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quote:Sandlot baseball, a slice of American life enjoyed for decades by boys (insert: & girls ) from coast to coast, appears on the verge of extinction.
........I miss the good ol' days!
Unfortunately in CA there aren't too many empty sand lots left! My son and his soon to be college freshmen friends have played hours of whiffle ball in the park across the street from our house. It is funny to see these big boys playing with a taped up whiffle ball and a wooden bat. Even after years of playing organized ball they still love to do this.
In our area it seems to me there are more kids playing baseball. Academies seem to be springing up, kids are taking lessons from retired pro players, and playing on more travel teams. There are definately more kids playing travel ball than when he started 8 years ago. Parents seem to be much more willing to pay for all of this. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? That remains to be seen.
Just what I see in my little slice of CA.
In our area it seems to me there are more kids playing baseball. Academies seem to be springing up, kids are taking lessons from retired pro players, and playing on more travel teams. There are definately more kids playing travel ball than when he started 8 years ago. Parents seem to be much more willing to pay for all of this. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? That remains to be seen.
Just what I see in my little slice of CA.
quote:The original sand lot baseball circa 1971 in Fresno, except it was an asphalt dead end street (Chestnut north of Gettysburg) with a sign for home plate, trees for first and third, and a manhole cover for second.
I was just thinking about this recently...I have heard complaints about today's players not having the baseball instincts and smarts of previous players. I think this has to be at least partly due to the lack of sandlot style baseball. Gone are the days when kids found local pickup games and played all day, without the "benefit" of coaching.
I wonder if players now are being way over coached to the point that they have no natural feel for the game? Coaches at all levels have signals for everything from bunt defense to offensive situations to pitch calls. How about letting the kids naturally figure some of this stuff out when they're young and the outcome really doesn't matter?
I've also wondered if it would be possible to put together a "sandlot league". Parents are increasingly concerned about letting their kids run off and be unsupervised because of concerns about kidnapping, etc. So what if there was an adult presence at a local field where kids could just come and go as their parents pleased?
I think it would also make things easier on the parents because parents are run so ragged, it's difficult for them to stick to strict youth league schedules. So why not have a league where kids can show up at any time that's feasible for the parents knowing that there will be a game going on? If there are times when not enough kids show up for a baseball game, pull out the kickball, or the wiffle ball, or the cup ball. Letting the kids officiate the games themselves will help teach them that side of the game too. Sure, an argument or scuffle may break out, but who cares? That's part of being a kid, right?
I wonder if players now are being way over coached to the point that they have no natural feel for the game? Coaches at all levels have signals for everything from bunt defense to offensive situations to pitch calls. How about letting the kids naturally figure some of this stuff out when they're young and the outcome really doesn't matter?
I've also wondered if it would be possible to put together a "sandlot league". Parents are increasingly concerned about letting their kids run off and be unsupervised because of concerns about kidnapping, etc. So what if there was an adult presence at a local field where kids could just come and go as their parents pleased?
I think it would also make things easier on the parents because parents are run so ragged, it's difficult for them to stick to strict youth league schedules. So why not have a league where kids can show up at any time that's feasible for the parents knowing that there will be a game going on? If there are times when not enough kids show up for a baseball game, pull out the kickball, or the wiffle ball, or the cup ball. Letting the kids officiate the games themselves will help teach them that side of the game too. Sure, an argument or scuffle may break out, but who cares? That's part of being a kid, right?
My 2 sons along with the rest of the crew used to have homerun derbies in the neighblorhood school yard. They would play for hours. I got a small (but pretigious) little trophy made that was passed from family to family's mantle---Those were the good old days. Now one of these young men was drafted in the 27th round by Kansas City Royals this year---and another is playing for a Div1 school and being looked at by 3 different pro teams. Who would of thought???THEY DID!
My boys are so fortunate because they are really living the same life their dad did 30 years ago. In fact, we had a little episode last weekend because our youngest couldn't find his hat for his game. He had used it for home plate the night before and had to run back outside to find it. We don't have any empty lots for them to play in so they just use the yards and the street where needed. I don't go out to monitor their games or get involved. I really believe that they are learning so much more than baseball out there. How sad for those kids that are not allowed this opportunity.
First of all, you don't call it a "Sandlot League"
no, no, no.
The kids can get the word out, play and go.
Some parents can sit under the trees or way out in the parking lot, but would have to stay out of it.
It has to be more like open gym.
No matter how many come, the kids just deal.
In our day, the beauty of Sandlot or Neighborhood play was that nobody really pitched, it was more about what you did after the ball was hit, that's what made it fun and more were involved that way.
no, no, no.
The kids can get the word out, play and go.
Some parents can sit under the trees or way out in the parking lot, but would have to stay out of it.
It has to be more like open gym.
No matter how many come, the kids just deal.
In our day, the beauty of Sandlot or Neighborhood play was that nobody really pitched, it was more about what you did after the ball was hit, that's what made it fun and more were involved that way.
We played our games in "The Bowl", basically a gully below our Dead End street. If you hit it up over the hill it was a home run. In the late '60's, a hugely popular and heavily marketed toy was the "Superball", a ball that had incredible bouncing properties. I lobbied my parents for months just to get one for my birthday and when I did I couldn't resist using it in one of our sandlot games. I had that Superball exactly one day. It was a shot heard 'round the block (never to be heard from again).
today you can put any name on it you want select all star tournament showcase travel etc etc etc but in my opinion the bottom line is kids just dont play baseball for playing baseball.
If there is not some organization making up rules and regulations then it just does not cut it.
If there is not some organization making up rules and regulations then it just does not cut it.
In my view, every game has suffered since the nation has turned up side down.
Years ago the law was established to protect the public. Today, the law protects the miscreant.
Kids just can't be kids anymore.
Years ago the law was established to protect the public. Today, the law protects the miscreant.
Kids just can't be kids anymore.
I guess we're kind of lucky. We live out in the country and my boys (all 4) are always setting up a ball field in our front lot and playing wiffle ball. First is the fence, second is piece of towel, third is the fir tree and home is the garbage can. When pitching, anywhere on the garbage can is a strike, even for 7 yo who isn't even that tall yet. They show no mercy, play hard and always have fun. At first, lots of fights and arguments. They worked it out and I won't hear from them for hours. Season is in full swing so they don't play much now but I can bet you come fall, wiffle ball will be back. We have even started getting many of the local boys in the neighborhood involved. Great fun for all and sometimes I just watch out the window and enjoy myself maybe even more than the organized games.
When did sandlot ball die? I'm 18 and sandlot ball isn't an option anymore due to work, school, etc. but I wasn't a little kid too long ago. I grew up playing pick up baseball. Hit the park around noon and come home when it got dark, dinner could wait. Peole say when your young and at the park you play for fun. This is true, but I always wanted to win. Have the days of having ''ghost runners'' really gone?
Yes,..sandlot ball still exists,..and in places you perhaps never thought of.
By Staff Sgt. Stacey L. Pearsall:
" It may be a safe assumption that the city of Kahn Bani Sahd, Iraq has never seen baseball before. It is also a certainty that America has never seen the Kahn Bani Sahd brand of ball. The “field” was small, smaller than a basketball court. But, perhaps, a larger obstacle for U.S. Army Specialist Timothy McClellan and others of Charlie Company 1-12 was that the “field” also served as the parking lot for a fleet of tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Fly balls were different here as well. Here when an errantly hit ball soared over the fence it landed in a crowd of a different sort, full of armed men in enemy territory. “Like a scene from the movie “Sandlot,”? Stacy said, “the soldiers would kick dirt and curse when their last baseball cleared the wall and smacked pavement on the other side.”
She further elaborated on the scene she witnessed that day. “We were getting ready to go out on a combat mission, when the boys decided to have an impromptu game. It was quite a sight, to be sure. The First Sergeant walked out of the chow trailer with a sausage patty stuck on a fork and sat next to a military working dog perched on a tank. They both watched earnestly, as the boys from Charlie Company scavenged for rocks. Since they lost their last proper baseball days before, they made use of Iraq’s abundant rock source. As the rock made contact with the bat, the deafening “clank”? prompted all eyes look toward the heavens. I was home again, apple pie and baseball.”
By Staff Sgt. Stacey L. Pearsall:
" It may be a safe assumption that the city of Kahn Bani Sahd, Iraq has never seen baseball before. It is also a certainty that America has never seen the Kahn Bani Sahd brand of ball. The “field” was small, smaller than a basketball court. But, perhaps, a larger obstacle for U.S. Army Specialist Timothy McClellan and others of Charlie Company 1-12 was that the “field” also served as the parking lot for a fleet of tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Fly balls were different here as well. Here when an errantly hit ball soared over the fence it landed in a crowd of a different sort, full of armed men in enemy territory. “Like a scene from the movie “Sandlot,”? Stacy said, “the soldiers would kick dirt and curse when their last baseball cleared the wall and smacked pavement on the other side.”
She further elaborated on the scene she witnessed that day. “We were getting ready to go out on a combat mission, when the boys decided to have an impromptu game. It was quite a sight, to be sure. The First Sergeant walked out of the chow trailer with a sausage patty stuck on a fork and sat next to a military working dog perched on a tank. They both watched earnestly, as the boys from Charlie Company scavenged for rocks. Since they lost their last proper baseball days before, they made use of Iraq’s abundant rock source. As the rock made contact with the bat, the deafening “clank”? prompted all eyes look toward the heavens. I was home again, apple pie and baseball.”