Bellevue East Little League

Updated Baseball Pitch Count Regulations 

• A pitch limit for pitchers league age 7-8 has been added, with a maximum of 50 pitches per day. Previously, the limit for these ages was the same as for pitchers who were league age 9-10.
• A provision has been added that prohibits a player who has been removed as a pitcher in a game from playing the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. This is intended to further prevent overuse injuries. The position of catcher has the second-most overuse injuries, which can be acerbated by moving from pitcher to catcher in the same day. (However, moving from pitcher to any of the other seven positions, or from catcher to pitcher, apparently does not cause the same concerns.)
• The “automatic” intentional walk was removed. If a pitcher wishes to intentionally walk a batter, he/she must do so by pitching four pitches intentionally outside the strike zone that are not struck at by the batter, and are called “balls” by the umpire. All such pitches will count in determining that pitcher’s pitch count.

 

Below are some baseball coaching tips gathered from various sources. Click on the link below to jump to that article.

Rule: If the run at 3rd can beat you, do not throw to 2nd base. If the runner at 1st breaks early, let him go
Avoiding shoulder baseball injuries
Fastball Fact and Fiction - The Science of Real Velocity
Fielding Ground Ball Progression for Players 5-8 years
Keep all of your players active, involved & feeling a part of the team on game day even when they are not in the line-up
In Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coaching Tip: How to Coach in Blow Out Games

---

Rule: If the run at 3rd can beat you, do not throw to 2nd base. If the runner at 1st breaks early, let him go.

The 1st & 3rd play (offense) is one of the most difficult to defend if the base runners do their jobs--even if you have your best players handling the ball. The idea behind this play is to make the defense commit to the runner going to 2nd base. That runner must get into a run down, getting the defense to commit. The ideal situation is to have a left handed 1B running toward 2B with the ball in his glove. The 1B must stop, spin and throw to home.

Most teams will do a 1st & 3rd play when there are two outs. You must school your team (everyday) in every type of play a team may use... this is a great way to work on ball handling, decision making, and rundowns. Teach what you want on each type of play and work on it daily.

Early Break by 1b Runner

This occurs when the offense is trying to get a long rundown between 1b & 2b, to allow the 3b runner to score.The pitcher is usually one of your best athletes. Have him get the runner to commit, but he doesn't have to do it all by himself. Step off the rubber, make a ball fake to 2nd to make the 1b runner stop. Then quickly set feet and check the 3b runner, if he has committed, make a throw to home. If the 3b runner has not committed, run at the 1b runner, making him commit.

Then give the ball up to one of the infielders. With two outs, the 1B man should close up the rundown... follow the runner for a quick throw and tag. 3B man should keep his eye on the 3b runner, yelling home if he breaks toward the plate. The worst thing that should happen, besides the runner scoring, is the 1b runner making 2b safely. Don't let them score!

Regular Steal

1b runner breaks to 2B. If he is trying to steal 2B, throw through only if the catcher: has a good grip, a fast ball called, and has a chance to throw out the runner. If the 1b runner stops to get in a rundown, the 1B man must close up the rundown. Again, don't let them score... 3B man must keep eye on 3b runner... and yell home if he breaks. If is very difficult for a catcher to come up throwing and check the 3B runner before the throws to 2B. Either come up throwing to 2B, ball fake, or throw back to P.

Delay Steal

1b runner delays to 2B. If the 1b runner stops to get in a rundown, the 1B man must close up the rundown. Again, don't let them score... 3B man must keep eye on 3b runner... and yell home if he breaks. It is very difficult for a catcher to come up throwing and check the 3B runner before the throws to 2B. Either come up throwing to 2B, ball fake, or throw back to P.

Provided by Chip Baker, Florida State University via eteamz.com

---

Avoiding shoulder baseball injuries

Sadly, youth shoulder-related injuries (and surgeries) have increased three-fold over the last decade. This number is certainly alarming and a cause for concern.

However, it is quite easy to avoid such injuries IF you know what to look for and what preventative measures to take.

Abuse

Today, youth pitchers throw three to four times as many pitcher per season than they did a decade ago. When I played Little League we played 16 games and maybe a few for All-Stars. Now, a youth ballplayer can easily play over 100 games a year. Simple math tells you there is a greater chance for injury if you do not take the correct measures (which I will explain below).

Incorrect throwing mechanics

Simply put, if a pitcher is throwing in a manner that places a large amount of stress on their arm and doing it over and over, an arm injury is going to happen. Period. Remember, arm injuries rarely are acute. They are a product of abuse over time.

Preventative exercises

If a player is old enough to pitch, he or she is old enough to perform simple exercises that only take 5-7 minutes a few times a week. These exercises will not stunt their growth or cause any harm. They will balance out the body and help prevent injuries.

Please don't overlook this message. You may think it could never happen to your child, but as I see it arm injuries are here to stay. The sad thing is they are so easily preventable.

Provided by Jon Doyle via baseballtrainingsecrets.com for Active.com

---

Fastball Fact and Fiction - The Science of Real Velocity

Every pitcher wants to throw harder. Every professional scout and/or college recruiter will tell you that 90mph is a magic number. There is a lot of fiction and not enough real fact about pitchers and their fastballs. The National Pitching Association performed a scientific study to better understand what contributes to the velocity of a fastball. These findings may just challenge the way you think of fastball velocity.

Our goal is to help pitchers and coaches, maximize fastball performance, and minimize risk of injury. Hence the name of the study: Safe, Usable, Velocity (SUV).

What is velocity?

There are three ways to look at the velocity of a pitch.

1. Real velocity or the actual MPH "read" on a radar gun.
2. Perceived velocity or the way a pitched baseball is "read" by a hitter because of real velocity and deception.
3. Effective velocity or how a previous pitch's speed and location affects a hitter's read on the next pitch's speed and location.

Obviously, since we wanted to determine what generates velocity in a delivery, we had to come up with valid and defendable testing protocols. We chose to isolate and measure the contribution of hip/shoulder rotation to real velocity by quantifying pitch speed from our NPA two-knee drill position which has the pitcher down on both knees facing the target at approximately a 45 degree angle. Putting a pitcher on two knees allows us to:

1. Minimize and/or eliminate any directional weight shift.
2. Isolate and measure the impact of hip/shoulder separation and rotation for correlation with maximum ball velocity on each throw.

 

Where pitchers get their momentum.

Once we quantified a pitcher's maximum velocity on his knees we moved him to a mound. Pitchers move farther and faster directionally, when they stride down a hill. By charting his maximum velocity pitching on the mound and comparing the maximum velocities generated in each test we could calculate the percentage that rotation and the percentage that direction contributed to his maximum real velocity.

Our biggest surprise came with the revelation that the larger percentage of total velocity comes from a pitcher's rotational momentum (hips and shoulders) and not his directional momentum (legs)!

Let's take a look at how the different body parts work in the pitching delivery and what the study showed about their contribution to the velocity of the ball.

Legs

Legs are the foundation through which kinetic energy is initiated--the mechanism by which the total body mass is delivered down the mound. This is achieved through what we call weight transfer. This weight transfer turns potential energy into kinetic energy and helps determine the efficiency of both the timing and force thus affecting the amount of energy getting through the body to the baseball. Proper weight transfer sets up the efficient interaction and timing of rotational and directional momentum.

Ball velocity is optimized when:

1. Posture is maintained.
2. The back leg stabilizes while the back knee flexes, firms up, and loads (isometrically) during front leg lift.
3. There is an aggressive first forward movement with butt and center of gravity leading head/spine into front foot contact.
4. During this one second of weight transfer, a pitcher's lift leg should stay off the ground as long as possible to create a longer stride.
5. Head/spine stay on a natural line into a natural landing (foot strike) position.
6. Landing leg stabilizes, landing knee flexes, firms up and loads (isometrically) to translate kinetic energy up through body and out onto baseball at release point.

 

Hips/Shoulders

Our research has indicated 80% of ball velocity is generated by rotational momentum when:

1. Hips and shoulders separate between 40� - 60� around an upright spine.
2. Hips and shoulders maintain their angle of separation as long as strength and flexibility will allow while total body tracks forward into landing foot.
3. Throwing shoulder/glove shoulder delay rotation until hips have slowed/stopped their rotation.
4. Scapular "loading" is allowed to be an unconscious accommodation that helps the throwing shoulder to stabilize and compensate for the weight of the throwing arm/ baseball as they change direction and snap from external rotation into release point.

 

Spine/Torso

Our research has indicated 20% of ball velocity is generated by directional momentum when:

1. Total body tracks head and spine on line in the exact direction created by shifting weight from posting foot to landing foot.
2. Low back/spine hyperextend to keep torso upright and stacked as shoulders square up and track into a flexed and firm front leg.
3. Glove swivels and stabilizes over front foot as throwing arm lays back in external rotation.
4. Low back/spine goes into flexion just before throwing forearm snaps straight into release point.
5. Again, the spine/torso (squat thrusts) of a golfer swinging a club does the same thing as the spine/torso (stack and track) of a pitcher throwing a baseball.

 

With the availability of the velocity study data comes the obvious question: Can we become more mechanically efficient so we can make the most of our genetic potential to throw the ball faster? The answer is yes!

Provided by Karl Meinhardt, www.nationalpitching.net, for Active.com

---

Fielding Ground Ball Progression for Players 5-8 years

First, please recognize you are working with young players just starting out, with wide variety of different attitudes, motivation, experience and skill level.

Second, you must build safety and organization into every part of your practice.

Third, remember players improve the most when they are active trying out what you want them to learn.

Fourth, be patient with each player and be positive with them every chance you get.

Fifth, find a creative way to break down the skill so each player on your team finds success.

Finally, and most importantly, they need to have fun. Your job is to help each and every player on your team develop a passion for the game.

We suggest that you apply this little checklist to introducing the skill of "Fielding a Ground Ball."

Ground Ball — "Ready Position"

Have the players stand side by side on the edge of the infield grass arms distance apart and introduce the basic infield stance. Legs wide, bum sticking out, hands out front and low, head up, eyes on the ball. We call this ready position "alligator" because we want players to take a low stance with two hands out front in an alligator type position.

Ground Ball Practice — Fun Repetitions

Organize your team into four lines of three players. Mark a spot on the infield dirt at each of the 4 infield positions. Have a coach or parent helper stand five to six steps out in front of each line. Have the first player in each line to get ready to field the ground ball by calling out "Ready" or "Alligator."

Initially have the players take off their gloves and set them aside. Then softly roll an oversized ball to the player at the front of each line. Each player fields the ball with two hands, tosses it back to the coach and then circles around to the back of their line. This is a great way to safely introduce fielding with two hands. Keep them going for two to three minutes so each player gets several chances to be successful.

Then, have the players put on their gloves and repeat the drill using a regular sized baseball. If you have soft baseballs in your equipment bag, start with them. Then introduce the ball that you will use in games. Make sure the four coaches are only a short distance away and are rolling the ball underhand softly. The goal at this point in the progression is to get as many repetitions as possible reinforcing the basic technique and help players develop confidence.

As the players gain more confidence during the year, organize the drill with the coaches at each station back at a position closer to game distance.

As a coach, your goal should be to provide each player with 40-50 ground ball chances in the 10-15 minutes that you have set aside in each practice. Using this approach it is easy to accomplish this objective and, over the course of 10 practices, you have provided each player 400-500 repetitions on this very important & challenging skill.

Of course you will need to mix in hitting some ground balls during your practice but we recommend you give all players 40-50 repetitions using the above approach first.

This progression was developed by Al Herback and Al Price; Authors and Instructors of the Little League Education Program for Managers & Coaches. Fielding ground balls along with other skills, drills, fun activities along with tips on how to plan a practice can be found in the "Getting Started" Training Series. This series includes a manual for coaches, instructional booklets for players & a new Getting Started DVD. Please go to www.alandalbaseball.com for more information on the program & to order your own set of Training Materials.

---

Keep all of your players active, involved & feeling a part of the team on game day even when they are not in the line-up

Coaches across Little League face the same challenge every game day; how do I keep my players involved and feeling an important part of the team when they are not in the line-up?

First of all, as a Little League coach, your goal should be to find a way to get every player on your team a complete game every other game during the little league season. I used a six-three-three playing time system when I coached Little League. six-three-three just means; six players in the first game get to play the complete game, three players get to play the first three innings and the final three players get to play the last three innings. Then, for the next game the players who played three innings get to be in the line-up for the complete game and the other six players split three innings each. (If you are interested in the detailed description of my six-three-three playing time system just send me an email at Bigal@alandalbaseball.com.)

Ok, in this example you have 12 players on your team. This means you will have three players sitting out for three innings at a time.

I wanted to find a way to make it fun for the three players sitting out and at the same time give each player a job an important job. Of course, I needed three jobs so I could rotate the responsibility each inning, so here they are:

Job No. 1 — Hustle out and warm-up the outfielder

One player puts a ball in his/her glove in the dugout. Then, between innings hustles out and plays catch with the closest outfielder. On the way back into the dugout the players collects the other two warm-up balls; one from the center fielder and one from the first baseman. Warming up the outfielder keeps the substitute player's arm lose and helps keep the rest of the team organized for the warm-up between innings.

Job No. 2 — Coaching at First Base

One player needs to put on a helmet and hustle over the first base coaching box. I would rather have a player coach first base than have an adult take on this role. Players can handle this responsibility quite well and I want my assistant coaches looking after the players in the dugout. Make this job even more fun by offering an ice cream cone coupon the player who was coaching first when your team scored the most runs.

Job No. 3 — Keeping Track of the Pitch Count

One player needs to keep track of the number of pitches your pitcher throws in the inning. Even if your league has not adopted the new Little League Pitch Count Pilot Program rules, make sure you keep an accurate, running count of the number of pitches your pitcher throws in the game. Have a little fun with this one too, by offering the player keeping track of the pitch count and the pitcher on the mound an ice cream cone coupon anytime the pitcher has a three pitch inning. This is a great way for you to reinforce with the team the importance of throwing strikes and great defence. Coaches, don't worry you won't have to give away too many ice cream cones for this one&a three pitch inning very seldom happens at any level. If you want to hand off more coupons move the target up to a five or six pitch inning.

In the six–three–three system you will have three players sitting out for three innings. Rotate the three jobs each inning so each player gets a chance to do each job. If you have more than 12 players on the team create another job that needs to be done each inning.

When players are out of the line-up they don't need to feel bored and not a part of the team&it just takes a little planning and organizing&and a couple of ice cream cones&to keep the players focused and having fun.

Al Herback and Al Price, Authors and Instructors of the Little League Education Program created the "Bubba Throwing" approach to teaching young players how to throw. The training materials they have put together include hundreds of other drills, competitions and fun activities. They also include progressions to help you teach the fundamental skills and guidance on how to plan practices for all levels of play. Please go to www.alandalbaseball.com for more information on the complete program library and to order your own set of training materials. To date, thousands of leagues and over one million coaches, managers, players and parents have taken advantage of the training materials.

---

In Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coaching Tip: How to Coach in Blow Out Games

Welcome to Positive Coaching Alliances Double-Goal CoachT™ Tips. This regular feature in Little League publications draws from training presented in partnership with Little League Baseball and Softball by Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a Stanford University-based non-profit dedicated to ensuring a positive, character-building experience for all youth athletes.

Little League coaches inevitably are involved in blowout games. They are a big frustration for players, coaches, managers and parents. The losing team likely will not enjoy the game, and even the winning team loses the mental and physical challenges of a closely contested game. Generally, blowouts lack the environmental energy that makes our game so fun and exciting.

Coaches and parents who routinely endure blowouts lose a feeling of loyalty to the organization; the embarrassment and humiliation of frequent blowouts can even chase children (not to mention coaches) from the sport, altogether. One of the most important responsibilities of Little League leaders is to minimize the chances for blowouts. Ideally, every team has a realistic chance to win every game and every team must try its hardest to avoid losing.

Contributing factors include clear and specific descriptions of league ability and experience levels, as well as a fair and organized player draft system. Despite best efforts to create well-balanced teams and schedules, blowouts are going to happen. This months Little League Double‐Goal Coach tools are designed for you, whether your team is trailing or leading in a blowout game.

Trailing

Accept reality — As a Little League Double-Goal Coach, you must embody confidence and optimism for your players to emulate, exuding belief that your team can come back no matter how big the deficit. However, at a certain point, it helps to acknowledge to yourself that your team is going to lose. Accepting this opens you to creative opportunities to address the situation, some of which, ironically, could lead to your team getting back in the game.

Re‐adjust goals— Most often, the problem when losing in a blowout is that your team can't score. Find ways to set achievable goals for your team that don't necessarily involve "outcome goals" such as scoring. Sometimes that means a goal as simple as getting a base hit or even making contact.

Redefine "Winner" — Tell your players that, no matter what the scoreboard says, they can be winners. Establish standards for your players where they know, first and foremost, they're being judged on their effort, improvement, and on how they respond to mistakes they make. Your ball players can succeed in these areas regardless of the score.

Throughout the game, communicate specific examples of the kind of effort you want your athletes to exhibit, cite tangible measures of improvement, and point to positive responses to mistakes. During blowouts, players may feel alone and exposed, so include yourself in the team's plight by holding yourself to the same standards of mastery. Model the character traits you want to see in your players; if you keep coaching, they'll keep playing.

Set "Character Goals" — There are only two ways to respond to getting blown out — quitting or persisting. Present these options to your players and ask what kind of people they want to be. Tell them how much you admire people like them, who keep trying even when things aren't going well. Remind your players that even if was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, to Red Sox did come back from that three-games-to-none deficit in the 2004 ALCS.

Scramble player positions— Blowouts present a great opportunity to put players at positions they don't regularly play. This is a great way to teach players an appreciation for other positions and it also gives you a chance to learn more about your players' skills.

Post-game conduct— After a blowout, post-game handshakes can be awkward for both teams. Encourage your players to be proud of their effort. They should feel good about themselves and should stand tall and make eye contact when congratulating their opponents. Prepare your players for post-game conduct by having them rehearse this process at practice.

Leading

Accept reality — We've all seen amazing comebacks. Fear that a team will miraculously close the gap drives many coaches to "keep the pressure on" well beyond whats necessary to ensure victory.

A frantic comeback by an opponent presents a tremendous challenge for your players. How will they respond? Be sensitive to the effect the score is having on your opponents, your players, and on the quality of the game. Avoid humiliating your opponents either by "pouring it on" or by mocking them through overdone restraint.

Make adjustments at the fulcrum of action— Depending on whether you are dominating from the mound or the batters box, focus your adjustments there. Remove your pitcher earlier than you might if he or she is dominating play. Likewise, remove hitters or challenge them to hit from behind in the count or to the opposite field. These are courageous acts that will gain respect from opposing coach and players.

Post-game conduct— Stress to your players the importance of respecting opponents by acknowledging their efforts. They should treat the opponent with dignity by acknowledging their effort. Model this for your players as you greet the opposing coach and players. Once again, they'll handle this situation more comfortably if they've prepared for it during practice. Also, remember not to ignore the efforts that your team displayed. They should be complimented on their accomplishments, as well.

by Jim Thompson, Positive Coaching Alliance. To bolster your Coaching expertise or toolkit, be sure to take advantage of the recently-launched Little League Double-Goal Coach Course, today! Click here: www.positivecoach.org/LittleLeague.