FORESTVILLE — Fall Ball baseball is not supposed to be about
keeping score but it’s hard not to, especially with the older kids
who are naturally becoming more competitive as they prepare for
high school teams. Designed to be instructional, Fall Ball provides
extra play time in preparation for the next spring/summer season
and the scoreboard is turned on at the Junior level.
“Fall Ball for the Junior division is a great way for kids
coming from the Majors to transition to the full-sized field,” said
El Molino Little League (EMLL) coach, Tony Franceschi. “It’s not an
easy switch. The bases are further apart resulting in an increased
distance from mound to plate that challenges the younger players to
throw harder with more accuracy.”
EMLL recently completed their fifth year of participation in the
Santa Rosa American Fall Ball League. This year, about 38 kids were
divided into three levels with Kevin Van Rillaer coaching the
Minors, Dave MacDonell coaching the Majors, and Franceschi coaching
the Juniors.
Unlike the regular baseball season, Fall Ball provides an
opportunity for some of the seasoned older players to play with
younger kids. It’s also possible for team mates who went through an
entire regular baseball season together, to continue. This was the
case for a few core members of Franceschi’s team. Five returning
players, placed on the same team during the regular season,
developed a real synergy after playing a total of 38 games together
since February and were really able to shine during the recent end
of season championship tournament.
Nine pitchers were used in the tournament that resulted in three
comeback wins.
“The bats were hot all game and seeing all the pitchers pitch
well was fantastic,” said Franceschi. “It was incredible to see our
guys play as intensely as they did.”
Fall Ball players are often encouraged by their coaches to
practice using wood bats, play positions that their not used to,
improve their swing and work on placing the ball to select
positions in the field. Stealing bases and reading the pitcher are
other areas of play where players gain experience during the more
relaxed Fall Ball season. Franceschi, who also coached many of the
players during the regular season, had the opportunity to work
extensively with the same kids over a longer period of time,
helping them to further develop their skills.
