The Mayor Mike Peters Baseball League was created in 2008. It is chartered under Little League International and is a tax-exempt, all-volunteer organization. It serves Hartford boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12 who either 1) live in the south end, west end, Frog Hollow or Asylum Hill (i.e. south of Homestead Avenue), or 2) attend a school within these geographic boundaries.
For the spring season that runs from early April to mid-June, the league is organized into 5 divisions, plus softball travel teams are organized for girls. The divisions are organized based on a combination of age and experience factors. Efforts are made to place each child in the most appropriate division:
- T-Ball - Players between the age of 5-7 who are just getting exposed to the game of baseball. Players either hit the ball off of a batting tee, or coaches will toss the ball softly to batters. Games are structured to be fun, instructional, and non-competitive with no scorekeeping, no won-loss records, and no playoffs. Games are played at Hyland Park and Rocky Ridge Park.
- Minors AA - Players generally between the age of 7-9 who are either beginners or slightly experienced. Coaches pitch to their own players, and sometimes pitching machines are used. Games are structured to be instructional and non-competitive. No won-loss records are kept and there are no playoffs. Games may be held at Hyland, Columbus, or Pope Parks.
- Minors AAA - Players generally between the ages of 8-11 who have some experience and have learned some of the basics of throwing and catching. Kids do the pitching. The division is designed be very instructional. Regular season records are not counted, but a round-robin playoff is held at the end of the season to determine a champion. Games may be played at Hyland, Pope, or Columbus Parks.
- Majors - Players generally age 11 or 12 who have a significant amount of experience. Kids do the pitching. Regular season records are not counted in order to put an emphasize on instruction, and to allow players to try a variety of positions. A round-robin playoff is held at the end of the season to determine a champion. Games are played at Hyland Park.
The league no longer organizes activities for children between the ages of 13-15. This age group is served through school leagues and other baseball organizations.
Games are played on weeknights and weekends. On weeknights players are expected to arrive at the field at approximately 5:15pm, and games usually start at 5:45pm or 6:00pm. Games and practices scheduled on weekends would be mostly on Saturdays. Players are expected to have their own transportation to their games, although assistance may be provided from other team parents and coaches on occasion and upon request.
The league provides full uniforms - hat, jersey, pants, socks - for each player. Players are required to provide their own glove and baseball cleats (which are optional).