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baseball age


I think that it is funny when I am talking to baseball parent and I ask them how hold their player is. I always assume that they know I am talking about their baseball age. Do you know what I mean by baseball age? Baseball age is the age in which whatever league or organization that you choose to play will require your player (depending on birthday) to register.

It happens all the time. In most baseball organizations your birthday cut off is April 30th. Little League for example in 2017 is changing to August 31st. Lets say your son is born on May 10, 2007 and I ask you how old is your player in December of 2016? What I really mean to be asking is what age are you required to register your son or daughter to play baseball next year.

So this is how these conversations go. "Hey! How old is your son?" I ask. The parent replies "he is 9." I automatically assume that he is playing as a 9 year old the following spring and summer...not so fast. In the travel ball world or Cal Ripken league ball I would be right but not for Little League. See how confusing this can be. It's enough to make your head spin. I know that Little League is trying to eliminate 13 year old baseball players from competing in the LLWS. I don't know why that is such a big deal. I mean there isn't that much of a physical difference between a 12 that is going to turn 13 on September 5th vs a 13 year old that just turned 13 on August 25th. C'mon really?

So if my son is going to be 13 in June and cannot play as a 12 year old in Little League, do you just switch to Cal Ripken or travel ball or will the Babe Ruth League accept you with open arms and you get to play 4 years of Babe Ruth? Shoot now I am confused!??!?! I really like the idea that when the players get older they play by graduation class instead of age. That is pretty simple. Age is insignificant in the eyes of pro scouts and college coaches. They just want to know when you graduate high school. Whether you are 17, 18 or 19, they don't care.

In the attempt to level the playing field we have created rules that are confusing and for some players have completely changed the foundation in which we use youth sports to teach and train our future baseball players. I hope that the super brainiacs of baseball could agree on one birthday cutoff date. It would make deciphering players ages much easier. Until then we will keep playing the guessing game.

Coach Bale


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