Expert: Martin Hoover - 6/18/2008

Question
Several parents, like myself, with children in our little league minor division (6-9 year olds) here in Chadron Nebraska, are very concerned that the league requires our kids coming out of tee ball to go straight to player pitch. The league is not large, 4 teams with 10 -11 kids per team. Coaches are volunteers, no creditals required. The pitching is very poor, most kids are not getting the ball to the plate or throwing it to the backstop and several kids get hit each game. Since the strikes are far and few between, the kids are swinging at everything just to try to hit or some have figured out it is easier to walk. The Umps are calling obvious balls "strikes" just to help the pitchers and to make the batter swing. We feel the kids are missing out on batting, fielding situations and baserunning fundamentals. These kids are coming straight out of tee ball without machine or coach pitch to transition into player pitch. Our coaches are not experts on pitching and the kids coming out of tee ball program mainly learned how to bring a snack or drink to the game. I am told the sole reason for player pitch in the minor league program is to develop 9 year old pitchers for the traveling team. Would you know what the norm is for little league programs with 6-9 year olds using machine, coach and player pitch. Thank you for any input you can give me. The program use to use machine pitch only in the minor league and all I hear is how good the program was back then.

Answer
I've answered a question like this before.  I've added the question and my response for your references.

Should you have any other questions, please let me know!

-Martin Hoover


"Hi martin,
here is the problem I 'm coaching an instructional little(6-8) league team and there is another coach who wants to have his players pitch the first inning( we use a pitching machine throughout the game)I contend that its dangerous because the players don't react fast enough and they don't pitch from the rubber. Can you help our league clarify this issue.pitching or no pitching? Batting machine Vs coach

thanks"
 
Answer:

"Derek,

Please keep in mind that what I'm going to say is what my league does, and what I have stood by in my tenure in Little League Baseball.

Any players league age 5 and 6 should be in T-Ball, regardless of experience.  However, if there is a safety reason(6 year old can really throw the ball and cause harm), then your Board of Directors can move them to the next level of player.  Our 7 and 8 year olds play player pitch/coach pitch.  The pitcher throws to the batter from 35 feet.  If the pitcher strikes the batter out, then it remains an out.  If the pitcher throws 4 balls to the batter, the offensive coach throws three strikes(no ball thrown by the coach is considered a ball).  If the player still doesn't hit the ball, they shall be declared out.

This helps with developing pitching and to helps the batter, as they have to learn to swing and make contact with the ball.  With pitch count in the upper divisions, it is important to develop pitchers at the 7-10 year old range.  In my opinion, and in my tenure in Little League, I have come to the conclusion that a pitching machine does not accomplish anything, as no one is really developing skills with the exception of the batter(and they need to learn delivery from a pitcher and not a machine).

Once again, this is just the view of myself.  Little League relies on the Board of Directors to establish rules in the lower divisions of play.  I have found that our rules have worked best.  We have tried other alternatives, but have always returned to what has worked for us best.

I hope this has helped.  Should you have any other questions, please feel free to write."