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Bloomingdale, East Bay Little League teams disappointed by ruling

Tribune photos by JOHN CEBALLOS

About 700 baseball and softball players are registered to play in the East Bay Little League this season. Above, Paul Ullom leads his team on the field during the introductions following the opening day ceremonies March 4.

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By NICHOLAS MURRAY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 16, 2009

A combined team of junior softball players from Bloomingdale Little League and East Bay Little League were looking forward to competing in this weekend's Section IV tournament at Manatee East Little League in Bradenton.

They had begun practice a month ago, and with no competition in District 13, they advanced through to sectionals automatically.

But on Tuesday, they were informed that their team fell outside the bounds of what a combined team could be, making the 14-player squad ineligible as currently constituted.

"It's absolutely disappointing," Manager Rick Bernaldo said. "Not from the standpoint of whether or not we would have had an opportunity to win and move on, but disappointing that five girls are not going to get an All-Star experience."

Little League restricts the number of leagues that can combine to a maximum of three charters.

Through the number of baseball teams and players registered at Bloomingdale Little League, it holds two charters, National and American. For softball, it is also linked with South Brandon Little League, which doesn't have a softball program, giving it three overall.

East Bay holds only one charter, but is also linked with Progress Village Little League, which, as with South Brandon, doesn't offer softball. As a result, the combined team would hold five charters, making it ineligible.

The ruling was appealed to Little League's headquarters, but according to District 13 District Administrator Cal Lieble, the Charter Board sided with the Southeast region, and upheld the decision.

Despite that, on Wednesday evening at a practice and team meeting, the players voted that Bloomingdale's nine players would carry on this weekend, with the five East Bay players sitting on the sidelines supporting them as far as they went. Bernardo said he has been immensely proud of the attitude the players have maintained throughout this week.

"It was very impressive to hear these young ladies from the Bloomingdale side say, 'hey, if they're not going to play with us, then we don't want to go,' and the East Bay girls saying, 'hey, you worked hard, we're going to go support you,' " Bernardo said.

"I in no way can say anything detrimental about Little League or their structure, its organization or anyone I spoke to because clearly, rules are rules … I was very, very impressed with how our girls dealt with it."

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