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re: Why are Little League™ fields so small when half the kids are 6 feet tall?
Posted on 8/22/13 at 5:27 am to JG77056
Posted on 8/22/13 at 5:27 am to JG77056
quote:
The better answer is that these are the best little leaguers in the country
Unfortunately this just isn't true. The best players in that age group don't play in the llws.
1
Posted on 8/22/13 at 5:40 am to The Boat
Little League has dimensions of the field each has to meet I believe. That being said I think most fields are 250 feet all the way around so it is rather easy to hit one out
ETA: I'm wrong 180 is minimum
ETA: I'm wrong 180 is minimum
quote:
Little League baseball has a recommended outfield fence length of 180 feet. In practice however, many fields actual fence may be shorter or longer than that.
One thing should be constant however, and that is the dimensions of the infield. As the diagrams above show, the distance between the bases is 60 feet. The measurement from pitchers mound to home plate is 46 feet. This square then makes the distance from home plate to second base to equal 84' 10 1/4".
Posted on 8/22/13 at 6:29 am to tduecen
My big gripe about Little League has nothing to do with the outfield fence at all. I actually like home runs and the threat of them.
You know where the game is too small for these kids? The 60 foot basepath.
It's like watching kids play infield in their living room. Kids are beating out what should be routine ground balls at first base left and right. Not every play at first base needs to be bang bang.
I think you can move the diamond to 70 feet and there would be no loss in game integrity.
I also think the pitching rubber needs to be moved back. A 6'0"+ pitcher throwing at 46 feet is ridiculous.
You know where the game is too small for these kids? The 60 foot basepath.
It's like watching kids play infield in their living room. Kids are beating out what should be routine ground balls at first base left and right. Not every play at first base needs to be bang bang.
I think you can move the diamond to 70 feet and there would be no loss in game integrity.
I also think the pitching rubber needs to be moved back. A 6'0"+ pitcher throwing at 46 feet is ridiculous.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 6:34 am to reb13
quote:
Unfortunately this just isn't true. The best players in that age group don't play in the llws.
Ya right
Posted on 8/22/13 at 6:36 am to JG77056
quote:
These are the best
No they really aren't. As mentioned above the Little League game is antiquated. They should be on 70 foot bases and 54' mound at least. The fence really shouldn't be any closer than 250 and they should be able to lead off and steal.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 8:09 am to The Boat
THe same reason why they pitch from 46 ft, play on 60ft bases and dont lead off... Check swing dingers suck! I mean, unless you are a roided out PED abusing, errr, nevermind!
Posted on 8/22/13 at 8:36 am to Vlad
I mean these kids are 13 yrs old and 6' plus so a few steps and they are at the base slready
This post was edited on 8/22/13 at 10:48 am
Posted on 8/22/13 at 8:42 am to tjtiger9
They should make them play at TD Ameritrade Park. Then all the Louisianna teams would have a legitimate gripe on the size of the park.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 8:43 am to RedElephants
And Bama could dogpile after the first out.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 8:44 am to tjtiger9
You guys sound like a lot of fun. 
Everyone knows that the travel ball teams your son is on would wax the LLWS champion, but no one cares about these mercenary teams except those trying to live vicariously through their kids. I played LL and AAA and Major ball extensively. They are two different animals. LL is more pure, and thus it stays on despite the rise in travel ball.
Everyone knows that the travel ball teams your son is on would wax the LLWS champion, but no one cares about these mercenary teams except those trying to live vicariously through their kids. I played LL and AAA and Major ball extensively. They are two different animals. LL is more pure, and thus it stays on despite the rise in travel ball.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 8:46 am to JG77056
quote:this is why I hate Little League baseball on TV
The better answer is that these are the best little leaguers in the country
because these AREN'T the best in the country just the best that play the one of many brands of little league baseball, this one just so happens to be called Little League, which is why I suspect espn decided to broadcast it
Posted on 8/22/13 at 9:34 am to Ford Frenzy
ESPN broadcasts it because it has been carried by ABC forever. ABC/ESPN/Disney are all together.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 10:03 am to JJ27
quote:I'm thinking the fact that its organization's name is "Little League" and not Dixie Youth or USSSA or whatever made it more attractive back when ABC first started to carry it
ESPN broadcasts it because it has been carried by ABC forever. ABC/ESPN/Disney are all together.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 10:35 am to Ford Frenzy
FWIW, ESPN showed a graphic that the field used for the LLWS is 2/3rds the size of a "normal" little league field.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 10:57 am to JJ27
quote:
No they really aren't. As mentioned above the Little League game is antiquated. They should be on 70 foot bases and 54' mound at least. The fence really shouldn't be any closer than 250 and they should be able to lead off and steal.
What does that have to do with the players? ALL of the best travel ball players out here in AZ and Cali also play LL. I would bet that AT LEAST 95% of American MLB players played LL, it is probably 100%. You are getting the best.
This post was edited on 8/22/13 at 10:59 am
Posted on 8/22/13 at 11:01 am to lsu480
quote:
AT LEAST 95% on American MLB played LL
Not if they played in the South. Dixie Youth and USSSA is pretty much the only organization you can play here. Little League is only in a handful of areas in Louisiana.
This post was edited on 8/22/13 at 11:06 am
Posted on 8/22/13 at 11:13 am to lsu480
quote:
I would bet that AT LEAST 95% of American MLB players played LL, it is probably 100%. You are getting the best.
Completely wrong. I am not sure how you can base your area on all baseball playing kids because none of the best players in the Woodlands/Spring/Conroe area play LL period.
P.S. And I have seen past LLWS teams turn into select teams and get their asses handed to them on a consistent basis.
This post was edited on 8/22/13 at 11:15 am
Posted on 8/22/13 at 11:19 am to lsu480
quote:
What does that have to do with the players? ALL of the best travel ball players out here in AZ and Cali also play LL. I would bet that AT LEAST 95% of American MLB players played LL, it is probably 100%. You are getting the best.
This is very true although I don't know about 95% but it's really high for sure. I've said in another little league thread, back in 1998 my all-star team won the Arizona state championship and went to the West Regionals, one step short of the LLWS. Our team had Ike Davis as an 11 year old, our district championship game we beat Lou Marson's (backup catcher in Cleveland) little league team. Darwin Barney played for the Oregon state champs and Matt Tuiasasopo was on the Washington state champs. That was just out of the handful of teams we played head-to-head. I think Todd Frazier was on the NJ team that won it all that year. That was just from about a 50 team sample size and there are thousands of individual leagues that put these teams together.
The other thing is little league is extremely limited by border restrictions when it comes to picking teams. It isn't like travel ball where you can pick the best talent from wherever. My high school (and lsu480's) boundry had 3 or 4 different little leagues essentially feed into it where we dominated the entire state at the high school level.
Posted on 8/22/13 at 12:31 pm to bags03
quote:
The other thing is little league is extremely limited by border restrictions when it comes to picking teams. It isn't like travel ball where you can pick the best talent from wherever. My high school (and lsu480's) boundry had 3 or 4 different little leagues essentially feed into it where we dominated the entire state at the high school level.
Yes we did....and still do!!!!!
Posted on 8/22/13 at 1:27 pm to nofear67
quote:
And I have seen past LLWS teams turn into select teams and get their asses handed to them on a consistent basis
It is because LL teams, by their nature of being from a very specific geographic area, are the equivalent of an A or AA USSSA squad. No Little League all-star team can compete with the best that AAA and Major has to offer, but the stereotype associated with the typical AAA or Major USSSA team is what keeps them from replacing the LLWS - and I played on a AAA team growing up.
Of the "pure" assosciations, that is, leagues that are based on geographic locations and are not select in nature, Little League is by far the most popular, hence the broadcast.
While talented, people do not want to see select teams with state-wide mercenaries go at it. Plain and simple.
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