Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Let The Games Begin

Got an email from the head of Andrew's "baseball" league letting us know "games" start this week.
As a reminder of our league rules for this level, no scores will be kept and all players will bat each inning, regardless of the number of outs made by the fielders. All players will play in the field. Coaches will pitch to batters, up to 5 or 6 pitches, with the hope that each child will be able to put the ball into play. There will be no walks and no strikeouts. If the batter is unable to hit the pitched balls, the player will hit off of a batting tee for that at bat. Games will last an hour, regardless of the number of innings played.

Safety is a priority, and there will be no on deck swinging of bats during a teammate's at bat. All players not on base or at bat should be in the dugout until it is their turn to come to the plate to hit. Please, no climbing of the fences. Coaches, please make sure that you have your safety kits and medical release forms with you at all practices and games, and report any injuries to me.

Why don't we just wrap them in protective bubble wrap and let them lay down in the outfield for an hour? That way nobody gets hurt and nobody goes home a loser, you know, just like in real life.

13 comments:

Dan Sytman said...

Andrew - We're going to talk about this on the air at 6am today. I don't have your contact info. Please call me at 800-465-8770. I'm sorry to contact you in this manner.

Dan Sytman
770 KTTH

Anonymous said...

This type of upbringing creates citizens who will sit there while they come in to haul them to the firing squads.

Anonymous said...

More students who will stand in line, cover their faces while the gunman reloads.

To react with Violence to the threat would be inappropriate.

Unknown said...

What is the age level? What type of league?

For little ones I think batting through the whole lineup is OK at lower levels.

But I like to see outs made by the defense count (not strikeouts).

As far as keeping score goes, the kids will keep score regardless. So scorekeeping is and recording wins and losses should be allowed.

HolmWrecker said...

Sad beyond words.
It's all part of the wussification of our young men.
As someone mentioned...easier to lead them to slaughter when the time comes.
If this involved my child, I'd be demanding a changing of the rules back to what they should be or yank my kid out and put together a real game ourselves.
The idiots do this stuff because we allow them to. Please stop the ignorance. A society where no one wins or loses is not one I want to be involved in.

Anonymous said...

I will gather this is first year baseball or tee-ball. This is an excellent way to introduce the young boys (and girls, probably) to the sport. They'll concentrate on basics, the essentials, not winning or trying to score. That will come later. And who wants to *keep* score in games like this even if they were playing for real? Boring. Most times we tell the kids "You were great." and that's all that metters. At the end of most seasons, no one remembers any score of any game. It's only when you get to high school that it truly begins to count. No one should be on a high horse over this. Signed, A dad who has been there and didn't like what he saw of himself. (But still likes the controversy.)

Anonymous said...

Treating kids like this doesn't help them. All these good intentions are mis-guided attempts to insulate kids from disappointment, sadness, hurt feelings, etc. All the things that are important to deal with as adults.

If kids can't learn some life lessons playing a game then what? Are they to remain children all their lives? Or maybe Dora and Diego will teach them everything they need to know.

Anonymous said...

Wait, I'm confused. Are we talking about the new Highschool rules?

Anonymous said...

I have to disagree with the person who said "It's only when you get to high school that it truly begins to count."

It matters a lot to kids at a very young age who wins and loses. And this isn't a bad thing. Trying to fight human nature and erase the drive to compete from kids is wrong and, in the end, hopeless.

I still remember losing and winning when I was playing little league sports (age 6 to 13 or so). It sucked going winless one season and it was great going undefeated another. I learned a lot from losing and it made me a better competitor and person. More gracious in defeat, more appreciative of winning. It's never too young to learn these things.

Rob Kremer said...

These were pretty much the rules when my son was 5 -7 years old. Any kid that age who can catch a ball thrown to him will be bored stiff.

The problem is at that age there are so few kids who CAN catch and throw that you'd have to form some kind of select team to get them on one team - and who wants to do that at that age?

My son plays high school ball now. We were really happy when he got to the 8 year old level where something resembling baseball was played.

You will probably be fighting against the attitude that is behind those rules all the way through little league.

The good thing is that competitive baseball almost celebrates its political incorrectness. The "everybody must win prizes" mentality is pretty rare.

"Best player plays" is my son's HS coaches standard. Seniors sit if they aren't as good as the sophomores. Hurt feelings? Talk to you mommy.

Better yet, have mommy talk to the coach and he will hurt hers too.

Anonymous said...

I am located in Sammamish. We were told this year we are the largest single Little League organization in the state (100 teams, >1200 players).
My son is now in 5th grade, in the Coast little league level. This is the second level of kid pitch, and his 3rd year at kid pitch.
Before that, it was coach pitch, with the coach of the same team pitching to his own kids.
Before that it was T-ball.

At the Tball and coach pitch levels, the kids eye-hand coordination just isn't there yet. We try hard to put easy pitches out there so they can hit something. Believe me, us coaches aren't exactly Felix Hernandez, and it can be tough sometimes getting them a pitch they can hit. Scores at this level (kindergarten and 1st grade)are not kept, although the kids always seem to know who is leading the game (imagine that!)

We keep score at the Pioneer level (first year of modified kid pitch, when it is ball 4 the coach of the batter comes out and the kid has 4 pitches to get the ball in play, or he is called out.)

At Coast level (my son is 10) we are very close to regular baseball, except limited stealing (can't go until the ball crosses over the plate)
And yes, we KEEP SCORE! Have been since the 3rd grade level.
We also have to track how many pitches each pitcher throws (pain in the butt, but I agree with it) because the arms can get sore if they overthrow.
The limit is 40 pitches per day, or 75 pitches over a 3 calandar day period.
But we KEEP SCORE!

Bos'un said...

I took the liberty to post your blog at Hannity Forum. You may want to visit to see how it was received by various liberals and conservatives, and kooks. This is a very good blog and I will be back.

http://www.hannity.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8705768#post8705768

Anonymous said...

No one is being dragged to the firing squad. I used to think the same things until I started coaching. In our league we do not keep score (the kids do) but the defense does get to make outs. We play six up or 3 outs whatever is first. We are talking 5, and 6 year olds. If you were depending on outs to end an inning you would be there a long long time. This level is about teaching the kids, and building them up. Many leagues let every kid hit every inning (two inning games) and run only station to station with the last batter clearing the bases. It is very booring to many of the kids. Perhaps we are starting to soon. But I also see how the kid's skills grow through the season, they are proud when they catch their first pop fly, or record an out at first. It's ok to indulge them now, soon enough most will not want to play and some will be cut from teams they want to play on. Real life comes around to soon anyway for these little guys. And you should have the chance to go up to the kid standing at home plate and ask them "I really need you to hit me a home run, can you do that?" Some are scared, but when they cross the plate and give me a high five they are laughing and smiling. They think they hit a home run. They don't know, and when they are old enough to know the differance and remember it won't matter. Leave them alone! Wait until they are eight then crush'em.