They've got Kelly Leak -the best all around athlete in the entire league- playing in the outfield?. Not a chance. In little league that's where they put the guys like Ogilvie and Lupus. Leak would have played 3rd base or shortstop. The '05 remake has him at short....which makes more sense.
shareMaybe it was because they needed someone who could actually throw the ball from the outfield to where ever it needed to go. Ogilvie and Lupus would not have been able to do that.
shareThat makes sense because the first time Buttermaker notices Kelly is when he throws the ball in from beyond the fence. With that arm I would think he would have wanted Kelly in the outfield.
shareYour best players, even in Little League, play the middle- pitcher, shortstop, and center field. If you put him at short, anything that gets by or over him would roll all the way to the wall. He's the last line of defense in the outfield, and like it was said above, Buttermaker sees him throw a ball from behind the outfield fence to home on the fly.
shareThe best player, in little league, typically plays SS - no question. The majority of little leaguers hit the ball in the infield. You don't put your best player in a position where he may be a factor on 3 plays a game.
I played little league thru college and coached - and my experience tells me regardless of arm strength, you play your best athlete at SS and P in little league. Why the hell did they not pitch Kelly? That's the obvious plot hole. If he throws like he did, like you said, from beyond the fence, then he blows the ball by the opposing team.
Because Amanda was the best pitcher any of them had ever seen. Even if Kelly WAS a really good pitcher, even better than Amanda, she was so good you could afford to play a great player somewhere else and have two important positions covered.
Oh, and BTW this is not a "factual" error. It could possibly be considered a research error, an error in detail. But what the OP stated is not "fact".
Takes two to tumble it takes two to tango
Speak up don't mumble when you're in the combo
I wasn't the one that said it was a factual error. And, Amanda was the best, I'm assuming, because Kelly had never played. In little league you can live on a fastball alone if you've got a good one. Something tells me Kelly had the best arm strength. And, im saying when you take Amanda out in the championship game, then why not pitch Kelly instead of the dork? Obviously the coaching stunk.
shareAt the point when Buttermaker put in Rudy Stein, he was no longer coaching to win. He wanted everyone on the team to have a chance to contribute. Stein's initial goal was to be a pitcher. He was far from perfect, but he had improved. He probably felt guilty about forcing him to get hit by a pitch.
THat's pretty true that most kids in little league don't hit worth a lick. I disagree about Kelly pitching. I had a really good arm in little league, but put me on the mound and I'd be beaning people and giving up walks left and right.
shareThe majority of little leaguers hit the ball in the infield.