methuen

if your kid is a nose picker or an all star or anyone in between they are playing ball for a reason they like the game.let them play and have fun making friends. ten years from now they will be working and remembering the fun they had thank you for being good parents

methuen

when i was a kid i wanted to play baqseball,and i did with all kids my age and i did i had fun and my parents had fun watching and patted me on the back and said good game. i will never forget that ever. so tell your kids have FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was told by someone who attended the last board meeting no players will be allowed to "play up" because of their ability. There were to be no exceptions.

Methuen

As Manager/Coach I feel the Merge has pros an cons. and for the kids is the biggest Pro, give all the kids a chance to play together as one city. I also feel having the age group of 9-10 is a good thing for the majority, that being said. the small percent of 9 year olds going to be 10 for the up coming season who have excelled in the sport should be able to move up in the divisions. and as being a involved for a couple years I see there is a higher percent who will benefit from a 9-10 division. again we will make this a fun and exciting year for the kids cant wait for winter to be over and spring to come. For the Love of the game.

Methuen

As long as common sense is the driving force behind any and all decisions made that will ultimately effect the fairness of competition and the outcome of games, I am all for the merger. Also if a child has the capacity to play up in a higher age league due to ability they should not be forced to play an additional year in Pee Wee due to something as arbitrary as a birth date.

Methuen

I am for the merger and cast my vote accordingly. I believe that it comes down to kids playing baseball and building friendships that may last for decades, that\'s it. It should not be about adults or parents squabbling over what type of ball or where we play. I coach and have 2 kids in Methuen East and will be one of the many parents that now have to shuttle between fields but this is true with basketball and football as well. From my perspective having to play only at Neil would be my preference but as I stated already, it\'s about the kids kids not the convenience of schedule for the parents.I also feel there has been some great work done at MELL by so many including Mike O\'Donnell, Paul Ramirez, John O\'Shea and so many others, many of whom have kids graduating from our program. The merged league allows it to be easier for some of these dedicated individuals to stay involved as their kids move up to Babe Ruth League. And finally, as far as favoritism and coaches kids getting awards and making All star teams. Should a player not be considered simply because they have a parent that volunteers their time to coach or participate on the BOD? If a player is good enough to earn an award they should get it. We are an open organization in need of as many volunteers as we can get. I have been involved for three years or so now and look forward to getting on the field with my youngest or just watching my older son play. I don\'t think that joy will be in any way diminished due the merger.

Methuen

I think the merger is a good thing and the right thing to do. Set aside all of the stone throwing that went on, at the end of the day it is best for the kids. We are the only sport in town that was separated. Our kids will be going to school with each other for years to come, why not let them meet each other and play sports together? I would guess that baseball has the largest enrollment of all the sports programs in the city. I am very comfortable with the Methuen West members and look forward to coaching with them integrating one great Methuen Youth Baseball League! I hope all of the support and attendance I saw at this past board meeting carries over into the season. I know how much time I spend volunteering to coach, I can't imagine the extra time required by our great board members. GO METHUEN!

Methuen

On Tuesday evening 71 volunteer members of Methuen East Little League voted by a margin of 59 to 12 to merge our program with Methuen West Baseball. They are called volunteer members because they donate their time to the program, in some cases 100's of hours. They do this because they all care deeply about the children. These are the people that make this program a success and will continue to ensure that the merged league is successful.

It was the overwhelming opinion of this group of people that a merger is good for the children of Methuen.

In closing, I would never doubt the sincerity of those that donate their time. It's insulting and it's a shame that others do.

methuen

I do not care what happen with the merge, if it happen good, If doesn't happen still good..all I see is a lot of favoritism and political atmosphere if we all do what is good for all of our kids we shouldn't be talking about this what ever they call merge..

methuen

There is a reason we play on the east...The people, the parking, and the fields. The people from East that should go to the West should go and make it a great place. Never mind staying for something that was built up
by other people.You guys do not care for the kids in Methuen only for
your own kids.Who wants to be on a Little League where the board and
choaches kids get awards and your kids get to make the all star teams.
Maybe i should make this statment public. Can you say Eagle Tribune.

Methuen

I am unsure of the voted in Merger of the two leagues. My ultimate question is why does this merger make it better for the kids? I do not see any clear cut reason that makes this point. To be honest, I am leary that this two sides now just introduces more political barriers into the league.
I also find it disconcerting that after such a long history with Little League, the Methuen East is now folded and incorporated into the Cal Ripken league - Why? Why does this make it better for the children? Why do we now need to adapt to another set of rules and policies? Why do parents that have more than one child in the program have to deal with the headache of having conflicting schedules at different fields????
Bottom line - I would like the league to come out and give the fact-based reasons this makes sense for our kids!

methuen

congrats to the A's and the coaches. great job this season

methuen

i just want to give it up for some coaches,even after the season is over
i know of a coach who is still in contact with the kids and parents of his team,i think that shows a lot of dedication to the game and the kids,thanks and keep it up

methuen

It would be nice to have the hut open on Wednesday Morning

methuen

i would just like to thank the coaches from the rattlers.you had a great season with alot of work.lift your heads up high as you kids played great.have a great summer

Since there haven't been any updates since January, does that mean the merger talk has fallen apart?

Methuen

On behalf of the Pirates, congratulations to the Indians on winning the Midget League Championship in an incredible three game series that came right down to the wire in a 2-1 game 3 win. This series was a shining example of everything that is great about Little League Baseball. All coaches, parents, umpires and most importantly players behaved with true sportsmanship. The boys competed as hard as they could, and the entire series was a true testament to how great sports can be when everyone involved does it the right way! I am proud of my boys for a hard fought series and second place (even thought we wanted that championship so much). Again, to Coach Cummings, Coach Napalitano and all of the Indians, well done!

Methuen

#1 No one wanted to Coach the 2nd team....thats why there is no 2nd peewee team.

#2 All these coaching experts on how to do this and that, how to teach 7yo's with the attention span of gnats and so forth...please sign up and coach! There is a big shortage of expert coaches..PLEASE help us out! Don't be shy! The children of methuen need you!

Lets see..how can we criticize?? ok...well the coaches kids are NOT always better..in fact...the whole reason they are coaching 9/10 times is because there kids ISNT good but GUARANTEED a spot. Also, when the "fixed" team is picked they still throw their own kids where ever the kid wants to go and stick the rest either on the bench or in the outfield, its been told so dont deny it and no...they arent the best at those levels, its pure politics and purely pathetic. There is enough for a 2nd team..why didnt they do that?? lets see what the answer will be...and if the team has all the right players on there, then how come the 7/8 year olds last year barely won a game? Yes, easy to hide behind names yourself hero. Im sure your kid isnt as good as you think.

Methuen

PeeWee coaches need to have more training and how to convey that knowledge and to manage the younger kids. Some kids behavior was abyssmal including swearing at coaches, throwing bats, helmets, and ignoring the coaches. As a grandparent it was embarrassing that kids were allowed to act this way. More of a parent/coach partnership is necessary