Professional baseball made big changes this year in an attempt to regain its popularity, speeding up play with rules that keep pitchers and hitters from dawdling. We asked Twin Cities coaches by email: Are changes needed in high school baseball? Here are some of our questions and their answers:
How do you view the state of high school baseball in Minnesota?
"My opinion is baseball is still very strong in Minnesota. There is no shortage of outstanding players. We have a very robust program at St. Francis, with 60-70 kids coming out annually in a school with about 500 boys 9-12. I will admit that our numbers are better than most of our competitors in the Mississippi 8. Many times we are left searching for JV games to get our players a more competitive and productive experience." — Luke Scardigli, St. Francis
"I would say baseball in the east metro is as strong as ever and our games are fun to watch. You have some of the best programs, players and coaches in the state. It is fast and it is played with a great deal of energy and intensity. That is the way the game is supposed to be played." — Kevin McDermott, Woodbury
"High school baseball right now is still healthy, in my opinion. At Andover, we had our largest registration numbers programwide in the last six years. The biggest issue I see with Minnesota high school baseball is schedule and facilities. While softball has domeball as an option, baseball is not as lucky. We're relegated to indoor practice on gym floors, indoor cages, or other indoor facilities in which you have to shrink your field." — Pete Andersen, Andover
What are some of the issues you see affecting high school baseball?
"With less multisport athletes and more sports for youth being introduced … there are less athletes to go around in high school sports. The result is some sports and programs have witnessed declining numbers. At the same time, with specialization, talent levels have increased. In the spring, we are flooded with boys sports offerings: Tennis, golf, lacrosse, track, baseball and now club volleyball. In addition, summer soccer and basketball programs are well underway by springtime. There's a lot to pick from." —Troy Urdahl, St. Anthony coach and director of athletics and activities
"Specialization: Kids are choosing one sport and sticking with it year-round. Hockey players and basketball players have been doing this, but now more and more I see baseball players that only do baseball year-round. It's tough for a player who plays multiple sports to keep up with a player who is training that much, and so I think I'm seeing more kids either all in or they don't play." — Ryan Tohm, Champlin Park
"Kids' attention span is way shorter. [Baseball] moves too slow for them. Many youth players do not like to give up their summer to play baseball. We need to have more practices that have less structure and more fun. Kids never get a chance to just get together with their friends and play a friendly game." — Loren Holthaus, Big Lake
"What concerns me is the loss of community-based baseball. Especially in smaller communities, local youth organizations are seeing lower local participation rates because of summer club baseball. Over time, there is a chance we will continue to see a decrease in overall participation because of this trend." — Paul M. Hartmann, Red Wing
"As a high school basketball and baseball coach, I see the biggest reason for drop in participation or at least irregularity is the influence of AAU basketball. It gets increasingly difficult for student athletes to get their schoolwork done, play a spring sport and play AAU basketball. It's really a lose-lose for kids and schools for them to have to make a decision whether to play a spring sport or AAU basketball." — Jon Ledeboer, Heritage Christian
Major League Baseball instituted high-profile changes this season to nearly universal acclaim. What changes would you like to see to high school baseball?
"Possible time limits, especially at the lower level in high school. In Florida there are two-hour time limits for lower-level baseball games. Time limits could happen in Minnesota, maybe even up to the varsity level. I'm a traditionalist though overall, and it is one sport that typically doesn't have a time limit or clock and I think it should stay that way at the amateur level." — Jared Mountain, Minneapolis Southwest activities director and former baseball coach
"Start the high school season later and go into summer. Playing a slow sport in cold weather is not that fun. Copy how Iowa does it. … The biggest issue with youth/high school baseball isn't having pitchers work faster. It's the inability to throw strikes at lower levels, which keeps players on the field and bored. Youth levels should have a bigger home plate to expand the strike zone." — Tal Gravelle, former Forest Lake coach
"If baseball is to grow in any state, they need to keep it entertaining for the player at the youngest age. If you want the game to be prosperous, make it fun for the youth first. Youth umpires need to have a large strike zone so hitters do not walk as often so pitchers are not scared of pitching because they walk too many batters. Have playing fields where the home run is a reality for players. Kids play 'Home Run Derby,' not 'Singles Derby.' If the fences are reachable, kids will swing at an earlier age with intent to hit the ball a long way. It is the 'three-pointer' in our game for the player." — Paul Twenge, Minnetonka
