Little League On Deck Batter

[Ump20]

Jim Porter's presentation on Little League safety rules states in part...

"No on-deck batters? This ain't baseball, it's wussball!"
Do you remember the furor over deaths resulting to children from blunt-chest impacts by baseballs a few years back? Just to remind you, children have died when a ball struck their chests causing ventricular fibrillation or asystole (commotio cordis). Some scientists even proved their theory on poor, unsuspecting pigs. Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all youth leagues eliminate the on-deck circle to reduce the risk of this terrifying phenomenon.

That makes perfect sense. The next time you're at your local 60-foot diamond, take a look at the amount of foul territory. If you're lucky enough to have a chain link fence around your field, you'll notice that there is very little space indeed. That places an on-deck hitter very close to home plate. Considering children have slower reaction times, and less co-ordination than older players, we would be giving them less of an area to react in should a ball come their way. If a sharply fouled ball should strike that on-deck hitter in the chest, what do you suppose might happen? Thus, the ban.

Jim Porter certainly is considered an expert on Little League and I thought that his discussion in the Member Section was quite valuable. I will always enforce a safety rule especially at the younger age levels. It is my understanding that there is no on-deck batter permitted anywhere on a Little League field even behind the backstop. Jim pointed out the danger of an on-deck batter being hit on field with a batted ball. Even in games that are at higher levels of ball I will not permit an on-deck batter if I believe he/she is too close to home plate. The prohibition of an on-deck batter anywhere is I believe due to incidents in which a careless player practicing their swing hit small children. It is certainly okay to let the batter take a couple of practice swings as they take their position in the batters box. Jim/NYC

[Rich Ives]

"The prohibition of an on-deck batter anywhere is I believe due to incidents in which a careless player practicing their swing hit small children."

Our league had this happen. In our case I wouldn't call it a "careless player" though. He was in the on-deck cage right where he was supposed to be when someone's little brother came running in to say "Hi" and ran right into the swing.

You can't guard everything and everyone all the time. The solution was to stop the bats from swinging in the first place.

Patrollmen Smith and Jones, the crook escaped - I told you to guard the exits! We did chief, but he ran out the entrance!

[Jim Porter]

Thanks for the compliments on the article. I do want to make a few comments.

First, I believe the Consumer Product Safety Commission also recommended the elimination of the on-deck position for the same reasons. If I remember correctly, the CPSC was instrumental in leading the investigation into blunt-chest trauma in youth baseball.

Little League's immediate response was to instruct its leagues to build fenced-in cages for on-deck hitters. I know this well because many of the leagues in my District (I am an ADA in District 3 RI) still have them. I can even remember when my home league built theirs.

Nevertheless, those cages are a hazard in their own right. When the injury reports came in, and they were mostly bat-to-head-trauma, Little League decided that the only feasible solution, one fair and equitable to all leagues, was to ban the on-deck position entirely. Certainly the incidents were not widespread, but the injuries were of a serious enough nature that the cages were deemed a hazard.

[bluezebra]

"No on-deck batters? This ain't baseball, it's wussball!"

It's always the people who aren't the ones in harms way who make these stupid statements. I remeber when head slaps were made illegal in high school football. The coaches complained about "sissyfying" the game, not the players who were getting their bell rung. It's always the clowns on the sidelines making the complaints, not the participants. Except for hockey players wearing helmets.

Bob

[ref5678]

i disagree with this rule

perhaps if legues valued player safety more they would expand their field.

This could be done with a little volenteer work

and this could keep a tradition of the game intact.

[Rog]

these accidents happen on full sized 90' diamonds also!

[ref5678]

well should they ban it in high school baseball

[bluezebra]

"i disagree with this rule

perhaps if legues valued player safety more they would expand their field.

This could be done with a little volenteer work

and this could keep a tradition of the game intact."

This is the kind of fuzzy-headed "thinking" that gets children injured. You can take your "tradition" and shove it.

Bob

[Rog]

for not banning this practice could be that, they feel at this age, it might just do that wacked player more good than harm!

[ref5678]

shove tradition eay well i agree kids might get hurt but why dont we try some preventive measures such as no on deck circles on the field but off to the side behind the fence. and watch your mouth.

[Jim Porter]

Originally posted by ref5678
why dont we try some preventive measures such as no on deck circles on the field but off to the side behind the fence.

If you'll read my first post in this thread you will see that your suggestion has been tried and failed. This on-deck circle outside the fence either puts a child swinging a bat very near wandering children with no helmets, or it puts them relatively close to spectators. Both are a disaster waiting to happen.

Is on-deck circles really necessary for 12-year-olds and under? I don't think so.

[ref5678]

what i meant is a caged in area something like a batting cage. We have a league here in Illionis (summer rec) that utilizes this procedure and it works

[Rich Ives]

A caged area doesn't work - that's where our league's contribution to the injury statistics happened

[ref5678]

does your legue use a cage that is closed in on all sides
i dont think so

[Rog]

re: "what i meant is a caged in area something like a batting cage"

Many Little League locals tried this solution; but, kids were still wandering unattended and getting wacked!
So, the Little League program opted to ban on-deck; and, on field batting cages.

It is amazing how many times I have seen kids in the Seniors division and up start swinging a bat without looking around, or kids wandering around without any thought given to the player swinging a bat.

I even had a high school player step into the box and start doing full swings and each time stepping backward to the point where he just missed my face - on his last swing!
Then again, maybe he was trying to tell me something...