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Who did it and why?
Should criminal and civil child abuse charges be filed? Perhaps a class action lawsuit. 🙂
One theory claims that in Starkville Mississippi, two Rotarians, Dr. Clyde Muse and W.W. Littlejohn, added the game of t‒ball to the summer program in their town to help keep the younger kids busy with an activity. Because of a very successful Babe Ruth League involving over 300 kids, in 1960 both Dr. Muse and Professor Littlejohn were trying desperately to come up with a modified game of baseball that young kids would like and be successful playing.
The story goes that Dr. Muse was in Professor Littlejohn’s office and began writing rules for how the game of t‒ball should be played. They decided that to have a pitcher throwing to really young kids did not make sense, and that it would be better if the players hit a stationary ball because the kids would achieve more success and allow for quicker development. They then presented the rules to the Starkville Junior Baseball Association and they endorsed the game and the rules and in the summer of 1961 t‒ball began in Starkville Mississippi.
Not one of the Doctor’s greatest innovations. 🙂
Maybe this would work better to develop the proper uppercut, launch angle, and exit velocity for the three year olds.
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 