Computer to Pick Du Quoin Little League Teams
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ A computer will randomly select teammates in this year's Du Quoin summer PONY league baseball program, according to league president Byford Reidelberger.
Reidelberger said SIU employee Ruth O'Rourke will use a version of Microsoft Excel™ to randomly assign players to the teams in each league before opening day on Saturday, May 16th.
Reidelberger said the random selection takes the human element out of the process and keeps coaches from stacking their teams with all of the best players. He said the only intervention will occur if the computer happens to put the division's two best pitchers or two or three of the division's power hitters onto the same team. Then, according to Reidelberger, players will be reassigned to better balance that division.
The first of three Du Quoin Baseball, Inc. signups was held last weekend at the Du Quoin Dairy Queen. Two more signups are planned and Reidelberger asks that you be sure and attend one of the last two registrations. It is difficult to register and assign players after the deadline.
Sign-ups will be held at the Du Quoin Dairy Queen on Friday, March 6 (6-8 p.m.) and Thursday, March 12 (5-7 p.m.)
Fees are $45 per child with two or more in the same family paying a flat fee of $65.
A new 4-year-old division is being started for boys and girls in 2009. "It will strictly be for 4-year-olds," said Reidelberger. "They will all hit off of a tee. It is more of a learning process on the fundamentals of baseball," he said.
"If we have 24 kids who are interested there will be two teams of 12," he said. "All will bat around and field around," he said. "There will be one game a week," he said. Parents are asked to work with their children during the week and are invited to become full participants on helping their children on game days. "We'll play for about an hour a week for 10 weeks."
He said several parents have offered to help with the new division, and for that he is grateful.
He said lightweight bats and soft T-balls will be used.
Games will be played on Field 4 at the Summers Memorial Sports Complex.
He said there have been no other major rule changes in PONY league play and expects between 410 and 430 girls and boys to participate. "We think the numbers will hold up."
Reidelberger has donated his time to the program for the last nine years and has served as board president for the past seven years.