To put first things first, I’d like to make it plain that I believe playing baseball should be fun, especially for the young. For their individual development, as well as for the enjoyment of doing for themselves and by themselves, they should have the minimum of parental playing-field supervision and adult instruction. It’s absolutely essential that boys—and girls, if they’re part of the gang or playing softball among themselves—spend their early years learning to swing a bat and catch a ball. The fundamentals (and the fun) must come first
