HSBBWeb Old Timer
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Our league didn't allow 9's in majors. It was too loaded with travel players and competitive. The odds of a 9 getting hurt would have been high. Typically you won't see 9's in majors unless it's a rural area where numbers are an issue, or a kid is an early bloomer stud who could hurt a player in his age group.
* Live fully, enjoy every moment, and let go of the petty problems, mostly of our own invention, which seek to destroy the spirit. * - a good friend, the late Brad Perkins of KIRO
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| Posts: 1773 | Location: Mid-Atlantic | Registered: October 29, 2007 |  |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer
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Last year was my son's last LL year, but our league allowed 1 9YO per Majors team. And of course, the old timer managers who no longer have kids in the league ALWAYS draft the top 9YOs because they're ALWAYS building for the future. Made it tough to compete w/ them for those Dads who got a team when their kid was 10 or 11 (tho we came in 2nd of 8 our last 2 years  ). My son was drafted as a very young 10YO before LL changed the age cutoff (July 27th bday). So technically, he was 9 for the whole season. He still got a few legit hits off 12YO pitching and played quite a bit at 2B (and no, I wasn't the manager  ). But about halfway through the season, the manager and assistant coach thought so highly of him that they moved him up from 6th to 2nd in the lineup. He couldn't take the pressure of hitting in front of 11 and 12YOs and pressed and choked to the point that he finished the season playing halftime (which is still a privilege among 11 and 12YOs). All in all, if our league didn't make a habit of drafting 9s, then I think most parents would have their kids play w/ kids their own age/size for another year. But it becomes a status symbol. For the most part tho, IMO, the 9s get overwhelmed while their managers/parents try to show them off for the future.  |
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| Posts: 619 | Location: Warwick, RI, USA | Registered: August 18, 2003 | |
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