I'm putting this out there ahead of tomorrow's meeting so that maybe
we have a jumping off point for the league discussions. Although
maybe there is already a proposal I'm not aware of. Anyway, it's
pasted below.

Also, we will have a new club in Providence next year. Interest in
the vintage game has grown in the city and we've recruited a young
crop of ballists to resurrect the 1886 Olneyville Temperance Cadets.
Our new website is at www.vintageolneyville.com.

Here is the proposal:

New England Vintage Base Ball Association

This is to propose a relatively loose association of 1886 New England
Vintage Base Ball clubs for the 2008 season. The Association would
consist of two divisions. The divisions are primarily based on
geography and would allow the clubs to play most of their games
relatively close to home.

This proposal has been kicked around before, but what is different
here is that the divisions would be able to create requirements,
standards and standings guidelines on their own. For instance the
consensus among Terry Division clubs might be to require each club to
play a minimum of 10 games in a season. The Kelly Division could have
different circumstances and elect to base standings on an 8 game
campaign.

We all know that each club has different circumstances with respect to
how many games they can commit to, how much they are willing to
travel, etc. Compartmentalizing the clubs would allow for concessions
to be made within a smaller group, which should make most resolutions
come a lot more easily.

At the end of the season, the division winners would play a 3-game
World Championship kind of like the one between the American
Association and National League in 1884. The divisions would be free
to decide how their winner is determined. The Terry Division might
want to hold a tournament with seedings based on record. The Kelly
Division may want to base it completely on standings. In either case,
the two determined winners would play, and we'd declare a league
Champion for the first time.

I think having to make decisions in a smaller group will make it easy
to keep most of the people happy most of the time. I also think that
the rules disputes of the past have basically (and thankfully)
dissipated, so concerns that two different rule sets could develop
shouldn't be a huge deal.

Of course, inter-divisional play would still take place frequently,
and the divisions would individually consider how those results are to
be counted.

"King" Kelly Division
New Hampshire Granite
Boston Colonials
Boston Beaneaters
Cornish Game Hens
Olneyville Temperance Cadets

"Adonis" Terry Division
Westfield Wheelmen
Whately Pioneers
Pittsfield Elms
Hartford Senators
Simsbury Taverneers
Bridgeport Orators

Respectfully,
Patrick Reilly
Cornish Game Hens of Providence