I'm sorry, but 11-12-13 year old kids jacking homers off a kid "throwing" upper 70's just isn't logical.

I don't know that it would be logical from 60 feet, much less the distance they throw from...

They clocked the kid from Washington at 79 MPH, while a kid from Saudi Arabia was throwing just as hard, but the gun only showing 62-63...

People are going to tune in and watch a kid supposedly throwing that hard (Almonte in 2001), and ESPN knows that.

What do you think?

I don't think they are off any more than they are for any other baseball game. The same principal applies in the bigs. As far as the kids hitting them out, I don't think it is a stretch. With a composite bat, with that kind of speed, its not hard to hit it 250.

Diddo

Our team has kids that just turned 11 throwing 50-58 mph. My son tops out at 52. One year ago he topped out at 45. That would put him throwing 66 mph (if his velocity increases at the same rate) at age 13. I'd say the gun is as accurate as any. JMO

I do not think they are accurate. I have watched many little league games over the years and clocked many of the pitchers. I have seen kids throwing in the 60s and 70s frequently. Mid 60s is the average for most good team aces. When the kids start hitting 70 and into the 70s there is very little time to react at 46 feet. I see ESPN's gun hitting low/mid 70s and the batters are reacting to the pitch with lots of time and the time the pitch is in the air also seems much longer than it should as does the loop in the ball. Even a 65mph ball has no loop at 46 feet. Just my opinion. It may just be a "fast gun" as some brands are prone to this.

That's my point. The kid from Washington hit 79 on the gun. Most 16 year olds aren't hitting 79. Not only that, but the kids from Indiana were making CONSISTENT contact in the FIRST INNING. That just doesn't happen from 46 feet...there's no way.

I think they are ACCCURATE IN SPEED! In the brookland league we have 11s that can throw mid sixtys. But you are watching 12s that work out and stregth training the arms,you have more dedicated people with money on the teams you see on llws. AS FAR AS THE HOME RUNS YOU WILL HIT MORE HOMERUNS WHEN MAKING CONTACT WITH A FASTER PITCHER

My son is 10 and started out the season around 48 mph but has increased his velocity to 53 mph consistently with technique changes and throwing a heavy ball some at home. (And there are faster pitchers than him on our team) I know 11 year olds who pitch in the mid to upper 60's now so I could imagine them pitching in the 70-80 range when they are 12 and 13. So, I don't think its a stretch. And as far as hitting homeruns off of them, its like we tell our boys, you want the fast pitch because the velocity coming off of the bat will be greater and be more likely to be a homerun. (especially off of composite bats) Remember these are "the best" players...

Kudos to Randy Johnson for the job he is doing umping the Little League World Series. He is representing us very well.

OK....let's put this scenario out there...

Let's take someone at the high school level that throws around the 80 mark....let's say Brenden Camp of Nettleton, who will be Nettleton's #2 or #3 starter next year behind James Farris.

Let's put him on a 46 foot mound against 11-12-13 year olds.

You are all telling me that they would make consistent hard contact off of him up and down the lineup?

I think it depends. Brenden Camp or James Farris, at their age probably throw more pitches with more movement. Most of these boys on TV throw a basic fast ball or changeup. There are a few who are really placing the ball, and those are the ones the boys are having a hard time with. I also think its a lot of the same boys who are jacking them over. 250' is not that big a stretch...

I am almost sure it is 200 ft not 250.

He'd could not be more dominant that the Mexican kid that faced 12 and struck out 12. I'd agree that there is possibly a glitch in the gun at times, but that can happen. I'll also agree lower 70's and up is near impossable at 46'.

Ok. Radar guns vary. But I don't think ESPN is making it up. I own a radar gun and when my son pitches from 46' it registers about 5 mph faster than when he pitches from 50' feet in USSSA. So, I'm guessin a high school pitcher probably pitches from like 60'. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong). If we brought down one of those pitchers who pitch in the 80's at 60' to pitch at 46' they would register way faster. (Probably if the math is consistent with my radar gun, the high school kid pitching 85 from 60 feet would register close to 100mph at 46') so I doubt any 11 year olds could consistently hit those over. Point being... at 46' I think it is mathematically possible for 12 year old boys to pitch that fast.

I don't think that is how it works. What you are saying is that a pitch slows down 20 mph in 14 feet. The reaction time is the same, but the actual pitch speed does not change that much.

I realize that most kids can't hit a pitch in the 70's from 46 feet. One thing is these are the best of the best we are seeing. A second thing is these kids are used to seeing this stuff. If you have made it this far, you have seen some good arms. A major hitter will tell you they can hit a 100 mph fastball if 1) there is no movement, and 2) you let them see it enough.