Summer and travel ball ?

Been to three weekends of baseball so far. Spectators are trying to abide by the 6' rule. Players are doing what players do (especially give each other and the other team hell (this is 18u ball)). Been surprised at the level of play out of the box. It has been pretty good. Not very happy with the organization because the communication has been so spotty but other than that.. so far... so good.
 
Been to three weekends of baseball so far. Spectators are trying to abide by the 6' rule. Players are doing what players do (especially give each other and the other team hell (this is 18u ball)). Been surprised at the level of play out of the box. It has been pretty good. Not very happy with the organization because the communication has been so spotty but other than that.. so far... so good.
I've seen very little attempt at adhering to the 6 foot rule.

The play...prettt much status quo from last couple years, maybe shows the rush to practice and play at the first sign of 40 degrees in March and early April is a bit over zealous....
 
Few things...

1) It is documented that umpires are NOT enforcers of the state doctrines about return to play. That is on field supervisors, tournament directors, not umpires. No umpire should be ejecting kids for not being 6' apart, tossing fans, delaying the game, due to COVID "violations"

2) I umpired a local tournament last weekend and it was blatantly stated on the tournament website which fields were strictly enforcing the COVID guidelines and which were not. Things like "players not adhering to 6' rule in the dugouts will be told to leave" and "fans will be asked to leave if they are not separated". I was told at Cloverleaf HS that another HS (forget which one but it was in the same area) was using their field for a tournament, the Athletic Director made an appearance, saw everyone crowded around, and shut down the entire site on the spot, in the middle of the game.

3) I have umpired approximately 30 games in the last 3 weeks, and I have seen about 3 total coaches wearing masks, 0 players, 1 umpire wearing a mask, and maybe 10% of fans separated from one another. If you just showed up to the fields I was working, you would think it was any other Summer. And I am not aware of a single issue with COVID because of it.
 
Few things...

1) It is documented that umpires are NOT enforcers of the state doctrines about return to play. That is on field supervisors, tournament directors, not umpires. No umpire should be ejecting kids for not being 6' apart, tossing fans, delaying the game, due to COVID "violations"

2) I umpired a local tournament last weekend and it was blatantly stated on the tournament website which fields were strictly enforcing the COVID guidelines and which were not. Things like "players not adhering to 6' rule in the dugouts will be told to leave" and "fans will be asked to leave if they are not separated". I was told at Cloverleaf HS that another HS (forget which one but it was in the same area) was using their field for a tournament, the Athletic Director made an appearance, saw everyone crowded around, and shut down the entire site on the spot, in the middle of the game.

3) I have umpired approximately 30 games in the last 3 weeks, and I have seen about 3 total coaches wearing masks, 0 players, 1 umpire wearing a mask, and maybe 10% of fans separated from one another. If you just showed up to the fields I was working, you would think it was any other Summer. And I am not aware of a single issue with COVID because of it.
Could not agree more. When I say spectators are trying, they start 6' apart but are usually passing each other drink out of the coolers within 2 innings.
 
Few things...

1) It is documented that umpires are NOT enforcers of the state doctrines about return to play. That is on field supervisors, tournament directors, not umpires. No umpire should be ejecting kids for not being 6' apart, tossing fans, delaying the game, due to COVID "violations"

2) I umpired a local tournament last weekend and it was blatantly stated on the tournament website which fields were strictly enforcing the COVID guidelines and which were not. Things like "players not adhering to 6' rule in the dugouts will be told to leave" and "fans will be asked to leave if they are not separated". I was told at Cloverleaf HS that another HS (forget which one but it was in the same area) was using their field for a tournament, the Athletic Director made an appearance, saw everyone crowded around, and shut down the entire site on the spot, in the middle of the game.

3) I have umpired approximately 30 games in the last 3 weeks, and I have seen about 3 total coaches wearing masks, 0 players, 1 umpire wearing a mask, and maybe 10% of fans separated from one another. If you just showed up to the fields I was working, you would bethink it was any other Summer. And I am not aware of a single issue with COVID because of it.
Since we are technically there to 'protest against authority (umpires)' we dont really need to follow the guidelines.

but i have seen the same.
No tournament director, coach, fan or player has seemed to give a damn about the "rules".
As i stated the day the rules came out...they are not going to be followed nor did anything presenting those rules expect them to be followed. THey just told mommy and daddy (Dewine and Acton) what they wanted to hear so they could go play with zero intentions of following through.


.....and they fell for it because the believe any mumbo jumbo they are told like 117K covid cases in early march, 10,000 new/day with mitigation, because that is what they were told would happen without using their common sense or brains.
 
Dewines rules....ditch'em please and stop looking backwards.....We are not sheep people, get over this government controlled over hype of a flu virus and act normal. We need to stand up and not give up our rights to choose. Oh and check your phones guys and gals...guess what was loaded onto your apps last week without you knowing or giving consent too???.....Covid 19 Exposure Notifications tracker...TURN OFF YOUR BLUE TOOTHS IN PUBLIC! Hope none of you were suckers enough to get tested because you are on the world wide plan by big tech to start telling you where and when you can and can't go......don't believe me? look in your settings and check your google account apps on Androids, its there and it is real and you cannot delete it like other apps. Not sure how to do it on i-phones but it is there too folks. Why didn't they tell us about it???? hmmmmm....
 
Dewines rules....ditch'em please and stop looking backwards.....We are not sheep people, get over this government controlled over hype of a flu virus and act normal. We need to stand up and not give up our rights to choose. Oh and check your phones guys and gals...guess what was loaded onto your apps last week without you knowing or giving consent too???.....Covid 19 Exposure Notifications tracker...TURN OFF YOUR BLUE TOOTHS IN PUBLIC! Hope none of you were suckers enough to get tested because you are on the world wide plan by big tech to start telling you where and when you can and can't go......don't believe me? look in your settings and check your google account apps on Androids, its there and it is real and you cannot delete it like other apps. Not sure how to do it on i-phones but it is there too folks. Why didn't they tell us about it???? hmmmmm....
We should nationalize vaccines and track individuals, from birth actually. I would support getting each baby microchipped at birth. Until the supply of the chips meet the demand I also believe abortions should continue so we dont run out of those tracking chips.
it is a woman's choice, by the way....
 
Good question.
Have not got notification of our tournament in Louisville in a few weeks. Last week's that was in KY was cancelled quite awhile ago.

Odd. 2 Fields in NKY have been used for the last 2 weeks for Baseball Tournaments per a few Umpire friends of mine.
 
Odd. 2 Fields in NKY have been used for the last 2 weeks for Baseball Tournaments per a few Umpire friends of mine.
Thanks. We go down in a few weeks and assumes it was a go. Quite honest don't care if it does get banged. Love baseball, don't get me wrong, but wiping out every weekend for these tournaments suck.
How ok the hell did we deal with only playing a few games a week as kids.....
 
Know what, it's really nice not having a fleecing, I mean, tournament to go to over independence weekend.

Had a great two hour session at the field with the boy this evening to reset a few things that has gotten away from him with all the games but little practice.

Even he mentioned it was nice to have a weekend off to relax and work on his game a bit.


Ah......
 
Single biggest issue with most travel ball situations is the inability to practice. All of the so-called showcase/tournament/scout teams do is show up and play. Most have no home field in which to practice or scrimmage, or would know what to do if they did. Yet keep paying those fees for winter workouts and trainers. LOL!
I had coached the father of a young man that played HS ball with one of my sons and his boy played for the great Cincy Flames from a young age up to at the time-17. He told me as we talked during the second week of July that the Flames had 1, yes ONE practice during that summer season. I was astounded. Have no idea what their fees were nor the tourneys they played in but I found it to be rather comical.
The Midland Redskins have tryouts, allegedly.
 
Single biggest issue with most travel ball situations is the inability to practice. All of the so-called showcase/tournament/scout teams do is show up and play. Most have no home field in which to practice or scrimmage, or would know what to do if they did. Yet keep paying those fees for winter workouts and trainers. LOL!
I had coached the father of a young man that played HS ball with one of my sons and his boy played for the great Cincy Flames from a young age up to at the time-17. He told me as we talked during the second week of July that the Flames had 1, yes ONE practice during that summer season. I was astounded. Have no idea what their fees were nor the tourneys they played in but I found it to be rather comical.
The Midland Redskins have tryouts, allegedly.
Midland teams practice. That’s is why you have host families.
 
Biggest issue with practice is finding a field unless you can get one dedicated or you support or whatever. The Riverbats practice a lot especially the younger teams, rain or shine but they are relatively expensive. When I played knothole, we might have practiced once a week but they were not good practices. Mostly boring batting practices and maybe a round of infield. Never individual skill training. Most practices I observe now are better.
 
Biggest issue with practice is finding a field unless you can get one dedicated or you support or whatever. The Riverbats practice a lot especially the younger teams, rain or shine but they are relatively expensive. When I played knothole, we might have practiced once a week but they were not good practices. Mostly boring batting practices and maybe a round of infield. Never individual skill training. Most practices I observe now are better.
Team practices are just that, team practices, and should be situational centric.
PFP, situational, pickoffs, baserunning, etc. If you use a bulk of your practice taking BP on the field while most stand around then you are not making the best of your time, especially for these money teams. There is a time and place for it, but if that is the normal practice.........
Not going to lie, at time s it was not fun getting there 90 min before a summer game, going through a practice before a game, and if you wanted BP ya get there 2 hrs before or hit during the day.
But it was very effective.



I know some of yall hate bunting but I am seeing a dearth of it this summer and man I miss it. Very little small ball being played, and it's not like teams are smoking the ball to just no even bother with it.

Bunting does not make your weak. It does not mean the hitter cannot hit. Does not matter where you are in the lineup........
Put the defense in motion. Make them make plays!
 
How has the summer baseball been going for everyone?

The "ACME/JR ACME" games I have attended, and seen the scores on TV and in the paper, seem to have been competitive.
I do see a distinct difference when I attend this version of ACME/JR ACME vs the Money Teams and weekend tournaments. I see more camaraderei , coaching and development on the former, and more 'tossing the balls, bats and gloves onto the field and lemme play' at the latter.

There is something to be said about playing for coaches who are there to develop the program, and kids playing with their buddies whom they play other sports with, and in positions they likely will hold throughout their career. In talking with parents the last few years there are many kids who are playing positions that they don't expect to play down the road.
Learning new spots is never a bad thing, dont get me wrong, but when you get relegated to spots for much of the season where you will never see again it becomes counter productive not just for the kid, but for the program he is playing in.
 
I would argue playing different positions make a kid better. I have a relative playing division 2 college baseball in part because of his versatility to play many positions. He played everywhere on these money teams and it really developed him for college.

I also know that he made a lot of new close friends playing on these teams. Different from his friends on the school team. The relationships he has made through school and summer ball has been neat to observe. Nice to have a break from the parents and kids that you spend the whole school year with. I know some of these high school(acme) coaches require(even though not allowed) to play for the school team in the summer. To me that is very selfish of the school program.
 
I would argue playing different positions make a kid better. I have a relative playing division 2 college baseball in part because of his versatility to play many positions. He played everywhere on these money teams and it really developed him for college.

I also know that he made a lot of new close friends playing on these teams. Different from his friends on the school team. The relationships he has made through school and summer ball has been neat to observe. Nice to have a break from the parents and kids that you spend the whole school year with. I know some of these high school(acme) coaches require(even though not allowed) to play for the school team in the summer. To me that is very selfish of the school program.
There is a fine line between the two....

Id rather see a kid play his main position 80% of the time, with 20% in broadening assignments around the diamond, instead of 80% out of position and 20% where he will end up.....
 
Under the new mask orders in 7 Ohio Counties will Baseball players who can’t keep 6 ft of distance be required to wear Mask in the Field on a hundred degree day?
 
Under the new mask orders in 7 Ohio Counties will Baseball players who can’t keep 6 ft of distance be required to wear Mask in the Field on a hundred degree day?
Dont be obtuse!


Ha.

I have seen one umpire so far wear a mask this summer. Plate ump.

We will see how this weekend tourny goes. Word is they say wearing masks is mandatory for fans....
 
If fans can attend ballgames throughout most states why can MLB not be played in front of fans where it would be far easier to regulate where fans sit and or arrive at the park?
 
If fans can attend ballgames throughout most states why can MLB not be played in front of fans where it would be far easier to regulate where fans sit and or arrive at the park?
Lawsuits?
Safety?

Players dont want you nasty Rona infested folks invading their stadiums.
Someone get the R, attended a game recently, sue the team and MLB? Wont be suing the Local Little League clubs....
 
Easier to have 15 kids and parents sign a waiver that they hold their league harmless from infections than to have 30k+ people every game.

people can decide for themselves about their own health risks but someone goes to mlb and gets it and gives to grandma who dies...in this day and age, someone would surely sue and even if MLB wins, they have a lot of costs to defend themselves
 
Team practices are just that, team practices, and should be situational centric.
PFP, situational, pickoffs, baserunning, etc. If you use a bulk of your practice taking BP on the field while most stand around then you are not making the best of your time, especially for these money teams. There is a time and place for it, but if that is the normal practice.........
Not going to lie, at time s it was not fun getting there 90 min before a summer game, going through a practice before a game, and if you wanted BP ya get there 2 hrs before or hit during the day.
But it was very effective.



I know some of yall hate bunting but I am seeing a dearth of it this summer and man I miss it. Very little small ball being played, and it's not like teams are smoking the ball to just no even bother with it.

Bunting does not make your weak. It does not mean the hitter cannot hit. Does not matter where you are in the lineup........
Put the defense in motion. Make them make plays!
Seen a lot more bunting for hits this year. Not many sacrifices. Although the way my kid's team is hitting as a whole, more sacrifice bunting is probably in order. Now my kid plays on an older team and they get together once a week for practice and once a week for conditioning. Every practice they do PFP and/or pickoffs. And it shows on the weekend. Very rarely have they messed up a pitcher covering first on a play the right side and they almost always pick off a player or catch them stealing from a pickoff once a game. I am impressed by the practice discipline.
 
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