Call to order: The 70^th Annual Board of Directors meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball

Association was held at the Avalon Hotel & Conference Center in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on Sunday, May 6th, 2018. The meeting convened at 1:15 PM, President Gary Isensee presiding, and Chris LaBreche, secretary.

Members in attendance: Dave Hanson, Gary Isensee, Joe Juza, Chris LaBreche, Herb Scheithauer, Scott Sorenson, and Mike Gilbertson.

Members not in attendance: Dan Kraschnewski, Tim Lee, Jeremiah Paulson, Ed Pufall, Steve Truttman, Dick Leonhard, and Jim Nikolay.

Guests in attendance: Dennis Musil, Mike Siverling, Erik Hill, Brandon Geist, and Nicole Brannigan.

Approval of minutes: Moved by Gary Isensee and seconded to approve the minutes of the 69^th Annual (April 8, 2017) meeting. Motion carried.

Officers’ reports:

No formal written report was filed for President Isensee or Vice President Sorenson.

Treasurer David Hanson submitted the 2018 WBA financial statement. Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to approve the 2018 financial statement. Motion carried.

Each officer thanked deceased directors Burt Ekern and Mike Roiger for their many years of service to the WBA. Both will be honored in memoriam with MVP awards at the upcoming WBA Championship.

New Business:

Election of Directors

Moved by Joe Juza and seconded to elect Chris LaBreche, Tim Lee, Herb Scheithauer, and Steve Truttman to another 3 year directorial term. Mike Gilbertson was elected to replace Burt Ekern, who passed away last year. Motion carried.

Article 13, Rule 4 Amendment / Rule Change

Moved by Joe Juza and seconded to change Article 13, Rule 4 to add the following: In the case of more than 32 teams being playoff eligible, two or more teams shall compete in a “play-in” game held at a neutral site agreed upon by the participating teams. Motion carried 6-0.

2018 WBA Playoff Tournament Dates

Moved by Dave Hanson and seconded that the dates for the 2018 WBA semi-finals shall be Friday, August 10^th through Sunday, August 12^th; dates for the WBA finals shall be Friday, August 17^th through Sunday, August 19^th. The finals will be hosted by the Chippewa River League. Motion carried 6-0.

2018 WBA Seeding Meeting Date

Moved by Dave Hanson and seconded that the WBA Seeding Meeting shall be held on Tuesday, Jul 31^st at 7 PM, at the Hallie Eagle’s Club. Motion carried.

2018 WBA Semi-Final Tournament Bid Auction

The following teams were awarded tournament sites for 2018:

Beef River Bullfrogs– bid $2000

Haugen Knights – bid $2000

Rib Lake Osprey – bid $2000

Stanley Slammers – bid $2000

Adjournment: Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 PM.

Call to order: The 69th Annual Board of Directors meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball
Association was held at the Hallie Eagle’s Club in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on Saturday,
April 8th, 2017. The meeting convened at 1:05 PM, President Gary Isensee presiding, and
Chris LaBreche, secretary.

Members in attendance: Josh Briggs, Burt Ekern, Dave Hanson, Gary Isensee, Chris
LaBreche, Ed Pufall, Michael Roiger, Herb Scheithauer, Scott Sorenson, Steve Truttman,
and Art Zweifelhofer (umpire in chief.)

Members not in attendance: Josh Eidem, Joe Juza, Dan Kraschnewski, Tim Lee, Dick
Leonhard and Jim Nikolay.

Guests in attendance: Dennis Musil, Mike Siverling, Erik Hill, Garth Olsen, Kirk Hove,
Brandon Geist, Travis Thompson, and Jeremiah Paulson.

Approval of minutes: Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to approve the minutes of the
68th Annual (April 9, 2016) meeting. Motion carried.

Officers’ reports:
No formal written report was filed for President Isensee or Vice President Sorenson.
Treasurer David Hanson submitted the 2017 WBA financial statement. Moved by Mike
Roiger and seconded to approve the 2017 financial statement. Motion carried.
Secretary LaBreche submitted the current WBA Constitution and Bylaws for all directors.

New Business:
Election of Directors
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to elect Dan Kraschnewski and Ed Pufall to
another 3 year directorial term. Travis Thompson was elected to replace Josh Briggs, and
Jeremiah Paulson was elected to replace Josh Eidem. Motion carried.

Tournament Bid Payment & Team Share Check Distribution Rule
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to add a new rule that reads: All semi-final
tournament hosts shall submit their bid check to the WBA Treasurer on or before August
18th. (The start of the WBA Final Tournament.) The final tournament host shall submit its
bid money and gate receipts to the WBA Treasurer immediately following the conclusion
of the WBA Final Tournament. Team share checks will be distributed to eligible playoff
teams no later than September 15th by the WBA Treasurer. Motion carried 6-0.

Article 13, Rule 4 Amendment / Rule Change
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to change Article 13, Rule 4 to add the following:
The top half ranked teams from each league will be playoff eligible. Any remaining playoff
berths shall be distributed to teams with the highest winning percentages from teams
ranked in the lower half of their respective leagues; host teams are included
automatically. Motion carried 6-0.

Amendment of Article 13, Rule 2 of the WBA Constitution and Bylaws
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to amend Article 13, rule 2, to change 40% to
25% of league games, rounded down. Motion carried 6-0.

Tournament Site Rule – In-State Only
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded to amend Article 13, Rule 6 to add: State
tournament sites must be hosted in the State of Wisconsin. Motion carried 6-0.
2018 WBA Playoff Tournament Dates

Moved by Dave Hanson and seconded that the dates for the 2018 WBA semi-finals shall
be Friday, August 10th through Sunday, August 12th; dates for the WBA finals shall be
Friday, August 17th through Sunday, August 19th. The finals will be hosted by the Chippewa
River League. Motion carried 6-0.

2017 WBA Seeding Meeting Date
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded that the WBA Seeding Meeting shall be held on
Tuesday, August 1st at 7 PM, at the Hallie Eagle’s Club. Motion carried.

2017 WBA Semi-Final Tournament Bid Auction
The following teams were awarded tournament sites for 2017:
Eau Claire Rivermen (to be played at Hallie) — bid $3200
Haugen Knights – bid $3200
Interwald Woodticks (to be played at Rib Lake) – bid $3200
Stanley Slammers – bid $3200
Adjournment: Moved by Steve Truttman and seconded to adjourn. The meeting was
adjourned at 3:35 PM.

Call to order:

The 68th Annual Board of Directors meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball
Association was held at the Hallie Eagle’s Club in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on
Saturday, April 9th, 2016. The meeting convened at 1:05 PM, President Joe Juza
presiding, and Chris LaBreche, secretary.

Members in attendance: Josh Briggs, Josh Eidem, Burt Ekern, Dave Hanson, Gary
Isensee, Joe Juza, Dan Kraschnewski, Chris LaBreche, Tim Lee, Ed Pufall, Michael
Roiger, Herb Scheithauer, Scott Sorenson, Steve Truttman, and Art Zweifelhofer
(umpire in chief.)

Members not in attendance: Dick Leonhard and Jim Nikolay.
Guests in attendance: Dennis Musil, Erik Hill, Garth Olsen, Kirk Holt, Howie
Thompson, and Mark Eisold.

Approval of minutes: Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to approve the minutes of
the 67th Annual (April 11, 2015) meeting. Motion carried.

Officers’ reports:
President Joe Juza commended all of the 2015 WBA tournament hosts for their
performance at last year’s semi-finals and finals.

Vice President Scott Sorenson also applauded the work performed by the tournament
sites and directors during the 2015 playoffs.

Treasurer David Hanson submitted and read the 2016 WBA financial statement and
2015 Tournament Financial Report, both of which were distributed to all meeting
attendees. Moved by Burt Ekern and seconded to approve the 2016 financial
statement. Motion carried.

New Business:
Election of Directors
Moved by Ed Pufall and seconded to re-elect Burt Ekern, Dave Hanson, Joe Juza, and
Scott Sorenson to three year directorial terms. Motion carried.

Elimination of Article 12, Rule 9 of the WBA Constitution and Bylaws
Moved by Gary Isensee and seconded to rescind Article 12, Rule 9, regarding player
eligibility. Motion carried.

Amendment of Article 13, Rule 2 of the WBA Constitution and Bylaws
Moved by Dan Kraschnewski and seconded to amend Article 13, rule 2, so as to
increase the number of games players must participate in to be no fewer than 40% of
their team’s total league games, in order to be eligible for the state tournament.
Motion carried.

Player Ejection / Suspension from 2015 Tournament in Coon Valley
Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded that the Lansing Mudcats player who was
ejected from their playoff game at Coon Valley for physically assaulting an umpire will
be suspended from WBA eligibility for 1 year. Motion carried.

Motion to Allow 40 Mile Radius for Upper 13 League
Moved by Tim Lee and seconded that teams from the Upper 13 League would be
allowed to utilize players within a 40 mile radius from their home park on their player
agreement forms. Motion carried.

2017 WBA Playoff Tournament Dates
Moved by Joe Juza and seconded that the dates for the 2017 WBA semi-finals shall be
Friday, August 11th through Sunday, August 13th; dates for the WBA finals shall be
Friday, August 18th through Sunday, August 20th. Motion carried.

2016 WBA Seeding Meeting Date
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded that the WBA Seeding Meeting shall be held
on Monday, August 1st at 7 PM, at the Hallie Eagle’s Club. Motion carried.

WBA Umpire In Chief
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded that Art Zweifelhofer shall remain as WBA
Umpire In Chief for 2016. Motion carried.
WBA Umpire Fees
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded that umpires at the WBA Finals shall be paid
$85 per game. Motion carried.
WBA Finals Rotation

Moved by Burt Ekern and seconded that the State Finals shall be rotated as before
through all of the member leagues, with a finals site price of $2000. Motion carried.

2016 WBA Semi-Final Tournament Bid Auction
The following teams were awarded tournament sites for 2016:
Sparta Miller — bid $3000
Haugen Knights – bid $3000
Interwald Woodticks (to be played at Rib Lake) – bid $3000
Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks (to be played at Hallie) – bid $3000

Adjournment: Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to adjourn. The meeting was
adjourned at 3:30 PM.

As previously posted, the field for the 2015 WBA State Finals has been set. This year’s field of eight features seven former state championship teams:

• CCV Blues (’85 & ’07)
• Sparta Miller (’98 & ’00)
• La Crescent Cardinals (’01 & ’06)
• Whittlesey Reds (’80)
• Osceola Braves (’03)
• River Falls Fighting Fish (’11)
• Prescott Pirates (’14)

The Eau Claire Cavaliers, in their first WBA season, have also qualified for the finals, having tied for first in the Independent League before defeating Menomonie and Spooner in the semi-finals. The Mississippi Valley League’s top three teams are included, along with the #1, #3, and #5 ranked St. Croix Valley League teams. Whittlesey (2nd place rank in the Dairyland League) is the remaining entrant, having finished 10-2 in league play. There will be numerous former state MVP’s playing this weekend– can you name them all? Hope to see you all at the Haugen Ball Park this weekend.

Call to order: The 67th Annual Board of Directors meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball
Association was held at the Hallie Eagle’s Club in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on
Saturday, April 11th, 2015. The meeting convened at 1:00 PM, President Joe Juza
presiding, and Chris LaBreche, secretary.

Members in attendance: Josh Briggs, Josh Eidem, Burt Ekern, Dave Hanson, Gary
Isensee, Joe Juza, Dan Kraschnewski, Chris LaBreche, Ed Pufall, Michael Roiger, Herb
Scheithauer, Scott Sorenson, Steve Truttman, and Art Zweifelhofer (umpire in chief.)
Members not in attendance: Tim Lee, Dick Leonhard, Jim Nikolay, and Steve Salmi.
Guests in attendance: Paul Juza, Dennis Musil, Brian Smasql, Erik Hill, Keith Pitsch,
Gregg Ulvenes, and Mark Eisold.

Approval of minutes: Moved by Dennis Musil and seconded to approve the minutes of
the 66th Annual (April 13, 2014) meeting. Motion carried.

Officers’ reports:
President Joe Juza commended the River Falls Fighting Fish on their great work hosting
the 2014 WBA State Finals. Vice President Scott Sorenson reiterated the excellent work
performed by River Falls and Chippewa Falls for their work hosting their respective
2014 tournament sites.

Secretary Chris LaBreche submitted and briefly discussed minutes for the 2014 WBA
annual meeting and thanked all the league secretaries and team managers for their help
in submitting timely scores, standings, and manager contact information during the
2014 season & early 2015 pre-season.

Treasurer David Hanson submitted and read the 2015 WBA financial statement and
2014 Tournament Financial Report, both of which were distributed to all meeting
attendees. Moved by Steve Truttman and seconded to approve the 2015 financial
statement. Motion carried.

New Business:
Rotation of WBA State Final Tournament & Final Tournament Dues
Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to keep the rotation of the State Finals
among leagues as is between 2016 and 2021. (e.g. 2016 – Dairyland, 2017 –
Mississippi Valley, 2018 – Chippewa River, 2019 – St. Croix Valley, 2020 – Upper
13, 2021 – Independent.) The bid price was agreed to remain at $2000. Motion
carried.

Election of Directors
Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to re-elect Gary Isensee, Chris LaBreche,
Steve Truttman, and Herb Scheithauer to three year directorial terms. Motion
carried.

Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to elect Tim Lee as a directorial
replacement for Jamie Ziembo, who resigned in 2014. Motion carried.
WBA Tournament Entrance Fees

Moved by Joe Juza and seconded to set final tournament admission prices as
follows: $5 for adults (18 and over), $2 for teenagers (12-17), no fee for children 12
and under. Motion carried.

2015 WBA Playoff Tournament Dates
Moved by Burt Ekern and seconded that the dates for the 2015 WBA semi-finals
shall be Friday, August 7th through Sunday, August 9th; dates for the WBA finals
shall be Friday, August 14th through Sunday, August 16th. Motion carried
unanimously 6-0 by league vote.

2016 WBA Playoff Tournament Dates
Moved by Burt Ekern and seconded that the dates for the 2016 WBA playoffs
shall be as follows: semi-finals between August 12th and 14th, finals between
August 19th and 21st. Motion carried.

2015 WBA Seeding Committee
Moved by Dennis Musil and seconded that the WBA Seeding Committee shall
remain composed of representatives from each playoff site (non-voting) and all
WBA directors. Motion carried.

2015 WBA Seeding Committee Meeting Date
Moved by Gary Isensee and seconded that the 2015 WBA Seeding Committee
meeting shall be held on Sunday, August 2nd at 7 PM at the Hallie Eagle’s Club
(or a nearby available venue if the Eagle’s Club is unavailable.) Motion carried.

WBA Shares for 2015
Noted by Mike Roiger that the WBA shares will drop from 15% of total revenue
to 10%, given that the available checking account balance is now over $3000.

2015 WBA Semi-Final Tournament Bid Auction
The following teams were awarded tournament sites for 2015:
Chaseburg Coon Valley Blues – bid $4500
Haugen Knights – bid $4500
Interwald Woodticks (to be played at Rib Lake) – bid $4500
River Falls Fighting Fish – bid $4500

Adjournment: Moved by Mike Roiger and seconded to adjourn. The meeting was
adjourned at 3:30 PM.

Call to order: The 66th Annual Board of Directors meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball
Association was held at the Blue Moose Grill & Steak House in Bloomer, Wisconsin, on
Saturday, April 12th, 2014. The meeting convened at 1:05 PM, President Joe Juza
presiding, and Chris LaBreche, secretary.

Members in attendance: Joe Juza, Michael Roiger, Chris LaBreche, Josh Eidem, Burt
Ekern, Dave Hanson, Herb Scheithauer, Scott Sorenson, and Ed Pufall.

Members not in attendance: Tim Lee, Dick Leonhard, Jim Nikolay, and Steve Salmi.
Guests in attendance: Roland Grant, Garth Olsen, Art Zwiefelhofer, Dan
Kraschnewski, Paul Juza, Jeremy Musil, Keith Pitsch, Aaron Vold, Josh Briggs, Luke
Anderson, and Garrett Nix.

Approval of minutes: Moved by Jeremy Musil and seconded to approve the minutes of
the 65th Annual (April 11, 2013) meeting. Motion carried.
Officers’ reports:

President Joe Juza thanked Michael Roiger for his service and direction over the past
46+ years to WBA, as he is retiring from the office of treasurer. President Juza also
commended the Osceola Braves on their exemplary work hosting the 2013 WBA State
Finals. Jamie Ziembo notified the board that he would be resigning his position as
director and Vice President due to relocation out of the area.

Secretary Chris LaBreche submitted and briefly discussed minutes for both 2013 WBA
meetings (annual meeting and seeding meeting.)

Treasurer Mike Roiger submitted and read the 2014 WBA financial statement, which
was distributed to all meeting attendees. Moved by Dan Kraschnewski and seconded
to approve the 2014 statement. Motion carried.

New Business:
Election of Directors
Moved by Burt Ekern and seconded by Josh Eidem to elect Dan Kraschnewski
and Josh Briggs to the board of directors. Kraschnewski and Briggs will replace
Tim Lee and Steve Truttman whose terms ended in 2013. Motion carried.
Discussion by Joe Juza et.al. regarding MLB collision rule (between base runners and
catchers). Agreed that leagues will need to interpret this individually, but that no rule
changes are needed for the WBA playoffs as they already follow MLB rules.

WBA Tournament Umpire Fees
Moved by Michael Roiger and seconded to set tournament umpire fees at $70 per
umpire. Motion carried.

Following the motion to approve umpire fees, a discussion of the 2013 play-in game
between Ashland & Haugen last year took place involving Joe Juza et.al. No changes
were made to the by-laws at this time regarding the selection of playoff teams.
Amendment of Article 12

Moved by Josh Eidem and seconded by Dan Kraschnewski to amend Article 12
to include the following rule: “WBA players may not be rostered on a team out-of-state, with exceptions made for the Northwoods League and American Legion
Baseball.” Motion carried.

Amendment of Article 12, rule 4
Moved by Dan Kraschnewski and seconded to keep Article 12, rule 4 (relating to
30 mile distance from player residence to team ballpark) as is. (Several directors
believed this was only approved for one year.) Motion carried.

Home Team Seeding for Playoffs
Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded that home teams for playoff games will
be determined through seeding. Higher seeds shall be designated as home. In
the case of seeds of the same rank, a coin flip will determine the home team.
Motion carried.

2014 WBA Seeding / Playoff Tournament Meeting
The 2013 WBA seeding meeting will be conducted at the Hallie Eagle’s Club on
Tuesday, July 29, 2013 at 7 PM. Seeding committee members will include: all
WBA directors, a league representative (six total). Semi-Final Tournament site
representatives are asked to attend, but possess no voting privileges.

2014 WBA Playoff Dates
WBA Single Elimination Semi-Final tournament dates for 2014: Friday, August
8th through Sunday, August 10th.

2014 WBA State Final tournament (host unknown at present) will be held
between Friday, August 15th and Sunday, August 17th.

2014 WBA Semi-Final Tournament Bid Auction
The following teams were awarded tournament sites for 2014:
Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks (to be played at Hallie) – bid $3400
Haugen Knights – bid $3400
Interwald Woodticks (to be played at Rib Lake) – bid $3400
River Falls Fighting Fish – bid $3500

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 PM

Call to order: The 65th Annual Board of Directors meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball Association was held at the Blue Moose Grill & Steak House in Bloomer, Wisconsin, on Saturday, April 13th, 2013. The meeting convened at 1:00 PM, President Joe Juza presiding, and Chris LaBreche, secretary.

Members in attendance: Joe Juza, Jamie Ziembo, Michael Roiger, Chris LaBreche, Josh Eidem, Burt Ekern, Dave Hanson, Herb Scheithauer, Scott Sorenson, and Steve Truttman.

Members not in attendance: Gary Isensee, Tim Lee, Dick Leonhard, Jim Nikolay, Ed Pufall, and Steve Salmi.

Approval of minutes: Motion was made by M. Roiger and seconded by H. Scheithauer to approve the minutes of the April 12, 2012 meeting. Motion carried.

Officers’ reports: President Joe Juza stated that the WBA is as strong as its member leagues, and that the leagues have done a good job in policing themselves, since very few complaints were made in recent years. Vice President Jamie Ziembo complimented Osseo on their hosting of the state finals. Secretary Chris LaBreche also complimented Osseo and later filed a report on the 2012 seeding meeting. Treasurer Mike Roiger submitted the 2012 financial statement, which was distributed to all meeting attendees.

Seeding committee report: Chris LaBreche reviewed the July 31, 2012 seeding meeting held at the Eagle’s Club in Hallie, Wisconsin. Seeding was performed in a #1 through #32 manner, with league champions ranked as #1 seeds from high to low based on winning percentage from league games played. Seeds in the #2, #3, and #4 groups followed accordingly. Complaints were raised by directors regarding the procedure that determined pairings for the State Finals, as brackets were aligned according to overall seeding. In prior years, it was customary to select semi-final tournament bracket winners and pair them randomly (through drawing out of a hat.)

Unfinished / Old Business:

Final Tournament Game Pairings / Selection Moved by Dennis Musil (Independent League President) and seconded by H. Scheithauer that State Final tournament pairings be drawn from a hat (randomly selected.) U13 – absent, CRBL – yes, SCV – no, MV – yes, INDY – yes, DL – yes. Vote 4-1, motion carried.

New Business: Election of Directors Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded by Aaron Musil (Haugen) that Joe Juza, Burt Ekern, Dave Hanson, and Scott Sorenson be re-elected for a term of 3 years. Motion carried.

Amendment of Article 12, rule 2 Moved by Rex Zemke (Dairyland League Vice President) and seconded by Burt Ekern that player eligibility radius of 25 miles increase to 30 miles. Vote 5-0, motion carried. Article 12, Rule 2 shall now read, “A home player resides within a radius specified by his own league, but shall not exceed a thirty (30) mile radius from the team’s field.”

Clarification of Article 14, rule 9 Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded by Dick Bender (Hayward) that article 14, rule 9 allows the use of a designated hitter (DH) for ANY defensive player and is not limited to the pitcher. Motion carried. The rule will read: “State tournaments shall utilize American League playing rules. However, MLB rule 6.10 shall be altered to allow a designated hitter (DH) for any defensive position on the field. The designated hitter must bat in the spot assigned to him on the line-up card and only in that spot. No multiple substitutions may be made that alter the batting rotation of the DH. The defensive player named for the DH may bat for the DH at any time during the game in the DH line-up spot, but this move shall terminate the DH role for the remainder of the game.”

2013 WBA Seeding / Playoff Tournament Meeting The 2013 WBA seeding meeting will be conducted at the Hallie Eagle’s Club on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 7 PM. Seeding committee members will include: Joe Juza, Chris LaBreche, Mike Roiger, league representatives, and semi-final tournament directors appointed by President Juza. Semi-Final Tournament site representatives are asked to attend, but possess no voting privileges. 2013 WBA Playoff Dates WBA Single Elimination Semi-Final tournament dates for 2013: Friday, August 9th through Sunday, August 11th. 2013 WBA State Final tournament (hosted by the Osceola Braves) will be held between Friday, August 16th and Sunday, August 18th.

WBA Umpire-In-Chief / Compensation Moved by Chris LaBreche and seconded by Jeremy Musil to retain CRBL umpirein-chief (and former WBA Director) Art Zwiefelhofer as WBA umpire-in-chief. Responsibilities include scheduling and arranging lodging for the umpire crews at the state finals in Osceola. Payment for these duties will be $125. Motion carried.

Discussion of Article 12, rule 4 Moved by Dan Kraschnewski (Whittlesey) and seconded by Aaron Musil (Haugen) that Justin Musil be allowed to play for the Haugen Knights in 2013, after leaving the Haugen area for a period of years. Motion carried.

2013 WBA Semi-Final Tournament Bid Auction The following teams were awarded tournament sites for 2013:

Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks (to be played at Altoona) – bid $3500

Chaseburg-Coon Valley Blues – bid $3500

Interwald Woodticks (to be played at Rib Lake) – bid $3500

Osceola Braves – bid $3500

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 PM.

Opening: The 64th annual meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball Association was called to order at 1:05 PM on April 14, 2012 at the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in Bloomer, Wisconsin by Wisconsin Baseball Association (WBA) President Joe Juza.  

WBA Directors Present: Joe Juza, Jamie Ziembo, Mike Roiger, Chris LaBreche, Steve Salmi, Herb Scheithauer, Gary Isensee, Burt Ekern, Scott Sorenson, Dave Hanson, Tim Lee, Jim Nikolay, Ed Pufall, and Josh Eidem.  (Director Steve Truttman was unable to attend the meeting due to commitments in Bay City.)  

League & Host Site Representatives Present: Paul Juza (Haugen Hornets), Mark Ellingson (Osceola Braves), Dick Bender, Jon Bergum, and Matthew Jungbluth (Hayward Hawks), Rich Lindsey (Haugen Knights), Hans Soukup and Josh Briggs (Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks), Paul Pehler and Dave Timmons (Whitehall Wolves), Aaron Vold, Kyle Kittleson, and Luke Anderson (Osseo Merchants), Art Zwiefelhofer (Tilden / CRBL / WBA Umpire In Chief).  

A.  Roll Call 1.  Leagues present—Chippewa River (represented by CRBL President Josh Briggs), Dairyland (represented by DL President Herb Scheithauer), Independent (represented by league President Rich Lindsey), Mississippi Valley (represented by Gary Isensee & Burt Ekern), St. Croix Valley (represented by league President Chris LaBreche & Secretary Josh Eidem), and Upper 13 (represented by league Preside Tim Lee & Secretary / Treasurer Ed Pufall).   2. League & Team Verification‐‐ WBA Secretary Chris LaBreche verified the leagues and individual teams scheduled to compete in 2012.  

League size was reported and scheduled as follows:  

League Teams Chippewa River 12
Dairyland 12
Independent 10
Mississippi Valley 8
St. Croix Valley 13
Upper 13 8
Total 63

B.  Officers Reports 
1.  President Joe Juza congratulated last year’s WBA champion, the River Falls Fighting Fish, and additionally lauded the excellent job Burt Ekern and the ChaseburgCoon Valley Blues did in hosting the state Finals.  Brief mention was made of two incidents from last year’s semifinal tournaments, which was later discussed in detail, specifically those involving a complaint by Chippewa Falls about the Hayward Hawks at Hayward, and one made by Elmer Allen, the Dairyland League Umpire In Chief, regarding the conduct of players from the Spooner Cardinals and Ashland Merchants at the Rib Lake tournament site. 
2.  Vice President Jamie Ziembo did not file a formal report, but reiterated his congratulations and thanks to the directors for their work at the state finals last year. 
3.  Treasurer Mike Roiger submitted the WBA financial statement for 2012, reporting a starting balance of $1418.01, with a total income of $10,581.66, and total expenses of $10,031.95.  Playoff team shares in 2011 were $125.  The Association’s cash balance on hand as of April 1, 2012 was reported as $1,967.72.  Motion was made to accept the treasurer’s report by Jamie Ziembo and seconded. 
4.  Secretary Chris LaBreche reported on the state of the WBA, thanking member leagues for submitting their team manager and umpire information in a timely fashion.  A manager & league contact listing will be mailed (paper & electronic) to all directors and league secretaries.  Leagues without a secretary shall receive copies for each team.  

C. 63rd Annual Meeting Minutes Secretary LaBreche read the WBA minutes from last year’s meeting as reported (and additionally posted on the Association’s website at: wisconsinbaseball.org.)  Motion to accept the minutes as read made by Mike Roiger and seconded.  

D. Tournament Committee Report & New Business 
1.  Discussion of the complaint by Chippewa Falls regarding Hayward Hawks (Hayward hosted a tournament site, and was hitting/practicing on-site, which has been discouraged / banned in previous years by the committee specifically at the seeding meeting.)  Since no bylaw existed to address this problem, a motion was made to amend WBA Constitution Article 14, adding a bylaw that would ban all onsite batting practice during tournament play.  The motion was seconded, but was struck down the Chippewa River, Dairyland, Independent, Mississippi Valley, and St. Croix Valley leagues voted no, the Upper 13 league voted yes.  Following further discussion, a revised motion was made by Josh Eidem to ban all onsite hitting with a baseball during tournament play.  The motion was seconded, and approved by a vote of 5 to 1, with the Upper 13 league disapproving.  The amendment will be added to Article 14 of the WBA Constitution & bylaws reading: All teams competing in state tournament play must not conduct batting practice at a tournament site (with baseballs).  Failure to comply will result in a penalty to be determined by the board of directors, possibly including forfeiture of team playoff shares and / or suspension from tournament play. 

2.  Discussion of the complaint by Dairyland League Umpire In Chief Elmer Allen regarding the misconduct of several Spooner Cardinals and Ashland Merchants players at the Rib Lake tournament site.  Copies of the letter sent by Elmer Allen to Mike Roiger were distributed to attendees, with a thorough discussion on player etiquette.  A motion was made by Chris LaBreche to additionally amend Article 14 to address player misconduct during state tournament play.  The amendment shall read: Players reported to tournament or regional directors for gross misconduct shall be penalized at the discretion of the tournament committee, possibly to include suspension from tournament games.  Motion seconded and unanimously approved by member leagues.  

E.  Election of Officers The directors terms of Gary Isensee, Chris LaBreche, Steve Salmi, Herb Scheithauer, and Jamie Ziembo had run out this year.  Motion made by Paul Juza to re‐elect all the directors for a 3 year term was made and seconded.  Motion was approved and carried.  

F.  Tournament Site Bids Nine separate representatives bid to host a WBA semi‐final playoff tournament site in 2012.  The winning sites were as follows: Haugen (hosted by the Haugen Knights), Hayward (hosted by the Hayward Hawks), Osceola (hosted by the Osceola Braves), and Rib Lake (hosted by the Interwald Woodticks).  Each site bid $2800.  The state final tournament will be played at Osseo, and will be hosted by the Osseo Merchants.  As previously determined, the finals bid shall be $2000.   As is customary, all bid proceeds must be submitted to Mike Roiger prior to the WBA seeding meeting.  

G.  Future Scheduling (2012 Seeding Meeting, 2013 Annual Meeting, 2013 Playoffs) The date for the 2012 WBA Seeding / Tournament Committee meeting will be Tuesday, July 31st at 7 PM, at a site to be determined in the Chippewa Falls / Eau Claire area. The next scheduled annual meeting of the WBA will be Saturday, April 13th, 2013, to be held once again at the Blue Moose Grill & Restaurant in Bloomer. Dates for the 2013 WBA Playoffs will be as follows—August 9th‐11th (semi‐finals) and August 16th‐18th (finals, to be hosted by the St. Croix Valley Baseball League).  

Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 3:05 PM by Joe Juza.   Minutes submitted by: Chris LaBreche, WBA Secretary 

Opening: The 63rd annual meeting of the Wisconsin Baseball Association was called to order at 1:35 PM on April 9, 2011 at the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in Bloomer, Wisconsin by WBA President Joe Juza.

Present: Joe Juza, WBA President and board director (Haugen), Mike Roiger, WBA Treasurer and board member (Whittlesey), Jamie Ziembo, WBA Vice President and director (Rib Lake), Herb Scheithauer, WBA board director (Interwald), Gary Isensee, WBA board director (Sparta), Scott Sorenson, WBA board member (Chippewa Rivers league), Steve Truttman, WBA board member (Bay City), Tim Lee, WBA board member (Upper 13 league), Jim Nikolay, WBA lifetime board director (Abbotsford), Aaron Musil (Haugen Hornets), Paul Juza (Haugen Hornets), Dick Bender (Hayward Hawks), Jon Bergum (Hayward Hawks), Bob Schmidt (Hayward Hawks), Jack Celt (Bay City), Josh Eidem (River Falls Fighting Fish), Rich Lindsey (Haugen Knights), Paul Pehler (Whitehall Wolves), Aaron Vold (Osseo Merchants), Jon Soiney (Osseo), Kyle Kittleson (Osseo), Luke Anderson (Osseo), Chris LaBreche (Hudson River Rats / St. Croix Valley league).

A. Approval of Agenda The agenda was unanimously approved as distributed.

B. Approval of Minutes The minutes of the previous meeting were unanimously approved as distributed, motion made by Mike Roiger, seconded by Herb Scheithauer. Prior to approval of minutes, President Joe Juza appointed Chris LaBreche as temporary secretary, to replace Mark Helmer, who had resigned earlier in the year. Treasurer’s report was distributed to all present by Mike Roiger, motion to accept made by Herb Scheithauer, seconded by Jim Nikolay, and approved unanimously.

C. Roll Call 1. Leagues present—Chippewa Rivers (represented by Scott Sorenson), Dairyland (represented by Jamie Ziembo), Independent (represented by Paul Juza), Mississippi Valley (represented by Gary Isensee), St. Croix Valley (represented by Steve Truttman), and Upper 13 (represented by Tim Lee). 2. Recognition of members present—directors, candidates, and attendees introduced themselves, starting with Chris LaBreche, followed by Gary Isensee, Aaron Musil, Paul Juza, Jim Nikolay, Scott Sorenson, etc. 3. Electing directors present—Mike Roiger, Steve Truttman, Ed Pufall, and Tim Lee were all up for reelection. Mike Roiger requested that he would be approved for a lifetime director position to open up another director position, which was motioned by Herb Scheithauer and seconded by Gary Isensee. Motion unanimously approved. Tim Lee motioned to appoint Chris LaBreche as secretary for a one year term (to replace Mark Helmer), and to also re-appoint Steve Truttman, Ed Pufall, and Tim Lee for another 3 year term. Josh Eidem was additionally appointed to a director’s position. Motion seconded by Jim Nikolay.

D. Unfinished Business

E. New Business Josh Eidem distributed copies of his double elimination playoff tournament proposal for review, followed by a brief explanation of the format. After a brief discussion, President Joe Juza recommended that the proposal go to each league for discussion and input. Following this, President Juza stated that the WBA officers and elected directors are obligated to attend the playoffs, especially the tournament finals and Championship game, to display support of all teams and also to help distribute awards after the game. A motion to accept 2012 playoff games was made as follows—August 10th-12th for the semi-finals, and August 17th-19th for the finals. Motion made by Tim Lee and seconded by Gary Isensee. Explanation of updated communication and electronic promotion of the WBA was made by Chris LaBreche and Josh Eidem, which will include an updated website and other social media outlets to increase dissemination of information related to the Association. Tournament umpires were discussed, and it was agreed that a minimum of two umpires shall be used for semi-final games. Three to four umpires were to be used for the WBA Finals. A motion to keep automatic Final tournament bids of $2000 for the next 5 years was made by Paul Juza, seconded by Jim Nikolay, approved unanimously (6-0) by member leagues. Related to playoff site bidding, a motion was made to rescind starting bids of $2000 for semi-final sites. This motion was made by Gary Isensee and seconded by Jim Nikolay, approved unanimously (6-0) by member leagues. 2011 Playoff bidding resulted in the following towns / teams winning semi-final sites: Osceola, Hayward, Rib Lake (hosted by Interwald), and Osseo all placed $2100 bids. All bid proceeds must be submitted to Mike Roiger prior to the WBA seeding meeting.

Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 3:15 PM by Mike Roiger. The next meeting will be at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, August 2nd in Eau Claire. Minutes submitted by: Chris LaBreche, WBA Secretary