The Allure of Being "Elite"

I encourage you to read this ESPN article by Tim Keown about the state of travel ball in America. Although not exactly new information, Keown's commentary is on the money. I think I agree with everything he says, and would only add that what actually matters in youth baseball is fun and good coaching. We have both right here at home.

Reason Enough To Back Up the Mound

Braydon Salzman was extremely lucky to avoid serious injury on Friday at the Little League World Series. Watch the video if you haven't seen it. Little League's days with a 46 foot mound are hopefully numbered.

Little League World Series Begins Today

The 65th annual Little League World Series begins today in South Williamsport, PA. Warner Robins, GA will again represent the Southeast Region in this 11-12-year-old international tournament (Mint Hill LL had previously won our own District 3 Tournament at Myers Park, and Tar Heel LL in Greenville had won the NC State Tournament).

The games begin today at 1:00 with Chinese Taipei vs. Mexico on ESPN. Here is the complete schedule of games. You can follow along online here. And you can even view player profiles - this kid may be one to remember.

For historical information about the international tournament, check out the Little League World Series History Book or the independently managed Unpage Publications.

Final Week of Fall Ball Sign-Ups

Online registration for the 2011 Myers Park Trinity Fall Baseball and Softball season is under way and will continue for another week. For more information, see below or go to the announcements section at www.mptll.org. Fall registration closes on Friday, August 19th.

Five-Year UNC Curveball Study Complete

A study of over 1,300 youth pitchers has been concluded by the University of North Carolina and Little League Baseball. The results: overuse, not curveballs are to blame for arm injuries.

As mentioned before on this site, it's the young pitchers that repeatedly push themselves to the limit without enough rest in between outings that risk hurting themselves. And previous studies have indicated that curveballs don't put any more stress on the arm than fastballs.

Still, the calls for banning curveballs in Little League have persisted. But Little League President and CEO Stephen Keener has now concluded that a ban won't be necessary.

Hendrick Automotive Sponsors Middle School Sports

This just in at the Charlotte Observer... The full slate of CMS sports are back, thanks to a $250,000 sponsorship deal with Hendrick Automotive Group and it's subsidiary, HendrickCars.com. This is great news for our Little League alumni. Thank you, Rick Hendrick.

Laying Off the Doughnuts

Here's an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal about the actual effect that swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle has on your swing at the plate.

Baseball players have used bat doughnuts or other types of weights for many years in order to make their regular bat feel lighter during their at-bat. Doughnuts are not allowed in Little League, and technically neither is the on-deck circle, but players often use two bats or a weighted bat sleeve to warm up.

But scientific testing has proven that swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle actually slows down your swing at the plate by activating slow-twitch muscle fibers best used for endurance, not the quick burst of speed needed to hit a fastball.

MPTLL Featured in Myers Park Life

The Myers Park Trinity 9-, 10- and 11-year-old All-Star teams are featured in Myers Park Life Magazine this month for their success in the Tournament of Champions in June. The 11's grabbed the cover, and there are additional pictures on pages 26-27.

Fall Ball Registration Has Begun

Online registration for Fall Baseball and Softball at MPTLL has begun. Sign-ups run from August 1st through 19th. The season takes place mostly in September and October.

Fall Ball is an instructional league focused more on teaching the fundamentals of the game, and less on scores and results. There are no standings, trophies, tournaments, etc. It's a good time for players to improve their skills in a low-pressure environment.

There is more information on the MPTLL website and archived on this blog. Click here to register online.