saw something scary

[MPLSMatt]

We have a mini fenway here on one of our high school fields. The LF line is far less than 300 (I don't recall the exact number) but the fence is around 10 ft high. There are a few more home runs hit on this field but it's not a gong show. After all, what is LF at Fenway? 310 or so? Up can work to keep balls in.

[kylejt]

Why am I the only person who thinks it would be ton easier to just adjust the baseball. Cheaper, quicker and easier. Every time I suggest it, everyone blanks out on it.

[Jocko]

Why am I the only person who thinks it would be ton easier to just adjust the baseball. Cheaper, quicker and easier. Every time I suggest it, everyone blanks out on it.

?????

[JaxRolo]

Why am I the only person who thinks it would be ton easier to just adjust the baseball. Cheaper, quicker and easier. Every time I suggest it, everyone blanks out on it.

?????

Make the ball not so bouncy of the bat!

[kylejt]

Why am I the only person who thinks it would be ton easier to just adjust the baseball. Cheaper, quicker and easier. Every time I suggest it, everyone blanks out on it.

?????

See what I mean?

Just soften up the core of the ball, and it doesn't jump as much off the bat. They keep dumbing down the bats, but haven't even thought about the ball.

[SoCal Lurker]

Why am I the only person who thinks it would be ton easier to just adjust the baseball. Cheaper, quicker and easier. Every time I suggest it, everyone blanks out on it.

?????

See what I mean?

Just soften up the core of the ball, and it doesn't jump as much off the bat. They keep dumbing down the bats, but haven't even thought about the ball.

Then it wouldn't be real baseball!!!!

More seriously, I think it comes from T ball uses a mush y ball, then they move up to a RIF ball, and they move up to a real ball. I think it threatens that progression. Moving the fence back, however, makes it feel more like real baseball, and limiting the bats is getting them closer to a real baseball bat (i.e. wood). (And softening the ball is going to keep more in the infield, making more outs, fewer runners, lower batting averages,etc. -- little Johnny who only gets three hits a season is only going to ge one, etc. . .)

[mstaylor]

There is no reason to change the ball. In LL they have dumbed down nothing at the younger ages, not really. Go to -3 bats, get rid of -10 to-12 bats and the field sizes become less of an issue. Everytime I suggest it to a coach they scream that the kids can't swing a -3 bat. I swung wood until I was an adult and we never had a problem. Develop a BBCOR type bat for the little ones but call it something else. Make all 90ft use the BBCOR and forget all the other stupidity. Also, no 2 1/4 bats above 60ft. If kids can't play on a 90ft at 13/14,which most can't, then change them to 54/80.

[JHSump]

I agree. I swung wood until my senior year in HS.

-3 is a very good compromise for the "modern world."

By the way, I still have an aluminum bat from the early days of such bats. It says "Aluminum" on the barrel. A "Tennessee Thumper." I took it to the post office a few years ago and weighed it. It's a +2 !!!!!! (34 inches, 36 ounces) I was never a big strapping guy, and yet that is the kind bat I used.

Yeah, I know the world has changed. "In the old days I used to walk barefoot to school, in the snow...uphill both ways."

[Eastside Coach]

LL was instituted with 60 foot basepaths generations ago, literally. Since then nutrition has improved greatly, so kids are bigger and stronger in general, and mature earlier. Many kids at 12 are on the cusp of young adult maturity. On top of that, *bats* have improved tremendously. The bats I used in LL (1960s) were small barrel wood bats --- pretty pathetic toothpicks compared to the technological weapons of today.

Sometimes It is very scary.

I will sound like a grouchy old man, but those (I'll watch my language) stupid 2 5/8 and 2 3/4 BBCOR $500 bats are going to get someone killed, don't really teach one how to hit, and penalize pitchers who throw what should be good pitches. If I could start my own league it would be 2 1/4 inch wood bats for all, 50/70 and no lead offs until you are 13 (I've seen two kids thrown out trying to steal at the 11-12 year old level in three years)

[Eastside Coach]

 

 

Why am I the only person who thinks it would be ton easier to just adjust the baseball. Cheaper, quicker and easier. Every time I suggest it, everyone blanks out on it.

?????

 

See what I mean?

Just soften up the core of the ball, and it doesn't jump as much off the bat. They keep dumbing down the bats, but haven't even thought about the ball.

 

We've used all kinds of balls. Hate the soft core balls. What should be a one hopper to short, ends up bouncing over his head, etc.

[Rich Ives]

 

LL was instituted with 60 foot basepaths generations ago, literally. Since then nutrition has improved greatly, so kids are bigger and stronger in general, and mature earlier. Many kids at 12 are on the cusp of young adult maturity. On top of that, *bats* have improved tremendously. The bats I used in LL (1960s) were small barrel wood bats --- pretty pathetic toothpicks compared to the technological weapons of today.

Sometimes It is very scary.

I will sound like a grouchy old man, but those (I'll watch my language) stupid 2 5/8 and 2 3/4 BBCOR $500 bats are going to get someone killed, don't really teach one how to hit, and penalize pitchers who throw what should be good pitches. If I could start my own league it would be 2 1/4 inch wood bats for all, 50/70 and no lead offs until you are 13 (I've seen two kids thrown out trying to steal at the 11-12 year old level in three years)

 

 

I don't think there are any 2 3/4 BBCOR bats.  There aren't any 2 1/4 BBCOR bats.  Some orgs limit 2 1/4 bats to a 1.15 BPF.

 

NON-BBCOR bats might be a problem.  BBCOR bats are pretty dead compared to non-wood bats of the past.  That's why they were implemented. Some suggest they are too dead.

 

The baseball fields of the world are not littered with dead and dying players - especially since bat controls were started.

[JaxRolo]

As advertised I had the plate yesterday for a 12yo LL tournament game. It was 103 degrees but we got through it OK. It ended in 5 innings but lasted 21/2 hours because the final score was 26-13 in favor of visitors. It was a ten homerun slug fest. One kid for the visitors hit one that would have went at least 350ft if not more. It went over some pine trees just outside the fence.

In about the second inning, the kid mentioned above who is bigger than me, hit an absolute lazer towards the F5. It passed just left of his ear and he never even reacted until the ball was well into left field. Scary, just a little more right and it could have been really bad. I know this could happen to any player on any field but LL really needs to look at putting the 12yo players on a 50-70 field with no option. These kids are just too big and strong anymore.

 

When I read the title I thought you were going to talk about @Jocko

[Mike Prince]

Isn't 2 3/4" barrel a softball bat?

[SJA]

In LL 2 1/4 > 2 5/8 only.

:-)

[basejester]

 

I agree as stated above they are getting bigger and stronger as well as little league is going to at 70ft bases 48ft mound pilot program next year, however the problem around here is field dimensions cant push thee fences back. I dont know if up is a answer, but i agree something does need to change

It's a 50 ft. mound. Our local league chartered one Intermediate Division team this year. One of our neighboring leagues put all of their 12 year-olds in the Intermediate Division.

[Larry in TN]

Our league has been playing "Majors" (11-12 yrs) on a 50/70 field with open bases for some time.  Not sure why they don't just call it Intermediate.  13 yr olds are playing on the 60/90 field in the Junior division.

 

Our "Majors" players all-star team is doing well.  They won the district tournament and have now won their first two games in the state tournament even though they don't have any 13 yr olds, as all of ours played Junior in the regular season.  The teams that they're facing int he tournament are predominately 13 year olds.  I'm a bit surprised at their success as I don't think that they're all that good.  With the Intermediate division being new, the competition has just been worse.  Lots of errors, not great pitching, etc.

[basejester]

 

Our league has been playing "Majors" (11-12 yrs) on a 50/70 field with open bases for some time.  Not sure why they don't just call it Intermediate.  13 yr olds are playing on the 60/90 field in the Junior division.

 

Our "Majors" players all-star team is doing well.  They won the district tournament and have now won their first two games in the state tournament even though they don't have any 13 yr olds, as all of ours played Junior in the regular season.  The teams that they're facing int he tournament are predominately 13 year olds.  I'm a bit surprised at their success as I don't think that they're all that good.  With the Intermediate division being new, the competition has just been worse.  Lots of errors, not great pitching, etc.

If they're playing in the Intermediate tournament, your league must have chartered Intermediate teams with Williamsport. So yeah, I don't know why you'd refer locally to your Intermediate teams as majors.

Teams with primarily 13 year-olds are dilluted by all the competition -- middle school, travel, & Junior Division.

[Jocko]

Deleted