THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407060114
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Local Amateur Athletic Union baseball teams reportedly have cost Pony League All-Star teams some players in the area, and the controversy has lifelong friends bitter at each other.
The problem is that most AAU players will not be playing on Pony All-Star teams, if they are selected, because of their AAU commitments. Thus, Pony officials believe the All-Star teams will be weakened.
One of the central figures in the controversy is Chesapeake's Towny Townsend.
He has noticed some changes in youth baseball during the past 15 years, and he hasn't always liked what he has seen.
``Youth sports have instituted a lot of rule changes,'' he said. ``There are mandatory rules for the kids such as mandatory at-bats and mandatory innings pitched.
``Kids can only participate in three events a week. That's two games and a practice or two practices and a game. If their team plays three times in a week, they can't even practice. These, and other changes, created a need for baseball for higher-end players,'' said Townsend.
He filled that need by starting an AAU league for the more skilled players, players who want to play competitively and with less restrictions.
The rule changes weren't the only thing on Townsend's mind when he thought of starting AAU baseball.
``Youth baseball has become recreationally oriented over the last 15 years, too,'' he said. ``And the season is shorter. AAU is a way to continue baseball into July and August.''
AAU baseball is nationwide, but local teams use Virginia High School League rules. A team membership costs $30, and each player pays $10 for insurance.
``Anybody can start an AAU team if they want to and have the players,'' Townsend said.
It sounds like a great idea, huh? Not everyone thinks so.
Rob DeMara presides over Great Bridge Baseball, a local Pony League organization. His league provides a chance to play baseball for 1,600 kids. Of that number, about 30 or 40 have decided to forego the Pony All-Star season and play AAU baseball.
``People feel that there's a sense of disloyalty on the part of some players,'' DeMara said. ``They feel kids should stick to Pony League.''
Unlike AAU, Pony League offers parity.
``All kids are picked to play regardless of level of ability,'' DeMara said. ``It doesn't offer an upper-end program for players to play together and stay together.''
DeMara and Townsend agree on an important point: AAU didn't not conduct player raids or seek to undermine the Pony League season.
``The good (Pony League) players took them themselves out of consideration for selection to the Pony All-Star teams, whether they would have made it or not,'' DeMara said. ``That would have been up to the coaches.''
Players were asked to notify Pony League officials if they planned to go on to AAU after the Pony League's regular season ended.
Townsend was careful to avoid conflict. ``We told the kids they could stay and play as long as their team played,'' he said.
Townsend played Little League baseball and was a high school standout at Lake Taylor in Norfolk, where he now teaches and coaches the baseball team.
``All of our (AAU) coaches are former high school, college and pro athletes, men like Matt Sinnett, Al Erbe, Ted Daughtery and myself,'' said Townsend, who played in the Boston Red Sox farm system. ``We keep pitch counts, monitor breaking balls and work on fundamentals of the game.''
AAU players must maintain a 2.5 grade-point-average in a core curriculum to play AAU baseball, he added.
Townsend has heard the disenchantment. He lives in Great Bridge and his son has played Pony League baseball.
``I know there are people who hate me right now,'' he said. ``I prayed about this. I looked to the Lord for guidance,'' Townsend said. ``I hope everyone realizes I would never do anything to hurt a kid in any way.
``AAU ball is an alternative, a choice for kids who want to play competitive ball. Our kids must compete every year to win a place on the team. We want to make them strong, teach them discipline and commitment.'' by CNB