It's that time of year again...more LLB questions

National Guard

O.K. Yes, I am the official scorekeeper for my son's Little League Baseball team this year. This time the games count- wins and losses are recorded.

So anyway. If one of the kids get hit by a pitch and goes to first base, then a pinch runner is put in for him. The pinch runner steals second and third base. The next batter gets a base hit and the pinch runner scores on that hit.

Who gets credit for the 2 stolen bases? Who gets credit for the run scored? The pinch runner or the kid that originally got hit by the ball? Or both? Or some combination of the two?

I won't be able to sleep until I know for sure since I am such a LLB fanatic!x:D

LarryC

First, I'll answer your questions. The pinch runner gets credit for everything he did. The poor kid who "took one for the team" doesn't even get credited with an "at bat". But because of what happened during that imaginary "at bat", the pitcher gets charged with an earned run as result of giving up the hit also. Strange game we have here, isn't it?

Now, what do you mean, "This time the games count."?

Also, it sounds like the kid who got hit couldn't continue. Is he/she all right? Just curious.

National Guard

Thank you, I gave the credit to the pinch runner as I thought that was the correct interpretation. But my son and maybe the coach (not sure but will explain that part later) said the credit for the score goes to the one who got hit.

My son was the one who got hit - the last two games. The first time the ball hit him right above the right knee in the thigh. (he's a lefty batter) It hurt him pretty bad and a pinch runner had to go in for him. He sat out for two innings and then went back in the game and played two more innings. He survived the battle wounds!

The next game he got hit again in the right calf but I was not there to see it. (On a class field trip to NYC with my daughter). My son told me later that the coach told him he gets credit for the score. He was o.k. after that hit and went to first base but the coach chose to put a pinch runner in. The pinch runner scored a few plays later and that was the winning run to end the game. So, since I was not there, I don't know if my son correctly interpreted what the coach said or what the coach meant, when he gave a "pep talk" at the end of the game.

This year my son (is 9) was drafted to the Majors (ages 10-12) and score is kept including who wins and who loses. Not all of the teams make it to the playoffs. Last year he played in "Minor B" where they kept score sort of but did not officially keep track of wins and losses. Every team went to the play offs.

LarryC

Well, I say if your coach gave credit for the run to your son who got hit, then that's fine with me. Poor kid should get SOME credit for the turn of events. Major League (Pros) scorekeepers may take issue with it, but that's their problem.By the way, your coaches name isn't Boilermaker (as in Walter Matheau) is it?

Getting hit by a pitch above a knee is very painful, let me tell you. Today I have the arthritis to remind me of such occasions. But I got on base so it was worth it.

JudyT929

Wow that's confusing. My daughter played softball but I never kept score. This reminds me of

"Well, let's see, we have on the bags, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third..."

Don D

Just be glad 'red carding' is not a part of the game. I have a feeling you'd get tossed sometime during the season.

HRGirl

Since our move to a new school district, my daughter has become very interested in sports. From what I gather she had more than proven herself at the old school but she must win the new boys over.

In the fall she was the only girl on the flag football team, and the boys only let her play after they saw her puttzin around with a football and realized that she could punt and pass better then them and she could get the win.

Now baseball has started and well she's not as versed in that. We take her out back and throw a tennis ball to her for batting practice, she likes to "chop" the ball out of the air usually. She swings at EVERYTHING. When she does connect, look out...she sent one sailing and it smacked me in the cheek (it took me a good half hour to get off the ground, stop crying and count my teeth). I never knew tennis balls hurt so bad. My husband found great amusement in it after he mades sure I was okay.
She says they still won't let her play so we keep working on it.

You should come to PA for a visit to Williamsport, home to the Little League World Series. They have a musuem and such. We drove past it. Baseball isn't my thing...football and NASCAR are more my speed. My sister's says it's because I have pent up aggression.

Don D

You should get her signed up with a girl's softball program. I don't know if they have those up north; but, down here, girl's programs are just as popular as boys and every town, big or small, has tons of soccer, football, softball programs going year round for every age group. A good program will eliminate her habit of chopping the ball right away. There's no need for her to impress boys in order to excel at sports unless you're talking sandlot.

HRGirl

My daughter is very much the tomboy...climb a tree...be on a roof...will run threw every mud puddle within a 2 mile radius. The boys at school won't let her play because she's a "GIRL" and being the competitive little thing she is, she has to prove them wrong. She won't play with girls, she says she can't stand when they whine about broken nails and chipped nail polish (she thought I was a real sissy for crying when she hit me with the tennis ball...her exact words "SUCK IT UP SOLDIER").

My daughter has been raised with all boys, my nephew's took her baby dolls from her when she was little and gave her footballs and basketballs, fishing poles and dirt bike rides. The teacher tells me she'll take on any boy without a blink of an eye. And I thought I was gonna have my baby girl in frilly dress and mary janes!

National Guard

Wow, another reason to come to Elkton. My son has played basketball and soccer and football WITH GIRLS on his team. This year there is a 10 yr. old girl on his baseball team. None of the boys on any of those teams have problems playing with a girl. Maybe they exclude girls at recess when they throw a ball around, but that would be a whole different culture - at school. As far as organized sports and even pick up games at the neighbor's my son has and his friends have never had any "issues" about girls.