Iowa Baseball

JRutledge · #1 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 02:50am

I did Iowa Baseball for two years. I love it and would love to do more. For those of you that are not aware, Iowa is the only state in the Union that I am aware of that starts its season in the summer.

My question is would any of you do summer HS ball if they changed the season to the summer instead of the spring. This would not apply to the warmer states like California, Arizona or Florida, but what about the colder states? Would any of you here favor a change in the season?

Carl Childress · #2 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 03:01am

Quote:

Originally posted by JRutledge
I did Iowa Baseball for two years. I love it and would love to do more. For those of you that are not aware, Iowa is the only state in the Union that I am aware of that starts its season in the summer.

My question is would any of you do summer HS ball if they changed the season to the summer instead of the spring. This would not apply to the warmer states like California, Arizona or Florida, but what about the colder states? Would any of you here favor a change in the season?

I did the Iowa state umpires' clinic once back in the early 90s. It was quite a shock to me to find out those kids give up much of their summer to play ball.

OTOH: I did a clinic in Wyoming last year. It was a greater shock to find out that Wyoming is the only state that doesn't play high school baseball!

PeteBooth · #3 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 08:40am

Originally posted by JRutledge
I did Iowa Baseball for two years. I love it and would love to do more. For those of you that are not aware, Iowa is the only state in the Union that I am aware of that starts its season in the summer.

My question is would any of you do summer HS ball if they changed the season to the summer instead of the spring. This would not apply to the warmer states like California, Arizona or Florida, but what about the colder states? Would any of you here favor a change in the season?

I live in NY which isn't Alaska but it's pretty cold in Spring. Last year I umpired a HS game on Monday in which the temp read 92. The next day the Temp was in the low 40's - but that's NY where the weather is fickle.

As far as doing HS in the summer - My answer NO. As it stands now my summer umpiring schedule is booked. Also, the FEES are larger for the summer travel leagues as opposed to HS in which many schools are on a tight budget.

In summer, the start times for games are also more conducive to my work schedule which means my availability increases.

Doesn't Iowa have summer travel leagues? Does Iowa have a men's over 30 Baseball league? If so, who contracts for the umpiring services if many of the umps are doing HS ball?

In summary, I would not like the HS season to start in the summer. There is plenty of ball at least here in NY in the summer and even in the Fall to keep one very busy.

Pete Booth

JRutledge · #4 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 12:57pm

Quote:

Originally posted by PeteBooth
I live in NY which isn't Alaska but it's pretty cold in Spring. Last year I umpired a HS game on Monday in which the temp read 92. The next day the Temp was in the low 40's - but that's NY where the weather is fickle.

As far as doing HS in the summer - My answer NO. As it stands now my summer umpiring schedule is booked. Also, the FEES are larger for the summer travel leagues as opposed to HS in which many schools are on a tight budget.

In summer, the start times for games are also more conducive to my work schedule which means my availability increases.

Doesn't Iowa have summer travel leagues? Does Iowa have a men's over 30 Baseball league? If so, who contracts for the umpiring services if many of the umps are doing HS ball?

In summary, I would not like the HS season to start in the summer. There is plenty of ball at least here in NY in the summer and even in the Fall to keep one very busy.

Pete Booth[/B]

No, Iowa does not have those travelling leagues during the summer that I know of. All the kids are playing baseball for their school during the summer. The summer is a better time to have baseball in my opinion, because half the games are not going to be cancelled like during the spring. The season in Illinois started I believe on the 17th of March. I have not had one game yet, and it is doubtful (this is almost every year too) that I will have a game of any kind during the month of march. I just think that they need to start the season at least later in the spring. And personally I do not like doing summer leagues and travelling leagues anyway. They do not have the rules and restrictions on behavior in my opinion. But that is another conversation.

dani · #5 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 01:20pm

Baseball in Southern California is essentially year round. There seems to be a short break after the Christmas holiday and the middle of January. So about two weeks.

PAblue87 · #6 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 01:25pm

Here in PA the ideal season would be the fall, Aug. Sep. Oct. That is when most of the northeast have their best baseball weather. However, that is Football season, and around here you do not mess with Football.

What do seniors in Iowa do, play after they have graduated or is the semester count different?

JRutledge · #7 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 04:55pm

Quote:

Originally posted by PAblue87
What do seniors in Iowa do, play after they have graduated or is the semester count different?

Seniors play the summer that they graduate. Even Freshman can play non varsity before they actually start HS. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that, but I did a bunch of game that the Seniors had already committed to colleges or even the pros at that time.

JRutledge · #8 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 04:58pm

Quote:

Originally posted by PAblue87
Here in PA the ideal season would be the fall, Aug. Sep. Oct. That is when most of the northeast have their best baseball weather. However, that is Football season, and around here you do not mess with Football.

What do seniors in Iowa do, play after they have graduated or is the semester count different?

That is why I excluded those warmer states. And California really does not apply. You have great weather almost year round. At least compared to the the cold Midwest.

PeteBooth · #9 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 05:07pm

Originally posted by JRutledge

And personally I do not like doing summer leagues and travelling leagues anyway. They do not have the rules and restrictions on behavior in my opinion. But that is another conversation.

The summer leagues at least in my area use FED rules so the restrictions on behavior still exist. The only league that sometimes has problems is the men's leagues because these guys still think they are back in their hey-day.

On a side note: In one of your repsponses below you mentioned that seniors can play ball after graduation.

What about a senior who graduates and receives a scholarship from a college? Also, what about jobs?

At the age of 17/18 aren't these kids working in the summer?

I guess each area of the country is different and if playing HS ball in the summer works in your area than so be it.

Pete Booth

JJ · #10 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 22, 2001, 11:57pm

I'm in central Illinois and I've done 6 games already. It was cold, but we were out there. I usually schedule myself every day starting the middle of March, and usually get rained (or frozen) out of a third of them.

JRutledge · #11 (**permalink**) Fri Mar 23, 2001, 01:11am

Quote:

Originally posted by PeteBooth
The summer leagues at least in my area use FED rules so the restrictions on behavior still exist. The only league that sometimes has problems is the men's leagues because these guys still think they are back in their hey-day.

On a side note: In one of your repsponses below you mentioned that seniors can play ball after graduation.

What about a senior who graduates and receives a scholarship from a college? Also, what about jobs?

At the age of 17/18 aren't these kids working in the summer?

I guess each area of the country is different and if playing HS ball in the summer works in your area than so be it.

Pete Booth

I think the decision to play is up to the kids that graduate. It is just like anything else, if they want to play, they have make choices. I do not know exactly what the rules are specificially. But as I said I know a kid who was a pitcher that had a scholarship in baseball and played after he graduated.

Thane Yennie · #12 (**permalink**) Fri Mar 23, 2001, 04:03pm

I have talked to our AD here at school about the high school league and such. His response: Well you know things are just fine the way they are. Interpreted to mean: I (the AD) do not want to have to do anything more than what little I already do.
I also asked about the concept of letting the kids that do play legion and baberuth being awarded a school letter for their time on the field. Well that would require the WHSAA sanctioning the sport, training umpires in NFHS rules, basically more work for him. All in all I didn't hear a good reason why not. But I am going to send an email to the WHSAA after I am finished here and see what their thoghts are. I will keep you posted.