Little League Baseball: moron fathers living through their sons.....

[Homerboy]

Making a mockery of the sport? Really? It's illegal to do at U10 (under 10). At U12, little league has decided it's time for the kids to start learning how to stop people from doing this - because it's 100% legal from then on at every level. The reason you don't see it at the Pro-Level is because they've learned how to effectively defend it and actively practice rundown drills, specifically to STOP this from happening! If you could do it every time in college or major league ball, you'd be a legend (and rich).

So how is it making a mockery of the sport? It's legal, and the point is to score runs, right? If the other team can't stop him then I guess he's contributing to his team winning isn't he? He's not mocking the other competitors, he's challenging them to stop him. It IS a competition. They do keep score. The goal is to win. If it wasn't a part of the game, they'd have a rule to prevent it.

Might as well call tennis players who do a drop-shot at the net a 'mockery'. But I've never seen them turn down a point either.

Totally agree. Learn to beat it. One year the team my son played on had EXCELLENT base runners up and down the lineup - this was U13 or U14 I think. They took advantage every time they got on base with delayed steals, taking extra bases on walks, getting into run downs on purpose so the teammate ahead of them on base could go home. EVERYTHING was within the rules of the game. They were prepared and coached well to take advantage of their strengths. The other team was not prepared and had to adapt or lose. Some times figured it out and stopped it quickly. Other teams (and their fans) just started bitching and whining and doing nothing to actually get better.

Edit: Wait - they did cheat once but it was "meaningless" and in a blow out game and it involved my son (I dunno if that's good or bad). Basically, the coach showed me how to get home from 2nd on a bunt and it worked like a charm.

Son was on 2nd base with 1 out.
Batter squared up to bunt and son went on the pitch. As the bunt was laid down to 1st base, all eyes, including the 2 umpires (home plate and field ump) had eyes on the ball, the pitcher, 1st baseman, catcher and batter and everyone in the stands.
As my son approached 3rd base, he simply cut the corner and never touched the bag. Didn't come withing 10ft of it.
By the time the ball was thrown to 1st base, he was already stepping on home plate - safe by a mile.
Nobody said a word.

Obviously THAT was dirty as hell. But at the same time it was pretty funny I have to admit.

 

[eng2d2]

are they li

I coach kids including mine in travel hockey and it has nothing to do with reliving one's own glory days. When one yells, it's just the feeling that you know better than the kids who won't speak up for themselves and it just gets out of control. I'm always cognizant of what I look like in front of parents so I'm always under control, but some parents really do let loose. The worst part is the kids are incredibly embarrassed and it's all supposed to be about them enjoying their time with their friends out there.

As for the incident in the OP, that kid running the bases is making a mockery of the sport and his coaches should learn & teach integrity. Unless you're in the 1% with a 100% chance of going to the pros, youth sports is about life lessons and memories with friends. But instead parents these days have been paying a ton of money for training and clinics to coaches/organizations who see kids as $ signs and so you have more occurrences from invested parents. Thankfully, shaming videos and stories keep a lot of it at bay.

more like dad think their kids are the best. Looking through a coke bottle.

 

[Iron Woode]

Obviously, the op has never experienced a bunch of soccer moms.

I have. Oh, yeah!

giggity!

 

[rh71]

Making a mockery of the sport? Really? It's illegal to do at U10 (under 10). At U12, little league has decided it's time for the kids to start learning how to stop people from doing this - because it's 100% legal from then on at every level. The reason you don't see it at the Pro-Level is because they've learned how to effectively defend it and actively practice rundown drills, specifically to STOP this from happening! If you could do it every time in college or major league ball, you'd be a legend (and rich).

So how is it making a mockery of the sport? It's legal, and the point is to score runs, right? If the other team can't stop him then I guess he's contributing to his team winning isn't he? He's not mocking the other competitors, he's challenging them to stop him. It IS a competition. They do keep score. The goal is to win. If it wasn't a part of the game, they'd have a rule to prevent it.

Might as well call tennis players who do a drop-shot at the net a 'mockery'. But I've never seen them turn down a point either.

And here I thought baseball was about hitting the ball and earning your bases. Stealing a base is also earned through strategy (likelihood of pitch type based on count, etc.) and effort (good jump, good speed) as opposed to something like described in the OP to get runs. Who really wants to see that, or win that way? I guess I just don't understand the sport if winning by exploiting one aspect of advancing runners over and over is fun/exciting. I never argued legality - that's not what mockery means. May as well call it running bases and take the hitting component out.

I understand baseball is a very technical and precise sport, but if you can't see how a team who can't defend a play like that would get upset when the team doing it repeatedly uses it to score/win, then I'll just have to point to the word integrity again. Coaches should be better than that. One example in hockey - any coach who teaches their young goalies to knock the net off the moorings when in trouble (not illegal) are no different than the coaches described in the OP.

are they li
more like dad think their kids are the best. Looking through a coke bottle.

I think it's easy to say that about anyone who speaks up but it's hardly true in many cases. Many speak up because they are frustrated enough to do so (like tonight when someone got checked in the head with no call). You have crazies, but they are the minority when speaking up.

Yeah - memories with friends of winning

Kids live in the moment. They lose and will forget about it 10 minutes later and ask what their friends on the team are doing after the game. Winning is great because of the high, but that doesn't last either. They'll use it for bragging rights down the road, but winning/losing is not what they remember the most a decade later - it's simply that they did it with Larry, Moe, and Curly. Topic du jour in the locker rooms these days - Fortnite. Johnny is the best in the whole locker room at it... And what the hell is on Joey's head?!

 

[Stopsignhank]

I agree with you all, my brother in law is an idiot. He also is one of those not smart people who thinks he knows everything. What his son is hearing is, "you don't have to do well at school. Just concentrate on baseball." He tells us how his son is the best one on the team. We have seen him play a couple of times and he just seems average to me. However they tell us that we must make him nervous because he is not doing well that day. Well if we make him nervous wait until he is playing in front of more than a dozen people.

The last time we saw my nephew play my BIL was saying that he looks nervous and has to calm down. Then he goes up to hit and my BIL had something to say to him between each pitch, "Look for your pitch", "Don't swing at a bad pitch", ""Look for something low". Yeah, that is a good way to calm down your son.

 

[pcgeek11]

WHAT is wrong with these people? I spoke with the ump who actually is a friend of mine and he blew it off. And I quote "it's little league man. That's normal and tame." Since when? Since when did this so-called sport where kids play and don't really keep score become a venue for insecure useless manlets to scream at others?

Since when do they not keep score in baseball?

That isn't baseball.

 

[sactoking]

The team I coach doesn't keep score.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The team I coach doesn't keep score.

You might as well play Tee Ball.

 

[sactoking]

It's single a from a pitching wheel.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The people and teams supporting/requiring the truly obscene costs for equipment and participation have forgotten the purpose of sports. If a kid can't show up in jeans and tee shirt and play, you're doing it wrong.

 

[eng2d2]

I think it's easy to say that about anyone who speaks up but it's hardly true in many cases. Many speak up because they are frustrated enough to do so (like tonight when someone got checked in the head with no call). You have crazies, but they are the minority when speaking up.

I agree with your early post and understand this post as well.

There are a lot of variables when it comes to Leagues as the dynamic is very fluid. I have been around it long enough to know how the wind blow.

Lets put this competitiveness to a test. Will test this 2 ways.

First test. If your team is not 1st in the league build it to close to 1st you will see parents come out and think their johnny should be playing.

second test . Let everyone play and rotate everyone . Give everyone a chance to play every position and batting lineup.

Determine what happens and address it. You will see a lot of thiings happen.

Again agree with you. You are only seeing part of the problem right now and you will see more.

 

[Homerboy]

The people and teams supporting/requiring the truly obscene costs for equipment and participation have forgotten the purpose of sports. If a kid can't show up in jeans and tee shirt and play, you're doing it wrong.

LOL what?

 

[bobeedee]

Moron fathers also applies to Moron fathers who coach. My son (who was primarily a pitcher) played Babe Ruth for 2 coaches who believed in the "we only need 2 starting pitchers and they will be our sons" method. During one game, I gave up counting pitches on the coaches' kid once I got to 125.

 

[rh71]

The people and teams supporting/requiring the truly obscene costs for equipment and participation have forgotten the purpose of sports. If a kid can't show up in jeans and tee shirt and play, you're doing it wrong.

You can't even do that for tennis. Who runs in jeans?

Moron fathers also applies to Moron fathers who coach. My son (who was primarily a pitcher) played Babe Ruth for 2 coaches who believed in the "we only need 2 starting pitchers and they will be our sons" method. During one game, I gave up counting pitches on the coaches' kid once I got to 125.

Let's give our 10 year olds Tommy John surgery!

You know they're only coaching to get them the playing time & exposure... developing the rest of the kids into baseball players is a distant secondary goal.

 

[NoTine42]

The problem with U12 stealing is the ridiculously short base distance. If a kid has average speed, a steal of 2nd on a pitch is basically guaranteed.

 

[Slew Foot]

Moron fathers also applies to Moron fathers who coach. My son (who was primarily a pitcher) played Babe Ruth for 2 coaches who believed in the "we only need 2 starting pitchers and they will be our sons" method. During one game, I gave up counting pitches on the coaches' kid once I got to 125.

That's basically all little league coaches. They think that everyone else on the team is just there to make their kid look good

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You can't even do that for tennis. Who runs in jeans?


.

What kids play tennis? When was the last time you paid $500 for a pair of tennis shorts? How much did you pay out for that new graphene racquet they just gotta have?

 

[rh71]

What kids play tennis? When was the last time you paid $500 for a pair of tennis shorts? How much did you pay out for that new graphene racquet they just gotta have?

My kids play tennis as their 3rd sport (good for sprinting & hand-eye for their hockey). They have semi-privates for about $35/hr which is indoor - climate-controlled - perfect for year-round play in NY. They have $30 rackets and wear random gym shorts. You would be surprised how many are in the same boat - many U10 do it, and many U14 take it very seriously. They already have optional match play but for fun. We can also go play free as a family when courts are available which is a great time. We never wear jeans I assure you.

 

[pcgeek11]

The team I coach doesn't keep score.

That isn't baseball.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

My brother in law keeps talking about how his son does not have to do well in school. If he is a second round draft pick he will get a million dollar signing bonus and that will get him set for life. He can always go back to school if he does not make it in the majors. He says this in front of his son.

That is some good parenting huh?!

Yeah, good thing he will study smart to know how to thoroughly invest that money for life... (even though a million isn't anywhere near enough to retire - especially at an early age).

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

We'd hear it all from opposing teams demanding birth certificates (yes, opposing coach... some kids have beards at 14 years old), bitching about how we played... whatever argument/defense they had to throw at us that meant we weren't just better.

Jeebus, we talking full on beards @ 14? That would raise an eyebrow even for me - it would be one thing if it was peach fuzz - but a full on beard

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

My kids play tennis as their 3rd sport (good for sprinting & hand-eye for their hockey). They have semi-privates for about $35/hr which is indoor - climate-controlled - perfect for year-round play in NY. They have $30 rackets and wear random gym shorts. You would be surprised how many are in the same boat - many U10 do it, and many U14 take it very seriously. They already have optional match play but for fun. We can also go play free as a family when courts are available which is a great time. We never wear jeans I assure you.

35/hr for how many hours a week? Even if only one hour, $140/kid a month fits My definition of obscene. This was never about jeans, it was a metaphor.

 

[Homerboy]

35/hr for how many hours a week? Even if only one hour, $140/kid a month fits My definition of obscene. This was never about jeans, it was a metaphor.

What's your take on piano lessons?

 

[rh71]

35/hr for how many hours a week? Even if only one hour, $140/kid a month fits My definition of obscene. This was never about jeans, it was a metaphor.

Yes it's 1/week but includes all we can play as a family too. I don't know what you expect for personalized attention and indoor facilities. To contrast, swimming lessons are $30 for 30 minutes. Skating lessons (by a real pro) is $50 for 30 minutes.

We're not talking about kids playing stickball or handball if you want to do travel sports teams. If you're talking house league, sure just show up and play without practice. But it's clear the majority of those kids aren't any good. If you're fine with that, there's nothing stopping you from doing the bare minimum. But to claim they're the only ones doing it right is far from accurate if they're bad at whatever sport it is, as there's something to be said for personal achievements after hard work. Youth sports = life lessons as much as having fun.

As for obscene amounts of cash, $140/mo. is a lot less than what people spend on optional meal outings in a month. But you're all for that I'm sure.

 

[SearchMaster]

Jeebus, we talking full on beards @ 14? That would raise an eyebrow even for me - it would be one thing if it was peach fuzz - but a full on beard

A kid on my son's 13U team was 6'5, 320 pounds (and not a sloppy 320). He's now 6'6, 340 and is a starting offensive lineman for UGA but his body has basically changed very little since age 13. My wife took my son to his first session in the hitting cages and asked the big guy which one was his son...he replied "no ma'am, I'm on the team". He once got kicked out of a tournament because there was a collision at the plate where the opposing catcher blocked the plate (illegally) and when this kid ran into him, the catcher flew about 10 feet behind home plate. When the umps were challenged, he said that our big kid had done nothing wrong but he couldn't allow that type of violent collision without raising the ire of the other teams...in other words he was ejected for being big.

And yeah, he was one of several kids on the team with a full on beard.

Edit: it was a 14U team but my son and this big kid were 13 at the time.