Stats4Gnats posted:Just who is it a 14U supposed to be impressing? His dad? Some travel coach? His HS coach? I suppose there are a few college coaches out there looking at 14Us, and I wouldn’t doubt there are some ML scouts doing it too. But really. Is the difference between a drop 8 composite and a drop 3 BBCOR gonna get a 14YO player much more than a trophy?
First and foremost himself. The more success a player has the more fun the game is. Have you ever hit out a HR? It is an amzing feeling. My son has hit a few game HR on the big field. Not a lot of kids are hitting them out. It's an accomplishment that he will always remember. Even if he never hits one out with BBCOR. Why would anyone want to take that away. After practice, the only time I get any feedback from him is if he hit one out during BP.
Who else is it impressing? Everyone loves the long ball. The only ones that don't is the defense. LOL We act like with these hot bats that it's a chip shot. That just isn't true for 13's and 14's. It's not common place for the kids to hit HR's 300 plus feet and it's not easy. It's not a missed hit fly that happens to carry like LL. More than likely the kids hitting them at 13 and 14 with their -5's are the same kids that start to hit them with BBCOR 16-18U.
I can think of about 15 home runs during games over the summer on the big fields. That's counting both teams and about 50 games.
So why wouldn't you give that opportunity to a palyer?