The Little League Coach

An Amazing Turnabout

Today, when I felt the most frustrated, to the point that my friend and other coach asked “what is wrong w/ you, you seem more frustrated than normal”, our team decides they know what they are doing and started showing off how great they can be.

Not because we won the game, who cares about that, but because they went to positions they were supposed to on the field, ran under balls and actually caught a few, and threw strikes. Mind you, these are 8-10 YO boys, so any expectations are high, but they came through.

The best of all was one kid who didn’t have a hit all year. It has been frustrating because he has a fantastic swing, has been working hard w/ his dad, and there is no doubt if he begins connecting he will be a star hitter.

Today, he connected w/ a shot in the gap! A two RBI double! Sweetttt!! You should have seen the smile on his face! I am positive he is still smiling in his sleep to this moment! That’s not all though, he also caught a fly ball AND got a strike out.

All this from a kid who had never touched the field before this year, really had no baseball skills at all, but had a genuine desire to learn, had his head in every pitch all year long, and constantly searched for how he could do better, to the point of asking too much!!!…lol.

Just when I was ready to give up on this team and get frustrated, they pull something like this. The nightcap came on the last play of the game. The other team has the best player in the league on it, a larger boy who will definitely move up to majors in the spring. He was barreling home as a play was being made on him, my son, who had not had the greatest game of his life, was the catcher.

This boy had at least 25lbs, if not more, on my son, but he held his ground blocking the plate perfectly as the throw came in. The kid from the other team slide (properly) hard into the plate and the catcher. There was a very loud “thud” sound, as the two ran into each other. The sound was that of a large ball being slammed against a wall, the place went quiet and everyone was still.

Suddenly the runner realized he hadn’t made it to the base yet and the throw was slightly off-line so my son didn’t make the catch. The runner crawled around him and just touch the plate before my son could gather the ball and tag him. I didn’t care if there was an out recorded or not, the point is, the kid slide hard and perfect, the plate was blocked perfectly, and, believe it or not, apparently my son does listen to what I tell him.

In fact, it appears the whole team does! Do you have a story that makes you feel like it is all worth it? Please share it.

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General
baseball, Baseball field, Batted ball, catcher, List of baseball jargon, Pitcher, Sports, Strike zone
21 November 2008 comments [4] TrackBack-URI

Statistics Teach You Things You Would Never Guess About Your Team

Statistics are what you make of them. They are easy to debunk, but they can teach you a ton about your team. Every year, on every team, I have a “huh?” moment in regards to one or two players. “She can’t have that many hits”, “she walks that many batters a game?”. How often I have thought that.

Using statistics you can learn a lot about your team. I don’t mean every pitch dissected in great detail as they do in the majors, but basic, simple, easy to understand statistics. I have a few that I focus on. My favorites are:

1. Slugging %
2. Walks/Inning (or batters faced)

These are the most telling to me. I don’t know how many times someone will ask me “why is he batting 3rd? His swing is horrible and he never hits”. I pull out my stats and say, “he has the 2nd highest slugging % on the team, can you believe that?” This usually quiets the criticism, but so often I discover neat things about my teams this way.

Just when we think a player strikes out all the time, we can run an average of strikeouts/at bat and find out that, in fact, while they may not have a ton of hits, they rarely strike out. A player we think is a dominant pitcher may have a wild streak and walk a bunch of batters, stats will expose this.

More often than not though, the opposite holds true. It just “feels like she walks a bunch of batters” at times, but the stats will show that, in fact, she walks much less than the hard thrower who everyone is in love with. While the pitcher may often go deep in the count, that doesn’t mean she actually walks a lot of batters. That is told with the stats.

I recommend you set up an easy excel spreadsheet to track basic stats. If you need one, email me, I am happy to customize one for you. Stats are very telling, use them, but don’t fall in love with them. Just when you start believing all your stats, they will lie to you. This is the baseball Gods at work.

How do you use stats when preparing your lineup?

General
Base on balls, baseball, batting, Batting average, List of baseball jargon, Pitcher, Slugging percentage, statistics, Strikeout
8 November 2008 comment TrackBack-URI

Making a Line-Up

Making a line-up for a Little League game can be a nightmare on many levels. First of all, you probably have a kid on the team that you are either too hard on or playing where they don’t belong. Likewise, you are likely to have parents who think little Jimmy or Jenny are better than they really are and will accuse you of “daddy ball”. Therefore, utilizing a system of basic baseball/softball philosophy 101 I devised this generic line-up. Using this, I can simply plug in the proper player in their position in the line-up and nobody can argue with me.

1st – Batter with the best on-base %. This position needs to get on base EVERY time possible and create havoc. I heard a coach in the Little League World Series say that he put his best hitters top to bottom because over the course of the entire tournament they got more at-bats that way. I understand that philosophy, but I have to disagree with it. What good is having your best hitter #1 if nobody is on base? Hit the buy with the best OBP first, they will likely score every inning.

2nd – Batter with the least number of strike outs. In a close game you need to “get ‘em on, get ‘em over, and get ‘em in”. The #2 batter’s responsibility is to “get ‘em over” in a tight game, but regardless, with a good likelyhood the #1 batter is on base, you need the #2 to be able to put the ball in play. This batter should be able to bunt, hit-n-run, and hit behind the runner. They should be able to handle the bat in any situation but need not have a ton of power.

3rd – Your speed power guy. This is the first of the power hitters, but not the best power hitter. The best power hitter goes in the #4 spot, this batter is the 2nd best power hitter or the guy with the #2 slugging %. He should also be fairly fast and able to bunt, hit and run, or hit behind the batter if necessary.

4th – Top Slugging % guy. This is the most important spot in the line-up. It is likely there are two or more runners on base when this batter is up. They must be clutch, have power, and be able to routinely shoot the gaps.

5th – 3rd in slugging % on the team. This batter needs to be able to protect the #4 hitter if they think they can pitch around or walk him. He needs to make them pay for that. He should have a fair amount of power but need not be the most powerful hitter. Likewise, he doesn’t need as much speed as the #3 hitter.

From this point forward I digress from conventional baseball wisdom. My thinking here is to bunch the hitters from this point forward. I don’t really care about the power guy that strikes out a lot or the the 2nd leadoff hitter hitting #9. If my 7/8/9 batters go in order, that is only one inning and I am right back at the top where I will pick up a few more runs.

6th – Highest Average left on the bench
7th – Next highest average on the bench
8th – Next highest average on the bench
9th – Next highest average on the bench
(continue for continuous batting order)

Notice I have not even mentioned defense at this point. I like to use my best hitters to start with and adjust as the game goes on. The exception to this rule would be a starting pitcher that doesn’t hit well, but in Little League, you aren’t often faced with that situation. I always want to get a jump on the score and then try and protect the lead rather than have to play come back or catch up.

With the generous Little League substitution rules I can manipulate my defense or offense according to the game situation. Adding defense when ahead and stacking hitters when we need a few runs.

Using this system a player that gets better moves up in the line-up and players that are struggling begin to move down. This challenges the players struggling and rewards those working the hardest. Additionally, I know some coaches like to spread their hitters out over the line-up. This is dead wrong in my mind.

You want to stack your hits together and then hope that the weaker hitters can get on base one way or another. Even if the weaker ones don’t get on, they only cost you an inning. If you spread your talent out that only leads to runners left on base, stringing the hits together brings the runners home.

What system do you use to create a line-up? Do stats play into it?

General
Base Percentage, baseball, batting, Batting average, Batting order, List of baseball jargon, Little League World Series, Slugging percentage
7 November 2008 comments [4] TrackBack-URI

2009 Little League Rules and Regulation Changes

Finally after weeks of waiting the 2009 Little League Rules and Regulation Changes are in! One there is one doozy! Completely out of left field for me, and I thought I was in the know. The more I learn, the less I seem to know.

Baseball Rules Changes

Following is the document distributed by Little League tonight. The most drastic change is that a pitcher may now move to catcher if they pitch 40 pitches or less in a game. The old rule for 2008 was if a pitcher threw 1 pitch, they could not catch the rest of the day.

Also, there are two options, one of which the local board or the interleague commissioner must adopt, that define days of rest and/or games for a pitcher. They have given leagues the option to remove the mandatory 1 game rest but, if you select this option, an additional days rest is added to each pitch count level.

So a pitcher in 2008 that pitched 61 or more pitches in a day would have to have 3 days rest AND a game, instead, the local league or interleague commissioner could adopt option 2 which would allow for a pitcher to have to rest 4 days, but no mandatory game. Unless the game was Monday or Thursday, this would not change the rule really. Rain would change it, but that is about all. A league scheduling their games on TUE/SAT, for instance, would feel no effect from the change.

My personal opinion is go with option two. I am always for selecting good managers and empowering them to succeed. Option two gives the manager the most flexibility. What do you think? I am curious.

A second clarification, that had not been finalized yet, is that they made the Junior League maximum bat diameter 2 5/8″, just like Seniors. There was some question on this before, but now it is official.

The Stupid Insurance Rule of the Year: Coaches can’t wear casts on the field?????????? Sometimes you have to wonder about our society.

The rest of the rules are simple clarifications that most people already knew anyway. I am surprised to learn that defacing the ball only requires the pitcher to be removed from the mound and not the game. Cheating should result in ejection in my mind. Am I missing something here?

CHANGES/UPDATES TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL®
RULES AND REGULATIONS – 2009
(Last update: October 30, 2008)

Regulation IV (i) Note 3
What is changed: Text added for clarification.
NOTE 3: In Minor League, if a half-inning ends because of the imposition of the five-run limit in “Rule 2.00 – Inning,” and a player on the defense has played for the entire half-inning, that player will be considered to have participated for three consecutive outs for the purposes of this rule. However, if the player has not played on defense for the entire inning, that player will be credited only as having played for the number of outs that occurred while the player was used defensively.

Regulation VI – PITCHERS
What is changed: Increases the maximum number of pitches a pitcher could deliver, and then be permitted to become a catcher in that day; Provides a second option for required rest; Deleted (e.) and moved that text up so that it applies only to Option 1.
(a) Any player on a regular season team may pitch. (NOTE: There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game.)
(b) A pitcher once removed from the mound cannot return as a pitcher. Junior, Senior, and Big League Divisions only: A pitcher remaining in the game, but moving to a different position, can return as a pitcher anytime in the remainder of the game, but only once per game.
(c) The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:
League Age 17-18 105 pitches per day
13-16 95 pitches per day
11-12 85 pitches per day
9-10 75 pitches per day
7-8 50 pitches per day
Exception: Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed in Regulation VI (c) for his/her league age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning. Note 1: A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
Prior to the start of the regular season the local league Board of Directors (or leagues involved in interleague play) must choose one of the following pitching rule options to be used by all teams in the league or a specific division during the regular season. NOTE: The local league Board (or leagues involved in interleague play) may select option 1 or option 2 but may not pick parts of option 1 and option 2 to make a local league rule.
Option 1:
(d) Pitchers league age 16 and under must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest and a game (see note below) must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41 – 60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest and a game (see note below) must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21 – 40 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.
Pitchers league age 17-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest and a game (see note below) must be observed.
• If a player pitches 51 – 75 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest and a game (see note below) must be observed.
• If a player pitches 26 – 50 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.
NOTE: A player may not pitch in consecutive games. Exception – League Age 16 and under – A player may pitch in consecutive games if 40 or less pitches were delivered in the previous game. League Age 17-18 – A player may pitch in consecutive games if 50 or less pitches were delivered in the previous game.
Option 2:
(d) Pitchers league age 16 and under must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41 – 60 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21 – 40 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.
Pitchers league age 17-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 51 – 75 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 26 – 50 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.
(e) DELETED for 2009
(f) Each league must designate the scorekeeper or another game official as the official pitch count recorder.
(g) The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. However, the manager is responsible for knowing when his/her pitcher must be removed.
(h) The official pitch count recorder should inform the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has delivered his/her maximum limit of pitches for the game, as noted in Regulation VI (c). The umpire-in-chief will inform the pitcher’s manager that the pitcher must be removed in accordance with Regulation VI (c). However, the failure by the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in-chief to notify the manager, does not relieve the manager of his/her responsibility to remove a pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible.
(i) Violation of any section of this regulation can result in protest of the game in which it occurs. Protest shall be made in accordance with Playing Rule 4.19.
(j) A player who has attained the league age of twelve (12) is not eligible to pitch in the Minor League. (See Regulation V – Selection of Players)
(k) A player may not pitch in more than one game in a day. (Exception: In the Big League Division, a player may be used as a pitcher in up to two games in a day.)
NOTES:
1. The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after that pitcher is announced, or after a warm-up pitch is delivered, but before that player has pitched a ball to a batter, shall not be considered a violation. Little League officials are urged to take precautions to prevent protests. When a protest situation is imminent, the potential offender should be notified immediately.
2. Pitches delivered in games declared “Regulation Tie Games” or “Suspended Games” shall be charged against pitcher’s eligibility.
3. In suspended games resumed on another day, the pitchers of record at the time the game was halted may continue to pitch to the extent of their eligibility for that day, provided said pitcher has observed the required days of rest.
Example 1: A league age 12 pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes on the following Thursday. The pitcher is not eligible to pitch in the resumption of the game because he/she has not observed the required days of rest.
Example 2: A league age 12 pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes on Saturday. The pitcher is eligible to pitch up to 85 more pitches in the resumption of the game because he/she has observed the required days of rest.
Example 3: A league age 12 pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes two weeks later. The pitcher is eligible to pitch up to 85 more pitches in the resumption of the game, provided he/she is eligible based on his/her pitching record during the previous three days (or four days, if the league is using Option 2).
Note: The use of this regulation negates the concept of the “calendar week” with regard to pitching eligibility.

Rule 1.10
What is changed: Reduces the maximum diameter for a bat in the Junior League Baseball division from 2 3/4 inches to 2 5/8 inches. (Maximum diameter for bats in Senior League and Big League remains at 2 5/8 inches.)
1.10 – The bat must be a baseball bat which meets Little League specifications and standards as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or of material and color tested and proved acceptable to Little League standards.
Little League (Majors) and below: it shall not be more than thirty-three (33) inches in length nor more than two and one-quarter (2¼) inches in diameter. Non-wood bats shall be printed with a BPF (bat performance factor) of 1.15 or less;
Junior League: it shall not be more than 34 inches in length; nor more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30”) at its smallest part.
Senior/Big League: it shall not be more than 36 inches in length, nor more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30”) at its smallest part. The bat shall not weigh, numerically, more than three ounces less than the length of the bat (e.g., a 33-inch-Iong bat cannot weigh less than 30 ounces). All non-wood bats shall meet the BESR performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a permanent certification mark.
In all divisions, wood bats may be taped or fitted with a sleeve for a distance not exceeding sixteen (16) inches (18 inches for Junior/Senior/Big League baseball) from the small end. A non-wood bat must have a grip of cork, tape or composition material, and must extend a minimum of 10 inches from the small end. Slippery tape or similar material is prohibited. An illegal bat must be removed.
NOTE 1: Junior/Senior/Big League: The 2¾ inch in diameter bat is not allowed in any division.
NOTE 2: The traditional batting donut is not permissible
NOTE 3: The bat may carry the mark “Little League Tee Ball.”
NOTE 4: Non-wood bats may develop dents from time to time. Bats that cannot pass through the approved Little League bat ring for the appropriate division must be removed from play. The 2¼ inch bat ring must be used for bats in the Tee Ball, Minor League and Little League Baseball divisions. The 2 5/8 inch bat ring must be used for bats in the Junior, Senior and Big League divisions of baseball.

Rule 1.11 (k) Note
What is changed: Clarified to include managers and coaches.
(k) Casts may not be worn during the game. NOTE: Persons wearing casts, including managers and coaches, must remain in the dugout during the game.

Rule 3.02 Penalty
What is changed: Clarified to make it clear that the pitcher could remain in the game after the infraction, but at a different position.
PENALTY: The umpire shall demand the ball and remove the offender from the pitching position. In case the umpire cannot locate the offender, and if the pitcher delivers such discolored or damaged ball to the batter, the pitcher shall be removed from the pitching position at once.

Rule 3.03 Note (1)
What is changed: Added for clarification.
NOTE 1: A substitute may not be removed from the game prior to completion of his/her mandatory play requirements.

Rule 7.10 (d)
What is changed: Added for clarification.
EXCEPTION: If an otherwise proper appeal is being made by a player who has to go into foul territory to retrieve the ball in order to make an appeal or if the appeal is being made by the catcher (who may never have been in fair territory at all), the appeal will be adjudged to have been properly executed.

Retrieved 10/30/08 from http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/RR_Changes_BB_09_10-30-08.pdf

Tournament Baseball Rules Changes

Nothing substantial here other than pitchers being able to move to catcher as long as they have not pitched more than 40 pitches. No rest changes, they kept the game needed for competitive reasons. They really don’t want a team dominating with two pitchers as teams have done in the past. Again, you need 5 or 6 good pitchers to make it to the World Series, it’s all about the pitching!

CHANGES/UPDATES TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL®
TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – 2009
(Last update: October 30, 2008)

Teams
What is changed: Increases the maximum number of players on a Senior League or Big League affidavit.
Senior League: Teams and Eligibility Affidavit shall consist of, and must be limited to, a maximum of sixteen (16) players, one (1) manager and a maximum of two (2) coaches.
Big League: Tournament teams may be selected from all league teams in a district or may be a regular season unit team. Teams and Eligibility Affidavit shall consist of, and must be limited to, a maximum of seventeen (17) players, one (1) manager and a maximum of two (2) coaches.

Participation In Other Programs
What is changed: Removes the prohibition on participation in non-Little League programs for all divisions, but still provides the local league with the ability to remove a player who repeatedly misses games or practices.
Participation in other programs during the International Tournament is permitted, subject to the provisions of Regulation IV (a) Note 2.

League Eligibility
What is changed: Clarified to establish that the league must schedule at least on-half of the regular season games to be played not later than June 15; Establishes the last date by which certain forms and/or requests must be submitted.
In order for a Little League program to be eligible to enter a team or teams into the International Tournament (including 9-10 Year Old Division and 10-11 Year Old Division) the following must be accomplished as indicated:
1) The league must be chartered in the division(s) for which it wishes to enter a tournament team(s), no later than June 9, 2009. Examples: Chartered in Little League Majors to enter a Major Division team (11-12 year olds); chartered in Senior League to enter a Senior Division team, etc.
2) The league must have scheduled and played, at a minimum, a 12-game (per team) regular season exclusive of playoffs and tournament games for each division entering tournament. See Reg. VII. The schedule shall be arranged so that at least one-half of the games are scheduled prior to June 15.
3) All waivers requests (for the league, team, player, manager, and/or coach) of any kind must be submitted and approved not later than June 9, 2009.
4) All regular season team rosters must be submitted to Little League International in accordance with the requirements outlined in Regulation IV (g), not later than June 9, 2009;
5) Team number revisions and fees incurred by the league must be paid in full by June 9, 2009.
6) All combined team and interleague play requests that may involve tournament play must be submitted and approved not later than June 9, 2009.
Failure to meet any of the listed requirements could result in a team or teams being declared ineligible by the Tournament Committee at Little League International.

4. PITCHING RULES – LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL, 9-10 YEAR OLD, 10-11 YEAR OLD DIVISION, AND JUNIOR LEAGUE
What is changed: Increases the maximum number of pitches a pitcher could deliver, and then be allowed to become a catcher in that day; Removes the Senior League pitching rules from this section and places them with the Big League rule.
Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed above for his/her league age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning. Note: A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.

4. PITCHING RULES – SENIOR LEAGUE AND BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL
What is changed: Increased the maximum number of pitches a pitcher could deliver, and then become a catcher in that day; Added the Senior League pitching rules to this section.
These rules replace the regular season pitching regulations. Violation of these pitching rules is subject to protest and action by the Tournament Committee in Williamsport if protested before the umpire(s) leave the playing field.
a. Any player on a tournament team may pitch. (NOTE: There is no limit to the number of pitchers a tournament team may use in a game.)
b. A tournament pitcher may not pitch in regular season or Special Games while the team is still participating in the tournament.
c. A pitcher remaining in the game, but moving to a different position, can return as a pitcher anytime in the remainder of the game, but only once per game.
d. The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:
League Age: 16 – 18 (Big League) 105 pitches per day
14 – 16 (Senior League) 95 pitches per day
Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed above for his/her league age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning. Note: A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
e. Pitchers league age 14 and above must adhere to the following requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest, and a game (see f. below), must be observed.
• If a player pitches 36 to 60 pitches in a day, one calendar day of rest, and a game (see f. below), must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1 to 35 pitches in a day, no rest is required.
f. A player may not pitch in consecutive games. Exceptions – A player may pitch in consecutive games if:
1. less than 36 pitches were pitched in the previous game, or,
2. the previous game was at another level, and the pitcher has received the required number of days of rest as noted in (e.) above. (Levels are District, Section, State, Division, Region, and World Series.)Note: A contest decided by forfeit does not constitute a “game” for the purpose of this rule unless one complete inning was physically played before the game was forfeited. (Forfeits are only by decree of the Tournament Committee in Williamsport.)
g. A player may not pitch in more than two games in a day.
h. In a game suspended by darkness, weather, or other causes and resumed the following calendar day, the pitcher of record at the time the game was halted may continue to the extent of his/her eligibility, provided he/she delivered 60 or less pitches, and subject to each of these conditions:
1. If the pitcher delivered 35 or less pitches before the game was suspended, that pitcher’s pitch count will begin at zero for the continuation portion of the game;
2. If the pitcher delivered between 36 and 60 pitches before the game was suspended, that pitcher’s pitch count will begin with the number of pitches delivered in that game;

Retrieved 10/30/08 from http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/Tourn_RuleChanges_BB_09_10-30-08.pdf

Softball Rules Changes

Nothing at all substantial here other than managers can’t wear casts on the field?????? I am really struggling with this stupid rule. It’s the stupid rules that cause all the fights in Little League.

CHANGES/UPDATES TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL®
RULES AND REGULATIONS – 2009
(Last update: October 30, 2008)

Rule 1.15
What is changed: Adds “optic yellow” to prohibited solid colors.
(a) The pitcher’s glove shall be of one solid color other than white, gray, or optic yellow, or if multi-colored, white, gray or optic yellow shall not be included in the colors. A glove that is judged to be distracting is illegal.

Rule 3.02
What is changed: Clarified to make it clear that the pitcher could remain in the game after the infraction, but at a different position.
PENALTY: The umpire shall demand the ball and remove the offender from the pitching position. In case the umpire cannot locate the offender, and if the pitcher delivers such discolored or damaged ball to the batter, the pitcher shall be removed from the pitching position at once.

Rule 3.03
What is changed: Added for clarification.
NOTE 1: A substitute may not be removed from the game prior to completion of his/her mandatory play requirements.

Retrieved 10/30/08 from http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/RR_Changes_SB_09_10-30-08.pdf

Softball Tournament Rules Changes

They have relaxed the pitching requirements slightly stating that a pitcher that pitches less than three innings need not have a day’s rest, but it was two before. They have not removed the game requirement though so this doesn’t really change much.

They are allowing 9/10 division pitcher to pitch 7 innings in one day. We lost a game like this that went into extra innings and we ran out of pitchers. Had our starter been able to pitch one more inning, who knows, we may have been able to win, maybe not, but you never know. We lost by 7 runs because our sub couldn’t pitch any strikes. We knew this, but what could we do? You only have 2 weeks to practice your tournament team.

CHANGES/UPDATES TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL®
TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – 2009
(Last update: October 30, 2008)

Participation in Other Programs
What is changed: Removes the prohibition on participation in non-Little League programs for all divisions, but still provides the local league with the ability to remove a player who repeatedly misses games or practices.
Participation in other programs during the International Tournament is permitted, subject to the provisions of Regulation IV (a) Note 2.

Tournament Playing Rules
What is changed: Increases the circumference of the softball to be used in the 10-11 Year Old Division from 11 inches to 12 inches.
1. SOFTBALLS: Softballs meeting Little League specifications for a 12-inch softball shall be used in 10-11 Little League, Junior League, Senior League, and Big League play. The 11-inch softball shall be used in the 9-10 division.
4. PITCHING RULES – LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL, 9-10 YEAR OLD SOFTBALL, AND 10-11 YEAR OLD DIVISION
What is changed: Establishes the maximum number of innings a player could pitch in a day; Allows for consecutive days of pitching if two or less innings are pitched in a day; .
f. A player may not pitch in more than nine (9) innings in a day. 9-10 & 10-11 Year Old Division players may not pitch in more than seven (7) innings in a day.
g. If a player pitches in less than three (3) innings in a calendar day, no rest is required.
h. If a player pitches in three (3) or more innings in a calendar day, one day’s rest is required. This also applies between regular season games following Tournament elimination or Special Games following the Tournament.
EXAMPLE (1): A player may pitch on Saturday in regular season play then, after one (1) calendar day’s rest, pitch again in the next level of tournament play on Monday.
EXAMPLE (2): A player may pitch on Saturday in the final district game then, after one (1) calendar day’s rest, pitch again in the next level of tournament play on Monday.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1) A player may pitch on consecutive calendar days if less than three (3) innings were pitched in the previous calendar day.
(2) In a game suspended by darkness, weather or other causes and resumed the following calendar day, the pitchers of record at the time the game was halted may continue to pitch to the extent of the remaining eligibility that pitcher would have had during the previous day. However, in no event shall any pitcher pitch more than nine (9) innings (seven [7] innings – 9/10 and 10/11) in any game

Retrieved 10/30/08 from http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/Tourn_RuleChanges_SB_09_10-30-08.pdf

Very exciting stuff from Little League. What do think about the new rules changes? Please chime in, let’s get some debate going here!

General
2009 rule changes, baseball, Baseball field, Board of Directors, List of baseball jargon, little league, Little League Baseball, Minor league baseball, Pitcher
30 October 2008 comments [4] TrackBack-URI

Another Fine Saturday at the Park

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Every Saturday my day begins at 10AM w/ my minor baseball team, proceeds to 2PM with my major softball team, and ends with a senior softball game at 5PM. All three of the teams are young and all needed major work. Finally, we are starting to see the improvement in all of them and it is substantial.

It was uplifting when I asked our minor baseball team after they hit very well, pitched very well, and fielded very well what they learned. It was like hearing myself recited back to myself. They said they learned focus, creeping, swinging, being aggressive, head in the game, it went on and on and on, it was very impressive. I guess they do listen after all, though at times you wonder.

I ended it by introducing a new word to them. A big one for 8-11 year olds. The word? Execution. I told them they obviously know what to do because they just finished telling me everything they were supposed to do, therefore, the word for the rest of the season is execution. They needed to execute the plan the rest of the season.

My major girls are struggling a bit. But not because they are not talented, because we have struggled to throw strikes. That is pretty typical for this age group in the fall, but it has been a little more frustrating this year for some reason. We play a number of teams that I feel we are better than but we don’t win because we don’t throw strikes. When we do throw strikes, we tend to win.

Amazingly, when I got home tonight my wife was telling me how much fun today was because all the teams performed well. She said it was a different game when we threw strikes. She said, and get this, “It’s all about the pitching”….lol. She must listen too! My mantras are starting to permeate my life, this is pretty cool stuff. I have said this a thousand times before, but as coaches and leaders, we really need to watch what we say, because people listen.

Anyway, today our major softball team threw strikes and hit the ball. And though we lost, it was a fun game.

Finally, our senior softball game. We played against a bunch of big girls all much older than us. That was one of the funnest games I have been involved in in a long time. We bunted, swung, stole and kept pressure on their defense. It was awesome. They did the same to us but we made the plays for a change. It was really a lot of fun playing “softball” the right way. A total blast.

Anyway, it is 11:30 right now and I still have a smile on my face. Not because we won, but because I am so proud of every one of our teams today. The score is irrelevant. Our fall objective was to improve every player’s skills and prepare them for the spring. This plan appears to be on course.

What is the best day you ever had on a ball field? What made it special?

Little League Umpires and the Circle Violation

General
baseball, Baseball field, List of baseball jargon, Major League Baseball, Pitcher, softball, Sports, Strike zone
18 October 2008 comment TrackBack-URI

Intentional Walks

Why do all Little League parents and some coaches have so much trouble with the intentional walk? They usually start yelling things like “unsportsmanlike”, “all you want to do is win”, etc. It confuses me greatly. Would they say the same thing about the bunt? The intentional walk is a strategy employed by the coach just as bunting, stealing, hit and run, are employed. So why the hubbub?

A lot of Little League teams have that one stud. The kid that is 10 times better than anyone else on the team. He bats about .750 and hits home runs regularly. The odds are, he is going to hit the ball. Everyone worth their salt knows that in baseball you don’t let the other team’s best player beat you. No way, no how. So, if the situation arises, you have to walk them.

Lets take a situation I had the other night. The team we were playing has a stud that crushes the ball. We were tied in the bottom of the last inning with two outs and they had the winning run on 2nd. A single scores the kid from second, and the batter’s run really means nothing. He has at least a 75% chance of hitting a single. Why would any coach put his team in the position of having a 3-in-4 chance they are going to lose the game?

Here is what happens if you walk the kid:

1. You reduce the chances that the ball will be hit because the next kid has only a .400 average if that. So a 40% chance of a hit.
2. You create a force situation at every base except home.
3. You can back your infielders up and even if the ball is hit, it will only result in an infield single at most and the runs won’t score. You will only have bases loaded and now a force at every base including home.

If you don’t walk him, you have a 75% hitter up there w/ your infield having to play mid-level so they can make the throw to first in time, their only play for the most part, and if they throw it away the run is likely to score. Pitching to this batter makes absolutely no sense under any circumstances.

So, back to my original question, why do the parents lose their mind? Because, again, they are reacting to the situation with a very limited knowledge of the situation. They are passing judgment without fully educating themselves. In this situation, there is usually the educated dad or coach in the stands speaking loudly saying something like “smart move” or “he has to do it” to try and quell the protesters. But for the most part, intentional walks in Little League are met with disdain.

Do you intentionally walk batters in Little League? If so, under what circumstances?

General
Base on balls, baseball, Baseball field, Batting average, intentional walks, List of baseball jargon, little league, Little League Baseball, Sport
17 October 2008 comments [2] TrackBack-URI

Little League Umpires and the Circle Violation

One of the most frustrating and contentious points in Little League Softball is the calling of the circle violation. This is not an issue in travel ball where they have paid softball umpires, but in Little League most umpires are volunteer dads and don’t really understand the rule, much less call it. This causes much dismay from coaches, parents, and confuses the kids. Most coaches are baseball transplants as well, I was one of them myself, so I understand the problem, we just need a mass education program for all umpires that are moving over to softball.

The basis of the rule is that softball doesn’t want a bunch of jockeying around like you see in the minor leagues of baseball. In our league, we have actually implemented the softball rule in the minor leagues to eliminate this. While we don’t penalize w/ an out as they do in softball, we do require that the batter either return immediately to the base they occupied or proceed to the next base once the ball is on the dirt part of the pitching mound and in possession of the pitcher. If they don’t, the umpire simply sends them back to the bases they occupied when the pitcher entered the dirt area.

The rule in softball is pretty simple. Once the ball enters the circle the runner must proceed immediately to the next base or return to the base they last occupied. They cannot flinch, they cannot stop, they cannot trip, they cannot stutter, they can’t fake one way and go the next, they can’t do anything at all but proceed to the next base or go back to the one they came from.

Here are the scenarios I see most often:

1. A player walks to first. The defense correctly and immediately gets the ball in the circle. The girl runs to first base, rounds it towards second after the ball is in the circle and goes back to first. This is an out.
2. A player walks with a runner on third. Stops on first or just off of it, then a coach yells for her to go to second and she takes off for second. She is out. She can proceed to 2nd no problem if she does not break stride, but any buckle in her motion is an out.
3. A player leaves early when stealing. She is out. In majors and minors she can’t leave until the ball reaches the plate, in juniors up she can leave when the ball leaves the pitchers hand.
4. A girl drills a double, the throw comes in to the pitcher. The batter-runner rounds second after the pitcher has the ball in the circle, stops, and goes back to 2nd. She is out.

If the pitcher is making a play on any runner, the circle violation is nullified. The pitcher holding the arm in the air is considered making a play.

It really is that simple, why people have so much trouble with it in my opinion is the severity of the violation. It is an out! When you only have 18 of them, 1 out is more than 5%, unsure umpires don’t really want to inject themselves into the game so much. I understand this, but failing to teach the girls the violation only hurts them in the future. You only have to call this on a girl once for it to be effective. She will never violate it again.

This is why I say it should be called in the minor leagues. If they could learn the rule there, it would eliminate a lot of the problems that occur in the majors because they wouldn’t violate the rule. Either way, we need to start enforcing the rule across the board and around the world. This would eliminate a lot of problems that arise during a softball game. First we must teach our umpires the rule, then enforce it.

Do you know of any other common situations where the circle violation comes into play?

General
baseball, Baseball field, circle violation, General, List of baseball jargon, little league, Little League Baseball, little league softball, Pitcher, softball
15 October 2008 comment [1] TrackBack-URI

Make Them Better

Tonight I had dilemma. We have a travel pitcher that can dominate a game but we were playing against the other team in our division and it is fall ball. I don’t want to be accused of wanting to win at all costs, but I want to get her work and the team as well. Do I pitch her the whole game? Do I pitch her a few innings and bring someone else in? What to do, what to do.

Then I had an epiphany (Like that word E. Peevie?). What is the objective of the fall season for Little League? To make every player better of course! Would I be doing the other team any justice if I pitched a slower pitcher and let them hit the ball all over the place? Of course not! Why not challenge them, let them face the best, and succeed! A few of them got hits, they had huge smiles and provided inspiration for the others.

This division goes straight to the state tournament in the spring all-star season. They will face this level of pitching the entire tournament. Why not get as many players accustomed to it as soon as possible? That was my thinking. I think it was right looking back on it.

By the end of the game all the girls, (whom I love as much as I do my own team I might add) had sped up their bats up and were making contact. Additionally, my catcher was able to gain valuable experience with a pitcher that can “bring it”. The score of the game? Who cares! It’s fall ball! Everyone on the field improved, that’s all that matters! The girls on the other team probably improved more than we did as well. And isn’t that the point?

What do you do when you have a stud pitcher in a game that does not matter? Do you pitch her to get the work or do you give your other pitchers some work?

General
baseball, General, List of baseball jargon, little league, Little League Baseball, little league softball, Little League World Series, Pitcher, softball, Sport, Travel Ball
6 October 2008 comments [2] TrackBack-URI

Tired of the “Somebody is Going to Get Hurt” Excuse

Please allow me to preface this with, I in no way shape or form want to put kids in harm’s way. That said, I tired of people playing the “I don’t want anyone to get hurt” card when they know they are going to get their clocks cleaned by a more powerful team.

There are two ways to structure your program in the fall. You can use 2008 ages, or 2009 ages. Most programs around the world use the 2009 ages for the 2008 fall season. The reason for this is the fall is an instruction year where we are training kids to move up to the next level in the spring. Why any league would not do this is beyond me, but some do.

The problem this creates is that a team of kids moving up sometimes has to compete against a group of kids that stayed down. This happens in all leagues, not just Little League. I know of a travel program that keeps their kids down in the fall so they can win???? Why???? I guess the parent’s egos need to be stroked, I am open for anyone to provide a legitimate explanation for this, but I have no idea why a bunch of 10 year olds would want to go beat up on 9 year olds, or 12 year olds beat up on rising 11 year olds. Again, make an argument, I will listen.

My teams always lose in the fall. This is by design. Today we played a team that pitched their starting pitcher the whole game, played every girl in the same position all game long, and beat us on the last play of the bottom of the 6th inning. This while we developed three pitchers, had girls learning new positions and gaining an understanding of the game, and hit their star pitcher very well. Think we won’t easily take them in the spring? Maybe not, but I would not bet against us, we have been in our district championship game two years in a row.

But what really irks me the most is coaches and managers that play the “Somebody is going to get hurt” card because they don’t want to get 10 run ruled. Why do they do this? Why don’t they take this as a learning opportunity and say hey, look over there, they are 3 years older than us, but who knows, any team can beat any team at any time. After getting crushed, point out the good things the team did and point across the field. Tell them, that is something to strive for, in fact, if you tell them if they work hard they will actually be better than them in three years.

What to we teach kids by complaining and refusing to show up and play? We teach them to complain and blame others for their circumstances. If we teach them to accept what is, deal with it as best as they can, and then put forth their best effort, then emphasize that they are winners for doing this regardless of the score, then we have succeeded. Nobody’s going to get hurt.

Kids rarely have bad injuries in baseball. The Little League report I referenced in this article about injuries in Little League supports my position. Go out, take your beating, and move on. Don’t put kids that can’t catch in the infield for that game just as you wouldn’t put them at first base in a regular game. Especially from 90′, they have plenty of time to react.

How do you deal with teams when you know you are over matched? How do you motivate your kids? How do you keep them focused?

General
baseball, Baseball field, injury, List of baseball jargon, little league, Little League Baseball, Pitcher, Sport
5 October 2008 comment [1] TrackBack-URI

Must Wear a Cup

One of the most overlooked rules in the rulebook is that every male player SHALL wear a cup. The shall means this is not an option! Why would you want to send your male players out there w/o a cup? Don’t you want grandchildren?

When I was playing on my over 30 team I used to occasionally forget my cup for practice. Not having it made me tentative when approaching ground balls from first base. When I had my cup, I was fearless. This is the mentality we want to program into the kids heads so they want to wear a cup. They should get used to playing w/ it at all times.

Today they have really cool slider pants that hold the cup. You don’t need the old school jock strap, though there is nothing wrong w/ that. The sliders serve a dual purpose, no strawberries, and a cup! Beautiful!

All coaches must demand that their players where cups and their parents must enforce it. (Hard for the coach to enforce w/o getting arrested!) I advise against that….lol.

I remember in a Pony League scrimmage game we played against the hardest thrower in the league. A player on our team squared to bunt old school style where you square all the way around. He was fully exposed, he took a direct hit, he did not have a cup on. Sounds funny, but he was on the ground convulsing and needed a blanket to keep from going in to shock and an ambulance to carry him off the field.

Think you don’t need a cup? Anyone have any good cup stories?

General
Baseball field, bunt, coach, Jockstrap, Ken Griffey Jr, List of baseball jargon, Little League Baseball
28 September 2008 comments [2] TrackBack-URI

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