Posted by: SteveT () on Tue Jul 18 08:41:33 2000

What is the distance between the mound and plate in little league?
> > > > >
> > > > > What is the range of speeds between the faster little league pitchers and the slower ones. What is the speed of the average ones?
> > > >
> > > > Dear Joe,
> > > > I believe that that pitching distance is 45 feet, but that is only on recollection. Nevertheless, this figure does make sense; if one figures little scale has scales down their base paths to 60 feet, reducing its size by approximately 1.5, it also makes sense that
> > their pitching distance would be reduced by the same amount (60/1.5), which yields a figure of 40 feet.
> > > >
> > > > Therefore, my guess would place the pitching distance at 40-45 feet on a diagonal from home plate.
> > > >
> > > > Sincerely,
> > > > The Black Hole Lexicographer
> > > > Knight1285@aol.com
> > >
> > > Joe,
> > > In regards to speeds, I am pretty sure that coaches gear hitters for the average fastball in little league by having them hit 45 mph fastballs in the batting cage. Using logic, the exceptional pitchers might throw 70 mph, which is a 25 mph difference. I believe, using this model, that the slow pitchers would throw approximately 20 mph.
> > >
> > > For the above information, I am indebted to Ferroli's section of offsetting weight in Hit Your Potential. If you haven't already, you should buy the book--there is a wealth of information in it, even if some of his theorious are insidious to nonscientific baseball tradition, and you don't whole-heartedly agree with all of his findings.
> > >
> > > Sincerely,
> > > The Black Hole Lexicographer
> > > Knight1285@aol.com
> >
> > The pitching distance from the front edge of the rubber to the back of the plate is 46'. The real velocity on radar when I measure it is 50 to 55mph typical. 12 and under major division, Always a couple stars throwing 60mph locally. Never do we see 70 mph not even in the Little league world series, with the exception of a couple smaller countries who forged birth certificates but were busted well after
> > the fact. One country was barred untill they will comply with district boundries and age documentation. Last years world series ESPN clocked most in the mid to upper 50s. At 46' releasing at maybe 41' 55mph is all the speed you need if you have fire and Ice. The change up is nearly inpossible to read at that distance.
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> >
> Larry's answer on Little League Pitching speeds is refreshingly accurate (in my experience). If you spend your time reading posts on different baseball sites: just about every dad claims to have a 10 year old pitching >55 mph, 12 year old >65 mph, 15 year old >80 mph. These are top speeds only achieved by the top 1% of these age groups. I even read of an 11 year old who they claimed could pitch 84 mph. I saw Charles Nagy pitch this year and his fastball was topping out at 85 mph just one mile an hour faster than this 11 year old!

I agree- I get really tired of reading how everybody's kid is the "best in his league" on these web sites. I do recall, however, that Sean Burroughs was throwing 75 at 12 years old (but look where he is now- I think he was the fifth or sixth player taken in the 99 draft and is throwing consistenlty in the mid-ninties.)