JUNIORS BASEBALL

STEP UP TO JUNIORS BASEBALL AT TEMPE SOUTH.

This is your site for everything Juniors at Tempe South Little League. Throughout the season, we’ll post game schedules, league news, pictures and other important information for Juniors baseball.

Juniors is the next level of little league for players 13-14 years old. In Juniors, you step up to full-sized fields where the bases are 90 feet apart. You can take leads if you want…and the pitchers can pick you off. It’s baseball like the pros play.

Sign-ups are going on now on the dates below. They will continue through the beginning of the season in early to mid-April. Games will be played through June. Then it’s all-star time.

If you’re thinking about playing middle school ball, not a problem. In Juniors, you can do both. Last season, the three TSLL teams had players from Kyrene Middle School, Fees Middle School and Tempe Prep. We even had a few players getting ready for high school. Juniors is the perfect place to hone your skills or just play baseball for the pure fun of it.

Soon, we’ll start pulling players together for large group practices where everyone can get to know each other and get ready for the season. You’re invited to sign up, suit up and step up to Juniors baseball at Tempe South!

REGISTRATION DATES
Saturday, January 28th 9a-12p Kiwanis Park Fields
Saturday, February 4th 9a-4p Kiwanis Park Fields
Thursday, February 9th 6p-8p Kiwanis Park Fields
Registration forms are available on the site.

TSLL – District 13 Juniors
Q&A

Juniors is a district-wide division for league-age 13 and 14 year old players (born on or after May 1 of appropriate age group year). Tempe South fielded 3 teams in 2011 and played against Juniors teams from Ahwatukee, Chandler, Guadalupe and Rio Salado. Scheduling of games, fields and umpires is handled by a league commissioner rather than by the volunteers in Tempe South LL.  Almost all games are played at the Angels / Tempe Diablo spring training site, 5 miles north of the Tempe Sports Complex. Other games are played at Chandler West located on Kyrene Road and the 202 [behind the water park] and Snedigar Park in south Chandler.

The level of competition varies widely among the various leagues, due in part to the emphasis each league chooses to place on recruiting players and sorting into teams.  For this reason and the advancing age of the talent pool, some very accomplished players will be seen who are adult in size and who can pitch into the 75 MPH range.

The City of Tempe handles all field preparation and the quality of the fields at the Diablo Complex which is MLB professional grade. All umpires are adults and are scheduled by District 13.

Key Features of Juniors:

• Players do not participate in the TSLL showcase. Instead, they are placed by the managers with talent distributed as evenly as possible. In 2011, TSLL held a number of practices/workouts, looked at the talent and then tried to match up players with friends, schoolmates and other considerations to make the teams as equal as possible.
• Fullsized fields: 90’ bases and 60’-6” mounds
• All traditional adult baseball rules are in effect: leads, pick-offs, steals, live ball in play, dropped 3^rd strike, etc.  This requires some focused practices to teach skills to players who have never experienced the whole game. The catcher is a key position as he learns to direct the game and control the tempo. Truly learning these more advanced aspects of the game only occurs in game situations, so mistakes will be made. Boys who may have played or who plan to play in middle school or high school can benefit greatly by this experience and low-risk playing time. It is also important to note that boys who play for their middle school team can also play on a Juniors team.
• No inning mercy rule: if one team has better talent and is more competitive very long, difficult innings will occur. There is a 10-run-after-5 innings run rule.  Games go either 7 innings or 2 hours in length whichever comes first.
• Once teams are determined, TSLL players get to vote and select their team name from a listing of MLB Minor League Teams.  (Examples Bats, Lugnuts, Mudcats, Sea Dogs, River Dogs, Diamond Jaxx, Defenders, Bees, Beavers, etc.)
• Players may wear metal spikes or nylon-rubber.
• Big barrel bats with diameter no larger than 2 5/8” can be used.  (note the younger Little League uses maximum 2 1 /4” barrel)

Rule Synopsis

Every year Little League publishes “The Green Book” which is handed out to coaches and managers. That book constitutes the official rules and a few unusual features are included for the Juniors group.

• By local rule, the game is over when a team leads by 10+  runs after 5 innings.  Games end at 4 ½ Innings if the home team leads by 10 at that time.
• Games have a two hour time limit for scheduling reasons. 7 innings is a complete, regulation game. However, no new inning will typically be started after about 1:50. Occasionally, games may continue if a tie occurs and no other game is scheduled to follow on the same field. This is up to the discretion of the umpires and is a gift, not an expectation.
• Pitchers can leave the mound and later resume pitching in the same game if they have continued to play defense uninterrupted.
• Managers have the option of batting all players or batting the nine who are on defense.
• Minimum playing time and maximum pitch counts with rest days are part of the game in this division.
• During the regular season, games may end in a tie. During the playoffs a winner must be decided.

Emphasis

The Emphasis for Juniors is to play the full game in competitive mode.  While this is still little league and the coaching is compassionate, it is not unusual to witness other teams’ coaches scream at their players, berate them and generally try to turn them into tough guys.  Tempe South will continue to require coaches and managers to treat their players and parents with respect and in a civil tone, but old-school coaching will occur. This is still a game, and although many Juniors players are involved to prepare for high school and beyond, our objective is to still enjoy the game.  Players are not coddled as they were in the younger age groups, and learning to play with serious intentions is part of this division.  Players who have not played before this age are still welcome and will require supportive training and the patience of their teammates.

Players who are serious about the game of baseball will find this to be a very low-risk setting in which to learn exactly how long the base paths will be in 8^th Grade and high school, how to read a pitcher’s motion, how much time it takes to steal second, etc.  This is the age when players sort themselves out and learn that you play like you practice.  Managers and coaches will experience some player rebellion for the first time, so patience and maturity are critical skills to bring to every practice and game.  This is an excellent and affordable alternative to “Club Baseball”.

All Stars

There is not a playoff in Juniors but there is an all-star district tournament after the regular season which leads to a state-wide tournament.

All star selections are made by the managers who volunteer to continue with this optional activity after the regular season.  They compete in a double-elimination tournament. The winner moves on to the Little League Junior Arizona State Tournament.