Little League Baseball

God Bless those guys out there working with the kids playing ball. They could be home drinking beer, watching the boob tube, etc., but they're not. Good for them. But I have a few suggestions that might make the little league/youth baseball experience better.

First, I'd hold a coaching clinic for all of the coaches and their assistants. I'd first show them how to organize a practice--having infield and batting practice or scrimmages all of the time isn't how to run a practice. Drills, repetition with drills, within the context of game situations are needed. Coaches should be shown how to avoid kids just standing around watching. For instance, while a traditional infield practice is being held, breaking down into drills utilizing assistant coaches and, yes, taking dads out of the stands, can provide ten or more times the number of ground balls a kid will field. Hmmm...what will help a kid more from a practice, half a dozen ground balls or 20 or 30? And, with the individual drills, with dads, instruction can be provided on an individual basis--and without making the other kids stand and watch.

Second, I'd start the season later, two or three weeks later. It's too cold, too wet in early April for kids to be out there. Start at the end of April and move the season's start back a few weeks. Yes, that would entail going later, maybe to the 4th of July, but so what? Vacations? If parents know in advance, they can make plans for that. If there is a conflict, well, people can make choices. But the weather will be better. (I was talking with an old coach I worked with and we remembered, at the high school, having an infield practice in the gym, with three balls going at once! Imagine how many repetitions each fielder had then!)

Third, I'd hold a clinic about rules. Both umpires and coaches would have to attend. Far too many don't know the rules. Here are just two I've seen already butchered in the first two weeks of the season. A pitch that bounces in front of the plate is not a dead ball! A batter can be hit with it and get awarded first base. A batter can hit the ball, too, putting it into play. It is not a dead ball! If, as umpires and coaches alike, have held (OK, I did win out on my arguments both times so far this season--but I wasn't a lunatic about it.) the pitch that bounces in front of the plate should then negate stealing--how can a runner steal on a pitch that results in a dead ball before the runner can take his lead-off (lead-offs are OK only after the pitch passes the plate)? And, how can a batter strike out on a pitch that bounces before reaching the plate; that is, how can a batter strike out on a dead ball? Quite obviously, he can't. But, the ball isn't dead. A runner going to first base can't turn "the wrong way." There is no "wrong way." A runner doesn't have to turn to the right. He can turn to the left and, if he does, he can't be tagged out for turning "the wrong way." Only, repeat, Only if the runner makes a distinct move to go to second can he be tagged out. That's plain and simple, yet.... Coaches and umpires don't know those rules. One might say they are "technical," but they really aren't. But even more basic is the rule on an overthrow, again misinterpreted by coaches and umpires alike in one game. And, there are more, but....

Fourth, there should be no stealing, maybe not until 11-12 years old. I know I've beat this horse for more than 25 years, to no avail. The reasons for it are ridiculous. The reasons against it are, frankly, reasonable. (Ironically, the coach of our opponents the last game, had he agreed to no stealing before the game, would have won the game, but didn't and didn't!) "Stealing" or, rather, just taking, bases detracts from teaching about the game, how to play defense.

Fifth, a random picking of players should be done. This "draft" doesn't seem to work. Why are there, every single year, teams far superior to others? Players picked randomly wouldn't always result in teams that win (or lose) by 20 runs every game. If it's a "house league," how do 6 or 7 of the so-called "travel" players end up on the same team? I suppose one might argue, "Well, some of the coaches come prepared to the draft!" But isn't there something wrong with a grown man who is out scouting 8- and 9-year olds for his next year's team?????

No doubt, like everything else, my ideas are "lonely." Nobody will listen. Nobody will ask me questions about them. Everybody knows everything. They all watch ballgames on television. They all played little league or maybe even junior varsity ball. So, they all know baseball--or so they think. Bologna/Baloney!

That said, once again, I am really enjoying working with Bopper and his team. It's great fun!