RED SOX OR ATHLETICS

FEBRUARY 2002- Welcome to the first edition of the NABA national newsletter. You know what they say about a good team that stands pat. Well, we’ve made a few lineup changes to serve you better. Our National President and Director is Shane Fugita. National Operations Director Sam Polizzotto will oversee our existing leagues. Joe Collins is now our Director of New League and Tournament Development, as well as President of the NABA Denver League. JD Magee, our Dallas-Ft.Worth League President, is National Tournament Director and has developed a great new concept of double elimination regional tournaments that will provide 15-20 new events across the country. Lou Palmer, President of the NABA Palm Beach, FL league is our Director of Communications, overseeing our national and local websites, and responsible for keeping our Baseball Today magazine fresh, up to date and complete. Our League Presidents, managers and players across the nation round out a team that we think is hard to beat. Thanks for being a part of our team!!!!!!! CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA OPEN BIG TOURNAMENT YEAR--NATIONAL AND REGIONAL EVENTS ON TAP FOR 2002. Our first two tournaments of the new season are in the books, kicking off what should be a terrific year for the NABA and for our teams and players. Not only will NABA be holding national tournaments in Las Vegas, Denver, Cooperstown, Orange County and San Diego (CA) and our World Championship in Phoenix, but this year we will be introducing exciting new double elimination regional events that will give our teams and League Presidents more action and opportunities to experience the thrill of tournament competition. The Holly “Wood” Bat tournament drew 35 teams, a significant increase from last year’s inaugural event, and five division champions were crowned, including Federacion Zacatecana (18AAA), Go Yard Nine, Palm Springs (18AA), Orange County Storm (18A), Orange County Diamondbacks (30A) and Team USA, San Diego (40A). In the Sunshine State, the Palm Beach Indians (18AAA) and Daytona Beach Rangers (18AA) won the first Citrus Classic titles. The tournament drew teams from Chicago, Virginia and Connecticut in addition to the Florida teams. The balmy temperatures in the 80’s were a welcome change for the snowbirds from up North and they figure to come back next year and bring more of their teams. Full tournament details can be found by clicking on tournament results on the home page of the dugout.org website. REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS ADD SPICE TO NABA CALENDAR So, Las Vegas or Cooperstown or Phoenix have been a little out of your league’s range? Well, this year NABA is bringing tournament excitement right to your own ball yards, with its new program of regional weekend tournaments. We will be holding 15-20 of these double elimination, tournament bracket special events in many different cities. and at very affordable fees. The national office will work with you to take care of many of the details, including planning, recruiting teams, liability insurance, awards, baseballs and anything else you need help with. It’s a great opportunity to invite NABA teams or other teams from your own city or from nearby locales. These will be open tournaments. Any team is eligible to play and no NABA affiliation fees are required. The NABA Regional Tournament program is catching on like wild fire. Tournament administrator JD Magee reports that plans are well underway for tournaments in San Jose (CA), Susquehanna Valley (PA), Lincoln, (NE) and Orlando (FL). Call JD toll free at 877-568-4928 or you can contact him via the Internet at NABATOURN@AOL.COM. He’ll send you a full color brochure with all the details on our regional tournament packages. You don’t have to wait for a holiday weekend either. These events are planned to take place on any weekend, using the fields you normally use for league play. Make friends, make money and make your season, by hosting or participating in a regional tournament right in your own backyard. LAS VEGAS TOURNAMENT GOES DOWNTOWN NABA’s spring showcase tournament, the Las Vegas Memorial Tournament May 25-27 is headed downtown this year with THREE fabulous host hotels. NABA headquarters and check in location will be the MAIN STREET HOTEL AND CASINO. You can also stay at the California Hotel and Casino, 12 Ogden Avenue or the Fremont Hotel and Casino at 200 E. Fremont Avenue. All three are in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, where the action is. Room rates are extremely reasonable ($65-$70 per night). And if there’s an overflow, we can also set you up at the Orleans Hotel & Casino at 4500 West Tropicana. With the only microbrewery in downtown Las Vegas and world class restaurants and buffets, you might come to Main Street Casino just for the food. Experience the aloha spirit of the Hawaiian-style California Casino and Hotel. In the heart of down town Las Vegas, the California Hotel and Casino boasts gambling, shopping, restaurants and comfortable rooms. You won’t be disappointed at the Fremont Hotel and Casino, perennially ranked among the best in Las Vegas with award winning restaurants. And, naturally you can try your luck at the tables and machines at all three host hotels. We’re expecting more than 85 teams for this year’s tournament. This is one event you simply can’t afford to miss. You’ll find complete registration, tournament and eligibility rules, hotel and rental car information at our national website at www.dugout.org. Bring the entire family. There’s something for everyone in Las Vegas. It’s even money that we’ll see you in Vegas. NABA TRISTATE LEAGUE One of our newest leagues for 2002, the Tri State League, serves the South Jersey-Philadelphia-Delaware area. The League President is Tania Garcia. Her husband, Hector Garcia, serves as Director of Operations. Some of the teams in the Tri State League joined Tania and Hector after spending several years in another organization--the United Delaware Valley Baseball League. The Garcias contacted NABA about becoming affiliated with us, became a part of our organization, and offer divisions for players Over 18, Over 28 and Over 38. They’re off to a great start with sixteen teams as of this month. The league has developed an INCREDIBLE website chock full of pictures, logos and information. Each team in the Tri State league has its own website as well. Check out the website: http://www.eteamz.com/udvbl New Leagues-Austin,TX-Aaron Navarro; Cedar Rapids,IA-Kyle Huxford; Knoxville, TN-Shane Gardner; Lansing-Jackson,MI-Tray Abbey Sioux City, IA-Jeremy Gosch; Tri State League, NJ-Tania Garcia; W.Hollywood, CA-John Williams New Presidents-Ft.Collins,CO-Nathan Ell; Flagstaff,AZ-Greg Cole; Lincoln, NE-Steve Minchow; Phoenix 30+-Greg Cole; Tampa-Hillsborough,FL-Jason Bolduc; Ventura, CA-Steve Zolotas NABA Tryouts-Feb. 17-San Jose(CA); Feb. 23-St.Petersburg-Pinellas(FL); Feb. 24-Tidewater(VA); Mar 2-Mt.Diablo, San Francisco(CA); Mar 3-Palm Beach (FL), Portland(OR), San Jose(CA)(2); Mar 5-Bowling Green (OH); Mar 10-Charlotte(NC), Flagstaff(AZ), Washington(DC),Susquehanna Valley(PA); Mar 17-Northern VA, Salt Lake City(UT), San Angelo(TX); Washington(DC)(2); Mar 19-Raritan Valley(NJ); Mar 24-Nashville(TN) Openers- Feb 24-Las Vegas (NV); Mar 3-Dallas-Ft.Worth(TX), Orlando (FL), San Gabriel (CA); Mar 10-Baton Rouge (LA), Orange County (CA), Ventura (CA); Mar 17-Central Valley, Sacramento, Fresno (CA), Denver (CO); TELL US ABOUT YOUR LEAGUE-If you’ve got something unusual about your league (unusual occupations, handicapped players, fundraisers, sponsorships, tournament participation,etc.), send it to us at NABACOMM@AOL.COM for a future newsletter. See you soon.