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2013 Little League World Series

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by LongTimeListener, Aug 16, 2013.

  1. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    I always find myself watching too much of this.

    Today was both a couple of great performances and a clear sign of what I think is Little League being behind the times. The Michigan and California starting pitchers combined for 13 innings, one hit and 25 strikeouts. California (Chula Vista) finally broke through for three runs in the seventh after the Michigan (Grosse Pointe) pitcher hit his 85-pitch maximum in the sixth inning. Chula Vista's pitcher, Grant Holman, finished the no-no in the bottom of the seventh.

    Holman is 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds. The Michigan pitcher, Chad Lorkowski, is 6-2 and 200. That isn't rare these days. Given the size of these guys and also the specialty training and year-round ball they're playing -- and the heat they're generating as a result -- LL's 46-foot mound has really become an anachronism. Cal Ripken, Pony and the travel circuit all move the mound back by a few feet and have a lot more action as a result.

    Anyway, California has the early leg up and looks like the U.S. team to beat anyway.
     
  2. Gator

    Gator Well-Known Member

    Top pitching certainly dominates, but I saw some of the home runs that were hit yesterday, and it made me realize that these kids should be using wood bats. Then again, it is my belief that wood bats should be used at all levels, because, let's face it, kids (especially at the high school level) no longer know how to play small ball. I can't remember the last time I saw a high school kid lay down a well-executed bunt on the first pitch.
     
  3. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Kids need to learn to hit, not to bunt.
     
  4. Gator

    Gator Well-Known Member

    Well, hitting a high pop fly that doesn't get out of the infield on a real diamond that goes for a home run in Williamsport won't help them.
     
  5. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    If you put those kids out there with wood bats against that kind of pitching, nobody would ever hit a ball out of the infield. Ever.

    The bats are not as bad as they used to be. LL has the 2 1/4" barrel maximum and the 1.15 BPF that reduce the safety concerns. And 99.9 percent of kids will never have a need to learn how to hit with a wood bat anyway.

    It's no fun to hit nothing but weak groundballs. And that's what would happen to most kids with wood bats.
     
  6. Gator

    Gator Well-Known Member

    Top pitchers are dominant, for sure, but by the time you get to the second or third kid, there is a dramatic drop off. That's why you rarely see the teams with the top pitcher win (Danny Almonte). Because they throw their top guy just to get to the world championship game.
     
  7. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    I agree on moving back the pitching mound. And make the basepaths longer. They're the same distances as they were 50 years-plus ago. And let the kids lead off.
     
  8. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    Think about that, those two pitchers were both over 6'2" and 200 lbs!
     
  9. three_bags_full

    three_bags_full Well-Known Member

    Worse than the WNBA.
     
  10. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Jesus Christ, this is right of SportsJournalists.com60's edition.
     
  11. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Bunting is a lost art form, right up there with writing.
     
  12. Oscar Gamble

    Oscar Gamble New Member

    Little League® does have a 50/70 division just like Ripken. PONY and travel ball. It started this year. It's called the Little League® Intermediate Division and its World Series was held in Livermore, California from July 30 thru August 6. Japan was the inaugural champion.

    http://www.littleleague.org/intermediate5070.htm

    http://intermediateworldseries.org/
     
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