Sandlot Baseball
Bringing Back Pick-up Baseball Games

Let us look at why baseball players have moved away from sandlot baseball and also look at the possibilities of bringing back pick-up games.

The biggest reason might be parents. So many parents look at youth baseball as a vehicle to a college scholarship or a steppingstone to a pro contract. We have shown the chances of playing baseball past high school and it is not really in the players favor.

Instead of parents looking to baseball as a personal growth experience they have visions of stardom in their heads.

Another reason might be fear. Parents often are afraid to let young kids out of sight much less let them meet down at the local playground to play ball unsupervised.

Forty or fifty years ago parents did not worry about their kids going to the sandlot and playing ball all day. Now, you’re afraid to let them go around the corner.

Why Bring Sandlot Ball Back

Young baseball players need practice and repetitions. There is just no way to get around it. Take a look at a young player in the Dominican Republic that spends a day at the sandlot. He might have 15 or 20 at bats, numerous chances fielding grounders, fly balls, throwing plays, and several baserunning turns.

Our players here in the United States play around three games a week. If they are lucky they might get 4 at bats per game. Over a month long period that would give them around 48 at bats. Probably less because so many of our coaches encourage players to draw a walk.

The Dominican kid playing three times a week might end up with over 200 at bats per month. He also played without a parent criticizing him on the way home and a coach hollering at his every little boo-boo all day.

So why do you think so many of the world’s best players come from a small little poor island? Could it be that the unorganized baseball model is working better than our organized model?

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