Long Island Spring Baseball Leagues

For many of us, baseball is just beginning.  Just head to any indoor training facility and you will see it packed with various baseball teams of all ages gearing up for the Spring 2012 season.  Some teams have already decided where they will be playing come April but there are many who still haven't committed.  To those teams that are still looking for a league, here is what Long Island has to offer for the Spring 2012 season (In alphabetical order).

BASEBALL HEAVEN - (8U - 14U) Baseball Heaven utilizes their own complex for league games so your team does not need to obtain any field permits.  The facility, located in Yaphank, consists of 7 fields.  There are four 90-foot fields for 13u and up and three smaller fields for the younger age groups.  All of Baseball Heaven's fields are artificial turf.  The smaller fields use portable pitching mounds in order to accommodate the different age groups that utilize these fields.  Baseball Heaven has leagues available for 8u through 14u for the Spring 2012 season.

For more information on Baseball Heaven...
Address - 350 Sills Rd. - Yaphank
Phone - (631) 205-5109
Contact - Frank Zitaglio
Website - www.baseballheavenli.com 

EASTERN BASEBALL LEAGUE (EBL) - (8U - 17U) Eastern Baseball League is Long Island's newest competitive travel baseball league.  EBL has included the umpire fees into their registration fee so you will not have to worry about paying the umpires before each game.  Just show up and play.  If you do not have your own home field, you can choose to utilize one of the fields that EBL has secured for league play.  The top team in each division will receive a team trophy, an EBL t-shirt for the players and a $100 voucher good towards any future EBL season or tournament registration.  The league will have a smartphone app that will allow you to check out schedules, standings and rain outs.  EBL will have leagues available for 8u through 17u for the Spring 2012 season.

Fore more information on Eastern Baseball League...
Phone - (631) 779-1377
Contact - Tony Sammartino
Website - www.easternbaseballleague.com

NASSAU COUNTY BASEBALL PROGRAM (NCBP) - (9U - 17U) Nassau County Baseball Program is open to all teams ages 9u-17u with league play available on weekends and weekdays.  They have exclusive use of 63 county owned baseball fields including Mitchel Field, Wantagh Park, Eisenhower Park, Bay Park and Canitague Park to name a few.  These fields are professional maintained and manicured and the parks themselves offer restrooms, playgrounds, water parks and other recreational facilities that will keep the little ones busy while big brother is swinging for the fences.

For more information on Nassau County Baseball Program...
Phone - (516) 644-1113
Contact - Al Gabberty
Website - nassaucountybaseball.com 

NATIONAL JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE (NJBL) - (8u - 20) National Junior Baseball League is Long Island's longest running and largest travel baseball league.  The have had teams register ranging from Manhattan to Montauk.  When you register with NJBL, you will rate your team's ability level and your team will be placed with other teams that have been rated at the same level.  Most NJBL umpires are trained in CPR and AED operation.  It is mandatory training for new NJBL umpires.  NJBL also offers that training to coaches that participate in the league.  Presently there are seven NJBL administrators that are CPR/AED Instructors licensed under Medic First Aid, Inc. All teams that play baseball in the NJBL are insured under the NJBL for medical, ($50 deductible), and liability.  This insurance is included in the league fee and covers games, practices and tournaments whether inside NY or outside NY.  Every year the NJBL names two baseball managers as the recipients of the Eric Reistetter Manager of the Year Award.  These persons, who are chosen by the NJBL Umpires, are honored at our annual umpire dinner that is held in November.  NJBL also has also enacted all star program so the managers of every team have an opportunity to select certain players in every game who have excelled for that day.  When used properly, this is a valuable tool for a manager to boost a child's morale while recognizing a job well done.  This is a web site recognition program that was designed, and enacted, for the sole purpose of helping a child feel good about themselves, not to designate who the best player in the league is.Their names are listed on the front page of the NJBL web site.  

For more information on National Junior Baseball League...
Phone - (631) 582-5191
Contact - Frank Sullivan
Website - www.nationaljunior.com

NEW YORK AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE (NYABL) - (13U - 18U) The New York Amateur Baseball has been in existence since 2009. Teams come from the 5 boroughs of New York, Westchester and Long Island. Their season start in May.  They offer professional league service including on time scheduling, customer service, professional umpires, all-star games at a premium field for all divisions.

For more information on New York Amateur Baseball League...
Phone - (516) 535-9120
Contact - Kevin O'Keefe
Website - www.nyabl.com

The above information was either obtained directly from the league itself and/or from my personal knowledge.  If you feel something is missing or misrepresented, please feel free to leave your comment below.

If you are aware of any other Long Island Spring baseball leagues, please leave a comment below.