First, the recent updates. Rabbit is seeing the ball amazingly well. He has not struck out in his last 15 or so at bats. A few hits, including a nice one to center in tonight's LL game, and a few hard liners right at people. He has worked very hard and now has a stance and swing that is providing some power. Fun stuff.
On the hill we are working on driving more off the front elbow. To help accomplish this we are turning the glove hand palm up while in the wind up. This is forcing him to keep the hand high and creates a nice lever-whip motion on the way down. Initially it has led to some more pop on the ball without sacrificing any control. In his LL game he threw 2 inning with no hits, 2 strikeouts, no walks and no runs. The very next day he faced an 11U majors team. From 50' (he had thrown from 46' the day before) he went 2 innings with 6 hits, 3 ER and no walks with 1 k. A very respectable outing.
Now buckle up, double barrel screed coming.
Little League - Get over yourselves coaches. You embarrass yourselves with petty tyranny and selfish playground antics. Tonight a coach waited until 5 minutes after game time to threaten to take his team off the field unless the umpire was changed. The umpire had already been changed once. I have previously railed on the officiating and it is not getting any better using local, rather than District, umps. The three managers in our division are all trying to out clever and out maneuver each other. It is stupid. Let the boys play. These kindergarten mind games are a joke. The other coach was tossed before the game even started. He missed a gem. 2-0 in our favor. The umpire, while not great, had no effect on the outcome. Now the coach missed that game, and the next by rule. All of this posturing for a berth in Tournament of Champions? Get over yourself. The kids got it right tonight. The adults, both dugouts, looked foolish. Knock it off already.
Travel - I really think we have had enough "character building" for the spring. It is time to let our boys play other 10U teams. I realize that it is very difficult to balance two squads covering 8-12 year old players. I know that everyone wants a chance. I also know how good the team can be when they get a chance to play 12-15 games together. I really feel that "rec ball" (LL and Pony) is killing any momentum we garner. I cannot wait for the summer season when we can play the same 12 boys in their natural positions. Facing 11U teams is fine, but getting run out of the building by an 11U majors team does nothing to improve the squad. I actually fear it will leave a bad taste in the mouths of new players. And finally, I look forward to the day when we can select our roster, rather than having to rely on who is available. Call me an elitist scumbag, but there are simply some boys who are not on par with the core of the team.
It is very easy from the stands. Every call I make is correct, and I never mess up on positioning or bating order. One of the true revelations in my life is that I no longer coach. I understand the task that the coaches face, and I remain supportive. But every now and then I just want to scream!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
It is early
The Dodgers are in first, Rabbit's LL team has won 6 of 8 and is now in first and Blue Wave played two great games this weekend. After 8 days off it has been full speed ahead. I am exhausted, slightly sunburned and pretty happy.
Little League keeps rolling. Rabbit is hitting fairly well right now. He did end up playing 2B this past game for a few innings due to a preponderance of lefties and only 9 boys showing for the game. The deeper we get into the season the more convinced I become that this is our last year. Things are going well and yet we are still frustrated. I (semi)-secretly hope that we have an early exit from city tournament and we have made the decision to not participate in All Stars if invited. Blue Wave is his home for baseball for the remainder of the year. We are probably about 30 or so days away from being done with LL.
Blue Wave played this weekend against a "majors" level team. It was nice to play 10U vs 10U for the first time in a while. We have about 6 or 7 new players trying out and some inexperience led us to allowing some runs early on. However, we re-focused, made some good plays and finished game 1 losing 8-3. This was a well played game and showed glimpses of quality. Rabbit went 2-2 with a walk while batting third. He looked strong.
Rabbit started game 2 and left the ball up a few times allowing 2 runs on the first. In the second he kept getting ground balls but errors proved very costly. As the group plays together more this will become less and less of an issue. After his two innings he had allowed 5 (2 earned) and left trailing 5-3. Then the wheels fell off. We had difficulty finding outs, and the strike zone, for our later pitchers. The game degenerated and mercifully ended at 13-21. Rabbit got some time in RF and misplayed two balls to him, but made a nice grab on the third. It can be painful to watch, but the best way to improve is by doing. Of the first 10 balls to RF I would expect him to play 3-4 well. Of the next ten, he should play 7-8 well, and so on.
I am honestly ready for a break. The six-days-a-week is taking its toll. Rabbit needs to see his swing doctor, but we simply do not have a free day each week. Oh well, school is winding down, LL will be over soon and in the next few months I will be complaining about how boring the summer is.
Little League keeps rolling. Rabbit is hitting fairly well right now. He did end up playing 2B this past game for a few innings due to a preponderance of lefties and only 9 boys showing for the game. The deeper we get into the season the more convinced I become that this is our last year. Things are going well and yet we are still frustrated. I (semi)-secretly hope that we have an early exit from city tournament and we have made the decision to not participate in All Stars if invited. Blue Wave is his home for baseball for the remainder of the year. We are probably about 30 or so days away from being done with LL.
Blue Wave played this weekend against a "majors" level team. It was nice to play 10U vs 10U for the first time in a while. We have about 6 or 7 new players trying out and some inexperience led us to allowing some runs early on. However, we re-focused, made some good plays and finished game 1 losing 8-3. This was a well played game and showed glimpses of quality. Rabbit went 2-2 with a walk while batting third. He looked strong.
Rabbit started game 2 and left the ball up a few times allowing 2 runs on the first. In the second he kept getting ground balls but errors proved very costly. As the group plays together more this will become less and less of an issue. After his two innings he had allowed 5 (2 earned) and left trailing 5-3. Then the wheels fell off. We had difficulty finding outs, and the strike zone, for our later pitchers. The game degenerated and mercifully ended at 13-21. Rabbit got some time in RF and misplayed two balls to him, but made a nice grab on the third. It can be painful to watch, but the best way to improve is by doing. Of the first 10 balls to RF I would expect him to play 3-4 well. Of the next ten, he should play 7-8 well, and so on.
I am honestly ready for a break. The six-days-a-week is taking its toll. Rabbit needs to see his swing doctor, but we simply do not have a free day each week. Oh well, school is winding down, LL will be over soon and in the next few months I will be complaining about how boring the summer is.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Spring Break!
We are smack dab in the middle of spring break. Depending on if we got to practice tonight we may have as much as 8 days off in a row! While I relish the break, it comes at a bad time as Rabbit is playing very well right now.
Saturday he got the start with the LL team and was dominant from the first batter. He pitched 5 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, no walks and 6 K's on only 47 pitches. He also laced a textbook single over the 2B head. After starting LL 0-12~ish he is now 3 for his last 5. We finally got a chance to play with Blue Wave again on Sunday. The coach kept the 10U together to play the second game of a double header against an 11U team. We played well and really looked sharp. Rabbit played 1B and LF. Since this was the first time in a game for many players the coach was moving kids around. We had some pitchers look great, and one or two who will do better next time. At the end we lost by three. The 10U had a closer game than the 11U!
Saturday night was spent watching Fullerton play UCI with Rabbit and two of his friends. There is something truly captivating to me about a ballpark. It felt odd being in the bleachers since our Flyers seats are front row, but it was a great time regardless. The Dodgers beat Jake Peavy opening day and I am in heaven. It is a great time of year. Even if the Dodgers did lose last night. Sigh.
Saturday he got the start with the LL team and was dominant from the first batter. He pitched 5 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, no walks and 6 K's on only 47 pitches. He also laced a textbook single over the 2B head. After starting LL 0-12~ish he is now 3 for his last 5. We finally got a chance to play with Blue Wave again on Sunday. The coach kept the 10U together to play the second game of a double header against an 11U team. We played well and really looked sharp. Rabbit played 1B and LF. Since this was the first time in a game for many players the coach was moving kids around. We had some pitchers look great, and one or two who will do better next time. At the end we lost by three. The 10U had a closer game than the 11U!
Saturday night was spent watching Fullerton play UCI with Rabbit and two of his friends. There is something truly captivating to me about a ballpark. It felt odd being in the bleachers since our Flyers seats are front row, but it was a great time regardless. The Dodgers beat Jake Peavy opening day and I am in heaven. It is a great time of year. Even if the Dodgers did lose last night. Sigh.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
OK, we made it this far
Little League is bumping along. The boys have won two of three and are now 3-5. My frustrations grow however with the inconsistency of play, coaching and officiating. I knew this was going to be an issue going in and have no one to blame. However, we are now playing ball six days a week. I just wish were more satisfied with the results. Rabbit is playing well, and most impressively hitting again. He has not pitched as frequently or as many pitches lately. That is a real positive. Also, after Saturday we do not have another LL game for 2 weeks. We are ready for a break.
I think my real frustration lies in the dichotomy of LL versus travel. The attitude, of both the players and the parents, is so markedly different. Understand that in both teams everyone wants to improve. All the players are trying and the parents are supportive. However, there is a large difference in commitment level between the teams. We had tried to approach LL as a "social" activity with little or no stress about quality of play. Rabbit, however, knows only one way to play this game. He is sometimes having difficulty remembering how much fun he is supposed to be having. This is frustrating because even after getting "mercied" 3 games in a row on Blue Wave he always had a smile and something positive to say.
Blue Wave has been frustratingly quiet. A few rainouts and last minute cancellations mean we have not played with them in nearly a month. We have one game with them this Sunday against a team we had previously beat by 20. It will be a good opportunity to build some team confidence and try out the new players on the squad. It is fun to see Rabbit as a "veteran" on this team. His quality of play is up now that he has stopped growing as much. He again looks comfortable in all aspects of the game.
As loathe as I am to say it publicly, I think a week or two off will do us all some good. MLB starts Sunday (without the Reds, Bud Selig and ESPN deserve their own circle of hell) and we will spend Saturday night watching Fullerton play UC Irvine. A few nights of having dinner as a family and thinking about something different will help tremendously.
I think my real frustration lies in the dichotomy of LL versus travel. The attitude, of both the players and the parents, is so markedly different. Understand that in both teams everyone wants to improve. All the players are trying and the parents are supportive. However, there is a large difference in commitment level between the teams. We had tried to approach LL as a "social" activity with little or no stress about quality of play. Rabbit, however, knows only one way to play this game. He is sometimes having difficulty remembering how much fun he is supposed to be having. This is frustrating because even after getting "mercied" 3 games in a row on Blue Wave he always had a smile and something positive to say.
Blue Wave has been frustratingly quiet. A few rainouts and last minute cancellations mean we have not played with them in nearly a month. We have one game with them this Sunday against a team we had previously beat by 20. It will be a good opportunity to build some team confidence and try out the new players on the squad. It is fun to see Rabbit as a "veteran" on this team. His quality of play is up now that he has stopped growing as much. He again looks comfortable in all aspects of the game.
As loathe as I am to say it publicly, I think a week or two off will do us all some good. MLB starts Sunday (without the Reds, Bud Selig and ESPN deserve their own circle of hell) and we will spend Saturday night watching Fullerton play UC Irvine. A few nights of having dinner as a family and thinking about something different will help tremendously.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It's been a while, time to rant
I was concerned about the effect of playing both Little League and travel ball would have on Rabbit. The six days a week has taken a slight toll, and I have slowly seen some bad habits creeping back. That being said, I am amazed at the dedication he has shown. In the midst of all of this craziness he has maintained his grades at the highest level and still manages to have fun in his spare 6 minutes a day.
So what is the problem?
The kid is 10. He is not supposed to be in Majors. That is usually for 11 and 12 year olds. I wanted him to be up with the better players. I wanted him to be challenged. And, selfishly, I wanted him to be out of pressure situations. I was perfectly happy for him to play 2 innings of outfield and sit the rest of the time. Well, he is firmly entrenched, after only 4 games, as a pitcher and 1B. Still no problem. However, last night he threw 72 pitches over 3 innings. That is a large number. I am frustrated that between the 13 other players we could not find as good an option. No big deal. It is baseball.
However, there is a significant difference between throwing a ball 60 miles per hour and knowing how to pitch. Rabbit can pitch. He cannot throw the ball past kids at this level. He can move a ball around a strike zone and hit the catcher's glove every time. Several of the opposing pitchers last night were throwing the ball as hard as they could, with half of the attempts ending up in or near the strike zone, but the other half hitting the backstop, scorers window, mascot, dugout, etc. That type of irregularity makes it difficult to string together a series of at bats that you can learn from.
And speaking of strike zones, let's spend a minute with the officials. They are painfully unqualified. I can understand missing a judgment call. But these people are often missing technical violations, and the occasional flat out wrong ruling. I want to be clear, I do not feel that they are biased, merely incompetent. At one stretch last night, between the two teams, 21 consecutive pitches that were not swung at were called balls. For two innings the only time a strike was called was if the batter swung. Meanwhile, both pitchers are hitting their targets and both benches were going crazy. Plays on the bases are being called from behind home plate. The umpire did not even make an attempt to position himself properly. Or to pay any attention. Twice players were caught off bases and tagged, but allowed or instructed to return to the base because the ump missed the play. I should understand that we are not getting pros, and that they are doing the best they can. Their best is not nearly good enough to be called competent. Luckily, the umps have yet to decide the outcome of a game, but it is only a matter of time.
Finally, I am still stunned that at this level, when most of the boys have been playing for 3-6 years, at the lack of respect for the game. Whether it is not bringing equipment to the practice or worse yet a game, or bending and breaking rules to get an edge it is frustrating to see how the little league game is played. Players cannot leave the base until the ball crosses home plate. With one umpire, especially of the quality listed above, it is not uncommon for a player to break early and be halfway to the next base by the time the catcher receives the ball. Last night a player from our team scored by sliding between the legs of the opposing catcher. The ball was still in the outfield when the player crossed the plate. I have also seen catchers, in full gear, dive into players coming toward the plate. This is dangerous for both players. And please, it is only the 4th game, how could you possibly have lost equipment by now?
I was unsure if we were going to play Little League this year. We will finish this out, but I am not seeing much hope for next year. Travel ball is not a panacea, some mythic Garden of Eden where everything is right all of the time. It is, however, a much closer approximation to the game of baseball.
So what is the problem?
The kid is 10. He is not supposed to be in Majors. That is usually for 11 and 12 year olds. I wanted him to be up with the better players. I wanted him to be challenged. And, selfishly, I wanted him to be out of pressure situations. I was perfectly happy for him to play 2 innings of outfield and sit the rest of the time. Well, he is firmly entrenched, after only 4 games, as a pitcher and 1B. Still no problem. However, last night he threw 72 pitches over 3 innings. That is a large number. I am frustrated that between the 13 other players we could not find as good an option. No big deal. It is baseball.
However, there is a significant difference between throwing a ball 60 miles per hour and knowing how to pitch. Rabbit can pitch. He cannot throw the ball past kids at this level. He can move a ball around a strike zone and hit the catcher's glove every time. Several of the opposing pitchers last night were throwing the ball as hard as they could, with half of the attempts ending up in or near the strike zone, but the other half hitting the backstop, scorers window, mascot, dugout, etc. That type of irregularity makes it difficult to string together a series of at bats that you can learn from.
And speaking of strike zones, let's spend a minute with the officials. They are painfully unqualified. I can understand missing a judgment call. But these people are often missing technical violations, and the occasional flat out wrong ruling. I want to be clear, I do not feel that they are biased, merely incompetent. At one stretch last night, between the two teams, 21 consecutive pitches that were not swung at were called balls. For two innings the only time a strike was called was if the batter swung. Meanwhile, both pitchers are hitting their targets and both benches were going crazy. Plays on the bases are being called from behind home plate. The umpire did not even make an attempt to position himself properly. Or to pay any attention. Twice players were caught off bases and tagged, but allowed or instructed to return to the base because the ump missed the play. I should understand that we are not getting pros, and that they are doing the best they can. Their best is not nearly good enough to be called competent. Luckily, the umps have yet to decide the outcome of a game, but it is only a matter of time.
Finally, I am still stunned that at this level, when most of the boys have been playing for 3-6 years, at the lack of respect for the game. Whether it is not bringing equipment to the practice or worse yet a game, or bending and breaking rules to get an edge it is frustrating to see how the little league game is played. Players cannot leave the base until the ball crosses home plate. With one umpire, especially of the quality listed above, it is not uncommon for a player to break early and be halfway to the next base by the time the catcher receives the ball. Last night a player from our team scored by sliding between the legs of the opposing catcher. The ball was still in the outfield when the player crossed the plate. I have also seen catchers, in full gear, dive into players coming toward the plate. This is dangerous for both players. And please, it is only the 4th game, how could you possibly have lost equipment by now?
I was unsure if we were going to play Little League this year. We will finish this out, but I am not seeing much hope for next year. Travel ball is not a panacea, some mythic Garden of Eden where everything is right all of the time. It is, however, a much closer approximation to the game of baseball.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Opening weekend
Saturday was the opening game for Little League and Sunday was our first Blue Wave game of 2009. We were excited to get going and a bit nervous to see how it would all go. The short answer is things went well, but we know what we need to work on.
Saturday in Little League we opened against the defending Majors division champs. The Bruins put 7 runs across in the first including Rabbit (hitting 7th) scoring on a passed ball. He had previously walked on a full count and stole 2nd and 3rd. In the field he started at 1B and played the first four innings there. The only action he saw there was when he made a good stretch to get a fast runner on a bang-bang play. After 4 innings we were ahead still 7-4. In his second at bat he struck out swinging at a ball above his head. That was tremendously out of character for him, and he was a little surprised that he had swung.
Rabbit came in to pitch the 5th and faced 4 batters retiring the side on 15 pitches. He really surprised his coaches who were not thinking he would be that effective. In fact, they kept him in to pitch the last inning with a 4 run lead. In the last of the sixth Rabbit got an out on the first pitch on a fly to right. From there no ball left the infield. A few dropped pop ups and misplayed grounders led us to a bases loaded, two out, one run ballgame. After running the count to full Rabbit threw a textbook called strike three to end the game and preserve the win. It was a great way to start.
For Sunday we arrived for game 2 of a double header with the 11U team. Blue Wave had won the first game by a mercy rule 14-2. As usual, but a surprise since this was the 11U team, Rabbit started at 1B. Again he was batting 7th and came up in the second inning with bases empty and two outs.. He tapped the second pitch to 2nd base for an easy out. He knew he was ahead of the pitcher, and I could see the gears of his mind working. In the bottom of the second he made a great scoop of a pick off attempt to retire the runner. He looks good over at 1B. In the third inning we blew the game open again with 10 runs. Rabbit came up with a runner on 2nd and drilled the 1-1 pitch back up the middle for an RBI single. Another strong play in the field at first and the team coasted to a 14-9 win. Two good wins in two days.
A great start, and it surely was time for a great weekend. 2 practices Monday, game Tuesday, practice Wednesday and Thursday and game Saturday. I am tired already and it has not started yet.
LL 1 1 0 0 1 1
BW 2 0 1 1 0 0
Saturday in Little League we opened against the defending Majors division champs. The Bruins put 7 runs across in the first including Rabbit (hitting 7th) scoring on a passed ball. He had previously walked on a full count and stole 2nd and 3rd. In the field he started at 1B and played the first four innings there. The only action he saw there was when he made a good stretch to get a fast runner on a bang-bang play. After 4 innings we were ahead still 7-4. In his second at bat he struck out swinging at a ball above his head. That was tremendously out of character for him, and he was a little surprised that he had swung.
Rabbit came in to pitch the 5th and faced 4 batters retiring the side on 15 pitches. He really surprised his coaches who were not thinking he would be that effective. In fact, they kept him in to pitch the last inning with a 4 run lead. In the last of the sixth Rabbit got an out on the first pitch on a fly to right. From there no ball left the infield. A few dropped pop ups and misplayed grounders led us to a bases loaded, two out, one run ballgame. After running the count to full Rabbit threw a textbook called strike three to end the game and preserve the win. It was a great way to start.
For Sunday we arrived for game 2 of a double header with the 11U team. Blue Wave had won the first game by a mercy rule 14-2. As usual, but a surprise since this was the 11U team, Rabbit started at 1B. Again he was batting 7th and came up in the second inning with bases empty and two outs.. He tapped the second pitch to 2nd base for an easy out. He knew he was ahead of the pitcher, and I could see the gears of his mind working. In the bottom of the second he made a great scoop of a pick off attempt to retire the runner. He looks good over at 1B. In the third inning we blew the game open again with 10 runs. Rabbit came up with a runner on 2nd and drilled the 1-1 pitch back up the middle for an RBI single. Another strong play in the field at first and the team coasted to a 14-9 win. Two good wins in two days.
A great start, and it surely was time for a great weekend. 2 practices Monday, game Tuesday, practice Wednesday and Thursday and game Saturday. I am tired already and it has not started yet.
LL 1 1 0 0 1 1
BW 2 0 1 1 0 0
Friday, March 6, 2009
Spring forward!
Little League opens this weekend. We also have a Blue Wave game on Sunday. Two practices Monday, one on Wednesday, one Thursday, and a mid-week game to be announced. Yipes!
Rabbit is playing well after shaking off a slight cold. His hitting is coming together and he is throwing the ball very well. His pitching is solid, but he is leaving the ball up in the zone. It still strikes me as silly that we are having these discussions about a 10 year old. He loves playing and that is enough.
So far we have been pretty true to our idea of LL just being a silly, fun time with no pressure. That being said, I fully expect Rabbit to be starting 1B as well as pitching some. At Blue Wave he is firmly planted at 1B and starting pitcher. It will be interesting to see how Rabbit adjusts to being used as a reliever. Historically he has struggled in those situations.
As a fan I am thrilled to see the World Baseball Classic starting, spring training in full swing and am preparing for the high-school/college/minor league seasons. Our big trip this year is planned as a road trip to ABQ to visit my Father-in-law and nephew and catch some AAA Dodgers this summer.
Other than the usual chaos we are currently looking for a private school for next year. Things are not quite crazy enough so we thought we should add something extra into the mix. As I have said before, I need professional help.
Rabbit is playing well after shaking off a slight cold. His hitting is coming together and he is throwing the ball very well. His pitching is solid, but he is leaving the ball up in the zone. It still strikes me as silly that we are having these discussions about a 10 year old. He loves playing and that is enough.
So far we have been pretty true to our idea of LL just being a silly, fun time with no pressure. That being said, I fully expect Rabbit to be starting 1B as well as pitching some. At Blue Wave he is firmly planted at 1B and starting pitcher. It will be interesting to see how Rabbit adjusts to being used as a reliever. Historically he has struggled in those situations.
As a fan I am thrilled to see the World Baseball Classic starting, spring training in full swing and am preparing for the high-school/college/minor league seasons. Our big trip this year is planned as a road trip to ABQ to visit my Father-in-law and nephew and catch some AAA Dodgers this summer.
Other than the usual chaos we are currently looking for a private school for next year. Things are not quite crazy enough so we thought we should add something extra into the mix. As I have said before, I need professional help.
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