New Little League Director Already Addressing Issues

Little League Program Director Greg Hudson has wasted no time being proactive with this year's upcoming baseball/softball season. He and the EC Baseball/Softball Board have reached out to the Edmonson Voice to address some issues that apparently have been misunderstood. 

There supposedly have been concerns over a couple of rules that  Director Hudson wanted to clear up. The first is regarding the T-Ball and Angel Leagues where Hudson said that some parents and coaches are upset about an alleged rule in which the coach/pitcher cannot talk to the batter. Hudson says that is incorrect. "The coach CAN talk to the batter before the pitch, however, once the coach/pitcher throws the ball, that part of his/her coaching is done. The base coaches of course, are allowed to talk to the base runners," he said. 

These and other issues have been addressed in the coaches handbook that can always be viewed on the board's Facebook page at any time. Another issue where Director Hudson and the board have heard complaints is that there are no 3 year olds allowed to play in T-Ball or Angel League. Hudson said, "What we want people to know, is that these just aren't 'made-up' rules so we can eliminate 3-year olds. There is a Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Birth chart in the official rules, and we ARE going to enforce them."

Hudson explained the purpose for adhering to the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken League Organizational Rules. He said that before, some Edmonson County Leagues followed them, and some did not for whatever reason, and the rules were very loosely enforced. This obviously caused confusion within the league, and also led to problems when teams left the county to compete in tournaments elsewhere.

"This gives us a standard set of rules that are meant to be fair to everyone," he said. "It will allow our county teams to compete with the same set of rules that are the standard, and most every other league out there is under the same organization, and they abide by the same rules."

Lastly, Director Hudson made a request of the public. "I would ask all parents, coaches, and players to give us a fair chance and be open minded to the changes that we're implementing right now," he said. "Let us show you the benefits after the season is over, not before it starts. There will be positive benefits from these changes."

Darren Doyle
Edmonson Voice