What "team" walks a 12yr old 4 straight times????

[gunman]

How much fun can this be for the kid????

[Frank Reagan]

How much fun can this be for the kid????

Well, if the player being walked is "a player" and the opponent wants to win, I guess the coach had a strategy. This is nothing new and is no different than an Adam Dunn type shift, just strategy. I've seen it for years. It does stink for the kid, but in competitive sports coaches go to what ever length they feel is necessary to win. Try what a coach did to combat it, move the player getting walked all the time to lead-off. You will at least get the lead off batter on each game and by the law of averages, the lead-off hitter gets more abs, this player's obp will get even higher with the added abs.

[gunman]

Now, since I have cooled off a bit. This 12 yr old happens to be my son. He actually works his butt off at the game of baseball. Hitting and catching. By intentionly walking him every time in last nights game, he said to me on the way home from the game, that he felt like he let his team down. But, for a 12 yr old, who has played 21 games this season he has 17 dingers and 3 against this team.
But in my opinion you don't walk a kid 4 straight times.

[bengalfan76]

Biggest form of flattery for the kid. Do you let the kid hit 3 more?
If he is that good he better get used to walking.

[rickoshay]

Maybe you should let him "play-up " in an older age groupe???

[Catch24]

^^^^^Im sure that isn't an option due to rules of the league.

Sounds like he is one heck of a slugger, I wish you all the best. He needs to get the Barry Bonds approach, realize that he might only get one good pitch to hit a game and explode on it. I hate that a 12 year old has to deal with such a thing but look at this way. How many other 12 year olds have this type of respect at the plate? I went on to play college baseball, had a good career and I sure didn't get walked as a 12 year old. He'll be fine, just make sure he keeps working hard on every aspect of his game.

[rickoshay]

^^^^^Im sure that isn't an option due to rules of the league.

Sounds like he is one heck of a slugger, I wish you all the best. He needs to get the Barry Bonds approach, realize that he might only get one good pitch to hit a game and explode on it. I hate that a 12 year old has to deal with such a thing but look at this way. How many other 12 year olds have this type of respect at the plate? I went on to play college baseball, had a good career and I sure didn't get walked as a 12 year old. He'll be fine, just make sure he keeps working hard on every aspect of his game.

In SE Ohio, leagues will let good kids "play-up" a league...

[rickoshay]

^^^^^Im sure that isn't an option due to rules of the league.

Sounds like he is one heck of a slugger, I wish you all the best. He needs to get the Barry Bonds approach, realize that he might only get one good pitch to hit a game and explode on it. I hate that a 12 year old has to deal with such a thing but look at this way. How many other 12 year olds have this type of respect at the plate? I went on to play college baseball, had a good career and I sure didn't get walked as a 12 year old. He'll be fine, just make sure he keeps working hard on every aspect of his game.

In SE Ohio, leagues will let good kids "play-up" a league...

...not in Portsmouth...

Wonder why, It would help the good young player develope into a better player...

[Catch24]

Or get them hurt. I've never heard of a 12 year old being moved up to Senior League baseball because of his talent. 12 year olds and under play at Little League distances (base paths, distance from the mound to plate) for physical reasons. Seriously, I just don't think that is an option.

[gunman]

Catch24, Thank you for your quote on my son. He is a catcher/pitcher/1st. Like I said he works hard at hitting and catching technique. He just finished regular season tonight and he is on two traveling teams. So he will be pretty busy the rest of summer.

[swbaseballfan]

do the traveling teams he plays on use jr. league bats and 60 ft base distances on little league fields? if so be ready for some awesome baseball. i have a brother who played in a league like that for 2 differant summers and it was exciting baseball. it was a league for 13 and under

[oldcoachb]

That's terrible baseball in my opinion. What did the pitcher learn? This is what is wrong with Little League around here.

[CANNIBAL]

i'll tell you, why the walked him four times is because for one the pitcher can not throw strikes, or your son is the next barry bonds and they are scared, he'll hit homeruns.

[BlindWhiteHat]

I'd like to hear opinions on when it is ok to intentionally walk a batter. If 11-12 year old age level is too young then when is it acceptable?

[bengalfan76]

After t-Ball the object of the game is to win and teach fundamentals.
it is the coaches job to put his team in the postion to win the game.
I have always been taught don't let the other teams best player beat you if you can help it.
First base open the kid gets a free pass. Sorry if that hurts your feelings but that is the game.

[Orange and Brown]

After t-Ball the object of the game is to win and teach fundamentals.
it is the coaches job to put his team in the postion to win the game.
I have always been taught don't let the other teams best player beat you if you can help it.
First base open the kid gets a free pass. Sorry if that hurts your feelings but that is the game.

I can see pitching around a hitter but to put him on 4 straight at bats. Thats going a little to far. You never see anyone walked 4 times in a high school or legion team. I could see it in a close game in the 5th or 6th inning but 4 in a row.
COME ON!!

[rxburgfan]

post is a little self serving. glad your son is a "player". however, it seems to me that is part of the game of baseball. if you have "others" who can hit around him then it really does no good to pitch around him. if he is playing travel ball he probably will not be treated in the same manner. i hope his hard work pays off for you or for him.

[Burg_Grad_77]

I remember a situation like this back when I was coaching Little League. We were in the championship game for the league title and a certain kid had already hit a 2 run home run and a RBI double in his first two at bats. We had managed to get the lead late in the game and we walked this same kid his next two at bats and man did it tick off his coach and his dad, but both times the next batter hit into inning ending double plays and we won the game and the league. Both the coach and the father, even though they were highly ticked, told us they would have probably done the same thing in that situation. That's just baseball and if you want to win the game you do what is needed as long as it's within the rules.

[BlindWhiteHat]

I remember a situation like this back when I was coaching Little League. We were in the championship game for the league title and a certain kid had already hit a 2 run home run and a RBI double in his first two at bats. We had managed to get the lead late in the game and we walked this same kid his next two at bats and man did it tick off his coach and his dad, but both times the next batter hit into inning ending double plays and we won the game and the league. Both the coach and the father, even though they were highly ticked, told us they would have probably done the same thing in that situation. That's just baseball and if you want to win the game you do what is needed as long as it's within the rules.

Excellent post BG77, you and Bama Mike should be umpiring a little league game somewhere.