Historically, the Pioneer Valley Youth Baseball League has been organized by eight primary associations.  Those associations are located in Amherst, Dalton, Deerfield (Frontier), Greenfield, Northampton, Shelburne Falls  (West County), South Hadley, and Ware.   The associations organized teams for play in the Mickey Mantle and Connie Mack Divisions of the American Amateur Baseball Congress and its local affiliate, the Western Massachusetts Amateur Baseball Congress. 

However, the PVYBL will function independently of the AABC, this summer, like the league has since 2008.  The national championship schedule of the AABC requires that league activity conclude at the end of the  first week of July. Usually, the Massachusetts scholastic tournament prevents most Mantle teams from starting until the second week of June.   Hence, most teams would experience only a 20 day summer season under AABC arrangements.  

Consequently, the Directors of the PVYBL voted to forgo play in the AABC national championships and play a six week seasonal schedule and conclude activity with a week long double elimination tournament.  

This summer, the PVYBL will organize play for the Sandy Koufax Division. This will be the ninth consecutive year in which Koufax play will be organized by the PVYBL.  Only three PVYBL associations will form Mantle Division teams, this summer.  Ideally, those teams will combine with those of the John L. Sullivan League in Springfield.

MICKEY MANTLE DIVISION

As always, the League will organize Mickey Mantle activity, this summer.  This division is for youngsters who are 15 and 16 years old at the start of the previous school year.  More specifically, the Mantle division is for youngsters who were aged 16 or younger on September 1, 2024.       

This summer, the Mantle Division will include teams from Deerfield (Frontier), Turners Falls, Shelburne Falls (West County).  The PVYBL is attempting to arrange for these teams to play in the Mantle Division of the John L. Sullivan league, which is based in Springfield.

SANDY KOUFAX DIVISION

Furthermore, the PVYBL organized a Sandy Koufax division for the first time in 2017.  This division is for youngsters aged 13 and 14 on September 1, 2024. 

Presently, the Koufax Division will include teams from Amherst, Brattleboro, Dalton, Deerfield (Frontier), Greenfield, Hatfield, Northampton, and Shelburne Falls (West County), Whitingham. 

LEAGUE SCHEDULE

Historically, each Koufax and Mantle team has played an 18 game seasonal schedule and, then, participated in a double elimination tournament.  The seasonal schedules of each division have been played during a six week period.  The tournaments have lasted a week.  

During 2025, the seasonal schedule of the Koufax Division will begin on June 8 and will conclude on July 19.  The season will include two rounds of play and, hence, 16 games for each team.

The Mantle Division schedule is uncertain, presently, because the affiliation of PVYBL teams with JLS teams is uncertain. 

LEAGUE RULES

The Pioneer Valley Youth Baseball League observes the Rules of the National Federation of High Schools and some special PVYBL rules.  PVYBL game Rules and Procedures are listed on a separate page of this site.

TEAM AFFILIATIONS

A youngster who wishes to participate in PVYBL activity should contact the Commissioner or one of the Association Directors or team coaches in his area.  The Directors and Coaches are listed on other pages of this website.  Importantly, the organizational territories of PVYBL associations correspond to local high school districts.  Consequently, the composition of association teams is similar to that of local scholastic teams.  However, a youngster may choose to play in the area in which he resides, the area in which he attends school, or, via league waiver, for a team in another area.

LEAGUE COMMISSIONER

The Commissioner of the Pioneer Valley Youth Baseball League is Artie Burke.  He can be contacted at 413 863-2452 or AEBurke11@verizon.net.