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Tournaments  | Story | 10/6/2018

Ways to Play hits the West Coast

Photo: Joseph Naranjo (Perfect Game)

First West Coast Ways To Play Tournament at Compton Youth Academy
By Glenn Rabney/Special to MLB.com

COMPTON – Major League Baseball and Perfect Game joined together at MLB’s Compton Youth Academy to for the first West Coast Ways To Play tournament, featuring eight of the top travel teams and some of the top draft prospects in Southern California and Las Vegas.



What makes the Ways to Play tournament unique is the rules that play under in order to speed up the games, starting with batters entering the box with a 1-1 count already on them and batters must keep a foot in the box during his at-bat.

Additional rules include no throwing the ball around the horn between outs and a maximum of only four mound visits per game.  Should a game be tied after nine innings, all subsequent innings start with a runner on second base.

Perfect Game CEO Brad Clement who said that Perfect Game is excited to partner with Major League Baseball explained that, “An event like this important because it’s both of our missions to help grow the game and we believe that by trying new and exciting ways to speed the game up, it make it mores it more enjoyable for players at the amateur level."

Obviously these are not rules that Major League Baseball is even considering, but rather it’s an opportunity, to experiment with all sorts of ideas and rules that in speeding up the game, will also attract and keep kids participating in and enjoying Little League, high school, and even college ball.

As Darrell Miller, Vice President of Youth and Facility Development for MLB pointed out, “This is an instant gratification generation, they want things now and they want it quick, the idea is to make the adjustment in sports.”  Additionally, he pointed out, “For kids in these tournaments, they’re able to play more games and throw less pitches, thereby reducing stress in the young arms, all in same amount of time.”

The Ways To Play South tournament was first played last year in Atlanta, is joined this year by this weekend’s tournament in Southern California.

“This is the first time we’ve done this on the west coast,” said Clement, “and we’re excited to have some of the top travel teams, participating, and are especially glad to have the Compton Youth Academy team, as well as some of the top prospects in the next couple of year’s draft.”

Those top prospects include first baseman Joseph Naranjo who has committed to play next season for Cal State Fullerton, Thomas Dilandri an outfielder who will be moving on to TCU, and third basemen Jaden Agassi, son of tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf who has committed to USC.

Also playing in the tournament was Kyle Karros, son of former Los Angeles Dodger Eric Karros, who was there watching and had some thoughts regarding the current speed of the game.

“For the average fan, especially in today’s fast pace society where it’s now, now, now, it can be a bit of an issue.  On the other hand, I’m a bit of a traditionalist, I like the thought of the game the cerebral aspect,” Karros said, adding that he wasn’t opposed to trying new things.

“Events such as this it can be applicable.  They work at this level,” he said, explaining, “I like the idea of not throwing the ball around the infield, that adds a little time.  I like the idea of batters staying in the box.  I think the experimentation at the youth level makes a lot of sense.”

The reaction from players and families has been positive according to Miller and he believes it can help the future of baseball.  “People love the game, it’s a great game,” he said, “Let’s teach the kids to play in a timely fashion. Hustle in, hustle out, stay in the batter’s box.”

A particular aspect of these games that Miller likes that while it wasn’t in the rules, all of the catchers at this even have been calling their own game rather than getting signs from the dugout.  “Let the kids call their own game, they have enough information.   They know the game better than we think they do.”

The tournament consists of eight teams, each playing three games, two on the first day. Saturday’s games are single elimination with the losing teams moving on to the consolation bracket and winning teams advancing to the Championship round.  On Sunday the first three games match Saturday’s losing teams, with the two winning teams meeting for the Championship.

Glenn Rabney is a contributor for MLB.com.
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