Visit http://www.yellow-hammer.net for Tournament Dates/Locations, Rules, and News!
Tournaments for league players. Simple Concept, not so simple on execution. A concept who’s time has come, one that may have been desired across the country, executed in many. None as effective or successful as the one established in the Leagues of North East Texas. Chris Bates, Jerimiah Howard, and Jason Gaston are three of the men that come to my mind when I think about the origins of Yellow Hammer Baseball. Those men and I’m sure countless others scheduled and promoted weekend tournaments for league teams year after year. The teams came, and they competed over a handful of Saturday’s and some Sundays during the spring baseball season. While I volunteered as the District 3 Director for Dixie Youth Baseball, I began to appreciate the quality of players and teams that small corner of East Texas sent each year to the DYB Tournaments. Solid, well experienced squads that always went deep into the brackets. This alone is testimony to the benefits of this style of tournament play for the league players.
Give the youth a taste of tournament play, some teams will learn what needs work, and others a chance to shine, and work on their ability to be slightly humble…as much as a 10 year old can with a smile as big as Texas across his face, and a Championship Ring in his possession.
Where did Yellow Hammer Baseball come from?
Yellow Hammer Baseball…. In December 2020-January 2021 the concept was introduced by a few Texas Dixie Youth Board members as “Super Teams Baseball” a name borrowed from the Texas DYB 2020 tournaments. Another State to our east was pursuing a similar idea…Alabama. It so happens that great group of men to the east choose to name their newly founded group after Alabama’s State Bird….a Woodpecker…that’s right…The Yellowhammer.
After a few conversations and a suggestion from a long time TDYB board member, thoughts of unity took focus, the Texas Group decided there is power in numbers….and Super Teams was rebranded within a month of its introduction in January to Yellow Hammer Baseball. This alliance or Affiliation should give way to thought of a World Series in the future.
Why should you care about Yellow Hammer Baseball?
Simply put, your league’s lively hood could benefit from participating. How you ask? Here’s a few points to ponder:
- Hosting Yellow Hammer Tournaments can bring in some much needed revenue to your league.
- Players that may have gotten bored with the monotony of normal league play now have a reason to stay involved when they’re playing on a Yellow Hammer Team along with a league team.
- You’ll make your Dixie Youth Allstar teams stronger, more seasoned. Honestly, if you increase your league’s chance of attending a DYB World Series by 10%, would you not jump at the chance?
What should you do RIGHT NOW, to get the ball rolling with your league and Yellow Hammer Baseball?
- Parents – Talk to your coach first, team member parents, and then your league officials. Let them know your interested, and you are interested in 2021.
- Coaches – talk to your team, and your league. Discuss the tournament entry fees, tournament dates. Do remember you can bring your entire league team, or a mixture from a couple of teams, and if you are ambitious you can combine players from multiple leagues.
- Leagues Officials and Coaches – Contact the State Director, Chris Bates @ 903-319-1010 or hornetbates@gmail.com to discuss hosting a tournament and registration of a team. Visit http://www.yellow-hammer.net to look at the tournament calendar and download the rules.
- Everyone – Share this post on your Social Media, as a matter of fact, I’m going ask that you take the 5 seconds to do that right now. I’ll wait, I promise…….
The Bottom Line
Yellow Hammer Baseball is Tournament Baseball that supports community baseball programs like your hometown league, not a Multimillion dollar FOR-PROFIT corporation like USSSA.
I wish you the very best Baseball Season in 2021,
Jeff Post
PS: These are my thoughts and opinions and do not imply the endorsement of Yellow Hammer Baseball or Dixie Youth Baseball.
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