Man Bites Dog And Journalism Bites Kids

Sorry, I am about to be a giant pain in the little league carcass, but my vitriol is not pointed at them...just ESPN and the journalists who cover the games in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. For the past several weeks, there has been a coronation in process of Mo'Ne Davis, a thirteen year old female Little League World Series player from Philadelphia whose team was eliminated Thursday from Championship contention.

What bothers me about this story is first off, she is thirteen, so is there any possibility we could as another writer put it "let her future wait until it actually arrives."  The last phenom of this nature was a kid named Danny Almonte who was later found to be too old to be playing where he was.

I am not proposing Miss Davis is any older than she and her parents say she is, but one thing I will say is little league baseball whether Big L or little L should be about celebrating youth baseball, not a player who wants to become the starting point guard on the UConn basketball team.

Second, is she really that good?  Let me take it a step further.  Sure, she had a no hitter at the Little League World Series.  And?  I have a kid with four no hitters including a twelve strikeout, four inning Perfect Game.  Is she a better pitcher because there were TV cameras to capture it?  I have to go with no...not because mine is better, but because you didn't see them play one another which would give you a better clue as to who is and who isn't.

ESPN does a great deal promoting its product.  That doesn't mean though that these kids are better than kids down the street.  Honestly, just in the Dallas/Fort Worth area I can think of a half dozen teams who I would put up against any team in the Little League World Series and they would win.  Any.

I doubt it will happen because Little League teams do not play USSSA teams or Cal Ripken League teams.  They each have slight rules variations to make them different.

The point is give me my 11 year old because Miss Davis' fastball looks fast because she is throwing from a mound forty some feet away.  She is thirteen.  My eleven year old throws from a mound fifty plus back.  If you don't think there is a difference, try it out.  All of a sudden pitchers become much more hittable...or they don't because they adjust.  However, that is not the man bites dog story journalists want to cover and because of that journalists are invariably objectifying kids whose talent may not be as high as broadcast across the cable airwaves.  What happens when their talent falls back to reality?

While there are lots of discussions about how Miss Davis and family can cash in on her current fame, it seems that at least her family is keeping things in perspective.  While people clamor for a book deal or sports drink promotion, her step father seems intent on having zero questions about his daughter's eligibility for UConn should that offer materialize in the years to come.  Smart guy focusing on the real prize and not a temporary moment of gratification.

If only we could get the media to entertain the same ideas, but they are too busy creating heroes who may not be ready for the capes being placed on their shoulders.

Baseball Broken Dreams

It is well known I am not the smartest cookie in the cookie jar, but I do try to know what is in the best interests of my kids.  So a few weeks ago I posted about coaches complaining about their kids and the parents not trusting them.  Woops, I thought baseball was about the kids.  What was I thinking?

Well, lo and behold, karma becomes reality.

For my coaching friend who said his rec team was ready to take the next step and become a select team despite lots of defensive holes, several pitching issues, and undisciplined bats, I assume your 1-2 tournament record, speaks for itself.  Yes, I am going to be the one who told you so, because you wouldn't listen to reason and understand that you can't play family ball at the select level.

The honest answer coach is you were right.  One kid doesn't make a team, but when you push the kid off your team who no hit you, because you are so Hellbent on going select that you won't look at objective numbers, all you get is bent by Hell.  One kid doesn't make a team, but you can pull a key cog off your defense and out of your rotation and kids who can go full games at this age, do not grow on trees.  You have been coaching a lot longer than I have which is why I wonder why you didn't realize even with a switch pitcher who can finish the games he starts, we didn't have enough arms to compete at the rec level, much less a select one.  I suspect this is going to be a long season for you.

No, I will admit this too.  Yes, you will have some successes, but I don't see a tourney win this year and if you are playing rec ball, isn't that what it's about?

I have already heard your excuses from the weekend because I am sure they were the same as last year's.  Let's see: (a) it was too early to play a tourney and the kids weren't ready [despite practicing since December are you really going to pound the kids for getting beaten by a lesser seed in the first round of elimination play?], (b) they didn't do what you told them [maybe because drills need to be changed to maintain focus and attention to detail and develop new skills], (c) the umpires blew too many calls [umpires dont make or break games for teams...teams make or break games for teams], or (d) we were just unlucky [well in baseball you can make your own luck by being prepared and executing.]

For me, I feel bad for the other parents who will have to endure a full season of "almost."  Excuses just don't last the test of time and the dedication factor of some of the people who you have selected is less than you are willing to admit now.

In fact, I find it funny that you are okay, bad mouthing the kids who continue on your team after claiming there was no way they would be on your select team.  I know you got played by other parents who told you whatever they told you about coming over, but I was straight.  I was amazed you would ask a kid to teach how to throw both ways to a kid who doesn't put in the effort to throw correctly from one side.  I am still amazed you ignored the idea to stay rec, fix some issues and win a tournament at the rec level before the team went select, but you ignored that advice.

Now your parents and kids get to pay more for games they are going to be increasingly outgunned by teams that prepare in a more varied way.  Sure, there are other select teams, like yours that will muddle through the middle, but again, consistency counts.

One of these days the kid above is going to add to his no-hitter list and next time it may be against your team (again).  I worry your team is still going to be standing around in the field waiting to hear the excuse then for why you lost to a kid you were so desperate to kick out.  Either way, it makes for a season on broken dreams for kids who deserve better.

Fixing The Roof

When is the right time to fix a roof?

President Kennedy had a quote that the right time to fix the roof was before the rain or when the sun was shining depending on which version you buy into.  I don't know which is better, but I do know the right time to work on things is before you need to which is why I was amazed yesterday when someone had asked me why we (my oldest son and I) were out taking batting practice so far in front of the season?

Ummm, to get ready?

Look, youth baseball is not all about winning, but I know of no coach who intentionally takes their kids out trying to lose either.  Part of the game is to learn how to compete, how to struggle and overcome when you are down.

Meanwhile I also know that almost every coach talks about fun and talks about winning, but I hear very few coaches talking about preparing to win.  What do I mean?

Well, if you can go out and beat any team without preparing to play, you probably haven't learned many good lessons, if any.  I want the team that understands that winning is usually (90%) of the time about executing regular plays correctly  90% of the time.  I hear lots of coaches, and even fire officers and other public safety officials, talking about 90% 90% of the time, but they don't back it up with the effort of training.  Ugh!  Who does this?

I don't want talk, I want work?  And I don't just want practice because if you practice sloppy, you play sloppy.  In any case, if you want to be great, you have to be foundationally great which means doing the little things again and again and again until they are right.

So my advice for youth baseball coaches is go fix your roof now so that the season's spring showers don't rain on your games.