Memberships of Charles Town Ranson Little League (CTRLL) and Jefferson County Little League (JCLL) voted to merge their two baseball leagues in separate meetings held at Jefferson High School on Sept. 19, 2007. Both leagues have seen a drop in participation over the past years, but the decline in membership for CTRLL was especially steep, forcing the league to review their options and eventually propose a merger with JCLL.

Jefferson County is in a unique situation when it comes to baseball. There are two Little Leagues plus one Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Baseball League, all serving the same group of kids. No other county in the region faces this challenge. Not only does it split the number of players, but the Little League membership is also hindered by boundaries. Anyone in the region can play in the Summit Point league but for children that choose Little League, their addresses will dictate where they must play.

Robert Richard, president of CTRLL, provided some supporting numbers. For baseball only (some leagues also offer girl’s softball), Martinsburg has 580 players, Hedgesville has 625 and South Berkeley has 650. Conversely, JCLL has 380 players while CTRLL has only 165. Together, as a new league, the combined total would be 545, still lower than the other three leagues in the region.

Creating one local Little League in the county makes sense, which is why the majority of the membership voted for the merger. As a small county, it has been difficult for both leagues to raise funds as they compete not only with each other, but the league in Summit Point, not to mention all the other sports teams raising money throughout the county. Together, they can fund-raise more effectively and have a better opportunity to build an impressive, much-needed playing facility.

 Richard said “living in the beltway of transitional government workers” creates a lot of turnover of children, parents, and volunteers so a larger pool would help stabilize the core. In turn, more people would improve or enhance the membership of the board of directors and the experience level of managers and coaches. Moreover, the children will play more competitive baseball, including with friends who could only play in one league previously.

To become final, the merger must be approved by the Little League’s Southern Region; it also may need to be approved by the charter committee of Little League International in Williamsport, Pa.

While the benefits seem obvious, plenty of members from both leagues were apprehensive. What would the new league be called? What will happen to the current teams? Will they re-draft all the players or can they return to their same teams? Who will be on the new board of directors? Who will coach the teams?

There are no definitive answers to these questions yet. It will ultimately be up to the new board of directors to vote on issues affecting the new merged league.

While some of the details are murky, one thing is clear: both leagues want their kids to have the opportunity to play the best baseball possible. Little League believes baseball challenges players toward perfection of physical skills while bringing into play the excitement of tactics and strategy. CTRLL and JCLL believe combining the strength of their two leagues full of talent, dedication and experience will allow the Little League organization to do its best for the children who want to play baseball.

“If approved, we feel Little League will again become a major presence in Jefferson County,” Richard said. “We have a sincere concern that if not approved, the future of Little League in Jefferson County will be at stake.”

Poe added, “If we were a merged league, it would afford us a better opportunity to build our own complex where we were not dependent on the Parks and Rec or the school system so it would assure all the children in Jefferson County a place to play baseball in the future.”
“Overall, it would benefit everybody if it were to be approved,” she said.