Letter: Little League, Pioneer League rules are similar
To the editor:
I read the story on Newburyport's Pioneer League's 50th anniversary and applaud their accomplishments in youth baseball. Growing up in Newburyport, the league was an important part of a kid's life. "Let them play," as the headline suggests, implies that Little League, which your story compares it to, doesn't.
As a member of the Amesbury Little League family, and the closest comparison to Newburyport, I would like to point out that the differences alleged are not accurate. Little League encourages their leagues to allow all players to bat around in a continuous rotation. Amesbury, as well as all the other Little Leagues in the area, do this. I umpire a lot of Little League games and know first hand this is true. Little League sets a two-inning minimum playing time, but gives a lot of leeway for local leagues to improvise on its rules to encourage participation in the great game of baseball. Amesbury Little League has set a three-inning minimum play time in six-inning games. Newburyport has a four-inning minimum in their seven-inning games, so both are in the one-half game area.
In regards to the Williamsport Tournament team, we send a team to compete, but also the Little League state district has tournaments for 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-year-old teams. Last season, Amesbury had five teams playing tournament ball, roughly 60 children being exposed to more baseball. As for the emphasis that Little League supposedly places on "competition," I unequivocally say that any kid playing ball, whether Newburyport or Amesbury or wherever, plays hard to win and that all the coaches are teaching the skills necessary to play the game and have fun doing so. I am sure that practices and games in Amesbury and Newburyport operate about the same.
I was disappointed that Newburyport voted not to enter Little League last year. I think the healthy rivalry would have created some memorable games between the two in District Tournament play. Luckily, they get to play each other in the Pioneer League Tournament in the summer. Happy 56th anniversary to Amesbury Little League.
