Spring Sports

Baseball

After a long Minnesota winter, Ramalynn students are eager to get outside and play baseball! But not just any kind of baseball, a form of baseball that was created by Ramalynn parent and Hall of Fame baseball player, Kirby Puckett!

Kirby believed that to keep a child's attention, a baseball game should be completed in one hour. Ramalynn baseball games are designed as a six inning game, where the first three innings are two-out innings, and the final three innings are traditional three-out innings.

The Tennis Ball

A Ramalynn baseball game is played with a tennis ball. Kirby believed that hitting a tennis ball was a challenge, and if you could hit a tennis ball with a bat, you could hit any ball. He also believed that pitchers should be able to throw as hard as they wanted, but underhanded as to not injure their arm. He felt that the pitcher’s mound should be close to home plate to force batters into making quick-decisions. Kirby guaranteed that an average player at Ramalynn would be a standout on his or her local traveling baseball team!

Another rule unique to a Ramalynn baseball game is that ground balls to the third baseman and shortstop can be thrown to the pitcher for an out instead of all the way to first base. This allows the game to be played quickly and rewards the defense for fielding a ball properly and delivering an accurate throw that is not out of their reach. 

The Ramalynn baseball season mirrors the MLB format and is played from mid-March through June. Players are divided into the 30 MLB teams. These teams complete a playoff season that leads to the Ramalynn World Series, which began at Ramalynn Academy in 1991.