Coaching youth baseball in the Pacific northwest means dealing with weather. Everyone should do their best to get their practices in, but sometimes the fields won’t be playable.

Seattle Parks

Coaches can sign-up for email updates from Seattle Parks, which will include field closures, by following this link.

  • Emails will be sent only on weekdays on which any field is closed due to weather conditions.
  • Weekend rainouts remain at the discretion of umpires, game officials, coaches, and stewards.
  • Seattle Parks decides to close fields due to rain, snow, and maintenance issues by 3:30 p.m. each day. Email notification comes around that time and is supplemental to the existing rainout hotline.
  • Check field status via Seattle Parks and Rec (SPR) Rainout Hotline: (206) 233-0055. The hotline typically is updated by 3:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. If conditions change after 3:30 p.m. or on weekend days, field playability will be determined by league officials or the umpire-in-charge. Safety always comes first.

Field Rainout/Closure Reporting

If you find your field is unplayable due to rainout, poor conditions, or you find the field otherwise closed, please notify Katy LeFebvre (scheduling@westseattlebaseball.com) ASAP with details.  Pictures showing why field is unplayable can be helpful to document non-use with Seattle Parks for end-of-season reimbursement.

Umpire Notification of Rainouts (Bronco and Pony)

If coaches determine fields are unplayable, please call the umpire coordinator Randall Hauk (206-755-0798) at least two hours before the scheduled game time. Umpires will adhere to the SPR rainout line. Rainout line is non-applicable on weekends and will require field assessment by coaches in advance of the game.

Sometimes, coaches will deem a field as playable even if SPR calls it rained-out. In such instances, we can still play but need to alert the umpires ASAP.

Cancellation For Non-Weather Reasons

Contact umpire coordinator at least 24 hours before scheduled game time.

  • ​Contact Randall Hauk by email (rghauk@gmail.com) or text (206-755-0798) to inform of cancellation.
  • Contact opposing team with as much advance notice as possible.  It is not possible to overcommunicate in these scenarios. Let everybody know.

Reserving a Field

If you wish to reserve a field beyond what is allocated to your team by the league, please contact Katy LeFebvre (scheduling@westseattlebaseball.com) to request field times. SPR has indicated they only want to deal with one point of contact.

Field allocation beyond your allotted practice times may be at your own expense, so you would need to reimburse the league. During the regular season, practice fields cost $6/hour and an additional $20/hour if lighting is needed.

Lights

Call 855-3300-8400 for field-lighting issues on Seattle Parks fields. For school-operated fields (Chief Sealth, Hiawatha, etc), call 206-255-0891.

Delridge Playfield

When West Seattle Baseball has both Delridge diamonds (NE and SW), the league has the entire Delridge Playfield, including the central and outer areas. This means that any soccer team or other organization present has no right to use the space and can be asked to vacate. This also means that the center and outer areas can be occupied by other West Seattle Baseball teams in addition to those already assigned to the field, which can be useful when natural-surface fields are rained out. There may be times when the league has reserved only one field, as is normally the case on game days. If so, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) may reserve other field areas for the use of other organizations, but this will always be on the opposite field. At no time should a soccer game infringe upon a WSB reserved field.

Field Permit

From time to time, you may find another organization (soccer, lacrosse, Little League, etc.) occupying your assigned practice or game field. When this occurs, please keep in mind you are representing West Seattle Baseball. Approach whomever is in charge of the activity being conducted and let them know that WSBB has purchased the rights to the field at this time. Either one of our schedulers, Katy LeFebvre (scheduling@westseattlebaseball.com) or Peter Parker (206-612-8720) should be contacted ASAP to confirm this with our contract.