First Team Express

Little League Rules Are Very, Very Complicated

czabe@czabe.com (czabe.com) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:53:00 -0700

A follow up on the video posted here yesterday, about the Little League kid throwing "fake" pitches instead of an intentional walk.

It all comes down to pitch count rules in LL, and of course, my man "Mr. X" - renowned gambler, baseball savant, and Little League Coach of the decade in Northern Virginia (okay, I made that up) weighs in.

Be warned. Grab a snickers. All of this might take a while to digest, and could make your head hurt.

Czabe,

I was on this one, 4 years ago. (No surprise, right?)

In 2007 Little League instituted the “Pitch Count Rules”.

For about 50+ years, kids could pitch “6 innings per week”. Well they finally figured out that a coach might toss a kid a 6 inning game and throw 175 pitches, so they eliminated the innings rule and replaced with “pitch counts” and “Days rest”. Two components: 1) maximum pitches in a game (by age, but 85 pitches for a 12 yr old), and then 2) a number of days rest based on # of pitches thrown.

If you don’t think it matters – it is HUGE!

This first season in ‘07, they also had a “ intentional walk rule” – where the manager could just indicate to the umpire a desire to “intentional walk” a batter. No pitches thrown, the kid just took 1b. (That way, no pitches needed to be tossed!) I actually thought this was a good rule for reasons below.

However, there was ridicule, so in 2008 they removed the intentional walk rule.

When our “Chief Umpire” told our Board about this rule change, I immediately told him that it was stupid! I said “when I want to walk a kid, I will just FAKE 4 throws”. (Why? Because while no “balks” in LL, starting a motion and not delivering a pitch is an “illegal pitch” and a “BALL” on the batter – but does NOT count in their “pitch count” total!) Why waste 4 pitches of your coveted 85 max?

Our umpire immediately cited the rule that says if “a coach makes a mockery of the game” the umpire can eject him! He told me that he’d eject me if I did that.

I said (in jest), “Fine, then we’ll just HIT them and at least save 3 pitches!”. J

I had not seen anyone else figure this out in the 4 seasons since, until heard you today.

So:

1. It’s is NOT a rule that that is HOW you walk a kid, but rather a smart coach saving pitches for his Pitcher and an UMPIRE not knowing or having the guts to invoke the “mockery” rule.

2. The exact pitch count is huge. Just last week – I watched end of 2 Regional final games on vacation. Florida kid had a 1-hitter into the 6th (and final) inning over GA, leading 2-0. With 1 out he hit his “max count” 85. Needing just 2 more outs, (maybe 4-8 more pitches) and they are off to Williamsport. But, he must be removed. Bullpen couldn’t get final 2 outs, and 1 kid came in who hadn’t thrown a pitch in tournament! (Why? B/c with the PC rules, some of the others were already ineligible from previous game PC’s.) Nearly same thing happened in the Tex/Lou game the day before.

I’d do same thing these guys did, if umps would let you! Also, if a kid was nearing the PC, why not SWING at a couple of those Intentional Balls? Make em take 5 or 6 pitches to walk you? J

Heck, I posed that question back in 08, “does an “illegal P” count as a Pitch on the PC”? LL determined NO.

Little League makes rules – then when we figure out loopholes, they change them next year. (Kind of like Earl Weaver in the first year of the DH in the AL!) This one we be fixed next year.

PS: Additional rule on “mockery”!

Few years back, the rule was if the game ended and you hadn’t played your players the minimum PT (1 inning in field), you FORFEITED. Combine that with the “mercy rule” (10 run lead after 4 innings = game over). I recall a team up 9 in bottom 4th: if they score a 10th game over/they win. But no, they hadn’t put a kid in the field yet. So, they had to TRY to strike out and take the 9 run lead to the 5th (and get the kid in the field)! After they swung and missed a couple times on purpose, the other coach figured it out. They threw a “pickoff” throw to 3b – and chucked it over the fence (thus giving the kid home). However, the umpire invoked the “mockery rule”. I thought then: “Intentional throws into the stands” are not allowed, but “intentionally striking out is?”

So, LL changed the rule that if the game is shortened (rain, darkness or mercy rule), then the minimum time does NOT apply. No forfeits.

Okay, got it. But I still wonder: Does a kid who surrenders a perfect game on an intentional walk where no balls are actually thrown, still get as many slices of pepperoni pizza at Shakeys afterward?

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