Travesty to the Game

I thought I had seen just about about everything when it has to do with winning-at-all-costs youth baseball. When you think you’ve been seen everything something else comes in and tops it. Last weekend I had agreed to help my friend with a 12 and under travel team.

I don’t recommend travel ball until kids reach 13 and over but this guy has a brand-new bunch of kids from a local Little League. Most of them had never taken a lead off base or held runners on. We got our tails handed to us all weekend but we got the kids introduced to the running game and leading off and stealing.

This one team we played was from another planet. First of all, their coach was a maniac. I have seen some coaches who are obnoxious yeller’s who take every opportunity to embarrass kids on the field but this guy was Mr. Moon-Beam. He was all over his kids from first-inning to the last…Wow…unbelievable.

But, by far even worst thing was every kid that came up to bat laid down a bunt and I mean every kid. I remembered about three kids who hit the ball on their ballclub. He made them waggle the bat while taking a strike. If they did not walk they all bunted. Yes every single kid in the lineup tried to bunt. Of course when the runners reached base they would steal on the first pitch including home, too.

There was no absolutely no player development whatsoever as far as letting kids swing the bat, plus the guy was just a big dink.

I bet all those middle school and high school coaches can’t wait to get their hands on all the good bunters on this team. How many college and professional baseball scouts are looking for good bunters? (Zero).

You know what I say, “You go as far as your bat takes you.” What a travesty to the game and a moral disservice to the kids and families of these players. But, their team was happy since they won the game 7-2. There is never a justification for winning by exploiting the players in this fashion.

That was about the lowest point I’ve seen in youth baseball as far as the win-at-all-costs philosophy proving it is alive and well and to top it off the coach was an embarrassment to baseball the way he verbally and assaulted his players.

Unfortunately this coach and his player’s parents don’t realize that there is a better way to develop players. ‘Player development is the winning formula.’

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There is NO Bunting in Baseball

Bunting is not the highest priority for this age. The kids have to swing it. If they don’t its game-over and their careers will come to a premature end with a bunch of frustration along the way.

I have been coaching a youth team of 11 year olds this fall and I have not even shown or allowed anyone to bunt yet. Why? I don’t want to waste any time on stuff that will not keep kids in the game. Every at-bat in practice and games is swinging the bat. If they don’t hit---it’s Game-Over.

Plus, who wants to go your whole youth baseball career and never experience the thrill and feel of hitting a ball perfectly on the sweet spot. We faced a kid the other night that walked 4 times and never took a swing the entire game. What good was that but a wasted opportunity to swing-it!

Push-ups for Walks

‘Ya, but Dave, kids have to have a good eye at the plate.” I say, “Becoming a hitter who can consistently swing it trumps having a good eye. If a kid has a good eye but cant hit the ball out of the infield then it is Game-Over.

Having a good eye at the plate can wait. The problem always comes back to the baseball parents that want to win more than develop hitters. Walks in youth baseball will help teams win games—but at what cost?

The price is costly because so many kids never get a chance to develop into real good hitters and this is an epidemic around the country. Win-at-all-costs parents have no idea how they are harming kids in having an opportunity to become a good hitter.

This is why I don’t allow bunting or send kids up to get a walk. Swing-it my friends—Swing-it!

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