KERN COUNTY STRATOMATIC LEAGUE
BYLAWS
2006
Accepted 12-23-05
Name
The name of this organization is Kern County Stratomatic League, hereinafter referred to as KCSL. It is a non-profit organization.
Objective
The objective of KCSL is to encourage good fellowship among people who enjoy the game of baseball, and promote the game of Stratomatic Baseball through sponsorship of social, athletic, recreational and other constructive activities.
Location
The home base of KCSL shall be Bakersfield, California, but can include other cities in or around Kern County.
Membership
A. All Team owners shall be eligible for membership in KCSL.
B. Each team will have one (1) vote.
C. All members of KCSL shall be subject to the provisions of these bylaws and other rules and regulations as may be established by the league.
D. It is the responsibility of the members to determine if each activity is in the best interest of the Kern County Stratomatic League and to vote accordingly.
Officers
A. The officers of KCSL shall consist of a Commissioner and two Executive Committee assistants.
B. Those officers specified above shall comprise the Executive Committee of KCSL.
C. All officers must be members in good standing.
D. Two non-Executive Committee positions will be filled each season: (1) League Website coordinator and (2) League Trade Recorder. Each of these positions may be filled by an Executive Committee member, but it is only optional.
Elections
A. The Commissioner shall be elected by the league prior to the beginning of each new season.
B. The Executive Committee assistants shall be nominated from the members of the league.
C. A simple majority of team votes shall determine election results.
D. Individuals may serve any number of terms if re-elected or drafted.
Commissioner’s Duties
A. The Commissioner shall conduct the KCSL meetings in an orderly manner and ensure that each motion brought before the league gets proper consideration. An Executive Committee member can conduct league meetings in the Commissioner’s absence.
B. A designated member shall ensure that accurate copies of all team rosters are available to any member of the league.
C. The Commissioner (or one of his assistants) with league approval shall be responsible for conducting all league business with outside sources.
D. The Commissioner shall be considered the official spokesperson for KCSL.
E. The Commissioner (or one of the Executive Committee members) is responsible for finding a host and scheduling all meetings and game nights.
Procedures
A. Upon resignation of a Commissioner, one of the Executive Committee members will move to the Commissioner’s chair. The league will then designate a replacement assistant. These moves will be in effect until the next official election.
B. Upon resignation of an Executive Committee member, the Commissioner shall be able to appoint a replacement until the next official election.
C. The league shall have the power to impeach any officer for cause by a two-thirds majority vote of all league teams.
D. If an officer is removed from office, the rules for resignation shall govern replacement.
Meetings
A. Regular league meetings begin with the start of the new KCSL season and end with the last play-off game.
B. Regular league meetings shall be weekly at a pre-determined place and time
C. Winter meetings start after the play-offs and end with the General Draft.
D. Winter meetings shall be scheduled as desired by the League.
E. Special meetings may be called by the Commissioner, or requested of the Executive Committee by a member as the occasion may warrant.
F. If deemed necessary, the commissioner may call an “Executive Committee” meeting. The purpose and outcome of this meeting shall be reported to all league members at the next regular meeting.
G. Roberts’ Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings at all meetings.
H. A Quorum shall consist of a majority of voting teams, one of which must be the Commissioner or an elected assistant.
I. Unless otherwise specified in these articles, all league matters shall be decided by a simple majority of a quorum of members.
Committee Formation
A. A committee may be established for any item of business.
B. The Commissioner will ask for volunteers to be on the committee.
C. Any league member may serve on a committee if he/she so desires.
D. Committee chairpersons shall present a complete report of the committee findings to the league on a date to be set by the Commissioner.
Proposals
A. Any member of KCSL can present an idea or proposal for league consideration.
B. An outside interest can present a proposal to the league if, and only if, that outsider is sponsored by a member in good standing.
C. No obligations, financial or otherwise, shall be incurred in the name of KCSL – except for activities approved by the league and within limits of funds allocated for such activities.
D. Authority to incur financial obligations for approved activities is vested in the Commissioner.
E. Receipted bills must be presented for reimbursement.
F. All expenditures shall be shared equally by all members of the league.
By-Laws Changes
A. The membership of KCSL shall have the power to make, alter, amend or repeal these bylaws, or any article or section thereof, by a simple majority vote of the total membership.
B. Changes in the bylaws can only be addressed during the “winter meetings” from the end of the last play-off game to the start of the draft for the next year, unless approved by a unanimous league vote.
Issue Resolution
If a specific rule does not exist in the KCSL bylaws, it is up to the Commissioner and Executive Committee to resolve any and all league issues. Whatever they recommend will be subject to a league vote of approval.
Any votes of the Executive Committee will be reported as unanimous.
Morals Clause
Unacceptable behavior (physical or verbal) directed towards a KCSL member(s) or his or her spouse/significant other will not be tolerated.
A. Physical abuse is grounds for immediate expulsion. No exceptions!
B. Verbal abuse is subject to review by the Executive Committee to determine what course of action is appropriate.
C. The Executive Committee’s findings will be presented to the entire membership for discussion and possible league vote to resolve the situation.
League Structure
League structure will be determined by league vote during each year’s winter meetings prior to opening day of the new season.
A. Basic Alignment: one division
B. Number of teams: to be determined.
C. Playoff teams: to be determined
Schedules: Regular Season
The league will establish regular season schedules each year during the winter meeting period. The number of teams, games, series, and dates will be determined at that time
Schedules: Post Season
The league will establish playoff particulars during the winter meetings of each off season. This includes possible dates of the playoffs, the number of teams involved, and whether or not byes will be awarded.
All playoff series will be a “best of seven” , 2-3-2 game format.
Team Structure
Owners
A. Each team must have an owner that is not affiliated with any other team in the league.
Owner Resignation
A. If an owner resigns, the Commissioner may appoint an interim owner for the remainder of the season, as long as the new owner is not affiliated with any other team. This interim owner, because he/she was appointed, does not have a vote.
B. If an owner resigns or cannot play the team’s scheduled games during the season, and an interim owner cannot be found, the Commissioner may do one of the following:
1. If one-third or less of the team’s games have been played, the team will be dropped from the league and all games will be erased from the records.
2. If more than one-third, but less than two-thirds of the team’s games have been played, the Commissioner shall appoint an interim manager(s) from the league membership to play enough games to equalize the number of games played with other teams. Once this is done, the team will be dropped from the league and all remaining games will be erased from the records.
3. If two-thirds or more of the team’s games have been played, the Commissioner shall appoint an interim manager(s) from the league membership to play the remaining games, and all games will count in the standings.
C. If an owner has to withdraw for personal reasons, he/she may, with the approval of two-thirds of the league, appoint an interim owner for a specified time period not to exceed one (1) season. This interim owner will have all rights and privileges.
Ownerless Teams
A. An ownerless team becomes the property of the league.
B. A search will be conducted to find an owner that will be acceptable to the league.
C. A new owner must be accepted by a ¾ majority of all members of the league.
D. If no owner is obtained:
1. The team will be frozen for at lease the remainder of the season.
2. Dispersal of the players will be through a dispersal draft involving current league teams, or determined during the winter meetings.
Freezing Rosters
A. A team owner can request that his team be “frozen” for one season only. After one season, if the owner elects to withdraw from or fails to contact the league, his team will be subjected to a dispersal/re-entry or general draft.
B. Once an owner declares his team “frozen”, it must remain frozen until the following season (1 year/season minimum). No roster changes can be made once the owner requests/declares his team frozen. (excluding expansion years)
C. After December 31st and until the day of the general draft, an owner may petition the league to have his team “unfrozen” before the start of the next season. This amounts to a request to have a league vote on the issue of reinstatement.
D. Requesting that a team be frozen between seasons must be done between the conclusion of the last play-off game and December 31st of the same year.
E. For a team to be unfrozen, the owner must receive a 2/3’s vote of the entire league membership.
F. After one season/year a team owner must petition for a league vote on reinstatement.
G.. If an owner declares his intention of leaving the league for whatever reason, the team will be treated in the same fashion as a request to be “frozen” and is subject to the same conditions listed above.
Frozen Team Trades
A. Trades are not allowed with teams that are on “hold” or “frozen”.
B. Trades are not allowed with teams that have no owner. This becomes effective when the owner declares his/her intentions to give up the team, quit the league, freeze the team, or when any other owner becomes aware of these intentions.
C. If a team is frozen after December 31st, any trades made involving the frozen team can be either voided or a supplemental draft pick can be created by the Executive Committee to compensate the affected teams.
D. If the frozen team has acquired any draft picks, the team will forfeit those picks. This would result in a roster reduction that would be made up in the following year’s draft if the team is reinstated.
E. If the teams remains frozen for 1 year/season and is not reinstated, the roster reduction from the lost draft picks become irrelevant.
Rosters
A. A team shall consist of thirty-five (35) players.
B. The playing roster of a team shall consist of twenty-five (25) players. This roster shall be declared before the start of each game.
C. The taxi squad of a team shall consist of ten (10) players.
D. Game rosters expand to thirty-five players (35) for games 136 through 162. This coincides with the implementation of the four (4) man pitching rotation. (If the season is not 162 games, then a league vote will determine the game number for implementation.) (If season is 126 games, then games 105 through 126).
Taxi Squad Moves
When a player is sent to the Taxi Squad, he must remain there for five (5) games/days. A player promoted to the active roster must remain on the active roster for 5 games/days.
Roster Size Reduction
When Strat-O-Matic “e ratings” are released for the upcoming season (around mid-December), team owners must reduce their rosters from thirty five (35) to twenty five (25) players without league expansion, to twenty (20) players with league expansion. The ten players released from each team become eligible for the upcoming draft. A team’s twenty-five (25) man roster can include “no card players” that are ineligible for actual team play and must remain on the team’s roster for the entire season (unless traded to another team).
The league will designate a cut down deadline. Once the deadline passes, the players become property of the league, and become frozen until the draft.
Players
Eligibility
A. Player eligibility will be reviewed yearly by the league.
B. A non-roster player with no Stratomatic card shall be ineligible for the draft and league play.
C. Current roster player(s) with no Stratomatic card can be carried on a roster. This can be done at the discretion of the manager. The player cannot be used in league play. The player will occupy a roster spot.
D. Players with more than one Stratomatic card:
1. Must meet the league qualifications on one of the cards, or be declared ineligible. (Cannot combine stats)