youth baseball

I believe that if youth baseball was played by the "correct" rules, more players would be weeded out of the sport at much younger ages. I believe that this would significantly reduce the number of individuals that develop a love for the game. It would also remove a wonderful athletic experience for many of the less gifted players as well as their families opportunity to enjoy the "baseball experience" with their child, which as we all know is priceless and cannot be replaced.

qoute:I just wrote this on another thread.
LL is what it is, There's no changing it.
All records and play for 12U Major's are played on a 46'/60'/200' Field.
It's a Community All-Star Baseball Team. Not a Select or Summer Travel team.
These Players are representing there District, there State, There Region.
Are they the Best of the Best 12u Teams out there?
Not Hardly. But I hope there having Fun.
EH

You might be seeing some of the effects of younger select ball players playing down on LL Allstar teams??

At a minimum they should move the bases to 70 ft. I think floridafan has a reasonable point about the numbers and keeping the less-talented players in the game, so they could keep everything else the same.

To me, 70 ft. seems like a safety precaution with atomic metal bats and 13-year olds playing (new age cutoff date).

As for the 70 ft., I have been told that the costs nationwide to adjust all of the fields would be astronomical and is thus a non-starter.

With these kids throwing as hard as they do, and the fences being so short, you see kids just sticking the bat out and the ball goes over the fence. the outfielders are playing a couple feet from the warning track. This seems crazy to me.

I think raising the age to 13 was a mistake due to the aforementioned points. A 13 year old who is a player is a powerful kid with a metal stick in his hands. The fences are too short for that player, the bases too close as well as the mound too close. The Little League Field can not contain that player and it does endanger (potentially) some of the smaller and younger players.
Nice shot by that Arizona kid just then. His second for the night (HR).

Why in the world did they change it to 13? How could they think this is a good idea?

quote:

Originally posted by coach2709:
Why in the world did they change it to 13? How could they think this is a good idea?

They did not make it 13 per say... They just changed the age cutoff from August 1 to May 1. This gives those kids born in those 3 months a bit of an advantage.

They probably did it to get more HR's on TV..... as we all know HR's sells baseball on TV

Having experienced both worlds, there are pros and cons with each.

The dimensions didn't seem to be as much of a problem until they changed the age cutoff. Now they are definitely to short. I like the dimensions of travel ball better for the age group.

I agree that the LL rules keep more kids involved and allow for some less schooled (I hesitate to use the words less talented, because I believe alot hasa to do with the coaching between the ages of 9-12) to compete and catch up physically and mentally.

I love the community atmosphere that LL seems to generate compared to the mercinary (sp) element of travel ball. My fondest memories of youth baseball surround the rivalries and pride expressed by the community. At the LL were my oldest played and my youngest played for 2 years, the league was 50 years old. Former players were coaches and volunteer umpires. Stories of all star games between communities were passed down and ancient dislikes rekindled. Historians sat in lawn chairs and reminesced about players of the past and compared them to players of the present. Grandma's sat and traded stories of past misadventures by their sons who were now charged with teaching the game to a new generation. Mostly the name on the front of the jersey meant more than the name on the back. I miss that.

There is something neat about community baseball - and the people who make it happen...

Playing for my dad on the Lions - and then 30 years later coaching the Lions with my son on the team was an incredible experience. Now that the league has merged/folded and become part of a neighboring PONY baseball league, my son and future grandchildren will never get to have that experience.. Just thinking about that makes me sad and wish for simpler days...

08

i agree with the community aspect very important. i do think that the less schooled players do play longer and that is also important. LL as we know it is ,well what we know for that age group. do you think if it did change the rules to leading and stealing less players would play?i'm thinking more for the 11 and 12 year olds.


i think the first few years would be difficult but as years go by it will still be LL baseball.and it's still drawing from the same community's players. i'm not in favor of pushing the borderline player out ,it's really my thought to keep more playing longer.all stars are not the whole LL picture, only 10% of our league. and while that 10% play 90% are watching. all summer long the fields are empty of the kids that should be playing.in our part of the world anyway.and the safety factor is a concern as well.


i see more kids drop out at the big field because the game becomes difficult, and very quickly.it pushes alot of kids out at to young an age imo.my thought is easing them onto the big field.easing them into the stratagy of leading stealing etc.. maybe more fun? maybe younger/better coaches?

LL, hardly perfect, but in retrospect, having players of all skill level, and odd rules, makes it more interesting. It gets serious enough starting 13

Sooner or later the more. . talented players will emerge it becomes obvious when they move from 60 feet to 90 feet. The issue that puzzles me is the re entry rule and DH in high school and similar age brackets. During my HS coaching tenure there was no DH or re entry. How many times did I agonize over the decision to PH in a close game for a kid knowing that replacing him defensively was the issue. Now it is a no brainer PH for the kid and put him back out there. DH for the pitcher is one thing as is the option in college and the american league but telling a kid to play the field and not hit just is not baseball. Yes many times I had to make the double switch. I was constantly looking at the lineup card.

youth baseball is one thing but sometime they will have to play baseball.

I think LL rules should stay the same age6-10, but at 11-12 go to the 50/70 format, high school rules and 275ft in center.

The rec league (not LL) my boys played in went to this format 5 years ago and it worked out great!

Pony has it right for 11/12YO's.

I agree 50/70 is a better game, and for pete's sake make the catcher catch the 3rd strike.

JMO, but I would try to do the following if I were the CEO of LL:
1. The age cutoff would be the international rule.
2. Fence: 220 down the lines & 250 in CF
3. Bases: 70ft
4. Pitching Distance: 50ft

I have been told by someone at LL that the reason the field dimensions will not change is due to the extra cost for the various LL programs. IMO, LL needs to look at the safety of playing on such a small field with very large players. Players today are much larger than they were when the rules for field size were established over 50 years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by cong:

quote:

Originally posted by coach2709:
Why in the world did they change it to 13? How could they think this is a good idea?

They did not make it 13 per say... They just changed the age cutoff from August 1 to May 1. This gives those kids born in those 3 months a bit of an advantage.

They probably did it to get more HR's on TV..... as we all know HR's sells baseball on TV

The age change was the first shift of the date to ultimately get it to January 1, which is the deadline date used universally by international sports.

quote:

Originally posted by 20dad:
I asked this awhile back and got some great answers. With some new faces and LL on tv i'll try again. Why is it the largest baseball org.(LL) plays different rules than real baseball?

Who's to say anything smaller than a 60/90 field is real baseball? Who's to say fields with fences that aren't 390/420 to center and 365/375 in the gaps is real baseball?

When I first joined chat boards I heard about kids hitting homers and was awed. Then I found out 10 year olds were playing on 180 foot fences with big barrel bats. 13-15 year olds playing on fields with 275-300 foot distances up the gaps. Big deal!

I believe the concept of no leads is to allow the pitcher to concentrate on the hitter. There's plenty of time after LL to learn how to hold runners.