jkates

This is what we try to do. Our local rec league ends in mid-late May, and it offers a summer league in July. We did both of those when he was 5 and 6. The past 2 years, ages 7 and 8, we have played on a select team in June. This team was designed to be June only with no travel. We want to expose the boys to a) better coaching, b) elevated expectations, c) new friends and d) better competition, but we don't want to spend a ton of money or burn anyone out. In 7U we played 3 June tournaments. This year our 8U will play 5. Then we're finished with baseball for a while; none of these kids are doing the local rec league in July. They'll all go play football or soccer, then basketball.

Not me. Since we don't play true Little League, we don't have that. My son is playing a few select-ball tournaments in June. We've played 3, 1 more to go, possibly a 5th to close it out.

Bases loaded with 0 outs = 1 run. Ouch. The game is nowhere near over, but that was a big missed opportunity.

Got away with another crappy bunt. I'll take it, of course. Let's capitalize, Horns!

Runners on 1st and 2nd again with 0 outs. Hamilton up. DON'T BUNT PLEASE! Hamilton is 3rd in both OBP and SLG among the qualifiers. Let him swing the bat and ride with the results. We need at least 3 runs and it's the 5th inning. Play for them.

Asking Masen Hibbeler to intentionally make an out is gross.

I am a head coach during the local league play - and this year was league coordinator. Bumping down to just an assistant coach on our select team is sooooo fun. I don't have to make a lineup, figure out scheduling, create a practice plan, etc. I just show up and help. And, because the head coach and another played professionally, I learn a lot that I can use later on.

I coached with the coach of the Irish - Johnnie Randolph - last summer. Fun guy.

I caught a couple of POLL championship games on Saturday night. I was pulling for the Irish (PeeWee) and Sea Dogs (Minors) and both won. Some YMCA member chewed me out for where I parked. Saw some old friends from high school. Solid little night.

Not many verbalized the Mexican thing, for sure. Trust me, I'm not overblowing it because I'm not saying it's a huge issue. I'm simply saying it exists. And, given the facts I have in my possession, I'm quite comfortable stating that. First you've heard because, as I said, first time they won. Nobody bothered to care when Connor and Brice were winning. Many of those same kids were on the same team (Barnstormers) with the same coach in Rookie. But they went 4-7 or something so nobody cared. I think it was great for the league and am happy for the kids that won. The concerns about the downside are what is overblown. 100% of the Board examined this issue and was fine with it. Most of them, to their credit, said something along the lines of, "Good for the Royals."

Y'all are taking the "little" too literally.

It's mostly a ton of fun, of course. I played in SBMSA 30 year ago. I'm sure there were crazy parents then too.

Many did not complain and that is good. I certainly can't stop anyone from feeling how you stated you feel about it. The fact remains that teams are formed like this every year at Rookie and Midget and nobody batted an eye until the Mexicans won.

It was not a hand-picked select ball team, although once the Wilchester rumor mill got that gem started it was impossible to stop. It was a team put together by the Board with kids from 6 or 7 different schools from a similar geography, per league guidelines. Do some of those kids on the Royals play select ball? Yes. 4 of them on a 7U team. 4 of them on an 8U team, although 1 of those was added after the coach liked him in SBMSA. Does the Royals coach run the Houston Warriors organization and facility? No. The Royals coach coaches select ball - like other coaches in our league, including me - and does so for the Houston Warriors, but he has a day job outside of baseball like the rest of us. Did the Royals coach hand pick his roster? No, and he didn't try to. He was allowed to name one assistant, just like everyone else. He was given 2 kids who had never played baseball before and his 7/8 age split was even - 6 kids of each age. The Wilchester coaches tried to bond together in groups of 3, instead of 2 per the rules, interestingly enough. Did the Royals kids have matching bat bags? Yes. 3 of them did to start the season. The coach had an extra in his garage. The rest paid $60 and got one. (This rumor was my personal favorite.) Did I rig the team because I want my son to play for the Houston Warriors? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I think what was really at the root of the issue were 2 things - 1) Brown kids from north of I-10 were beating the white kids from south of I-10 and 2) the Royals coach and families, aware of the rumors and opposing fan behavior towards them, had fun with their responses to people in order to add fuel to the fire, or at least made no attempt to stop it. I believe reason 1 was real, though rarely overt and malicious. Reason 2 was simultaneously funny to me and a giant pain in my butt. Anyway, they were hardly invincible. They were behind after the 3rd inning in at least 4 games. Plenty of teams could have beaten them and didn't. In my opinion, they wouldn't have cracked the Top 5 in Midget last season. They were good, but not in proportion to all of the fuss made over them. Gosh, that should have been embarrassing to the complainers, but, sadly, I don't think it was.

Baseball dads get super serious, especially when their little babies get beat. I was coordinator (commissioner) of our league this season. We had a few formal protests. These were not appeals during games about illegal bats - we had those and handled them in-game per our rules. These were formal protests. Our league rules make it pretty tough to protest, but that didn't stop these dudes. First, you have to notify the umpire during the game, then notify the opposing manager of intent to protest, and notify the scorekeeper. Then, within 24 hours, you have to file a written protest to the coordinator/board. We received written out, 4 page, authored by dads who are attorneys protests. Sooooo ridiculous. Each of them because something wasn't "fair" - which is most easily interpreted as "I won't volunteer any of my time to help the league but I will bitch and moan when my son's team loses to the Mexicans from the north side of I-10." The illegal bat issue is legit. I'm surprised your league doesn't have rules to address that during the game. Replaying it seems dumb.

We're eliminated. Championship game tonight between a team that's undefeated and a team with only 1 loss (which was to the undefeated team). Should be some good ball. It's a double elimination bracket, so 1 loss team needs to double dip the undefeated. 50 teams 100 preseason games 500 regular season games 62 playoff games 1 champion

Apparently, my hitters did not get this message. Nice W, Brew Crew!

I'm leaning this way.

Ha! I got so bogged down in the details, I didn't even realize who we were matched up against. Put your best fielders in the outfield, cuz we're going to bang the ball to the wall.

I still literally love Gerrit Cole.

Which Pee Wee team is your son on?

POLL is (in)famous for Styro Row. Our league (SBMSA) does not allow it, but you can be certain that plenty of tumblers contain mixed drinks, especially in the laid-back summer league. We started off the season pretty well, but the sportsmanship issues have started to crop up now that playoffs are near. Coaches and fans are starting to ratchet up the intensity. It's parts hilarious and parts ridiculous. I enjoy it a ton. Our little team is 7-1. We hit really well. We often play defense like Roger Dorn.

I don't know about him, but it's pretty clear that you don't understand the demand side of this equation. The demand is there. The $$$ speaks loudly.

Haha. I had you mixed up. I can't be expected to remember "Hanrahan!"

What team is your son on? We're on the Hooks.