Why Little League?

What is it about the "Little League" baseball / softball organization that rates such lofty stature especially with all the TV coverage, compared to other youth organizations? There are so many organizations (LL, USSSA, Babe Ruth, Dixie Youth, Tarheel League, Pony , etc, etc) ...............I guess LL is the largest and worldwide.

any comments welcome, & especially from current and past Little League parents / volunteers.

I know that Cal Ripken has joined in with Babe Ruth ball; look for that organization to prosper from that relationship.

 

Well...besides being the oldest youth league (about 75 years), Little League is the largest. Babe Ruth is 2nd largest, but is about 1/3 as big.

The 11-12 boys have been on TV since the mid 1950's. That would be about the time that Cal Ripken was born.

 

$, history and marketing.

 

Little League Champion

Let the LL World Champions play the USSSA Elite 24 12U National Champion Houston Banditos. They fly one kid in from San Diego. They relocated another one and his family from NC just to play for the team (I kid you not!). And they've got one from Puerto Rico (I think).

It would (literally) be 30-0 Banditos. I am not kidding. Not only would the Banditos manhandle the LL World Champs but so would another 50+ AAU/USSSA teams in the 12U age bracket.

It doesn't bother me that they've got the TV deal. But you can't believe how many people don't know how stiff the "real" competition is out there. Even at 12U! No wonder our boys from NC are going down to East Cobb and Jupiter and competing for titles.

I know a lot of posters think it's "too much too young" but I'd bet one of those shrimp burgers that the majority of the boys making up those 17U Showcase Teams came from AAU/USSSA and not Little League.

 

Do you mean what they bring in because of the history and market. Or the $$$ that are charged to players. I agree that it serves the largest portion of players who otherwise would have nothing to do because of the money. I think they look at AAU and USSSA as money making organizations with little history. The others are just smaller orgs. that can not take the market from LL. If LL does not keep up with the changes of the game and start challenging players at the upper levels they will lose more players to the types like AAU & USSSA. I see it in softball. My daughter played LL softball at 10. They just did get enough players to have two teams. And it was hard to get games with other LL districts because of playing rules and teams being overloaded with better players. In the fall it is worst. She travels now. I was talking with a friend that has a grandson just starting tee ball. We were talking about when our sons played they would try to make plays not just call time. Getting off the horse now.

 

Agree. The travel teams at the LL ages are very good. I would say that most start in LL and get discoraged with the challenge. Then it is to AAU or USSSA. LL has not made any advancement in playing of the game, just moved the fence back. And they still jack it out with metal bats. No lead off or steal. The pitch count to 85 (and they still are not solid on that). They have lost a lot. I think back to the day when you could go by most LL fields and it was packed looked like a championship game every game. Now, looks like a practice. Not many people are there.

 

^^Platedad, LL fields near my home are just as packed as ever (12's & under). I still go by & smoke a stogie from the outfield, especially during all star season.

I don't get the above comparison to Travelball teams. Yea, area teams that recruit have superior talent...but that's not the attraction of LL. It's community based ball. You have to live in the district (& they check this very closely). No imports.

Then during the regular season, you play for the team that drafts you. (Titles are won in the draft room, no doubt). But then comes All Stars. Oh baby, that's the life when you play for Mom, applepie, & your home area. Just like Legion teams...

My son played both, & I wouldn't trade 5 years of travelball for one year of LL. It was easily the most fun besides Legion. Better than high school or college too.

 

LL has lots of money behind them, and I don't mean in what the kids pay. The organization is flush compared with others. I sit on PONY"s board and ran that so I am familiar. LL has the history of being the dominant youth baseball program. While LL is declining, so is Babe Ruth, PONY, Dixie and others. Cal Ripken is the only group that is growing and that is mainly becase they are new and have nowhere to go but up. LL also does a much better job promoting their programs and has extensive corporate $ behind them. They are the only group that has the marketing savy to negotiate TV contracts. Which also brings in a lot of $.

TO uk7dook3's point, LL may be about the same in his area (Winston area I believe) but it is declining in other areas of the Triad. LL is not offered in some areas. For instance, Greensboro does not have it. They are a PONY group.

LL is also seeing a drop in quality of play. USSSA/AAU has had an impact on all youth baseball groups. Plate Dad mentions that kids start out in LL and then at 13 switch to travel ball. This happens some with all-star teams however the numbers say otherwise. Travel ball is exploding in the ages below 12U. Hence, less kids play all forms of REC ball.

 

UK7,
My point is not that the LL does't have some attraction. I played it and it does!

My point is that the LL World Series is presented by LL (and misunderstood by many casual observers) to be the premier 12U Baseball in the country. That's the tone of the TV broadcasts and no one sets the record straight. LL seems to be riding on it's reputation from the 50's.

I've already seen more than a few LL Stars jump over to an established AAU/USSSA program where the same 6 or so Major teams compete week after week only to have a very, very rude awakening. Some work hard to catch up while others migrate back to LL with negative stories to tell of why the travel ball circuit has done this wrong or done that wrong.

Every boy that wants to be an All-Star should be an All-Star. Dad just needs to find the right league where he can coach and make sure Junior gets voted on the team.

D'Backs, do I need to say it......... or do you want to "hit this one out of the park" for me?

 

UK7,
My point is not that the LL does't have some attraction. I played it and it does!

My point is that the LL World Series is presented by LL (and misunderstood by many casual observers) to be the premier 12U Baseball in the country. That's the tone of the TV broadcasts and no one sets the record straight. LL seems to be riding on it's reputation from the 50's.

I've already seen more than a few LL Stars jump over to an established AAU/USSSA program where the same 6 or so Major teams compete week after week only to have a very, very rude awakening. Some work hard to catch up while others migrate back to LL with negative stories to tell of why the travel ball circuit has done this wrong or done that wrong.

Every boy that wants to be an All-Star should be an All-Star. Dad just needs to find the right league where he can coach and make sure Junior gets voted on the team.

D'Backs, do I need to say it......... or do you want to "hit this one out of the park" for me?