The Mercy Rule

That's the rule in place in youth baseball and softball where one team is done if the other team scores X number of runs over the score of the other team in a set number of innings. Today my 9U team got mercied for the first time. As Billy Crystal said "it's not fun, it's not funny".

Here's my vex. We are a town team of 8 and 9 year olds playing against a division of (mostly) club teams, comprised of the better boys from multiple towns. In most cases, the parents pay a "tuition" of a large sum of money. Now, I have no truck with the whole club vs. town thing. We play, we make the plays and get the hits we are competitive. I hate being mercied though. Maybe it's a character fault.

Anyhow, we are building a program and it takes time. I know that. It's just so odd how so few kids come out to play ball anymore. You see it in rec - boys and girls there for their parents I think. No passion. If it's not a celphone, iPod or video game system, it is a second class thought for these kids. And in 20 years, we'll see the fruit of this generation. Big fat fruit, ripe with sarcasm and know-it-all attitude, and juicy with instant gratification and expectations, not for a job well done, but because it should just be.

Until then I'll do my part to get the kids outside and playing ball. Maybe we should have a "No Video Game Worldwide" day. Just a thought.

Bloggin' La Vida Loca.