re: Kirk Herbstreit slams Travel Ball culture

When I was a teenager, rec ball used to be from mid - May to the first week in July, each team played two games a week. I think it was 8-9 year olds, 10-11 yr olds and then 12-13 year olds. The 12-13 year olds always had less teams from people deciding not play anyone or whatever, but even then it was like 8-9 kids. And there were kids who sat the bench.

I don't know how its done in the divisions travel ball today, but travel ball and even rec (which has maybe 2 or 3 teams. They have to merge with another parish) they will have 10 kids.. Some 9. Because god forbid someone has to sit the bench. And then they don't have one champion. If the two teams in the championship is from each parish, the 2nd place team still gets a championship for being the best in the parish. So the two championship teams and then the 2nd place teams all get rings. The 2nd place teams get smaller rings and its fake looking rings an all, but growing up. A lot of kids in rec didn't play HS ball, but it was competitive.

It seems like every year there were 2 or 3 kids who could crush the ball or that one kid who was faster than everyone else and each team was picked at random (although you knew a team or two whose coach had some say so on who was on their team so those were the teams everyone wanted to beat). And kids would stay and watch the other games because everyone had friends on the other team.

Then every once in awhile a kid no one expected to do so would finally make a play. The right fielder who coach put in when the game was out of control would actually catch a pop fly and that one catch will probably be the best memory from his childhood.

I don't think anyone ever became a pro because they played travel ball. If someone is good enough colleges will find them.. Their HS coaches will make calls for them.

There needs to be a revolution to bring back things that were a net positive to society. As well as a music revolution.

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This is like a bat sign to the travel dad's. They'll be here soon enough to tell you how the $300K they've collectively spent on their kids baseball all paid off when they got that scholly to Bethune Cookman, Centenary, Belhaven, LSUE, etc.

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I wonder how many travel kids from BR have made LSU's team the last 10 years.

I know of only a couple.

Someone should invite Kirk to the OT. Sounds like he'd fit right in.

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The only thing worse than travel ball culture is bringing your dog EVERYWHERE culture.

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In my experience, most people smile when they see a dog in public; very few people smile when they see a child in public

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your dog EVERYWHERE culture.

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I love dogs.. I have two myself.. They are pets. I hate going to places to eat where they allow dogs. Like Mid City beer garden. The first time I went there the people on side of us had a boxer and when we got our food that dog stared at us the whole time. Then another time I went there, a girl with a pitbull was in there.. And she had this cage looking muzzle on him. If your dog needs a muzzle leave it home. It just seems strange to me.

I know a lot of people would disagree, but its a reason I don't go there. They actually have good food. I remember going there when they opened up after being closed during covid. They wouldn't allow you in without a mask and I had to go back to the car and get mine. You couldn't get in without a mask, which if it was an a store, doctors office, etc really didn't bother me much, but you had to have a mask to get in and "allowed" you to take it off once you were at your table. But they allowed a bunch of hippies in there with their dogs that looked liked it never been bathed and probably had a touch of rabies.

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wonder how many travel kids from BR have made LSU's team the last 10 years.

I know of only a couple.

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What a terrible take. If it's a couple, then that's a good number, considering LSU is THE national brand of college baseball.

I wonder how many rec ball only kids have made LSU's team in the last 10 years? I know of zero.


Can you at least see how ignorant what you said is now?

If you have a kid who is a great athlete and loves baseball you are a bad father if you keep him in rec ball. Period

How is that for a curveball? Imagine having a kid with potential and love for the game and you keep him in rec ball so you can go pound more beers and be lazy at 30a and sound cool on the internet

Now if your kid doesn’t love it or isn’t a great athlete and you force it on them you also suck as a parent.

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I wonder how many travel kids from BR have made LSU's team the last 10 years.

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that’s a pretty long list.

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The fact that kids now have to sacrifice a large part of their childhood just for the sake of possibly making their high school team is really sad. I understand the truly elite kids doing it, but now it seems it’s exploded way past that. I can understand older kids (11+) doing the yr round thing, but now you see kids starting as young as 5/6. It seems it’s nothing but a giant time suck and in some instances unfair to the rest of the family who may have other interests.

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Dont listen to the internet

99% of travel ball kids finish early June, don’t play again until September, and are off November through February as well

And most people “travel” 15 miles at most

The best kids from what I see all are studs on the Flag football leagues and basketball leagues as well