New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

SLEEPY EYE - Tomahawk East teams voted to keep Hanska a member of the league and also ok'd continuing the three-division lineup which also comprises one of the state's amateur baseball regional setups. Action came at the league's annual meeting here Sunday afternoon.

Because it finished in the top two at last year's state tournament (second place), Hanska is automatically placed in Class B by the state board. Class B allows a 25-player roster and like Class C, has a 30-mile radius to secure players. Class C's rosters are limited to 20 players.

The Tomahawk action actually was a recognition of Hanska's many year's participation in the league, but did establish a probationary period of the two years. Hanska will be eligible for regular season championship but will play in a Class B Sectional for tournament participation along with Mankato, Marshall and New Ulm Kaiserhoff. After the two years, the league will review Hanska's status as a league member if Hanska is still in Class B,

The league also voted to retain its three-division line-up for the regular season and for playoff competition and Region 2C play as well. Based on results of last year's play, the make-up of the three divisions was established. Searles and Springfield did have to go through a coin flip because the two teams had identical records in 2009. the lineup:

AMERICAN LEAGUE -- Hanska, Stark, St. James, Gibbon.
NATIONAL - Sleepy Eye, Essig, Springfield, New Ulm.
PATRIOT - Lamberton, Leavenworth, Searles, Redwood Falls.

Officers re-elected included Myron Seidl, President; Ralph Zwaschka, vice president and Terry Helget, Secretary.

In other business, the league adopted a policy for interrupted games which essentially indicates that interrupted games may not be started over because they did not each official game status according to official baseball rules. The decision, as reported by league's minutes, stated that "any regular season game interrupted by rain or outside force before becoming an official game, shall be suspended and resumed from the point of interruption at a later date until gaining complete game status according to official baseball rules (this is a minimum of five innings). Any league playoff game interrupted by rain or other outside force shall be suspended and resumed at the point of interruption at a later date until nine innings (seven innings if the mercy rule is in effect) have been completed."

Secretary Helget also called attention to the new state baseball rule relating to mileage measurements. New GPS technology will now determine mileage for eligibility by measuring the distance from his address to the ballpark.