to bat and has the lead or (2) either team has a lead greater than the number of runs allowed in that inning per division rules, then the umpire will call the game before the inning is complete.
• Be On Time | Per the OYO rules, if a player is not present by the time they are scheduled to bat, a coach will have to determine if they want to scratch the player from the line-up or take an out in hope the player arrives. In short, if you want your ballplayer to participate in the game on Sunday, know your team’s schedule and be on time…if not early!
• Download the Tournament Schedule | We have consolidated and condensed all the tournament schedules into a single document. You can access the tournament schedules here for the Fall Ball 2020 Rec League Tournament.
• Know the Tournament Rules | There are a handful of custom tournament rules that vary from the regular season. Be in the know by downloading the OYO baseball rules and softball rules today. These impact infield playing time, number of innings at one position, pitching limitations, unlimited runs in last official inning, team eligibility, player departures mid-game, proper uniform attire, etc.
• Remember The OYO Way | What’s made the 2020 Fall Ball season such a memorable experience for many of our ballplayers and families is how our fans continue to cheer positively for their team and their friends in the other dugout, too! Players, coaches and fans have gone the extra mile so far this season in following the OYO Code of Conduct.  This is The OYO Way. Make a difference in a young ballplayer’s life and continue to cheer positively and support all players and teams on Tournament Sunday.

We truly appreciate you choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball. We wish each and every team good luck and a great finish to their season! Play Ball!