Little League & Select Baseball

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Many sports coexist with select baseball: football, basketball, and soccer to name a few. But now that the tournament season is upon us, the question arises, "Can Little League and select baseball coexist? Should they?" You would think that the organizations could work together since they have similar common goals: namely to get more kids playing the game of baseball. However, it seems that Little League has drawn a line in the sand, with many districts moving their tournaments to coincide with the Texas State Tournament and the select World Series where previously there were no conflicts.



But Little League isn't just a a thorn in our side during tournament play. Little League is actually detrimental to the skills of select baseball players and a hinderance for players wanting to take their baseball careers further than 12U baseball. My reasons are cited below:

Lower skill levels
In most Little Leagues, the skill level of the average team is much lower than the skill level of the average AA team in select. Playing at this lower skill level dulls players' abilities, shortens their attention spans, and makes them lazy (because the extra effort is not required in Little League).

When the player plays Little League and also plays select ball, in the select games they are slower to the ball, slower to throw, make fewer double plays, and catch fewer hard-hit grounders and line drives than their counterparts that only play select ball.

Differences in pitching
Pitchers throw different in Little League too. Sure, there are some studly Little League pitchers. Most of them are select ball pitchers. But for the most part, the pitching is mediocre at best, with no movement on the very hittable strikes, when you get strikes, which is rare. Coming back into select ball, players see a different caliber of hurler, and we've seen several players have trouble making the adjustment back and forth. Players that can hit—and hit well—the rest of the season, can't find the ball during Little League season.

And don't forget the players playing machine pitch in Little League. Some leagues carry machine pitch up through 9U. You won't find machine pitch select teams or tournaments in this area at all. There are many Little League players who can kill the ball off the machine. But well over 50% those same 9U players who are used to hitting off the machine are terrified of hitting live arm when they first start. They jump out of the box even when strikes are thrown, and there is little the coach can do about it except wait for the fear to eventually subside. The experience these players gain from hitting off the coach in 7U and 8U is invaluable, and going back to the machine that puts it right down the middle every time doesn't do them any favors.

Difference in diamond size
The pitcher's mound and bases closer in Little League, and it is hard for most players to make the adjustment when playing in both. It's difficult for pitchers, batters, and runners to adjust back and forth to this change. The older they are, the more difficult the adjustment becomes. 11U and 12U players are adjusting to a four-foot plate-to-rubber difference and a 10-foot base-to-base distance!

Open vs. closed bases
The hardest thing for players to adjust to when playing both is getting off the bag in select ball when they are also playing Little League. We also see more Little League players picked off or thrown out than players who don't play both. This includes players who have been playing select ball for years.

We also see pitchers and catchers who forget to hold the runners.

Different rules
For example, Little League doesn't enforce balks, and batters can't run to first on a dropped third strike in Little League. Most coaches (and some umpires) don't know all the rules in even one league. How are pre-teens and younger supposed to know all rules in two leagues well enough to play the game?

Select teams left in the lurch
You have select teams who have been playing together all year. Players who have made a commitment to each other, parents who have paid to go to the State Tournament and the World Series, and then all of a sudden, Little League All-Stars hits, and half the team can't play. The Little League All-Star tournament is the same time as the Texas State Tournament (some districts moved it purposely to coincide). If teams don't play in the State Tournament, they don't play in the World Series. It is a shame that Little League is forcing players not to play baseball and to break the commitment that they have made to their teammates at the beginning of the season.

The ultimate goal
So what is the ultimate goal for most parents (and hopefully most coaches). For our team, we want to prepare our players for high school ball—and beyond if that's what they want. Select ball more closely resembled high school and Major League Baseball than the pared-down version of baseball that Little League offers.

The fact that select base sizes move gradually up in size in every other age division helps the players prepare for the next step and saves their arms from injury. Playing open bases prepares them for the running game in high school, a must if they are going to be anything but a pitcher. Finally, and most important, the increased skill level that they see when playing select ball sharpens their skills and makes them better baseball players, giving them a better shot a making the high school team. High school coaches aren't looking for lazy players. They will only choose the select few.

Your thoughts on the subject
I'm sure that this article will raise the hackles of many. However, I know there are many who agree. I'd like to hear from you. Please take a moment to complete this brief 6-question survey, and please respond to this post with your comments!

Little League Survey

The opinions in this article don't necessarily reflect those of Bay Area Baseball Association.