Push to Move Back Mound as Little League Pitchers Hurl 80 MPH Fastballs
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Little League Baseball should consider moving pitching mounds back to better protect players as pint-sized phenoms are hurling fastballs that clock more than 80 m.p.h, advocates told Newsweek.
Lin Chin-Tse, a 12-year-old ace for Chinese Taipei, tossed consecutive 82 m.p.h pitches against Mexico at the Little League World Series (LLWS) on August 14 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. With mounds just 46 feet away from the plate, that speed would be the equivalent of 107 m.p.h in the major leagues, according to ESPN, where pitchers throw from more than 60 feet away.
The fastest MLB pitch ever recorded was 105.8 m.p.h, tossed by Aroldis Chapman for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.
John Engh, executive director of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, said LLWS officials should consider making the change as an added safeguard for the roughly two million boys and girls who play Little League worldwide.
"They've reacted in other ways," Engh told Newsweek during an interview Wednesday. "When run production went way up because the fences got too short because of the technology of the bats, they moved the fences out. I do think it's time to consider moving the mound a little bit back and maybe modifying the height of the mound."
Taiwan's Lin Chin-Tse threw consecutive 82 mph fastballs against Mexico at the Little League World Series on August 14 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Taiwan's Lin Chin-Tse threw consecutive 82 mph fastballs against Mexico at the Little League World Series on August 14 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
AP Photo/Caleb Craig
Engh said Little League officials should continue that proactive approach regarding the proposed change.
"I think they do a really good job with safety, but they've got to react to the things that are happening," he said. "The kids are just working out more at younger ages and getting way stronger, and they've all got strength and speed coaches, so they've got to adapt. And they have in the past."
"That's way too fast for those kids," Engh said. "The reality is the size difference between some 12-year-olds and others can be vast, especially when you talk about how these kids have a one-day age verification. So, some kids who turned 12 one day after the deadline versus a kid who is one day short of that deadline could be a huge difference in growth spurts."
Engh noted how even some casual Little League fans notice the disparity in size among some young athletes.
Venezuela's Juan Reyes rounds third base during a game against Japan at the Little League World Series on August 18 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Venezuela's Juan Reyes rounds third base during a game against Japan at the Little League World Series on August 18 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
AP Photo/Jared Freed
"How many times have you seen somebody watching the Little League World Series and go, 'This kid is 12, can you believe it?'" he said. "And they look at the other kid and he looks like he's 8. That's the other factor — there's just a wide difference between body types, strength and other things."
Little League Baseball officials did not immediately return a request seeking comment early Wednesday.
Shawn French, host of The Determined Society podcast and former LSU baseball player, balked at Engh's proposal, insisting the current distance is appropriate.
"I'm not really for that," French told Newsweek of the suggested shift. "If you look at this anomaly, this kid from Taiwan throwing that hard — it's one of how many pitchers? And I think what it does is it gives the kids a challenge. When you're that young, you don't look at it as, 'Wow, this is almost impossible.' They get excited for the challenge. Taking that away could be potentially worse for the kids."
But French acknowledged that getting struck in the head with a pitch going that fast, and from that distance, could be catastrophic for a child.
Kenson Henderson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, celebrates during a game against Fairfield, Connecticut, at the Little League World Series on August 18 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Kenson Henderson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, celebrates during a game against Fairfield, Connecticut, at the Little League World Series on August 18 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
AP Photo/Caleb Craig
"My gut instinct is let them play, let them figure out the adversity standpoint," French said. "But also, you start to blur the line — is there a potential safety risk there?"
Additional mandatory protective gear isn't the answer for French, a former catcher who played in the College World Series in 2003.
"It could impede their vision at the plate and there's nothing more dangerous than having full vision in the batter's box," French said.
The long-term impact of throwing that hard at such a young age is also unclear, French added.
"There's a lot of different training methods to gain velocity for the younger players, which does kind of scare me," he said.
"Their arms and bodies are still underdeveloped; how much stress and how many miles can you put on that engine before their arm completely blows out when they're in high school and then there's no career. There's a lot of things going on here."
The Little League World Series remains underway in Pennsylvania, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday.
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Among former baseball players, 45 percent of Americans said they had "very positive" experiences, compared to just 2 percent who had "very negative" recollections from the diamond. More than 60 boys who played in the Little League World Series later went onto the majors, including Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson. In 1981, he starred as a catcher on a team from Barrington, Illinois, that lost in the final and ultimately finished third. Read more Push to move back mound as Little League pitchers hurl 80 mph fastballs Push to move back mound as Little League pitchers hurl 80 mph fastballs "I think at some point even when you lose that game and your hopes have sort of been dashed, that's when it starts to sink in that you played for the U.S. championship," Wilson told the Seattle Times on Saturday. "Even at 12, that means quite a bit." Despite the devastating 11-10 loss to a squad out of Tampa, Florida, Wilson fondly recalled the indelible experience he had decades earlier. 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