Here are some things to know about baseball at the Juniors division, especially for those of you with 7th graders. No particular order, thoughts as I come up with them. Please feel free to forward this to your son.
Our team: Jerald Fritz, Austin Gray, Ryan Hadaway, Nick Moore, Zach Tryon--8th graders
7th graders CJ Arnold, Drew Mortvedt, Aren Halleland, Wyatt Erickson, Sam Mathis, Will Halstead, Cole Matheason,
Like before, players will need to provide their own pants and socks. We will be wearing Dodger blue jerseys, so you will need to come up with white pants and blue socks.
Players can now use a big barrel bat with the 2 5/8 inch barrel
Players can now use cleats with metal spikes if you feel so inclined
Pitch count moves up to 95 pitches per game
We play on a full size diamond, 90 ft bases, lead offs, dropped 3rd strikes, on deck batters, and all that
Our league has 6 teams (3 R-S, 1 SH, 2 Gilbert). This works out great, as we have a 10 game schedule, so we play everybody twice. SH is getting their field worked on, so they will play all their games on the road. So we will have 8 games at the East Diamond (behind the HS field), and 2 games at Gilbert. There is a chance we may slide some games in with Central Iowa LL of Huxley.
The season should be done by Memorial Day, unless we decide to do a rain makeup after Memorial Day, at that time, school ball will be starting.
Games are 7 innings with no innings starting after 2 hours, and a hard stop at 2.5 hours. This can happen, as these games tend to take longer because the pitching is worse. Moving that mound back 15 feet makes a big difference. This is a hitters league, not as many strikeouts, more walks, more putting the ball in play.
As before, I will be asking for your assistance in running the concession stand. Ames charges over $100 for registration, running a concession stand is a way we keep fees down.
I will also be looking for help in pitch counting, book keeping, and base umpiring (and even plate, if you are so inclined!)
The schedule will come out in about a week.
Joining me in coaching is Kent Arnold and Doug Mortvedt.
Juniors baseball takes bottom priority behind track meets and concerts, and all that. Plan on a game about every Saturday, and maybe 1 during the week. If track gets rescheduled to a baseball game night, we will move the baseball game.
While we all want to win, Juniors seems to be a little more laid back than the minors or majors. It is a good way to work into Jr Hi ball. From what I noticed last year--kids who played here on the big diamond in Juniors sure had a leg up on their teammates who hadn't, in 7th grade ball.
I will be asking the boys what positions they want to play. If they can handle it, in my opinion, I will try to work them in there, so they can get experience for the next level. I am a little more selective about pitcher, catcher, and 1st base however. Outfield is a bigger aspect of the game at this level, and there is no shame in being an outfielder. My goal is to give them experience in positions where they can succeed in Jr. Hi ball.
If your son is going to miss a game, please give me as much advance notice as you can. We still have pitching rest requirements, so it can hurt the team if I have rested a player to pitch a given game, then find out 1 day before game time that the family had a planned vacation.
If you have any special family members or guests coming into town for a game, let me know, maybe I can work your son into a more prominent position/batting order for the game
My 4 rules:
Be Safe. Somebody getting hurt is not good. Players should be aware of who is around them when swinging a bat, or who is in the area when throwing a ball.
Have fun. This isn't a job, we aren't major leaguers. If you make an error or get out, it's ok to briefly get mad, then get over it, and put a smile on your face.
Have good sportsmanship. Arguing with umpires is not an option. If an opponent makes a good play, and you can quietly tell him, "nice play" that is ok. Support your teammates when they slump.
Look like a ballplayer. Hats will always be worn forward. Shirts will be tucked in. Hustle to your position at the start of each inning, and hustle in to the dugout when it is our turn to bat.
For now, our practices will be on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8PM, and Sundays (if you can make it) from 1 to 2:30. Our first practice, if it doesn't rain, will be this Tuesday the 22nd at the East Diamond, from 6:30 to 8. First game will be around April 15.
I have a team blog. I use it give practice updates, game commentary, and so on. Please bookmark it, and check it out as the season progresses.
http://nsclldodgers.blogspot.com
My number is 290-7500, Kent's is 291-3506, and Doug's is 231-9402
And like I started with, please respond that your got this. Let's have a fun one and hit me up with any questions you might have.
