Commissioner's Corner~

Coach Tom provides some explanation of the distinctives and goals of the different Little League baseball divisions:

Amman Little League Baseball is a learning league in which players learn the skills they need to become competitive baseball players. The five to seven year olds play in the T-Ball division. Each player takes a turn hitting the ball off a "T" and running around the bases while the defense tries to put him or her out by throwing the ball ahead to the next base. Every player on the first team bats once and then the other team comes in to bat. No score is kept since the goal is to learn the game while having fun.

Coach Pitch is the division for the eight to ten year olds . This is a bit more like real baseball. The coach pitches up to five balls for each of his players who try to hit the ball and then run to first base. Each player on the offensive team gets a chance to hit before that team goes to the field to play defense and the other team takes their turn at bat. Score is kept and players learn more about the skills of throwing, batting, running bases along with game strategy.

The Kid Pitch division, ages 11 to 13, is even more like true baseball. At this level, each team has a pitcher who throws the ball across home plate for the batters to hit. If playes hit the ball and get on base, they then must listen to their coach to know when to run and try to score. When three of the batting team's players are put out, that team changes places with the defensive team in the field which comes in to bat. This level can get competitive as there are six teams, making it the largest division in ALLA's baseball leagueThis is also the level at which pitching becomes an important factor in a team's playing ability.

Experienced players from age 14-17 play in the Senior division. This is the most competitive level and pitching becomes a major factor in the game with more experienced pitchers throwing different speeds and types of pitches to trick the batters. The batters and base runners use strategies such base stealing to score runs and beat the other team. At the same time, the team that is fielding will work hard to put out the base runners. The coaches give signals and use every player strategically. Also, training is more intense. The goal is still to enjoy the game while developing skills, teamwork and discipline.

Enjoy the season!
Coach Tom