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Post by chili on Apr 28, 2007 15:55:54 GMT -8
As far as I'm concerned a bat is a bat. Homeruns were being hit just as often 10-20 years ago as they are now. If a kid is a good hitter with good mechanics he will hit the ball hard and it will cause the same amount of damage with any bat. Every team in LL has $800 to $1000 worth of bats on their team and you still have perfect games and no-hitters. There is no bat on the market today that makes any player a stud without that player practicing. JMO- Dave
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Post by lboullion on Apr 28, 2007 20:09:23 GMT -8
I think a bigger issue then the alum bats vs. wood is moving the mound back. At the very least, LL should move it back for All Stars to 50 feet.
46 feet for a 13 year old to pitch from is far to close. I say 13 because as of May 1 it will be possible for a kid to be in little league, be 13, and pitching from 46 feet agianst a kid who could have been 8 years old on APril 30, 2007. A 13 year old up to bat vs. an 8 yr and 366 day old kid from 46 feet could be possible in the national side.
L Boullion
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Post by crash23 on Apr 28, 2007 20:57:20 GMT -8
LL likes it b/c it creates a lot of water cooler talk when a kid throws 100 mph MBL equivalent... thr free publicity is priceless. MLB 85 mph just ain't the same. But I agree, 46 feet is stupid.
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Post by tmurphy on Apr 30, 2007 7:24:32 GMT -8
A bat is definitly not a bat with the new technology. Some bats have more pop to them than others and these are the bats that some kid could close his eyes get lucky and hit the sweet spot and leave the yard, with the old bats you had to be a good hitter to hit with any consistancy and not get lucky. I disagree, the bats can make a kid better than what he is I have seen it alot with the catalyst bat and others. I agree with the old saying good pitching beats good hitting any day. There will always be perfect games and no hitters but their are kids hitting the ball out of the park that if it was not for the kind of bat they are using it would not happen. Beleive me the people that have been around little league and travel ball the last few years can tell you the bats have made a big difference in the performance of hitters.
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Post by crash23 on Apr 30, 2007 14:21:45 GMT -8
Lance, please throw a wood bat tourney and we can all see what a difference a bat makes...
These new composite bats are like aluminum bats on steroids and HGH. The sweet spots are bigger (than even the aluminum bats, not to mention woodies, so they are more forgiving). A hit on the handle, that would result in a dribbler with a wood bat, is now a hit with aluminum... or a HR with composite.
If you want to see what a difference a bat can make have the kids hit with wood at your next practice...
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Post by chili on Apr 30, 2007 15:12:29 GMT -8
If these kids are hitting home runs off of the handle with a composite bat we would have twice as many home runs as we do now. I agree that these bats are better than wood or the old alumimim bats, but I think we give them too much credit. A ball hit solid with any bat can do damage if a kid is not prepared or too close(as in 46 feet). I do have my son use wood in practice and he still makes some solid contact with some good distance.
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Post by Greenie on May 2, 2007 9:38:52 GMT -8
Chili, You are dead wrong here. I have seen kids that were lucky to come within 15 feet of the fence start hitting them out with the new bats. The reason we are not seeing more home runs on our side is we have a couple of really dominating pitchers and the talent level sucks. 40 percent of the players we have playing DO NOT belong in the majors. This is a issue we really need to address for the future. Now that Little League has mandated all 12's must play in the majors it's really going to become a joke.
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Post by Mark on May 2, 2007 12:07:02 GMT -8
it will take 3 year for LL to really feel the effect, they wont start feeling them until their 9s and 10s bail for travel and all 12s remaining that have to be drafted end up being minor legue caliber types
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rocko
LL Board Member
Posts: 209
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Post by rocko on May 3, 2007 0:04:39 GMT -8
[glow=red,2,300]Wow! 12's mandated into the major.[/glow] This will only serve to worsen a losing battle in attempting to keep young players in LL. Already with see the enormous drop off at the JR level. Core to this issue is the more talented and experienced ball players do not feel it is competitive enough and move to travel ball. Greenie is correct...this might ignite a whole new level of interest in younger level travel ball teams. Again it is obviouse that far too many kids are pooled up without having the talent, years of experience to play at a major league level. This of course is driven out of necessity to fill the team with the talent that is there. However, when you populate teams with less draft talent you place the players, their families and coaching staff in a situation where they will be in for a rough season. This does not even begin to address the safety concerns created. I applaud the AM and AE league who addressed this better than N and NS league, this year. AM and AE dropped a team in each league going from 5 to 4 teams to account for some of this issue. N and NS did not and as a result placed the Braves and the Nationals in a tough situation from day one. The teams and families have done great...however, it seems these teams should have been collapsed and players transfered to the remaining major league teams. I can see it now LL and future board members, parents, and coaches will ponder why less Turlock kids will be playing baseball in the future. As younger and younger players continue to select other forms of youth baseball options over league that becomes less and less competitive. Might as well begin to call LL community park recreational baseball. Don't worry about practice....heck.... you do not even have to bring a bat, shoes, or equipment...even bases are optional....we will just use the the trees.... just show up pick up, we will draw straws for teams with each group of 20 to make up teams and play ball. Boy that sounds compelling sign me up. El Rocko
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Post by knezme on May 3, 2007 5:07:45 GMT -8
LL is already called rec-ball. Travel ball 9u and 10u teams have grown in the last 2 years and will grow even more in the near future. The parents have noticed the level of play in both and have chosen the better of the two. It's sad to say but LL will fade out in the next two to three years.
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Post by tmurphy on May 3, 2007 6:57:58 GMT -8
Cal Ripken sounds better evey day. At least you can have say so of what goes on in your own league without having to do stupid stuff like this new 12 year old rule. Sounds like someone at national headquarters has a weak 12 year old that can not make it out of the minors. Maybe Lance can develop a summer program like Rainbow has for travel teams or looks like alot of kids and teams will be moving out to Rainbow.
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Post by bubba on May 3, 2007 14:00:52 GMT -8
I don't know how many 12s are playing in the AAA level, but adding that number to the majors next year, will the board have to create a new majors team and drop a AAA team. With the new rule starting next year will the levels then be AA for 8s and non-drafted 9s, AAA for non-drafted 10s and 11s, and the majors will then consist of drafted 9s, 10s, 11s and all 12s?
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Post by chili on May 3, 2007 22:00:28 GMT -8
You guys are something else. Turlock little league is not some farm system for a pro team or even high school. It's not all about competition. It's about kids meeting new friends, playing on a team, enjoying a game we all love. Now I don't think highly of this new rule, but it is definitely not the end of LL. If the competition is not good enough, you guys can load up your "precious" little superstars in the motorhome and head to the next tournament. We will still have our games under the lights with teams winning in the bottom of the sixth. These players may not be the future Bulldogs or Pride teams, but they are kids playing baseball and creating memories whether it's LL, Cal Ripken or Turlock Rec. JMO- Dave
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Post by lboullion on May 3, 2007 22:09:51 GMT -8
TPR Baseball already had a good Fall League at Pedretti and plan to be even bigger this year. We do not want to take away from the Spring LL but actually help it grow by getting more kids out to play iin the fall. This will improve the talent level too for the majors Last year we had 19 teams in 4 different divisions and this year we are planning on 30. Our 60/90 division should be huge since it is the only one around, Rainbow doesnt even do that. We will have more information when time draws nearer at www.TPRbaseball.com My personal goal is to have some small part in improving Turlock Baseball so we can all see winning teams in High School. I am sure that is what most people involved in coaching and helping want too. Through our Fall League, I feel we can improve the level of baseball in our town. L Boullion
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Post by Chris on May 3, 2007 22:16:33 GMT -8
Dave ~
The guys you're ripping are the same guys that have kept LL and youth baseball alive in this town over the past few years. If you're going to be wrong you might as well go for broke. Oh, wait you just did.
They don't have to defend their positions to anyone. When you've done 10% of what these guys have done maybe you can trash them.
BTW - JMO (like that excuses all your insults)
Lance the Fall leagues you've been running have been a huge success. Keep em coming.
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