Shades Mountain Park

SMP offers both Spring (typically beginning in March and ending before Memorial Day) and Fall (September and October) baseball seasons. There are also tournament/extended play opportunities after the Spring season through Metro Sports Baseball and throughout the year via USSSA.

In the Spring SMP provides a uniform (hat, socks and jersey) for each player and team equipment consisting of catching equipment and “heart guard” protectors (for T-ball and Machine pitch players). In the Fall SMP provides a jersey only. Gloves, bats, pants,  and other equipment are the responsibility of the player. SMP has a bat restriction rule posted elsewhere on this site.

Regarding time commitment, generally in our younger leagues (9 YO American and younger) there are two practices a week from draft till season begins, then one practice per week, and typically once games begin each team plays twice per week, usually a week night and a Saturday. Rainouts change everything of course, but we try to avoid playing on Wednesday and Sundays in Spring so as to not conflict with church activities.

Richard Rayborn is the Baseball Commissioner at SMP. Our age group cutoff date is April 30th of each year. Leagues are (league commissioner is listed):

• T-ball  – Adam Kelley - games on Field #8 – This league is for 5 year olds (4 year olds are allowed WITH a parent commitment to help manage the child) and designed to be  instructional and developmental only. Games are not formally structured. Score is not kept in T-ball.
• 6 YO Machine Pitch – Chris Gargala – games on Field #7 – Batters have five pitches to hit off a pitching machine and may then use a tee if they cannot hit the pitched ball.  Score is kept at some point in the season and there is a competitive end-of-season tournament as in all older leagues.
• 7 YO Machine Pitch- Richard Rayborn - games on Field #5 – Batters hit off a pitching machine. Score is kept.
• 8 YO Machine Pitch – Allen Small – games on Field #6 – Batters hit off a pitching machine. Score is kept.
• 9/10 YO “American” – Russ Patterson – 9/10 YO “American” – games on Fields #1 and #9 – This league’s intent is to develop baseball fundamentals, encourage participation and emphasize the fun of playing the game. This league is designed for those players and parents who wish to maximize the player’s exposure to a variety of positions and playing time. Teams in this league will have (depending on total number of players in league) a maximum of 10 players with all players playing in the field every inning. Each player on each team will be included in the batting lineup (continuous bat is in effect). Players may have the opportunity to play more defensive positions during the season (both infield and outfield) and will have the opportunity to learn how to pitch. Teams are drafted. The American League will have a maximum of two practices per week prior to the season. All practices and games will be at Shades Mountain Park. Players in this league are eligible for consideration for Metro All-Stars, both National League and American Leagues.
• 9/10 YO “National” – Jerry Brewer- games on Fields #1 and #9 – This is a competitive league and includes participants competing for positions and playing time. Playing time will depend on each player’s experience, ability, skills, understanding of the game, needs of the team and particular game situations. The position and playing time are determined by the team’s coach based on the above criteria. A minimum amount of playing time in this league is guaranteed (3 defensive outs and one plate appearance) per game. Each team may consist of up to 12 players (depending on the total number of players in league), with only 9 players allowed in the field of play. It is the coach’s discretion as to whether or not the batting lineup will consist of more than 9 players, as are the number of practices. Missing practices will have a direct affect on whether or not the player will play in subsequent games. Coaches in this league may wish to participate in additional tournaments and/or games that may not be played at Shades Mountain Park. Parents need to be aware that there may be additional costs associated with this league that are not covered by the SMP registration fee. These teams will be drafted. This league is not intended to accommodate travel teams. Players in this league are eligible for consideration in Metro All-Stars, both National League and American League.

  FAQs about American and National Leagues:

  Q. Should my son play American or National?
  A: This depends on each individual player and family and their motivations for playing baseball. In general the American League is the more appropriate choice for 9 year olds and the National is best suited for 10 year olds. If the child is a top player and is ready to play in a competitive league against experienced pitching and hitting and is willing to compete for a playing spot/time on the team, then the National League is the best choice. For example, a child may only play outfield all year in the National League, but that same player might have more opportunity to pitch or play infield in the American League. What is a good choice for one family may be a poor choice for another.

  Generally if the player needs his first or second year in a kid pitch league to develop his skills and abilities and likes the idea of “guaranteed playing time” then American League is the best choice. While designed to be more recreational in nature, the American League is a challenging league and has many benefits for players who would like to experience more playing positions and develop their skills further.

  Q: How does SMP define a “top” player?
  A: In most years the “top” players are the National “all-stars” with possible exceptions of the top American all stars. The American all stars from previous seasons are the families who usually have the toughest time deciding which league is the best fit for them. The American all star kids are usually the ones who are needed in the American League to play a variety of infield positions and pitch, which they may not get the chance to do as often in the National League. Other considerations on choosing the best league are recommendations from your child’s coaches from previous years and the league commissioner, who has the league player evaluations from past years. We encourage you to speak with your respective league commissioner or past coaches for their recommendations.

  Q: If we play National League (or American League) will my son be able to play all-stars?
  A: Participation in Metro tournament teams (aka “all stars”) is voluntary and these teams are voted on by the coaches in each respective age group and league. American League players may be nominated for National All-Stars and National League players can be nominated for American All-Stars. As always with teams of this type, players are nominated and based on their performance are voted on to represent SMP in Metro All-Stars by the coaches. There is no guarantee a player will be selected for any All-Star team.

• 11/12 YO  - Greg Cottrell - games on Fields #3 and #4
• 13/14 YO -  Will Hawkins – games on Cuppett Field (Field #2)

By-laws and league-specific rules are available here (click “Downloadable Files”). Contact us at info@shadesmountainpark.org to report scores, website concerns/errors or with any scheduling questions.