The Pacific Palisades Baseball Association has been providing baseball instruction and playing experience for kids in the Palisades, Brentwood, and Santa Monica since 1954. Boys and girls from 7 to 14 years of age as of August 31, 2021(born on or after 05/01/2006 and on or before 08/31/2014) are invited to participate in one of four divisions (Pinto, Mustang, Bronco, and Pony) for the Spring 2021 season.
Registration is now open and the deadline to sign up is February 15. The league, under the auspices of PONY Baseball, is a volunteer organization with teams coached by parents. Contact: ppba@earthlink.net.
A parent sent the following email to Circling the News: “The registration fee is $450 per player. The fee includes a uniform (jersey and pants), basic photo package, trophy, insurance, field maintenance, umpire costs and team equipment. There is a discount for sibling registrations. The registration fee for a second child is $400, $375 for the third, and $350 for the fourth.
“The registration fee, less a $50 administration fee, will be refunded only if your child is not placed on a team. If your child is placed on a team at the player draft, there will be no refund. (Unless the child withdraws for a legitimate medical reason.)
“This year, the following language has been added: ‘For 2021 only, the Board has determined that if we are never able to use the fields even for practice, the season will be deemed to no longer occur, and your registration fee will be refunded in full. Once teams are formed and practices commence, your registration fee is non-refundable. We will not start a season until we can expect to finish that season.'”
The reader said that last year, when the season had to be cancelled before league games were played, several people asked for refunds, but no one received them.
In response to this reader’s email, CTN contacted Mike Skinner, a longtime PPBA board member and chairman of the Park Advisory Board at the recreation center.
“This has been such a great program here in the Palisades for over 55 years now,” Skinner said in a February 2 email to CTN. “To my knowledge, last year was the first time in history that we had to cancel a season.
“Unfortunately, the uniforms have to be ordered, produced and paid for months in advance, and they cannot be used in the future since they would all have incorrect sponsor names, teams and such,” Skinner said. He then added an important piece of information for families. “In deference to our long-time umpire relationships and sensitivity to essentially putting them out of work, we made the decision to continue to pay them even though they were not working.”
Asked if people could deduct their registration fees from their taxes, since no services were provided to the players, Skinner said: “Each family would need to ask their tax advisor what they could legally deduct on their tax returns. I don’t know that answer for sure.”
Skinner explained that registration fees cover paid city permits from January to July; paying all umpires for the season; uniforms; field equipment (mowers, sod cutters, tarps, etc.); baseball equipment; pancake breakfast expenses (new park refrigerator) and Bat and Grill perishables (and new refrigerator).
“Our biggest expense is labor (gardeners) for the fields for 12 months,” said Skinner, who noted that if the City issues PPBA credits for permits for 2020, then “we will credit next year’s registration fee.”
Youth Baseball Signups Open in Santa Monica
Tyler Heineman was the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants on opening day against the Dodgers last year.
Another parent suggested the Santa Monica Little League, which is where Palisadians Scott and Tyler Heinman, both of them now Major Leaguers, got their start. “We are simply loving playing with this dedicated group,” the reader said. “They provide youth baseball for girls and boys ages 4-17. It is a skill evaluation but a no-cut program. They evaluate skill only to even out the teams.”
The parent said that Covid safety is a priority and the program is being adjusted as necessary. “They also automatically provided credit for missed play last year.”
The parent also noted that you can make team requests to help with the driving. The fields are at Memorial Park (Olympic and 16th).
The league “leadership has been extremely responsive and even holds open Zoom board meetings to answer parent questions,” the parent commented. (Visit: smll.com)