YOUTH BASEBALL PRIMER Bill Sullivan's tips

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Even if you've never watched a game before, let alone played it, you're allowed to speak like an expert. But, if you're not familiar with baseball, here's a brief primer. Vindicator sportswriter Bill Sullivan gleaned these tips from a variety of sources.

During the course of the games, the ball will be delivered to the hitter. It will either be thrown overhand or not. In some games it will be lobbed underhand or even delivered quite fast underhand.

Some players will hit the ball off a platform called a T. Some never learn to hit the ball at all and grow up to be sportswriters.

There's a team of fielders each wearing one glove apiece. That practice predates Michael Jackson.

And there's a team at bat. When they run the bases, think NASCAR (keep turning left).

Finally, remember that Dorothy may prove to be the best baseball fan of all. In the movie "The Wizard of Oz," she spoke to every future baserunner when she said, "There's no place like home."

WHAT TO BRING

Well-prepared spectators are happy spectators. If you're going to a youth baseball or softball game, here's a partial list of items to consider bringing along to aid your experience.

A comfortable folding chair
Industrial-strength sunscreen
A wide-brimmed hatL
Sunglasses

Light jacket or sweater
Umbrella
Bottled water or sport drink
Cell phone
Camera
Binoculars
Baseball scorebook and pencil
A first-aid kit
Packaged moist towelette
Plenty of money for the concession stand.
More money for the Dairy Queen stop on the way home.
Repair kit for bruised egos (optional).
A good attitude (mandatory).

RULES CHANGES

Little League Baseball changed its decades-old pitching rules, making the actual number of pitches delivered the deciding factor in determining eligibility in the baseball division.

Starting this season, pitchers in all divisions of Little League, from age 7 to 18, will have specific limits for each game, based on their age. The number of pitches delivered in a game will determine the amount of rest the player must have before pitching again.

For all of Little League Baseball's history, and for the history of amateur youth baseball in general, pitching regulations have used innings pitched to determine pitcher eligibility. Recently, researchers and medical professionals in the field of sports medicine have been working to determine if the actual number of pitches thrown (i.e., pitch count) is a safer way to regulate pitching in youth baseball.

Most notable among those calling for pitch counts has been Dr. James R. Andrews, medical director at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Andrews is the world's foremost authority on pitching injuries and ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, or, as it is better known, "Tommy John surgery." The ASMI and the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee have worked closely with Little League to create the guidelines for the new regulation.

Pitchers ages 7 through 16 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

If a player throws 61 or more pitches in a day, three days of rest must be observed.

If a player throws 41-60 pitches in a day, two days of rest must be observed.

If a player throws 21-40 pitches in a day, one day of rest must be observed.

If a player throws 1-20 pitches in a day, no day of rest is required before pitching again.

Pitchers ages 17-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

If a player throws 76 or more pitches in a day, three days of rest must be observed.

If a player throws 51-75 pitches in a day, two days of rest must be observed.

If a player throws 26-50 pitches in a day, one day of rest must be observed.

If a player throws 1-25 pitches in a day, no day of rest is required before pitching again.

KEY TOURNAMENTS

PONY softball national tournaments at the Thunderplex, Vienna (8U, 10U and 12U, are July 20-27; the 16U and 18U tournaments are July 28-Aug. 4)

At Cene Park, the Youngstown B League will again host the Mickey Mantle and Connie Mack state tournaments.

New for this year, the Swingwood Super Series and High School Showcase is Aug. 10-12.

Sunday, May 6, 2007