Revamping the baseball system

New ML head coach calls meeting to discuss future of ML baseball

Deciding the fate of baseball started Tuesday.

The new Moses Lake High School baseball coach Ed McNamara called a meeting at the Moses Lake Fire Department to put an end to a "very shaky" baseball program in Moses Lake.

McNamara held the meeting in an attempt to restore Moses Lake baseball at the high school level back to state prominence.

"How can we bring Moses Lake baseball back to a place of prominence?" McNamara asked. "I have been thinking about his for a long time."

The meeting of 20 minds converged on the subject, which included representatives from the Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken leagues.

"There is myriads of stuff that can be done," McNamara told the group. "The kids have to play together."

Resulting in the discussion of ending, or rearranging the use of select teams for the youth of Moses Lake. McNamara discussed the importance of placing talented athletes on teams with less talented players.

As the new head coach for Moses Lake, starting at the 11-year-old age is crucial in developing players' abilities to work together, McNamara said.

"I am going to stress teamwork and to come up together on the same team is crucial," McNamara said.

But, McNamara pointed out that the interest level among players in Moses Lake drops at age 13, after high levels of participation at the Cal Ripken and American Little League 12-year-old levels.

In the current setting, players in the Cal Ripken and American Little League end play in both leagues at age 13 and jump into Babe Ruth to compete against 14 and 15 year olds.

The jump requires the 13-year-old players to move from 60-foot base paths to 90-feet, and pitch from mounds placed at 60-feet-6 from home plate.

"I would suggest you go to a 13-year-old prep league and use the surrounding communities," said Randy Boruff, commissioner of Washington State Babe Ruth. "I think you have to separate the 13's because there is a huge jump."

The prep league would allow players in Moses Lake to play on either 70-foot or 80-foot base paths and pitch between 48- and 54-foot pitching mounds. Making the jump from the 11 and 12 year old leagues easier on the players.

After the transition at 13, Moses Lake would then offer Babe Ruth for the 14 and 15 year olds to play.

Left in transition from the meeting was combining the Cal Ripken and American Little League into one unit, therefore, eliminating one or the other. The elimination would allow players to go through the same system established as a feeder program for the Moses Lake High School baseball program.

"You have to start there," McNamara said. He added that both entities will meet next week to discuss the best solution to benefit baseball in Moses Lake and if one program needs to disband and join the other, or form a completely new league.

Boruff concurred that the direction of baseball is going to one entity per town and the more successful programs function under that setting. But, Boruff added that the lack of interest among youth wasn't entirely related to the two-league system.

"Kids want to be taught," Boruff said. "We have dropped the ball because we have not taught the kids to have fun."

McNamara said after the meeting that pressure rested on the shoulders of the coaching staff. But added that the pressure would be lifted with coaching clinics that would help train in hitting, fielding and pitching.

"I think we can take care of all the needs we have, if we are committed," McNamara said.