2024 Youth Baseball - Every Kid’s a future MLB HOFer!!!

[InkaUtexas 25,857]

I miss coaching, but damn I am glad I don't have to deal with Travel Select Baseball ever again.

[BigDHornfan 6,545]

Spring 12u season is gearing up. Practices started last week.
New kid on the team is fucking huge.
Compared to my kid. (Catcher)

[NorthLoop 14,180]

He'll probably make better contact if he stands closer to the plate 😁

[BigDHornfan 6,545]

50 minutes ago, NorthLoop said:

He'll probably make better contact if he stands closer to the plate 😁

pitcher was still warming up

[NorthLoop 14,180]

Boy's first game was tonight. Drizzly and muddy. He comes up to me "Dad my pants have mud all over them." I told him "Your pants are supposed to get dirty in baseball."  

The look on his face was like I'd just handed him a million bucks.

[HOOKEM4 5,036]

On 2/28/2024 at 9:23 AM, BigDHornfan said:

Spring 12u season is gearing up. Practices started last week.
New kid on the team is fucking huge.
Compared to my kid. (Catcher)

I have a kid on my 12u team that wears an XL jersey. He is a biiig boy. Two others that are maybe 5'-9" or 5'-10". They make them different these days.

[TankedBevo 2,482]

My 8yo started his first year of kid pitch a couple weeks ago. His normal throw has a sidearm hitch that we're working through with some towel drills and other youtube tutorials for fixing it. Surprisingly, over the last week he's ditched his shitty attitude toward going to practice or drilling at home and looks to have found a competitive edge. Probably after gauging himself against some of the better players on his team. He's about 4" taller than the next tallest kid so he's kind of awkward like a baby giraffe. 

At the very least, the "want to" has dramatically increased and today there was a school teacher work day, so I showed him a couple drills that he was working on in the yard while I worked from home and took breaks to see how he was doing and work with him a bit.  

I'm hoping to fix the hitch in his throw then slide into pitching basics since he's a lefty. Lots of work to do but I couldn't be more proud of the steps he's taken so far.

Sorry for the boring story lol. 

 

[BlackCat 426]

On 2/29/2024 at 8:11 PM, NorthLoop said:

Boy's first game was tonight. Drizzly and muddy. He comes up to me "Dad my pants have mud all over them." I told him "Your pants are supposed to get dirty in baseball."  

The look on his face was like I'd just handed him a million bucks.

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

For me as i am in last spring of “youth” baseball as my youngest is in 8th grade it will be the little things I will miss:

My youngest and I go the Starbucks in Tarrytown every weekend he has a tournament to grab breakfast on the way to warmups. He’s had a chance to see Ben Crenshaw there holding court for the past several years and it’s just been a cool experience for he and I over the years. 

Edited March 2 by BrazilHorn

[Mez2 4,023]

18 hours ago, TankedBevo said:

My 8yo started his first year of kid pitch a couple weeks ago. His normal throw has a sidearm hitch that we're working through with some towel drills and other youtube tutorials for fixing it. Surprisingly, over the last week he's ditched his shitty attitude toward going to practice or drilling at home and looks to have found a competitive edge. Probably after gauging himself against some of the better players on his team. He's about 4" taller than the next tallest kid so he's kind of awkward like a baby giraffe. 

At the very least, the "want to" has dramatically increased and today there was a school teacher work day, so I showed him a couple drills that he was working on in the yard while I worked from home and took breaks to see how he was doing and work with him a bit.  

I'm hoping to fix the hitch in his throw then slide into pitching basics since he's a lefty. Lots of work to do but I couldn't be more proud of the steps he's taken so far.

Sorry for the boring story lol. 

 

Put him at SS and hit him some fungo, having him field the ball and throw to 1B. Whatever is his arm slot throwing from SS-1B is his natural arm slot. Unless he's coming in with a huge negative arm angle from the side when pitching. For a lefty, that would be 6, 7, 8, maybe 9'o'clock, you don't have to correct it *too* much. 

[TankedBevo 2,482]

Thanks for the tip, will do 

[Jshep34 2,308]

Is the efficient?

[Basil 754]

I’m sending a prayer to the little league gods that we get knocked down a bracket today. We need to drop six spots to get in silver, get a bye and play close by at 11 or 1:00. If we don’t, it’s a 40 mile drive and early game. And per usual we’ll find out probably around 10-10:30 tonight.

[Mez2 4,023]

3-1 on the weekend in the Super NIT, for whatever it's worth. Lost 6-3 to a team from "West Orange, NJ"  which meant NJ, NY, PA, MD and DE, so that was fun. 

Hope everyone had a great showing this weekend!

[Briuis 61]

We had a great pool play performance on Saturday night. Went 2-0 and earning top seed. Lost the first game on Sunday to a team be had destroyed on Saturday. Jekyll and Hyde style weekend. 

[Planet Houston 4,930]

Won big in Saturday’s first game, had a great comeback to tie our second game and stay in the top third of the bracket for Sunday, won big Sunday morning (much thanks to my wife, no pics, for jumping on the 8am first pitch grenade), rolled in our quarterfinal game. All in all a good performance for such a stacked tournament. The Texas 12 from Katy won it, and how they aren’t in Majors is a mystery (it’s not a mystery, you get 12 guesses why). They are insane:

Again, good showing and an overall good weekend. Pitchers were throwing strikes our last game and the kids were just smoking good pitchers. Over the fence grand slam didn’t help! 

[Jshep34 2,308]

@Planet Houston is it the texas twelve 9u katy? If so they are 21-0. That is freaking insane. Shows they are a majors team now.

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

Went 3-1 on weekend and came in 2nd for tournament. Lost by one run in championship game. Tough one but team is pretty solid so far this season. 

[Stros121 4]

Sons team finished the weekend 2-2. They give you a consultation game in 14u majors if you’re not in the top 32 who go to bracket. Played at Premier all weekend.

#1 team nation beat us 6-0.Some big kids, bringing the heat 80 to 85 mph. they came in 2nd in the tourney. Motor City Hit Dogs won. 

#55 team in the nation we won 10-6

#2 team we lost 2-1, in 6 innings.
final game we won 11-5

son did ok at the plate 3-9 all singles, 3rbis, 2sb, 2ks. pitched against #1 team. He did well under the big lights against some of the best hitters in 14u.

4.2 innings 7h 6R 4bb 1k 85p

 

 

 

[Planet Houston 4,930]

1 hour ago, Jshep34 said:

@Planet Houston is it the texas twelve 9u katy? If so they are 21-0. That is freaking insane. Shows they are a majors team now.

Yup

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

7U metro team got moved from AAA to AA to balance division sizes. Beat two AAA teams this weekend 16-9 and 17-10 LOL. We may steamroll the AA and look like ring chasers. At least the boy went 5-6, 6 R, 6 RBI to open the season. Should be fun to let the kids play a ton of different positions and still win. 

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

8 hours ago, Murfdogg21 said:

7U metro team got moved from AAA to AA to balance division sizes. Beat two AAA teams this weekend 16-9 and 17-10 LOL. We may steamroll the AA and look like ring chasers. At least the boy went 5-6, 6 R, 6 RBI to open the season. Should be fun to let the kids play a ton of different positions and still win. 

We had new team last year and started similarly in AA and just absolutely whipped teams in first tournament and summarily got moved up to AAA where team should’ve been at the start. That first weekend was crazy though, i think two of the games we barely got through one inning kids put up so many runs. 

[closetojumping 62,528]

My boy walked off a Friday night game with a double in the gap and then threw a kid out from the hole as the other team rallied in the second game to end it. 10U in the NIT.  

They opened as the 16 seed out of 64 and were in the top bracket facing the #1 seed on Sunday. That #1 seed is familiar and is owned and run by Cal McNair. My son, on numerous teams, has run into that group of boys many times and I’ve coached a few of the kids.

 It’s weird, I have never seen a questionable call go against that team, ever. Our mild mannered coaches, the top 2, ended up getting tossed by game’s end. My son’s team took a big lead early and then watched it get given away. I have only seen a handful of games at any level of sport where I actually believed bullshit was happening.  Sunday looked a lot like Enrico Pallazzo was the field ump. Comfortingly, that team was blown out in the following game. 

[Jshep34 2,308]

Heard about that game. We lost our only game Sunday to the 3 seed. Kids fought back and hung with them. Umpires didn't understand what a balk is. Never got called. Cost us a few runs. Umpires were telling our 3 coaches ( coach #1 former d1 pitcher , coach #2 former d1 2nd baseman, coach #3 former d1 infielder and mlb player) what a balk is. Found it hilarious that they (Umpires) were saying as long as pitchers hands come set he isn't balking.

[66BUFF 2,562]

Banditos Black teams used to get those calls when my son was playing them.

[Jshep34 2,308]

Certain parks certain organizations get calls.
Ford park= gladiators
Premier= banditos
Baseball usa=wildcatters and marucci

[Mez2 4,023]

Oaks Dad's Club= Bats

😆 

[BlackCat 426]

Really happy with my 7yo's coaches. Good dudes who dont act like dipshits and are committed to helping these kids develop baseball skills. They've been getting my kid some time at 2nd where he doesnt quite belong yet and he's already made some big strides, really helped with his confidence. Hes transferring his weight nicely on his swing, just working on timing and staying back. Most importantly he has the baseball bug and he's got a great attitude. Feels good seeing him make a jump before the season has even started. I guess corching really does matter.

[UTPhil2006 3,802]

Post the pic @Mez2

[Jshep34 2,308]

^ what he said^

[pops 6,980]

Bittersweet year as my kid ages out of little league after this season. Yeah, there is still travel ball and pony and maybe high school,  but there is something pure and simple about little league. We have an awesome league with great parents and I really enjoy it.   And at 12u they're starting to play some fun ball to watch. 

I've umped since his 7u year and it is such a great perspective on the game. Only ever had one issue and it was between two coaches last year. I'm not about to take any shit or put up with any shit and our board is very clear about that. They will remove a parent for arguing with the ump or yelling at coaches so it just doesn't happen. It's awesome and fun and the kids have a good time. 

[Mez2 4,023]

2 hours ago, Jshep34 said:

^ what he said^

Son is a huge LSU Baseball fan, we're here in Baton Rouge for early part of Spring Break, taking him to the weekend series vs Xavier. Friday night at the game:

[Jshep34 2,308]

Saw the 2 goats play some today. Chuy and Owen.

[Jshep34 2,308]

Lilshep is now 12 innings into spring season .
2 earned runs
18 k's
10 hits
1.2 Era
1.03 whip
159 pitches (73% strike rate)
0 walks

[Planet Houston 4,930]

On 3/6/2024 at 8:26 AM, Mez2 said:

Oaks Dad's Club= Bats

😆

16 hours ago, Jshep34 said:

Saw the 2 goats play some today. Chuy and Owen.

Hey @Mez2 - see you this afternoon if we win our 8am!

[Mez2 4,023]

45 minutes ago, Planet Houston said:

Hey @Mez2 - see you this afternoon if we win our 8am!

[Mez2 4,023]

17 hours ago, Jshep34 said:

Saw the 2 goats play some today. Chuy and Owen.

Good seeing you guys out there,  good luck today!

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

Out here at lovely Liberty Hill HS brought to you by Austin ISD recapture dollars. Great facility and it is cool seeing 14u team play on HS field. 
 

My son is a catcher and has really stepped up his blocking which is big when the backstop moves what seems to be an extra 10’ back. 
 

 

[hobbes2702 13,029]

Kids 8u AAA team has a few kids that have big problems casting and staying back. I’ve seen the rope bat stuff and I can see some value in there for preventing casting but seems expensive.

Any recs for drills or opinions on rope bat?

[Planet Houston 4,930]

1 hour ago, Mez2 said:

 

Lost a heartbreaker on a walkoff. Baseball. 

[Jshep34 2,308]

Squeaked out a win 17-2. Now have to wait till 3pm.

[Mez2 4,023]

3 hours ago, Planet Houston said:

 

Lost a heartbreaker on a walkoff. Baseball. 

Noooo!!!

Sorry to hear that,  heading out there now

[Planet Houston 4,930]

4 hours ago, Mez2 said:

Noooo!!!

Sorry to hear that,  heading out there now

Thanks for avenging us, my long-time friend Travis B. and I have been texting. Would have been fun to see you. Maybe we will play up in more 10U tourneys. But y’all need to get your asses to AAA it looks like!

[Mez2 4,023]

2 minutes ago, Planet Houston said:

Thanks for avenging us, my long-time friend Travis B. and I have been texting. Would have been fun to see you. Maybe we will play up in more 10U tourneys. But y’all need to get your asses to AAA it looks like!

You know T-Bone?

Hes a great guy,  his son Nacho is a blast. Glad we could avenge you guys, this is first time out at BLD, pretty nice place. Ran into Shep and LilShep, too, always good to see them in person. 

[BrazilHorn 6,586]

Lost first game. Son had two of team’s three hits in game (double and a triple). Tough to win with only three hits. Was cold as shit in Liberty Hill. Super windy. 
 

Always tough first tourney back from spring break 

[Planet Houston 4,930]

2 hours ago, Mez2 said:

You know T-Bone?

Hes a great guy,  his son Nacho is a blast. Glad we could avenge you guys, this is first time out at BLD, pretty nice place. Ran into Shep and LilShep, too, always good to see them in person. 

Yep, since 6th grade. Awesome guy. We don’t keep super close contact these days but a good almost life-long friend. 

Edited March 25 by Planet Houston

[Planet Houston 4,930]

Sounds like y’all are getting turbofucked, @Mez2

Gotta love that sportsmanship with a bunch of kids…

[Mez2 4,023]

1 hour ago, Planet Houston said:

Sounds like y’all are getting turbofucked, @Mez2

Gotta love that sportsmanship with a bunch of kids…

completely horseshit. We made too many errors but that was fucking brutal. 

3-3 game going into the 4th inning,  or so, and the other team claims they scored another run in the first inning. We're home team, have home book and same score as ump in field and home plate.

They call the PG director on site, comes to the field, ends up reviewing and looking at the game changer and video from the game from multiple phones/tablets. The run in question was a judgement call by the ump, PG guy ends up overturning the initial run in the 1st while we're in the 4th/5th inning, we go from tied game in 5th to down a run and no time left. We had chances to win the game and not let that come into play but I had no idea you can do video review from game changer to challenge calls.

 

Edited March 25 by Mez2

[Jshep34 2,308]

Playing a 12u tournament and the kids stepped up. Went 4 and 0 today. Great to see the kids battle thru so much today. Started at 8am then had a 5 hour break. Won a game after committing 8 errors. Then played error free title game baseball. Joining this group has been the best decision. Our game was live streaming and our owner was watching with thier kids at home. Blessed to be apart of it.

[Mez2 4,023]

22 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

Kids 8u AAA team has a few kids that have big problems casting and staying back. I’ve seen the rope bat stuff and I can see some value in there for preventing casting but seems expensive.

Any recs for drills or opinions on rope bat?

I bought it for my son probably when he was 7 years old and think it was one of the best training aids I've spent money on for him. I preach to him daily to stay inside the baseball and go up the middle/ away. He loves the feedback from the swing, and is really smooth swinging it now. To this day, he uses it in the on deck circle as he's getting ready to hit. 

As you mentioned there are some other drills you can do to help - Google "Robinson Cano drill" for a start.