Did anyone see that SoCal play last night. Those were some awesome hitters. Three opposite field homers and the commentators said they have a pitcher throwing 82. WOW! BTW Toms River is back!
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I didn't see SoCal, but I did watch two other Regionals over the weekend on ESPN. I was SHOCKED at the 100+ pitch counts and the number of curve balls. What are they trying to do to these kids!! I guess that winning is the only thing that matters....
SoCal has couple of mashers and look real tough having demolished everyone in the West regionals...Toms River plays Penn tonite (ESPN2) to get to Williamsport.
All the pitchers in the West Region championship were throwing a lot of curves. RBV was pretty clearly a travel team playing in LL. The kid they said could hit 82 had the beginnings of a beard. Just wait until next year when the kids playing in the LLWS are another 3 months more mature. Maybe they'll have someone hit 85 mph from 46'. One of these days they'll have one of these 13yo hit a twig of an 11yo kid with an 80 mph fastball and snap an arm on TV.
CADad
That will be entertaining...quote:Maybe they'll have someone hit 85 mph from 46'. One of these days they'll have one of these 13yo hit a twig of an 11yo kid with an 80 mph fastball and snap an arm on TV.
I think Little League is woefully behind the times.
Sure, I like watching the LLWS, but the field dimensions are way too small, and the playing rules are too contrived.
Little League Baseball is not really baseball, it is 9 oversized kids on an undersized diamond.
200 foot fences? Kids these days are routinely hitting pop flies over them.
Then, the whole game is geared toward having some man-child fireballer throwing 80 mph from 46 feet.
Fun to watch, maybe, for a week in August. But IMO Little League needs to change its rules or else it will dwindle as kids play other leagues that allow leading off and have reasonable field dimensions.
The entire 12U Little League experience is geared for an exciting ESPN broadcast. The downside is hundreds of thousands of 12 year olds playing a game that only pretends to be baseball.
Sure, I like watching the LLWS, but the field dimensions are way too small, and the playing rules are too contrived.
Little League Baseball is not really baseball, it is 9 oversized kids on an undersized diamond.
200 foot fences? Kids these days are routinely hitting pop flies over them.
Then, the whole game is geared toward having some man-child fireballer throwing 80 mph from 46 feet.
Fun to watch, maybe, for a week in August. But IMO Little League needs to change its rules or else it will dwindle as kids play other leagues that allow leading off and have reasonable field dimensions.
The entire 12U Little League experience is geared for an exciting ESPN broadcast. The downside is hundreds of thousands of 12 year olds playing a game that only pretends to be baseball.
The kids playing LL are still working on their skills and getting better. Some of what I am reading here seems a bit exaggerated. I watched some of the weekend's action on tv, and only saw one pitcher throwing in the mid 70s.....the majority were in the 60s......one game I saw had a 3-1 score......the field dimensions didn't seem to matter.
I was impressed with the California kids and their approach at the plate.
I don't know why 'baseball' people have to knock LL baseball. My son is 20 and played in LL......it did not detract from his knowledge of the game nor his baseball development.
I'm sure the same can be said for millions of kids.
I think we should applaud these kids for what they are doing and accomplishing. Sometimes I just sense that some people have to knock somebody else in order to make their own organizations/programs/kids look better.
Relax, it is 11-12 year old kids playing baseball. Would you rather have them do something else?
I was impressed with the California kids and their approach at the plate.
I don't know why 'baseball' people have to knock LL baseball. My son is 20 and played in LL......it did not detract from his knowledge of the game nor his baseball development.
I'm sure the same can be said for millions of kids.
I think we should applaud these kids for what they are doing and accomplishing. Sometimes I just sense that some people have to knock somebody else in order to make their own organizations/programs/kids look better.
Relax, it is 11-12 year old kids playing baseball. Would you rather have them do something else?
grateful,
Who's knocking the kids? It isn't their fault that the smokethrowing pitchers are almost always bigger and more mature than most of the rest of the kids. How big was that kid throwing mid 70s? BTW, mid 70s at 12yo is pretty amazing and the fact that some of the kids were able to get around on him was even more amazing. How big, and more importantly how mature is the kid who is supposed to be able to throw 80 but didn't pitch in the West Region championship game? He's the one with the beginnings of a beard.
The reality is that the kids playing all-stars with the current bats have gotten too large for the field dimensions.
On the other hand, I've watched several of the games and enjoyed them so there's certainly some entertainment value there. I'm just worried that with the age rule change that was pushed by LL the potential for having kids that are even more separated from the rest due to early physical maturity will determine who wins and loses more so than skill.
Even in our district where we had known who the best team was for a few years we didn't really know they were a Williamsport team until we saw that several of their players matured early. It is hard to beat 8" of growth between 11 and 12 along with a mustache. The kid who is 5'10", 160 lbs and whose voice has changed is a lot more likely to be throwing low 70s than the kid who is 5'3" and 115 lbs whose voice will change in a couple years (I will say it takes a talented kid to throw low 70s at 12yo regardless). Some of their kids grew about an inch between 12 and 13 while ours have grown 3 or 4 inches. It'll be interesting to see how they match up in HS, although I think that overall their kids will be stronger even after our kids have had a chance to catch up as far as physical maturity.
Who's knocking the kids? It isn't their fault that the smokethrowing pitchers are almost always bigger and more mature than most of the rest of the kids. How big was that kid throwing mid 70s? BTW, mid 70s at 12yo is pretty amazing and the fact that some of the kids were able to get around on him was even more amazing. How big, and more importantly how mature is the kid who is supposed to be able to throw 80 but didn't pitch in the West Region championship game? He's the one with the beginnings of a beard.
The reality is that the kids playing all-stars with the current bats have gotten too large for the field dimensions.
On the other hand, I've watched several of the games and enjoyed them so there's certainly some entertainment value there. I'm just worried that with the age rule change that was pushed by LL the potential for having kids that are even more separated from the rest due to early physical maturity will determine who wins and loses more so than skill.
Even in our district where we had known who the best team was for a few years we didn't really know they were a Williamsport team until we saw that several of their players matured early. It is hard to beat 8" of growth between 11 and 12 along with a mustache. The kid who is 5'10", 160 lbs and whose voice has changed is a lot more likely to be throwing low 70s than the kid who is 5'3" and 115 lbs whose voice will change in a couple years (I will say it takes a talented kid to throw low 70s at 12yo regardless). Some of their kids grew about an inch between 12 and 13 while ours have grown 3 or 4 inches. It'll be interesting to see how they match up in HS, although I think that overall their kids will be stronger even after our kids have had a chance to catch up as far as physical maturity.
CADad.....you're right, nobody was knocking the kids.......just the game that they are playing.
I think it's pretty good to watch.
I think it's pretty good to watch.
So far I've found the games very competitive and entertaining. The fielding and hitting have been impressive but the pitching has been a little disturbing. Don't get me wrong, the pitchers are doing a great job, but what's with the coaches? Too many curve balls and some of the kids are being left out there too long! One kid started the bottom of the sixth leading 11-4 and got the final out with the score 11-10 and the winning run at the plate!Another kid pitching in the LA vs. ARK game almost decapitated the batter. I believe it was a 70 mph pitch off the bill of his helmet that sent it flying. An inch lower and look out!
It's amazing at some of the size differences in some of these kids. I could of swore one pitcher had a mustache going on when another kid is 4'8" and 80 lbs!
It's amazing at some of the size differences in some of these kids. I could of swore one pitcher had a mustache going on when another kid is 4'8" and 80 lbs!
I remember when Almonte threw. Does he still play anymore? Some of those kids have some skills, the Iowa team hit b2b opposite field homers off of a huge kid.
That is precisely my point - the entire LL organization seems to be run for one reason - to provide an entertaining LLWS on ESPN.
I'm sure they get a lot of their money from the television contract. Yes the games are entertaining.
But the downside is the hundreds of thousands of kids who are playing in a system that doesn't even come close to being as positive experience as it could be.
And that is why we are seeing more and more communities droppng their affiliation with LL and going with another youth baseball organization.
I'm sure they get a lot of their money from the television contract. Yes the games are entertaining.
But the downside is the hundreds of thousands of kids who are playing in a system that doesn't even come close to being as positive experience as it could be.
And that is why we are seeing more and more communities droppng their affiliation with LL and going with another youth baseball organization.
I don't find it entertaining to watch a poor kid throw 100+ pitches in the NW Regional. The manager was his dad for crying out loud. The only effective pitch he could throw to those 5'10" bearded behemoths was a curve ball! Very nice. You call this entertainment? I call it abuse... Over one hundred pitches and 50% curve balls. Would any of you allow that for your sons?? Come on guys, this isn't baseball, it's TV.
Good point Calloway,
Since when do 12 yo grow beards? Maybe one in a select select few but having 5 of them on a team, that's not right.
Since when do 12 yo grow beards? Maybe one in a select select few but having 5 of them on a team, that's not right.
Yeah I watched it too. Poor kid. Fastball wasn't even close to getting by those Hawaii kids. That one kid even hit a low away curve out of the park.
200 feet isn;t even close to being big enough. Why does LL do that?
My kid just played in the western regional LL for 14U, called "Junior League." They ended up two games from going to the world series in Michigan.
We looked at the park in Michigan where the world series is played - the fences are 275 feet.
That is too small for 14 years old. There are seven or eight kids who ROUTINELY hit the ball that far on not very well hit fly balls. My son hits the ball about 340 when he really grabs one, and while he is a very good hitter, there are plenty of kids who can hit it as far.
Why does LL want to make a joke out of the world series?
200 feet isn;t even close to being big enough. Why does LL do that?
My kid just played in the western regional LL for 14U, called "Junior League." They ended up two games from going to the world series in Michigan.
We looked at the park in Michigan where the world series is played - the fences are 275 feet.
That is too small for 14 years old. There are seven or eight kids who ROUTINELY hit the ball that far on not very well hit fly balls. My son hits the ball about 340 when he really grabs one, and while he is a very good hitter, there are plenty of kids who can hit it as far.
Why does LL want to make a joke out of the world series?
there was some kid i think from minnesota could be wrong, but he was 5'11 195 lbs. he could kick my butt along with my dads. He also almost had a BEARD. NO WAY is he 12. If you believe that you are in DENIAL(hope i spelt that right)
I saw the Hawaii game last night, too. Coach should be ashamed for leaving his son in to pitch when his pitch count was well over 100, he was not very effective, and I am sure there were some other kids on the team who would have liked to pitch on TV!
Also, I don't see it mentioned here, so maybe I'm the only one, but doesn't the strike zone seem HUGE? They have been consistent through all the games, so it wasn't an unfair advantage, but it seemed to get ridiculous. No wonder these pitchers are recording so many strikeouts...70 mph with strikes being routinely called 10 inches outside the plate at the ankles!
Also, I don't see it mentioned here, so maybe I'm the only one, but doesn't the strike zone seem HUGE? They have been consistent through all the games, so it wasn't an unfair advantage, but it seemed to get ridiculous. No wonder these pitchers are recording so many strikeouts...70 mph with strikes being routinely called 10 inches outside the plate at the ankles!
AK,
Yes Almonte does still play and he is very good too. He will be MLBer someday.
CADad,
Did you ever see the SoCal team in person?
Yes Almonte does still play and he is very good too. He will be MLBer someday.
CADad,
Did you ever see the SoCal team in person?
IrishDad,
The strike zone is typical for LL. I don't agree with it, but I remember that was the way it was when I played.
The strike zone is typical for LL. I don't agree with it, but I remember that was the way it was when I played.
mtownfan,
No I haven't seen this years SoCal team in person. They had a bit more of a struggle in the division tournament than in region which is typical for SoCal teams. I think that the region was stronger than usual last year. We've seen, played against and played with the kids from Conejo who represented SoCal last year. My guess is that this year's team may even be a bit stronger than Conejo.
JMO, but Almonte isn't close to being MLB caliber. He'll probably get a shot at the minors for publicity purposes.
No I haven't seen this years SoCal team in person. They had a bit more of a struggle in the division tournament than in region which is typical for SoCal teams. I think that the region was stronger than usual last year. We've seen, played against and played with the kids from Conejo who represented SoCal last year. My guess is that this year's team may even be a bit stronger than Conejo.
JMO, but Almonte isn't close to being MLB caliber. He'll probably get a shot at the minors for publicity purposes.