LL needs to be canned. All of those kids play travel ball (real baseball) and are using big barreled bats.
I saw a couple kids (2 or maybe 3) in that game that would be capable 12u Majors travel ball players. Go to East Cobb in Atlanta one weekend when they have a big tournament running and watch those 12u Majors teams play. Huge difference in pitching, and you’re not going to see multiple dropped fly balls, multiple errant throws, multiple routine ground balls getting kicked around and missed, and they dang sure aren’t playing on a girls softball field.
There's 8U coach pitch teams that qualify for your last sentence , except they aren't kid pitching yet.
In short LL is not getting kids ready for the big field. Those 12 yo will most likely be 13 and 7th grade ( Jr High) next year and transitioning to the big field, that's what separates the men from the boys.
Travel ball and Cal Ripken league does a pretty good job on transitioning them. About as good a job as can be done. That big field swallows them. Plus bbcors.
And you say you saw maybe 2 kids that could play 12U Majors… maybe but maybe not. You put a 12 year old on that tiny field and it makes them look really good.
Most of the pitchers I’ve seen in the LLWS in the last 5 years would get their tits ripped in a 12U Majors tournament. Mounds are 4’ closer, curve balls are trash. No change ups or sliders located. At that distance a lot of kids have to slow their arm down to get the ball to break in time. Good velo throws right through the break at 46’. It makes a big difference.
A-bolt said maybe 2 or 3 that could play Majors.
BTW, I think the LLWS pitchers rely too much on curve balls , they sure throw them alot , I've seen them start off batters and throw 3 in a row and maybe one for a strike . Not a lot of painting the black with fastballs or good change ups. The kid yesterday for Alabama probably threw least amount of curves I've seen , but had good control and was paintin' the black and moving his fastball around and it worked .
I think LL batters would struggle against good majors pitching . They aren't lighting up LL pitching and a good majors team will have 4 studs and about 4-6 the caliber of the better pitchers they are seeing in the LLWS.
