Bad Birthdays

[DGS49]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

 

[Mertex]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

 

[Pogo]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

Hmm. I've never found that to be true. Maybe he can give me some tips...

When I got old enough to move out of the house my Mom would try to toss in a 'happy birthday' with the Christmas phone call. I always insisted it didn't count and she was required to call me back in four days. Landing right on Xmas though, that's rough.


The OP here doesn't make any sense. A child born on July 31st is one day older than one born August 1st, same as any other consecutive days. There's no reason he'd be left behind or passed over.

 

[Moonglow]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

'My sis was born on the 25th also and complained for years about it...

 

[Jarlaxle]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

Hmm. I've never found that to be true. Maybe he can give me some tips...

When I got old enough to move out of the house my Mom would try to toss in a 'happy birthday' with the Christmas phone call. I always insisted it didn't count and she was required to call me back in four days. Landing right on Xmas though, that's rough.


The OP here doesn't make any sense. A child born on July 31st is one day older than one born August 1st, same as any other consecutive days. There's no reason he'd be left behind or passed over.

The "League age" cutoff for Little League is 7/31. Born on 8/1, you're a year "younger" than someone born on 7/31. (My wife, born July 4, ran into that, though it didn't seem to bother her in the least.)

School is the same way...the cutoff is usually January 1st. (I was usually the youngest in my grade, being born in December.)

 

[Mertex]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

Hmm. I've never found that to be true. Maybe he can give me some tips...

When I got old enough to move out of the house my Mom would try to toss in a 'happy birthday' with the Christmas phone call. I always insisted it didn't count and she was required to call me back in four days. Landing right on Xmas though, that's rough.


The OP here doesn't make any sense. A child born on July 31st is one day older than one born August 1st, same as any other consecutive days. There's no reason he'd be left behind or passed over.

So, were you born on Christmas day? Your post left me confused, you say you can't use that as a conversation starter, but then you mention 4 days later.....so which is it?

As for the OP, it does make sense. Schools and leagues have cut off dates for when the kids were born. We lived in Texas, where the cut off date for starting kindergarten or 1st grade was Jan 1, so my son (born on Christmas day) could start Kindergarten before he turned 5, because he would be 5 by Jan 1. So he went to kindergarten that year starting in Sept when he was still 4. The next year we moved to Virginia and their cut off date was Dec 1, (you had to be 6 by Dec 1, and they wanted me to put him in kindergarten again....try explaining that to a child who has already been to Kindergarten and has been looking forward to going to 1st grade!

 

[Pogo]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

Hmm. I've never found that to be true. Maybe he can give me some tips...

When I got old enough to move out of the house my Mom would try to toss in a 'happy birthday' with the Christmas phone call. I always insisted it didn't count and she was required to call me back in four days. Landing right on Xmas though, that's rough.


The OP here doesn't make any sense. A child born on July 31st is one day older than one born August 1st, same as any other consecutive days. There's no reason he'd be left behind or passed over.

So, were you born on Christmas day? Your post left me confused, you say you can't use that as a conversation starter, but then you mention 4 days later.....so which is it?

As for the OP, it does make sense. Schools and leagues have cut off dates for when the kids were born. We lived in Texas, where the cut off date for starting kindergarten or 1st grade was Jan 1, so my son (born on Christmas day) could start Kindergarten before he turned 5, because he would be 5 by Jan 1. So he went to kindergarten that year starting in Sept when he was still 4. The next year we moved to Virginia and their cut off date was Dec 1, (you had to be 6 by Dec 1, and they wanted me to put him in kindergarten again....try explaining that to a child who has already been to Kindergarten and has been looking forward to going to 1st grade!

I thought you said your son was born on the 25th. I'm four days later -- not the same day but enough to be bunched into a blanket generalization so to speak.

The OP said nothing about a cutoff date for little league. I didn't know such a thing existed. And even given that info I think his point is a stretch. I knew about the school cutoff date, as I was always one of the youngest if not the youngest in the class (did the first half of first grade at age 5). I didn't see that as an impediment, nor did my grades imply that.

I had no idea little league baseball had such a thing. But being born in December it wouldn't have been a factor. Far as I remember little league distributed by size, so you weren't necessarily playing with teammates your own age.

 

[jon_berzerk]

it is true

i was born in July

but i made up for it by starting my first business at age 10

 

[Pogo]

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October.
.....
I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

According to a quick search, Mo'ne was born in June...

Sounds to me like a case of a conclusion looking for a premise.

 

[Mertex]

I thought you said your son was born on the 25th. I'm four days later -- not the same day but enough to be bunched into a blanket generalization so to speak.

The OP said nothing about a cutoff date for little league. I didn't know such a thing existed. And even given that info I think his point is a stretch. I knew about the school cutoff date, as I was always one of the youngest if not the youngest in the class (did the first half of first grade at age 5). I didn't see that as an impediment, nor did my grades imply that.

I had no idea little league baseball had such a thing. But being born in December it wouldn't have been a factor. Far as I remember little league distributed by size, so you weren't necessarily playing with teammates your own age.

My son was born on 25 Dec. The OP prolly thought everyone reading his thread has been a parent with a kid in little league and would know they have cut-off dates. Being born on the 29 of December probably doesn't make it as "wow" as being born on the 25th, that's why, when my son gives his birthday out at airline counters, job applications or other such situations, it almost always causes a conversation to ensue. And now, when he meets a girl and they start talking, if birthdays come up, his is sure to cause more talking.

And, it wasn't an impediment as far as school goes, he was able to keep up, it was just annoying to him that my other kids got birthday parties with lots of invitees, while he had to settle for a handful, and then of course, the gift, thing.....kids like lots of gifts.

And little league probably does group players by size, but it's probably a law that older kids can't play against younger kids, or something like that.

 

[Pogo]

I thought you said your son was born on the 25th. I'm four days later -- not the same day but enough to be bunched into a blanket generalization so to speak.

The OP said nothing about a cutoff date for little league. I didn't know such a thing existed. And even given that info I think his point is a stretch. I knew about the school cutoff date, as I was always one of the youngest if not the youngest in the class (did the first half of first grade at age 5). I didn't see that as an impediment, nor did my grades imply that.

I had no idea little league baseball had such a thing. But being born in December it wouldn't have been a factor. Far as I remember little league distributed by size, so you weren't necessarily playing with teammates your own age.

My son was born on 25 Dec. The OP prolly thought everyone reading his thread has been a parent with a kid in little league and would know they have cut-off dates. Being born on the 29 of December probably doesn't make it as "wow" as being born on the 25th, that's why, when my son gives his birthday out at airline counters, job applications or other such situations, it almost always causes a conversation to ensue. And now, when he meets a girl and they start talking, if birthdays come up, his is sure to cause more talking.

And, it wasn't an impediment as far as school goes, he was able to keep up, it was just annoying to him that my other kids got birthday parties with lots of invitees, while he had to settle for a handful, and then of course, the gift, thing.....kids like lots of gifts.

And little league probably does group players by size, but it's probably a law that older kids can't play against younger kids, or something like that.

Well it wasn't where I played. The kids on my team were different ages and I distinctly remember being "segregated" (no racial overtones) by physical stature..

And even then it didn't mean anyone got "passed over" -- it meant you might want to play on this team (level) but you got relegated to a different one. You still got to play.

 

[Derideo_Te]

I have a son who was born on Christmas Day, and he always complained that he only got one gift at Christmas from relatives....they would consider his gift to cover both Christmas and his birthday. I tried having birthday parties for him, but most kids were always gone to visit relatives and so few would show up.....now he claims it's a good line for getting conversations going with girls...

Hmm. I've never found that to be true. Maybe he can give me some tips...

When I got old enough to move out of the house my Mom would try to toss in a 'happy birthday' with the Christmas phone call. I always insisted it didn't count and she was required to call me back in four days. Landing right on Xmas though, that's rough.


The OP here doesn't make any sense. A child born on July 31st is one day older than one born August 1st, same as any other consecutive days. There's no reason he'd be left behind or passed over.

So, were you born on Christmas day? Your post left me confused, you say you can't use that as a conversation starter, but then you mention 4 days later.....so which is it?

As for the OP, it does make sense. Schools and leagues have cut off dates for when the kids were born. We lived in Texas, where the cut off date for starting kindergarten or 1st grade was Jan 1, so my son (born on Christmas day) could start Kindergarten before he turned 5, because he would be 5 by Jan 1. So he went to kindergarten that year starting in Sept when he was still 4. The next year we moved to Virginia and their cut off date was Dec 1, (you had to be 6 by Dec 1, and they wanted me to put him in kindergarten again....try explaining that to a child who has already been to Kindergarten and has been looking forward to going to 1st grade!

That almost happened to me too. I started school early so I was always the youngest (and smallest) kid in the class. Then when I was about to start my junior year we moved to a different state where I would have been made to redo my sophomore year. To his credit the principal took the trouble to look at my test scores and decided that I could be a junior. It was weird because I was 5'2" as a junior and 6'3" when I graduated just after I turned 17.

I sucked at most sports because I was so small but when it came to doing homework everyone was my buddy!

 

[rightwinger]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

I have news for you ....sports you participate in before puberty have little impact on your future athletic prowess

Some kids don't come into their own till high school, others, not till college

 

[Jarlaxle]

I thought you said your son was born on the 25th. I'm four days later -- not the same day but enough to be bunched into a blanket generalization so to speak.

The OP said nothing about a cutoff date for little league. I didn't know such a thing existed. And even given that info I think his point is a stretch. I knew about the school cutoff date, as I was always one of the youngest if not the youngest in the class (did the first half of first grade at age 5). I didn't see that as an impediment, nor did my grades imply that.

I had no idea little league baseball had such a thing. But being born in December it wouldn't have been a factor. Far as I remember little league distributed by size, so you weren't necessarily playing with teammates your own age.

My son was born on 25 Dec. The OP prolly thought everyone reading his thread has been a parent with a kid in little league and would know they have cut-off dates. Being born on the 29 of December probably doesn't make it as "wow" as being born on the 25th, that's why, when my son gives his birthday out at airline counters, job applications or other such situations, it almost always causes a conversation to ensue. And now, when he meets a girl and they start talking, if birthdays come up, his is sure to cause more talking.

And, it wasn't an impediment as far as school goes, he was able to keep up, it was just annoying to him that my other kids got birthday parties with lots of invitees, while he had to settle for a handful, and then of course, the gift, thing.....kids like lots of gifts.

And little league probably does group players by size, but it's probably a law that older kids can't play against younger kids, or something like that.

National rules: the cutoff is age 12. 13-15 is senior league.

 

[Pogo]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

I have news for you ....sports you participate in before puberty have little impact on your future athletic prowess

Some kids don't come into their own till high school, others, not till college

True, individual development varies with the individual. The single biggest-splash LiIttle League player of the past month or so has been Mo'ne Davis, the girl with the 70 mph fastball who had celebrity splash with her complete game shutout and pitching in general. As mentioned in post 9 her birthday's in June, which means if her teammates are the same age, then she was one of the last to turn 13 (i.e. one of the youngest). which would seem to disprove the OP's theory. As I said I think it's a conclusion in search of a premise.

 

[rightwinger]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

I have news for you ....sports you participate in before puberty have little impact on your future athletic prowess

Some kids don't come into their own till high school, others, not till college

True, individual development varies with the individual. The single biggest-splash LiIttle League player of the past month or so has been Mo'ne Davis, the girl with the 70 mph fastball who had celebrity splash with her complete game shutout and pitching in general. As mentioned in post 9 her birthday's in June, which means if her teammates are the same age, then she was one of the last to turn 13 (i.e. one of the youngest). which would seem to disprove the OP's theory. As I said I think it's a conclusion in search of a premise.

I grew up with some kids who were hot shot athletes when we were 11 or 12. Once puberty hit they were 5 ft 8 and not the athletic studs we thought they were. Other kids who were a little chubby or skinny at 11 shot up and grew muscles and became good athletes

Many great little leaguers become good ball players later, but your athletic destiny is not set at 11

 

[Jarlaxle]

There are some 5'8" (or less) guys who did pretty well. Offhand...that is 2" taller than Dustin Pedroia!

 

[Mertex]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

I have news for you ....sports you participate in before puberty have little impact on your future athletic prowess

Some kids don't come into their own till high school, others, not till college

True, individual development varies with the individual. The single biggest-splash LiIttle League player of the past month or so has been Mo'ne Davis, the girl with the 70 mph fastball who had celebrity splash with her complete game shutout and pitching in general. As mentioned in post 9 her birthday's in June, which means if her teammates are the same age, then she was one of the last to turn 13 (i.e. one of the youngest). which would seem to disprove the OP's theory. As I said I think it's a conclusion in search of a premise.

It all depends on the cut-off date. If the cut-off date was June 14, yeah, she would be the youngest. If the cut-off date happened to be June 12, she would have to wait till the next year and she wouldn't be the youngest.

 

[Pogo]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

I have news for you ....sports you participate in before puberty have little impact on your future athletic prowess

Some kids don't come into their own till high school, others, not till college

True, individual development varies with the individual. The single biggest-splash LiIttle League player of the past month or so has been Mo'ne Davis, the girl with the 70 mph fastball who had celebrity splash with her complete game shutout and pitching in general. As mentioned in post 9 her birthday's in June, which means if her teammates are the same age, then she was one of the last to turn 13 (i.e. one of the youngest). which would seem to disprove the OP's theory. As I said I think it's a conclusion in search of a premise.

It all depends on the cut-off date. If the cut-off date was June 14, yeah, she would be the youngest. If the cut-off date happened to be June 12, she would have to wait till the next year and she wouldn't be the youngest.

So cutoff days are moving now -- last week they were national and set in stone, now they migrate.
As I said, a conclusion in search of a premise.

 

[Mertex]

Woe to the little boy who is born in July. Hope he has no interest in baseball, because he will be fighting an uphill fight for as long as he plays the game.

When he goes to play T-ball, he will be the youngest kid on the team. He will never play pitcher, shortstop, or first base; all of those positions will be filled by kids who were born in August, September and October. He will, by th end of the season, have many fewer At Bats than the older kids, because they will bat earlier in the batting order. After all, they are almost a year older than the July Baby, and the coaches fill those positions with the kids who are most skilled (relatively speaking). When they get to Little League, they will still be the youngest in their age group, and their playing experience will be half of what the "older" kids had. They didn't get as many times at bat, never played the "skill" positions, and in fact never had the same success as the older kids, which is what motivates you for the future.

This curse will follow them for as long as they play baseball.

I always laugh when I (occasionally) watch the finals of the Little League World Series on television every August. Virtually all of the pitchers and the key players on every team are thirteen years old during the tournament, because they all have August birthdays.

Amazing coincidence.

I have never confirmed it, but I've been told that the same phenomenon shows up in Hockey, because Canadian kid competition has a similar July 31 cutoff. Most of the Canadian players in the NHL have August and September birthdays.

If true, it's amazing.

I have news for you ....sports you participate in before puberty have little impact on your future athletic prowess

Some kids don't come into their own till high school, others, not till college

True, individual development varies with the individual. The single biggest-splash LiIttle League player of the past month or so has been Mo'ne Davis, the girl with the 70 mph fastball who had celebrity splash with her complete game shutout and pitching in general. As mentioned in post 9 her birthday's in June, which means if her teammates are the same age, then she was one of the last to turn 13 (i.e. one of the youngest). which would seem to disprove the OP's theory. As I said I think it's a conclusion in search of a premise.

It all depends on the cut-off date. If the cut-off date was June 14, yeah, she would be the youngest. If the cut-off date happened to be June 12, she would have to wait till the next year and she wouldn't be the youngest.

So cutoff days are moving now -- last week they were national and set in stone, now they migrate.
As I said, a conclusion in search of a premise.

No....I'm sure they are pretty much the same or almost the same....I was just trying to make a point.

Texas and Virginia had different cut-off dates, and I don't know about other states. Quit being so difficult or I'm going to have to spank you with a wet noodle........