So what is most talented league in the tri-state area?

 

SWOL, without question. The way most age divisions are set up in SWOL (at least when I coached in it), there are three conferences - National, American, and Continental. Continental basically consists of what would be considered high quality knothole teams. American is a definite step up and you can find some darn good teams there. National is the cream of the crop and you have to earn your way into that division. Those teams are elite and can meaningfully compete in national tournaments.

 

Not to say there aren't very good teams in knothole or KABA, but there isn't near the depth of quality teams. Most good knothole teams will rely on one or maybe two main pitchers, while a good NL SWOL team will generally have a stable-full of good arms, which is absolutely necessary to compete in a weekend-long tournament where you might play 5 or 6 games.

I think the SWOL could be run better. The league really does nothing for you. You set your own schedules, get your own fields, get the umpires etc. I can't believe more people just don't do their own thing and by-pass the league fee for SWOL. Even if you win the league you don't get anything. Just seems crazy to pay $400 or $500 for nothing. I mean that is another tourney or two you could play in..JMO..

I think the SWOL could be run better. The league really does nothing for you. You set your own schedules, get your own fields, get the umpires etc. I can't believe more people just don't do their own thing and by-pass the league fee for SWOL. Even if you win the league you don't get anything. Just seems crazy to pay $400 or $500 for nothing. I mean that is another tourney or two you could play in..JMO..

 

Couldn't agree more. Was always one of my biggest complaints. I mean, seriously, you would think they would at least recongize the prior year's champions at their January meeting. We won National League won year and I got handed an $8 plaque that wasn't worth displaying in my garage.

 

The only thing is does allow is for teams to get direct bids into national tournaments by winning a SWOL qualifier. SWOL does have a very strong national reputation and it allows you to bypass some state and regional qualfiers.

I think the SWOL could be run better. The league really does nothing for you. You set your own schedules, get your own fields, get the umpires etc. I can't believe more people just don't do their own thing and by-pass the league fee for SWOL. Even if you win the league you don't get anything. Just seems crazy to pay $400 or $500 for nothing. I mean that is another tourney or two you could play in..JMO..

 

The biggest risk in becoming an independent team and making up your own schedule is that if you've scheduled a bunch of SWOL teams and then those teams need extra dates to make up rainouts, your game immediately becomes cancellable and leaves a hole in your schedule. SWOL really does have a monopoly for select baseball play in this area. Larry Redwine claims he doesn't make any money running this league, but I find that very, very, very hard to believe. They have some 400+ teams all paying a (approx.) $400 entry fee, plus SWOL makes money on the multi-sanction tourneys - do the math.

Edited February 15, 201016 yr by cooperstown
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I think the SWOL could be run better. The league really does nothing for you. You set your own schedules, get your own fields, get the umpires etc. I can't believe more people just don't do their own thing and by-pass the league fee for SWOL. Even if you win the league you don't get anything. Just seems crazy to pay $400 or $500 for nothing. I mean that is another tourney or two you could play in..JMO..

 

My sons team came in second in a SWOL U9 Regional tournament last year. For finishing second, our SWOL leauge fees were covered for this year. That may not have been directly from SWOL, but from the host team of the tournament (Cincy Flames).

The biggest risk in becoming an independent team and making up your own schedule is that if you've scheduled a bunch of SWOL teams and then those teams need extra dates to make up rainouts, your game immediately becomes cancellable and leaves a hole in your schedule. SWOL really does have a monopoly for select baseball play in this area. Larry Redwine claims he doesn't make any money running this league, but I find that very, very, very hard to believe. They have some 400+ teams all paying a (approx.) $400 entry fee, plus SWOL makes money on the multi-sanction tourneys - do the math.

 

I help coach a 12u team and last year we didn't play in the SWOL. We scheduled as many SWOL teams that would play us. With doing that and playing in a bunch of tourneys we played in over 85 spring and summer baseball games. I can see it being a risk, but it was the risk that we were willing to take. It worked out real well for us.

I gotta hand it to you Baseball guys, you talk about a long season. I thought Basketball from Oct 15th to March is long. You guys go from Feb- August, I know kids on my basketball team who are practicing baseball in the gym right now.

 

Have fun and remember....Chicks dig the long ball.

It is in fact SWOL. I mixed my league up in my previous post. My bad guys.

SWOL web site.

I think the SWOL could be run better. The league really does nothing for you. You set your own schedules, get your own fields, get the umpires etc. I can't believe more people just don't do their own thing and by-pass the league fee for SWOL. Even if you win the league you don't get anything. Just seems crazy to pay $400 or $500 for nothing. I mean that is another tourney or two you could play in..JMO..

 

I agree that SWOL tends to have the most talented teams from top to bottom. I also agree that they should have some type of year end "culmination." Last Summer my friend's son played in the division one knothole city championship game. I guess division one is kind of like select knothole. Regardless, I went to the game and it seemed as if the whole league had come out to watch the championship. It was packed and the crowd really made the atmosphere lively. I am sure the kids had a blast and I think the parents and spectators did also.

I love baseball just as much as the next guy, but for 10 and 11 year olds, when is it too much? 85 games in one season?

I gotta hand it to you Baseball guys, you talk about a long season. I thought Basketball from Oct 15th to March is long. You guys go from Feb- August, I know kids on my basketball team who are practicing baseball in the gym right now.

 

Have fun and remember....Chicks dig the long ball.

 

Um...AAU? Basketball is from October to July. Baseball is February to August, October with fall ball.

I love baseball just as much as the next guy, but for 10 and 11 year olds, when is it too much? 85 games in one season?

 

If it's a serious team I think 50 games is a good number. You figure that they will start around April 1st. That gives them roughly 120 days to play 50 games.

 

If it's division II knothole, 30 is a good number.

 

85 games is asinine. These teams rarely have time to practice and correct any issues with kids mechanics.

I love baseball just as much as the next guy, but for 10 and 11 year olds, when is it too much? 85 games in one season?

 

That includes an indoor winter league that started in Feb and Fall Ball that ended in Oct..Over 270 days we played 85 games. I don't think that is that crazy. It isn't like we played 85 games in 4 or 5 months..

If it's a serious team I think 50 games is a good number. You figure that they will start around April 1st. That gives them roughly 120 days to play 50 games.

 

If it's division II knothole, 30 is a good number.

 

85 games is asinine. These teams rarely have time to practice and correct any issues with kids mechanics.

 

We practiced twice a week.:thumb: