Was it me or was it my zone or was it that the 10U pitchers just cannot find the plate?

[ArchAngel72]

D1 All Star Last Elimination game Loser goes home winner takes on the winners bracket for the championship 10U LL

 

So during the normal season I have a more open zone for 10U  I go shoulders to bottom of knees and all the way to the inside batters box line, for the opposite box.  ( figure a ball and a half off the plate) 

Last night being an ALL star game I made it what LL is supposed to be  armpits to top of knees ( I still call bottom of knees cause I call a little low consistently).  

 

Bit damned if it weren't impossible for pitchers to find the dang strike zone.. It was still a decent game but oof  I called ball A lot, maybe 1/4 of them were close but still not a strike about 2 of them I look back and think those were close enough I should have called them. But UGH This is supposed to be All Stars, the crème de le crème.

 

Was I too tight thinking 10U should pitch better?

 

game ended up Home team won after top of 6 as they were up 16-13 or something like that and the Visiting team had clawed there way back from being down 16-10 

If the Visiting team had tied it up we would have needed to suspend the game and resume it today as it was VERY nearly too dark

 

THAT is a big fing grumble  WHY HOST A D1 tourney at a field with NO LIGHTS?  

seriously that should be mandatory for all tourney play, any time you want to host you need to have at least one field in good shape that has lights.

 

 

[Velho]

I wouldn't beat yourself up. You were consistent and even. It was what it was. 

Being 10s, the loser bracket with many games in fewer days, and after the year break, the teams likely didn't have pitcher depth. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

As described, allowing for the level of play, the overall "leverage-ness" of the situation...you sound great here, @ArchAngel72.

Strikes and outs get us home, sure. Calling the game properly and consistently at all times...gets us more work.

As for fields with lights for district play...I somewhat agree. Someday, I'd love to understand how the local, national and global finances of LL work. It seems there is a great deal of money flowing TO Williamsport but, not much OUT. To say nothing of the thousands of volunteer hours they get every year. I'm not familiar with their operations, but rather than having spent the millions they did to over build those regional field complexes which only a small percentage of LL players will ever play on...why not make "1 Field With Lights Per District" a global initiative which would benefit many more players and leagues? Call it Project ArchAngel Light...

~Dawg

[ArchAngel72]

Thx Dawg

 

[ArchAngel72]

7 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

As described, allowing for the level of play, the overall "leverage-ness" of the situation...you sound great here, @ArchAngel72.

Strikes and outs get us home, sure. Calling the game properly and consistently at all times...gets us more work.

As for fields with lights for district play...I somewhat agree. Someday, I'd love to understand how the local, national and global finances of LL work. It seems there is a great deal of money flowing TO Williamsport but, not much OUT. To say nothing of the thousands of volunteer hours they get every year. I'm not familiar with their operations, but rather than having spent the millions they did to over build those regional field complexes which only a small percentage of LL players will ever play on...why not make "1 Field With Lights Per District" a global initiative which would benefit many more players and leagues? Call it Project ArchAngel Light...

~Dawg

No Joke I always said to myself I would if I won a large power ball buy property and build a large very nice field with lights and etc here in my town.

I'm figuring something around 4 million worth at least

So if you ever hear of some nut up here in New Hampster bulding a "field of dreams"  well that would prolly be me..

 

[LRZ]

The problem may have stemmed from your mask pads: did they match your ball bags? 

[maven]

2 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Was I too tight thinking 10U should pitch better?

Yes. My #1 note in umpire evals: call more strikes.

[ArchAngel72]

3 minutes ago, LRZ said:

The problem may have stemmed from your mask pads: did they match your ball bags? 

Nope black LUC pads on my black  FM4KMAg  and Double up on the Charcoal Grey Smittys Bags with the LL Light Blue shirt and a Navy Blue cap

Damn I got a pic of me during lineup introductions pointing at fans out in center telling them to move.  Whew I need to lose some weight BAD

 

[ArchAngel72]

1 minute ago, maven said:

Yes. My #1 note in umpire evals: call more strikes.

My thoughts on this past game there were 5 maybe 6 balls I called that could have been strikes in the regular season, But after some more thoughts on it the pitchers were just that bad. 

 

[LRZ]

10 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Nope black LUC pads on my black  FM4KMAg  and Double up on the Charcoal Grey Smittys Bags with the LL Light Blue shirt and a Navy Blue cap

Just as I suspected: the pitchers couldn't find the plate because they were blinded by the discordant color scheme!   (I jest, of course.)

[MadMax]

52 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Damn I got a pic of me during lineup introductions… Whew I need to lose some weight BAD

Pic? My friend, I gots video streams of me, and the one self-critique I have is I gotta lose 10-15 pounds (from the torso, for those that know me). It’s a set of dominos – increase / improve strength in torso and legs, lose weight, decrease stress and burden on hips (my left hip might have a torn labrum or partially torn flexor in it), increase mobility (back to where it used to be). I got a video of me missing a FPSR, and while I must not miss another one, I can’t help but be disappointed in myself at just how… out of sorts I am and appear on camera because my hip and legs just aren’t reacting the way they should be. 

The COVID panic… I mean, pandemic did me no favors, and this on-the-road show tour really puts a wrench in proper, regulated nutrition (kinda tough to turn down free or comp’ed food). I love and enjoy the tour, but this is the part that’s wearing me out. 

1 hour ago, ArchAngel72 said:

My thoughts on this past game there were 5 maybe 6 balls I called that could have been strikes in the regular season

At these age levels, one concept that is important to consider is when to call borderline, or close pitches, in the count. Instead of forcing an establishing pitch (new count, new batter) to meet “your zone”, call anything close in that establishing pitch, or the second one, to establish the zone for that batter. 

These aren’t professionals, or pro prospects; this isn’t a nationally televised game. And, unless they have a super-shrewd coach (who promotes driving up pitch counts), these kids want to swing, they want to get a hit. So, encourage and oblige them. If you establish a little up, or a little down, you’ll find batters swinging at similar pitches as the count goes on. And, at these levels too (especially some of these defenses), a ball put into play has just as good a chance of being a productive hit as it does in resulting in an out. 

None of the participants want a walk-fest. 

As far as in-out, watch as the batter sets up in the box and takes his inevitable air-swings. Note the path of the bat, and see just how much of the plate it covers. This can aid you in deciding on whether or not a “close one” is hittable.

[ArchAngel72]

On 7/22/2021 at 12:40 PM, MadMax said:

Pic? My friend, I gots video streams of me, and the one self-critique I have is I gotta lose 10-15 pounds (from the torso, for those that know me). It’s a set of dominos – increase / improve strength in torso and legs, lose weight, decrease stress and burden on hips (my left hip might have a torn labrum or partially torn flexor in it), increase mobility (back to where it used to be). I got a video of me missing a FPSR, and while I must not miss another one, I can’t help but be disappointed in myself at just how… out of sorts I am and appear on camera because my hip and legs just aren’t reacting the way they should be. 

The COVID panic… I mean, pandemic did me no favors, and this on-the-road show tour really puts a wrench in proper, regulated nutrition (kinda tough to turn down free or comp’ed food). I love and enjoy the tour, but this is the part that’s wearing me out. 

So here I am day before doing BU as part of a two man crew for 12U

yep that spare bike tire is now a spare harley tire 

never realize how bad it is till you see a photo

 

 

 

[LRZ]

There's a reason why I don't have a photo in my profile.

[agdz59]

3 hours ago, LRZ said:

There's a reason why I don't have a photo in my profile.

[834k3r]

@ArchAngel72, having worked a lot of 10 y.o. LL games lately, sounds like you were solid. Personally, I don't give anything inside because I believe it leads to more hit batters (one can argue that for 10 y.o. that doesn't matter).

What's most important is you're consistent.