In the News...

from Collegiate Baseball:

in an article by Miami coach Charlie Greene, apparently Little League has finally seen the wisdom of transitioning kids more gently from the 12 year old major league division to the 13 year old division.

Instead of throwing kids from a 46-foot pitchers distance and 60 foot baselines directly to the ADULT, MAJOR LEAGUE distances of 60-foot pitchers distance and 90 foot baselines, Little League will now allow a more age-appropriate field dimensions of 50-foot mound and 70 foot bases.

This will clearly benefit the "late-bloomers" among the 13-year olds and help L.L. to retain more kids in the program. Little League has long experienced upwards of 50% "drop-out" rate when kids were forced to go from the small field to the larger field.

The more "accelerated physical maturer" or "early bloomers" would remain in the program, as the field dimensions were not as demanding on them.

I would give kudos to LL for this development except that the question arises as to why it took so long for them to see the wisdom of this move in the first place. The "drop out rate" problem has been with them for at least one and maybe two decades or more. L.L. in effect denied the problem existed and allowed kids to move to other programs that implemented more user-friendly dimensions.

This IMO led to some of the overuse problems with youth pitchers that we see today as kids migrated and experimented with play on multiple teams and programs. And pitch counts are the solution, right? Sorry, Dorothy, the solution was at your fingertips the whole time, all you had to do is say the word. Now take your dog Toto and get the heck on out of here, knuckelheads. Talk about closing the barn door after the horses have left...


from Baseball America:

Nice story about IL prospect Jake Odorizzi, RHP from Higland IL, who took what appears to be the road less traveled to the professional ranks nowadays.

The Milwaukee Brewers #32 selection in the 2008 draft, DID NOT take the elite, travel ball, showcase laden route that many of his peers and /or their parent felt was absolutely necessary for success.

What's the old saying? "If you're good, they'll find you."

Odorizzi also credited being a multi-sport (three) athlete for helping pave his road to the professional ranks.

"You learn certain things from certain sports. In basketball, you learn quick feet and agility. In football, you have to stay centered and keep your balance", Odorizzi said in the article.

A long-term, athletic development (LTAD) multi-sport approach will win out over an early specialization, one-sport focus any time. Focusing on the process over the results, the long-term over the short term and being ready to peak when it counts over chasing "visibility" when it doesn't really matter.

Odorizzi is now considered a high ceiling, sky's the limit prospect instead of a WYSIWYG prospect (What you see is what you get).

That's what having the right, long-term approach will do for you.