Amateur baseball in the United States
Amateur baseball is a form of baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing, or (as in Town Team Baseball) receive only a modest stipend or employment arranged by the team's boosters. Amateur baseball is played in the United States by players of all ages, from young children to adults.
Varieties of Amateur Baseball in the United States
Leagues for various skill levels and age groups exist throughout the US. In ascending order of age participation, here are a few examples:
- Youth baseball, including Little Leagues, , and Babe Ruth Leagues, cater to school age and middle-school age children of both genders. Of these, Little League baseball is the most widespread and the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania draws participants from around the world and is televised in the US on ESPN.
- is popular with young men of high school age up to 19 years old. Legion ball also provides for playoffs at the regional, state, and national levels.
- College baseball, sanctioned by the NCAA and NAIA is also popular. At the highest level, NCAA Division I, over the past two years the College World Series has grossed more than 1.2 million dollars in television ratings and merchandise sales.[citation needed]
- College baseball players, especially professional prospects, often play in summer " wood bat leagues," where their lodging and meals are provided by their host team, but no money changes hands.
- Another area of broad participation is so-called Town Ball, a sports institution in the Upper Midwest, particularly in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Amateur baseball itself benefits from the support of all of the major baseball bat manufacturers; EASTON, Louisville Slugger TPX, and DeMarini among them.
External links
- NCAA Baseball Official Site
- NCAA Baseball Rankings
- Men's Senior Baseball Leagues
- Statistics and League Management Tools for Amateur Baseball Leagues