The Backyard Batting Cage

Baseball players are not drafted from high school any longer to the major leagues.  They are drafted to the minor leagues if they are exceptional players.  Many baseball players find themselves in a quandary because they want to continue their education, realizing that baseball is not something that everyone will succeed at, but at the same time, wanting to pursue their dream.  Most boys start playing baseball when they are 4 years old or a little older.  By the time they are 5 or 6, they are signed up for T-ball and are following the sport. 

The minor leagues is a way to prepare younger players for the major leagues.  Unlike other sports that draft players from college, there is no following for college baseball.  By the time the baseball player is 22 years old, he is most likely to have a career in the majors.

However, preventing someone from pursuing an education is not considered ethical in the sports world.  Even basketball players are encouraged to finish their college sport before being drafted to the NBA.  The only sport that actively seeks high school students and drafts them for the major leagues is hockey.  But hockey players have a very short shelf life as this is one of the most brutal sports there is. 

Baseball players, on the other hand, can very likely play until their mid to late 40s.  You will also see this in football as well, although this is mostly the quarterback who will last out this long without being sidelined with injuries.  For the most part, the career in baseball is the longest of the sporting careers. 

So high school players who show promise as professional athletes are drafted to the minor leagues. You can watch minor league games and perhaps see an up and coming star.  Once a player proves himself in the minors, he can then be drafted to the major leagues and becomes a rookie player.  The minors are also the retiring field for players who still want to play the game but are not able to play in the major leagues any longer.  They are often retired to the minors.  Many retired ball players take on second careers as coaches and managers and even sports announcers.

A baseball player’s career begins and ends in the minor leagues for the most part. You can see minor league games if you visit the training camps of your favorite teams. They are usually located in warm states like Florida or Arizona. 

If you have been watching the game of baseball, you might have trouble understanding the defensive positions.  Unlike other sports, baseball players play both offense and defense. There are 9 men playing on a baseball team in each game.  Occasionally, a man gets hurt and is replaced.  Pitchers  seldom last the entire game as the coach does not want to tire them out.  An exception is made if the pitcher is pitching a “no hitter” in which the other team cannot score against him.  This a coup for the pitcher and he remains in the game for the duration. 

In addition to the pitcher, there is also the catcher.  He stands behind the man batting and catches the ball.  The catcher is also in charge of trying to catch fly foul balls, which will count as an out as long as he catches them in play. 

Infielders include the first, second and third baseman as well as the short stop.  The Short stop stands between the second and third base and it is his job to get balls that get hit to the infield so that the basemen can stay put and tag men out who are running. 

Outfielders are left, right and center field.  They catch the balls that are popped up to the outfield, a common occurrence in professional baseball.  They have to know how to catch and should have a good arm to toss the ball into the infield so that the player can tag the man out.  The outfielder will usually toss the ball to the short stop if they are in the left or center field.  They often toss to the first baseman if they are in right field.  Coaches are standing close to the outfield players and will watch the play and instruct the player where to toss the ball.  The objective of baseball is to prevent the other team from advancing on the bases and making it to home plate.  So they want to get the player who is closest to home.  They will often let the man run to first if they can tag out the man going to third. 

Players warm up before defense by tossing the ball back an forth to one another.  Then they wait for the batting team to step up to the plate.  In the professional leagues, a player who fumbles or drops a ball is considered to be making an error and this goes against their record.  Baseball players have statistics that can often be spotted on the back of their baseball cards.   Most baseball players want to avoid having any errors on their stats. 

Baseball cards have been around for at least 100 years.  Early cards had sketches of the baseball players on them and were in color.  They often came with a wad of chewing tobacco.  They featured the player, the name of their team and their statistics.  They also said how long he had been playing the game. 

Today’s baseball cards are a far cry from the cards of the late 19th century.  They are in full color with photographs and often have holograms.  They also feature the statistics of the player, where he went to school, how long he was in the minor leagues and how long he had been playing for the majors.  It will list the different teams that he played on and when he was drafted into the major leagues.

Old baseball cards are worth money, but not necessarily because of the player.  Because the more popular player get more cards minted, their cards may not be worth as much as a player who has had only a few cards minted.  Baseball cards of obscure players have fetched millions of dollars in some cases. 

The old Babe Ruth cards were ones that were worth a pretty penny and fetched a good auction sum, but because Babe Ruth was such a popular player, these cards did not fetch as much money as other players.  Ted Williams has a card that is worth several thousand dollars. If you are going to look for baseball cards of value, you need to look for Rookie cards.  Rookie cards are made when the player is in their first year in the majors. These are the cards that tend to become the most valuable. 

Today, baseball cards come in packages with a stick of gum.  There is usually a statistic card thrown in with the pack.  Baseball card collectors are very picky - cards not only have to be of value, but they have to be in what is known as “mint” condition.  A corner torn or bent will devalue the card severely. For this reason, baseball card collecting has become more of an adult hobby than one for kids.  Kids used to trade baseball cards to friend and pitch them when they were young in contests.  In a way, they were treated almost like marbles.  Today, because of all the attention that has been brought to baseball cards and their potential value, most people are putting baseball cards in protective binders and sleeves to keep them in mint condition.  Baseball card collecting is now big business and not just for kids anymore. 

Baseball - What Is Right Field?

Very often, kids who play baseball and who are not considered to be “very good” at the game are relegated to right field.  Right field is not the most coveted position  in the game.  But perhaps it should be.  After all, some of the world’s best baseball greats played this position. 

In baseball, unlike other some other sports, players have to play both offense and defense.  They have to be able to play one of  the infield positions or outfield positions.  Those who are good at pitching are pitchers and the catchers are usually good at reflexive moves and can send signals to the pitcher on what type of ball to pitch, based upon the stance of the batter.  Infielders are considered better defensive players.

Outfielders include those playing left, right and center field.  In the major leagues, the ball will often pop up to the outfield and the outfielder better catch it.  To drop a fly ball in little league is not a big deal.  To do this is in major league baseball is considered an error and a black mark against the player. 

Since most batters are right handed, left field sees most of the action,  as does center field.  Right field does not see a lot of action, which is why the players who are not the best defensive players are put in this position.  But who, through the years, played right field?

One famous right fielder was not that great on defense.  He was put in right field because he was able to hit, but not the greatest fielder.  He wasn’t very athletically built, either. In fact, the joke was that he had to hit a home run all the time so that he would be able to make it around the bases.  This somewhat heavy set fellow had his work cut out for him.  He wasn’t going to do much running, so they stuck him in right field. 

If you have a child playing baseball who is sent to right field, do not despair.  This is not necessarily the position for those who do poorly at the game, but those who are not the best defensive players.  Often, what these players lack in defense, they more than make up for in offensive play. 

The stubby guy who played right field for the Yankees so long ago?  He was known as the “Sultan of Swat.”  Yep, old Babe Ruth played right field.  No one ever questioned his baseball abilities.  He was the undisputed home run king for quite some time. 

Hank Aaron beat his home run record in the 1970s.  Hank Aaron, also a powerful hitter also played right field.  As did some of the other biggest hitters in the game.  Right field may not be the most coveted position when it comes to defense in baseball, but anyone who plays this position is in pretty good company. 

How to Grip a Baseball Bat Properly, and Avoid Bat Drag
By Rafi Goldmeier
Batting Tips: Gripping the Bat
Choking Up
Your grip on the bat is going to be anywhere between the knob of the bat (the very bottom) and the top end of the tape or rubber grip before the barrel of the bat. Choking up on the bat means you are moving your hands up further away from the knob and closer to the barrel.
There are reasons for "choking up" and for not "choking up", and your decision to choke up or not should really depend on the style of a hitter that you are, and how good of a hitter you are, along with the situation when you get into the batter's box - how many men on base and on which base, how many outs, how many strikes, etc.
The benefit of not choking up is that your swing will generate more power. if you are a homerun hitter, you will often not be choking up. The swing, when not choking up on the bat, is looser and you get more power into it. Also, not choking up means you have a longer bat, giving you the ability to have greater range for hitting outside pitches, or pitches on the outer edge of the plate.
The benefit of choking up is that it stabilizes the bat, as you are holding it closer to the barrel. The bat is not as loose, and the swing is more controlled. As well, it is lightening the bat in your hands, as you are holding it closer to the heavy part of the bat. Being a shorter bat, with your hands higher up, the swing also becomes a quicker swing. When choking up on the bat, you get a more stable swing, you cut out some of the natural wave that happens in the very loose swing of a non-choked up grip, and you are "more likely" to get a base hit.
Even hitters that do not naturally choke up will often choke up when the count runs to two strikes. At that point they are willing to cut some power out of the swing and instead swing to hit the ball and just get on base. Choking up will give them more of that stability and raise their chance of hitting the ball for a base hit.
Some say that instead of choking up, you can accomplish the same benefits by using a shorter bat. The consensus, however, is that the same issues remain even with a shorter bat, and the benefits of choking up are not achieved to the same level by using a shorter bat, unless you choke up on the shorter bat.
Bat Drag and Bat Lag
Bat Drag and Bat Lag are confusing concepts. First of all, Bat Drag is bad and Bat Lag is good.
Let's start with Bat Drag. Bat Drag is bad. Bat Drag means that you are dragging, or pulling the bat with your arms, and moving the bat by using the hands and arms, rather than holding the hands at the shoulder, and turning the hands and shoulder as one unit.
If you swing with Bat Drag, it doesn't mean you won't hit the ball. Bat Draggers can be decent hitters, especially against slower pitching, but your hitting will be so much better if you work on eliminating the drag. By dragging the bat, you are not getting your body mass into the swing, and you are no getting optimal bat speed in the swing.
In a hitter with Bat Drag it is common to see the batter's elbow of his top hand lead out in front of the knob of the bat. That causes the batter to drag the bat through the zone.
Bat Drag can be caused either by bad mechanics, and running through hitting drills can train the hitter to adjust his grip and stance, and swing to eliminate the drag, or it can be caused by using a bat that is too heavy. In such a case, if the batter switches to use a lighter bat instead he very well might eliminate the drag just like that!
Bat Lag, on the other hand, is good. Bat Lag is when the hitter begins his forward movement with the knob of the bat, without letting the knob drop or sink down first. The knob remains in front of the back elbow, the elbow of the top hand, and then as the knob of the bat moves forward into the hitting zone, the barrel of the bat lags behind it. Eventually, the barrel of the bat is whipped forward through the strike zone.
To hit well, the batters hands HAVE to lead the swing. The hips and the hands drive the swing, not the arms and not the hips and shoulders.
For some images and video that will help you visualize bat drag and bat lag, see the Ultimate Sports Resource website article on the subject.
Rafi participates and is active in a variety of team and personal sports. He trained for and ran a marathon, and recently even made the switch from shod running to barefoot running.
Rafi's website, The Ultimate Sports Resource is on the way to becoming a premier site for sports information, and for information about quality sporting goods and gear. Images and video relevant to this article can be seen on the site as well.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rafi_Goldmeier

With rife baseball batting tips floating out there we wish to slow down a binary unit and methodically lay out tips that are cushy to take after and in some stripe of propriety. If you laud reading our articles you will precisely lead a incomplex route to realize. For this part, let’s focus on batting tips related to hitting adjustment.
When it comes to election your baseball swat you shouldn’t kipe that using a giant blow will sell for you hitting happy days. Don’t make up one’s mind a prodigious slam because the older players in your society are using one. You should favor a whack that will let you to get around apace sufficing to scrape the balloon. So primarily, you don’t thirst a sluggish rap or notably lftBnr of a crack. It in fact depends upon the solitary. Try out sundry bats to undergo which one is sharp for you before you frame a acquisition.
Later, focus on your strength. You be down and out to have a enterprise handgrip on your strike but domination the sock ply with your fingers and not fit good ways back in your lift. You should line up your knuckles rightly and the pinky of your foot clap should be tear-jerking the swell of the belt deal in.
Your cerebral concept to hitting should sail before your at thwack. In lieu of goofing around in the cave or talking with fans you should be psychically handy for your at smack. Best shot to inspect sum about the in use flagon. What is he throwing? Where is he throwing? What has he been pitching your teammates? You miss to be as groomed as dormant before you get into the mush’s chest. Don’t misapply any at bats by not knowing what your romp intent is.
The finished batting crown for hitting basis is having spunk as you step into the carton. I’m not talking about being self-righteous and smart aleck. I’m referring to a tranquil heart. Be presumptuous in your assiduity that you can treat any hitting location that you may sustain. You can get the opening done. You can fly that page over. You can swing at strict pitches and not balls. Jab not to be distracted from anything at all else going on. Indeed when there are roadblocks such as a incorrect invitation by the ump, shore focused and satisfied that you’ll still get the role done. You don’t fancy to shrink the reliever any illegal leverage. Visit upbeat and you will have more effort.

Tags: Baseball
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Hall of Famer gives batting tipsPETERSBURG, AK (2010-06-17) Petersburg baseball players got some hitting advice from a Hall of Fame third baseman over last weekend. Kansas City Royal great George Brett took time out from a recent sport fishing trip in Petersburg to answer questions and give pointers to Petersburg little leaguers Saturday at the high school gym.

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 Head on the Ball should perhaps be better called ” Eyes on the Ball” because it gives an athlete an opportunity to develop hard focus. Hard focus cannot be maintained for long periods but it is critical for the athlete to hit the ball. Mike Kellogg can guide you in learning this hard focus ability with his innovative tool. Beth Bazin, OD FCOVD Vission Therapy, Sports Vision Training www.visiondevelop.com baseball softball hitting batting keeping your head on the ball keeping your eye on the ball fielding infield outfield How to keep your head down how to keep your eye on the ball batting drills batting tips see the ball baseball hitting softball hitting softball hitting tips how to develop hard focus stepping in the bucket hitting the baseball hitting the softball fielding the baseball

Tags: and, baseball, concentration, device, disc, down, eye, field, fielding, focus, for, grove, head, headontheball, hitting, how, infield, keeping, league, little, missouri, oak, outfield, softball, the, tips, to, tool, training, your, youth

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 18th, 2010 at 5:11 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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There are just as many teenagers as there are little kids who are wanting to get more information about baseball batting tips for beginners. I read questions almost every day online from kids aged 13-18 wanting these tips. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the United States, Canada and Japan and to be honest with you ... hitting a baseball is one of the most exhilarating activities someone can do.
In order to learn how to hit a baseball we have to touch on the most basic elements because without knowing the fundamentals, you will have a hard time hitting the ball.
Choose a bat that is right for you. Don't pick a bat that is too heavy or too light. Stand properly in the batters box. Stand shoulder width apart for proper balance. Hold the bat in a vertical position with it angled slightly over your back shoulder. Your head should be pointed directly at the pitcher. Keep your eyes on the ball at all times. Wait on the ball. Don't open your hips or front shoulder too soon or you will swing too early. Swing the bat in a nice, fluid motion. For beginners, keep both hands on the bat at all times. Be confident. Always go up to bat knowing that you will get the job done. Never give up. Practice as much as you can. Taking a little time each day practicing your swing will go a long way. Watch other successful hitters. Whether it's watching a ball game on TV or at the ballpark, you should study how other hitters bat. Have fun. Hitting a baseball is fun to do. You can fail at hitting seven out of ten times and still be considered successful. Enjoy!So I just listed ten baseball batting tips for beginners that you can practice right now. Give us your thoughts on these batting tips by submitting a comment below.
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On the surface the baseball load seems like a very simple action. Take your hands back, step out towards the pitcher with your front foot, and have no more than 60% of your weight on your back leg. However, when you factor in the concept of timing and rhythm, the load becomes a whole lot more complex.

In order to understand how to load, you must first understand why to load. The load was developed for two basic purpose. The first is to generate momentum into the ball, and the second is to develop your timing with the baseball pitch.

Anyone who has tried to swing a baseball bat from a standstill position knows it is very difficult and requires a lot of strength. As a result, we must break inertia and began building the force we want to generate into the ball. This relates directly to physics where it easier to move an object already in motion.

Timing and rhythm is a bit more complicated. "Baseball timing" relates to your ability to generate maximum force into the ball through pitch recognition. To take it a step further, it is your ability to give yourself the same amount of time to accurately recognize each ball thrown at you. Whether the pitch is thrown 95 mph or 55 mph, you want to try and give your self the same amount of time in between ending your load and beginning the rest of your baseball swing.

The first tip in establishing consistency with your baseball load is keeping it short, smooth, and simple. Remember the old story of the tortoise and the hair? Think of yourself as the tortoise. Slow and stead wins the race.

Quick tip number 2, have a defined end point for your load. A common mistake involves allowing the load to run directly into the next step of the swing. Players will allow their body to begin to come forward before their hands fully get back. This is a sure fire way to create a long swing and decrease your baseball power.

Finally, shoot for zero tension during this portion of your swing. Tension breeds stress, stress breeds a slow bat. The more rigid and tight your body becomes during this portion of the swing, the harder it will become to complete a sound mechanical swing correctly. If you are gripping the bat tightly, you are loosing power. Follow these three baseball batting tips closely to watch your power and consistency increase when batting a baseball.

Before you work on the annoyance of improving your baseball batting, join us at our website. You can also view my baseball batting training video lessons on our YouTube channel.

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Little League Baseball Drills - Batting Practice
By guest author: Chris Campbell

I have heard it said by many an accomplished athlete, that one of the hardest things you can do in professional sports, is to hit a major league fastball. Or any major league pitch for that matter. Just ask Micheal Jordan. He may be a living legend in the world of professional basketball, but he only managed a 202 batting average for the Birmingham Barons (a farm team for the Chicago White Sox). The moral being, it's best to get your little leaguer started early, if they plan on challenging some of the MLB hitting records.

With that in mind, lets consider a few hitting drills that the kids can use to get their bats swinging true, and making contact as soon as possible. One of the best drills you can do with your kids, is simply to grab a bucket of balls, and pitch a few to them every day you can find the time to do so. It's practically impossible, for most kids to get enough batting practice with the team. There's a limited number of pitchers, catchers, and backstops for most little league coaches to work with. It's almost impossible for them to get more then a few minutes hitting each practice. A one on one practice with mom or dad every day or so will really help out.

Now just swinging for the sake of swinging will make you a better hitter, but there are a few simple points you should keep in mind, to maximize the time put in. Don't harp on these items too much, as they can be a bit technical and boring for kids. Try to make it fun for them at the same time.

Choosing The Right Bat

Picking a bat that's appropriate for your child's height and strength can make all the difference. It should feel comfortable for them to hold and swing the bat. If the bat is slowing down their swing too much, it's probably a little too heavy. There is a simple way to test a bat, even before you buy one. Simply have your son or daughter hold the bat by the handle, and hold it straight out to the side, so the bat is parallel to the ground. They should be able to hold the bat steady for at least fifteen seconds. If they can't, or their arms starts to shake, you should try a smaller bat.

Batter Positioning

It's important to know where the batters box is, where home plate is, and where the strike zone is. That way, even little league players, can put themselves in good position to reach any ball that is passing through the strike zone. Even if your in your back yard practicing, you can mock up a plate, and batters box. Just use a can of spray paint on the grass to mark out home plate and a made up batters box. Don't worry, it'll disappear the next time you cut the grass.

Little League Baseball Drills is a great resource for helping your little leaguer get the most out of his or hers favorite pastime. With a little good training, amateur or even professional ball players will see a dramatic improvement in the way they play.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell

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Oct 7th, 2010 on Darien Times The structure of the Darien Little League's fall program is being criticized by one Darien mother, Margaret Stefanoni, who said her son was moved unfairly into a lower division. Follow us on Twitter Keep up on Facebook Stefanoni said the decision was personal. The league contends that Stefanoni was seeking special treatment for her son and what... Share with Friends
The structure of the Darien Little League's fall program is being criticized by one Darien mother, Margaret Stefanoni, who said her son was moved unfairly into a lower...
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Just under the state's 30-day window for comments, Chris and Margaret Stefanoni again challenged the town's point calculation for an affordable housing moratorium. The...
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Chris and Margaret Stefanoni have filed two more affordable housing applications, Chris Stefanoni told The Darien Times Sunday. Follow us on Twitter Keep up on...
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The World Series of Baseball was first played in 1904   Since then, it has been played every year except for one.  The 1904 World Series pitted teams from the National League against the teams from the American League.  There have been scandals and incidents that have occurred throughout the World Series that actually threatened the sport of baseball. 

The first big scandal to hit the world of baseball happened at the 1919 World Series between the Boston Red Stockings and the Chicago White Sox.  The White Sox were dubbed “the Black Sox” after this series when it was discovered that gamblers approached the team and got them to throw the series for $100,000.  Eight men were banned for life from the game of baseball and the series went to the Red Sox.  The most famous of the “eight men out” was Joe “Shoeless” Jackson.  Movies and books have been written about this event and many make Jackson out to be innocent.  Although he was not the ringleader, historians believe he was in on the fix.  Whether or not he did it in fear for his life or because of the money is anyone’s guess.   Seven men were convicted of actually throwing the game and an eighth many was convicted of knowing about the fix but  not saying anything.  They were all subsequently banned for life from the game of baseball. 

After that scandal, baseball cracked down on gambling.  Anyone caught consorting with gamblers risked being banned from the sport.  What very few people realize is that before the 1919 game, it was routine that games were fixed by gamblers. 

Seventy years later, the San Francisco Earthquake actually shook Candlestick Park right before the first game of the 1989 world series.  The earthquake hit just as the ball players were warming up and the stands were packed.  Fortunately, no one at the ball park was injured, although 64 people died during this earthquake and the world series was postponed.

In 1994, baseball players went on strike looking for better salaries.  The 1994 world series was not played this year and threatened the entire sport.  It took several years for fans to return to the love of the game.

The World Series is played in October of every year and signifies the end of the baseball season that begins in the early Spring.  The New York Yankees hold the record of having the most wins of all of the World Series games. 

Andy Hutchins isn't good at sports. And he will prove it again and again.

My hometown, Rockledge, Florida, is not a hotbed of sporting talent. When the Rockledge Little League All-Stars made it to the Southeast Regional of the Little League system, it was as aberrational as it was exciting: These were not the biggest, strongest, or fastest kids, but, as "unofficial coach" and parent Scott Aurand said, "Our kids worked harder than any other kids. Because of that, we probably won games that we shouldn't have."

Of course, it didn't hurt to have Ryan Hinz, a lanky, nearly six-foot lefty with a fastball that hovers around 70 MPH (which seems like about 92 MPH from a Little League mound) for most of the Little League-mandated 85 pitches in a game, a curveball that tumbles half a foot, and the command to use both and abuse hitters accordingly.

At the Southeast Regional, the All-Stars went just 1-2, running into the powerhouse that is Warner Robins, Georgia, a town that produced the 2007 Little League World Series champions and the 2009 Southeast representatives, in pool play. Ryan didn't pitch against Warner Robins, but he did compile these statistics at the regional:

10 IP. 4 H. 1 BB. 26 K. 0 R.

It's a good thing his coaches told me all of that before I went to bat against him on a muggy Saturday morning.

I have never played organized baseball. I am not in shape. If there is a diametric opposite of the five-tool player, I am probably it. I anticipated shame and pain in my matchup with Ryan. He delivered.

After watching him whistle a few pitches to the plate and swinging a bat that suddenly felt like a woefully inadequate defense mechanism, I stepped in, smiling, trying to calm myself.

Thwppt-ding. Ryan sailed one high and inside to the backstop, the old scare-the-batter trick. It worked.

I settled in, whiffing on pitch after pitch. I missed high. I missed low. I missed wide. I missed inside. Ryan did not miss much.

After about twenty-five pitches of futility, I made contact, chopping a soft grounder to short that would have been no problem. The coaches and players hooted and hollered for me. My hands shook from the bat-ball collision.

Ryan threw about seventy pitches on that day: I fouled about six off, put four in play, and smacked two to the gap between shortstop and third base that would probably have snuck through for hits. Neither made it out of the infield on the fly.

My smile was gone, replaced with sweat and a grimace.

Afterward, I asked Ryan to rate me as a hitter: "Between bad and okay." Okay, well, on a scale of one to ten? "A three." Hey, that's almost not terrible, right? "Putting four balls in play out of sixty, seventy in a baseball game, that's...that's not very good."

Oh.

The Rockledge All-Stars are tight, playing twenty games across Florida and in West Virginia at the Southeast Regional this spring and summer. Some of the team also played on a travel team, that, in a "light year," played 30 to 35 additional games, according to Aurand. The kids bond over baseball. "We feel like we're all best friends," Ryan said.

That doesn't mean any of them like facing Ryan. Chris Aurand, who, at around five feet and 100 pounds, is about average for the smallish, scrappy Rockledge team, certainly doesn't. "For me, it's a living nightmare. If you hit (a fastball), he'll throw you a curveball that breaks about a foot."

The All-Stars saw a few dominant pitchers this summer. They ran into Cortez Broughton of Warner Robins at the Southeast Regional, whose 75-77 MPH heat (MLB comparison: 98-101 MPH) helped his Georgia team go to the U.S. Semifinals in Williamsport. But he was wild, out after 15 pitches "He couldn't throw a strike," Chris said. "I'd put Ryan ahead of Cortez Broughton any day."

I had to ask. "Ryan made me look bad, didn't he?"

"Yeah." Chris laughed.

I'll watch the Little League World Series final today between the hammering kids from Chula Vista, California, and the clockwork dominance of the Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei, and know full well that every single kid on the field is a better baseball player before even leaving middle school than I ever will be.

Walk tall, kids.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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The Rayside Computer Jays captured the Rayside-Balfour Little League championship with a 10-5 victory over the Sudbury and District Dental Hygiene Sevices Marlins.

Tanner Morrison was the winning pitcher for the Jays, who went undeafeted for the season.

Morrison struck out 12 Marlin batters and went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs.

Caleb Lapierre took the loss for the Marlins, but had a strong game at the plate with three hits and four RBIs.

The Jays took control in the bottom of the first inning, scoring five runs.

The Rayside Computer Jays are Brodie Hughes, Mackenzie Hughes, Tanner Morrison, Josh Dutrisac, Bailey Therrien, Andrew Minor, Bradley Chaput, Daniel Lamontagne, Tyler Bourgeois, Jordan Maguire, Eric Paquette, Mackenzie Savard, Marshall Johnson and Kory Paquette with coaches Dean Paquette, Mike Morrison and Pierre Paquette.

SUDBURNIA SOCCER CLUB

August 2 results:

U18 MIXED

Game #1: Lions Club (1) vs Lasalle Cougars (0).

Game #2: Nickel Acme Printers (3) vs Coca-Cola Zero (3).Goalscorers: Nickel Acme Printers: Doug Strasser (1), Jeff Eastick (1), Callum St. Denis (1); Coca-Cola Zero: Spencer Collins (2), Benoit Lafleur (1).

U14 MIXED

Game #1: APEX Business Machines (3) vs Lowes (2); Goalscorers: APEX Business Machines: Dorian Buschman (2), Billy Wylie (1); Lowes: E. Swann (1), D. Bortolotto (1).

U14 GIRLS

Game #1: Laurentian Trophies (3) vs Panhellenic (6). Goalscorers: Laurentian Trophies: Alexandra Stankiewicz (3); Panhellenic: Sophie Paradis (4), Melissa Kingsley (1), Charlotte Stone (1).

U10 MIXED

Game #1: Tim Hortons (1) vs Northern Sports Photography (7). Goalscorers: Tim Hortons: Chris Rocca (1); Northern Sports Photography: Connor Trainor (3), Kyle Leduc (1), Owen Charland (1), Brandon Dorion (1), Brandon Knuk (1)

Game #2: Lowes (6) vs Mr. Lube (3). Goalscorers: Lowes: Kaleb Mikic (4), William Bealty (2); Mr. Lube: Kai Mallory (2), Ben Stewart (1).

U7 MIXED

Game #1: MIC Restaurant (3) vs Campa Construction (4). Goalscorer(s): MIC Restaurant: Callum Passi (2), Alex Lafleur (1); Campa Construction: Eric Dissanayake (4).

August 3 results:

U18 MIXED

Game #1: Skin Medi Spa (0) vs Lions Club (6). Goalscorers: Skin Medi Spa: Nonel; Lions Club: Gab Despatie (2), Ed Burla (1), Rob Lavigne (1), Anthony Pomykala (1), Sam Shede (1).

Game #2: Lasalle Cougars (2) vs Nickel Acme Printers (3). Goalscorers: Lasalle Cougars: Jonathan Gagnon (2); Nickel Acme Printers: Ross Proudfoot (2), Doug Strasser (1).

U18 GIRLS

Game #1: End of the Roll (1) vs Foot Solutions (2). Goalscorers: End of the Roll: Emma Tomini (1); Foot Solutions: Brigette Gelinas (1), Maxime Lapierre (1).

Game #2: Trauma Team (3) vs Northern FRAG Industries (1). Goalscorers: Trauma Team: Brigid Conroy (2), Maeve Conroy (1); Northern FRAG Industries: Josee Dalcourt (1).

U10 GIRLS

Game #1: Ontario Power Generation (1) vs Lions Club of Sudbury (0). Goalscorer(s): Ontario Power Generation: Katie Rinaldi (1); Lions Club of Sudbury: None.

August 4 results:

U12 MIXED

Game #1: Tim Hortons (2) vs Vrabs YIG (3). Goalscorers: Tim Hortons: Braedan Tulini (2); Vrabs YIG: Charles Beatch (2), Lindon Houle (1).

U12 GIRLS

Game #1: Mighty Molars (2) vs New Sudbury Vision Centre (0). Goalscorers: Mighty Molars: Julia Plexman (1), Gabriella (1); New Sudbury Vision Centre: None.

U10 MIXED

Game #1: Minnow Lake Lions Club (4) vs Kings Sportswear (7). Goalscorers: Minnow Lake Lions Club: Ryan Vanderpluym (2), Curtis Tremblay (1), Johnathan Tulio (1); Kings Sportswear: Joel Martin (4), Liam Couisineau (2), Brandon St. Jean (1).

U5 MIXED

Game #1: Tim Hortons Maple (1) vs Ontario Power Generation (6). Goalscorers: Tim Hortons Maple: Alejandro Winzer (1); Ontario Power Generation: Sydney Coe (4), Claudia Holt (1), Abby Holt (1).

Game #2: Subway Pizza Sub (0) vs Lowes (1). August 5 results:

U18 GIRLS

Game #1: Trauma Team (0) vs Foot Solutions (4). Goalscorers: Trauma Team: None; Foot Solutions: Tori Hannah (1), Maxime Lapierre (1), Jessica Orsino (1), Jennifer Shane (1).

Game #2: Panhellenic (3) vs End of the Roll (0). Goalscorers: Panhellenic: Pascale Lavergne-Giroux (1), Andrea Waine (1), Sophie Lamoureaux (1); End of the Roll: None.

U14 MIXED

Game #1: Lions Club (0) vs Panhellenic (6). Goalscorers: Lions Club: None; Panhellenic: Conj Compeau (1), John Dawson (1), Keegan Fex (1), Taylor Gervais (1), Brook Piette (1), Brad Ratchford (1).

U12 MIXED

Game #1: Tim Hortons (6) vs Panhellenic (0). Goalscorers: Tim Hortons: None; Panhellenic: Braedan Tulini (4), Nathan Pyke (2), Liam Moore (1).

U12 GIRLS

Game #1: Trauma Team (2) vs PowerTel (5). Goalscorers: Trauma Team: Cristina Elchyson (1), Lindsay Boland (1); PowerTel: Kyla Boyd (2), Courtney MacIsaac (2), Sierra Crossthwaite (1).

U8 GIRLS

Game #1: Subway (7) vs New Sudbury Vision Centre (1). Goalscorers: Subway: Mireille Dimaio (4), Annyka Desjardins (1), Emily MacIsaac (1), Tuyla Cameron (1); New Sudbury Vision Centre: Elecksa Desjardins (1).

August 9 results:

U18 MIXED

Game #1: Lasalle Cougars (0) vs Nickel Acme Printers (6). Goalscorers: Lasalle Cougars: None; Nickel Acme Printers: Brian Hennessy (3), Emily Smith (1), Marcie Tellier (1), Jenny Trevisiol (1).

Game #2: Lions Club of Sudbury (5) vs Coca-Cola Zero (1); Goalscorers: Lions Club of Sudbury: Gabe Despatie (3), David Pare (2); Coca- Cola Zero: Jamey Larocque (1).

U14 MIXED

Game #1: Panhellenic (0) vs APEX Business Machines (3). Goalscorers: Panhellenic: None; APEX Business Machine: Billy Wylie (1), Dorian Buschman (1), Brandon Nadeau (1).

U14 GIRLS

Game #1: Lions Club of Sudbury (4) vs Laurentian Trophies (2). Goalscorers: Lions Club of Sudbury: Lindsay Rantala (2), Toni Teale (2); Laurentian Trophies: Emily Hreljac (1), Darcie Whalen (1).

U10 MIXED

Game #1: RBC Mortgage Specialists (1) vs Lowes (1). Goalscorers: RBC Mortgage Specialists: Cameron Pellinen (1); Lowes: Tyler Dunn (1).

Game #2: Northern Sports Photography (2) vs Nickel City Steel (1). Goalscorers: Northern Sports Photography: Connor Trainor (1), Jacob Kruk (1); Nickel City Steel: William Lawton (1).

Game #3: Mr. Lube (5) vs Minnow Lake Lions Club (5). Goalscorers: Mr. Lube: Jordon (2), Kai (2), N/A (1); Minnow Lake Lions Club: Johnathon Tullio (2), Austin Pawluk (1), Kaitlyn MacGirr (1), Ryan Vanderpluym (1).

U7 MIXED

Game #1: MIC Restaurant (7) vs Nickel City Steel (1). Goalscorer(s): MIC Restaurant: Christian Zuliani (2), Ryan Vendette (2), Sean Jansen (2), Devon Rowley (1); Nickel City Steel: Michela Bussolaro (1).

August 10 results:

U18 MIXED

Game #1: Nickel Acme Printers (5) vs Skin Medi Spa (3). Goalscorers: Nickel Acme Printer: Matthew White (1), Kim Eunice (1), Curtis Sarmatiuk (1), John Pambianco (1), Nic Smith (1).

U18 GIRLS

Game #1: Northern FRAG Industries (4) vs Panhellenic (1). Goalscorers: Northern FRAG Industries: Caitlin Fournier (2), Kassandra Merits (1), Chantal Scherbok (1); Panhellenic: Corissa Vande Weghe (1).

Game #2: End of the Roll (3) vs Trauma Team (4). Goalscorers: End of the Roll: Carly Zubalich (2), Hannah Petingola (1); Trauma Team: Brigid Conroy (2), Natasha Dufresne (2).

U10 GIRLS

Game #1: Lions Club of Sudbury (4) vs Subway (1). Goalscorers: Lions Club of Sudbury: Alex (1), Aaliyah (1), Jaydon (1), Gabriela (1); Subway: Katlyn Falvo (1).

U6 MIXED

Game #1: Honeyford Insurance (2) vs Subway Pizza Sub (4). Goalscorers: Matthew Guerra (1), Peter Guerra (1); Subway Pizza Sub: Ethan Mulligan (4).

August 11 results:

U12 MIXED

Game #1: Tim Hortons (5) vs VRAB YIG (0). Goalscorers: Tim Hortons: Braedan Tulini (3), Liam Moore (1), Elijah Crammer-Bobbie (1); VRAB YIG: None.

Game #2: Toppers Pizza (6) vs Panhellenic (1). Goalscorers: Toppers Pizza: Luke Crepeau (3), Michael Zhou (2), Eric Tessier (1); Panhellenic: Cameron Diaw (1).

U12 GIRLS

Game #1: Trauma Team (3) vs New Sudbury Vision Centre (0). Goalscorers: Trauma Team: Danika Falvo (2), Cristine Elchyson (1); New Sudbury Vision Centre: None.

U5 MIXED

Game #1: Tim Hortons Maple (2) vs Dr. Archambaults Dynamos (3). Goalscorers: Tim Hortons Maple: Alejandro Winzer (2); Dr. Archambaults Dynamos: Liam Love (3).

August 12 results:

U18 GIRLS

Game #1: Panhellenic (2) vs Foot Solutions (1). Goalscorers: Panhellenic: Pascale Lavergne Giroux (1), Laura Battaion (1); Foot Solutions: Brigitte Gelinas (1).

U14 MIXED

Game #1: Lions Club of Sudbury (1) vs Lowes (0). Goalscorers: Lions Club of Sudbury: Nick Lamothe (1); Lowes: None.

U12 MIXED

Game #1: Panhellenic (2) vs Brady Physiotherapy (3). Goalscorers: Panhellenic: Keenan Skilliler (1), Alex Yeomans (1); Brady Physiotherapy: Andrew Basawa (3.)

U12 GIRLS

Game #1: Mighty Molars (0) vs PowerTel (3). Goalscorers: Mighty Molars: None; PowerTel: Haley Moskal (2), Kyla Boyo (1)

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