More Little League controversy.

[SackAttack]

http://sports.bostonherald.com/other...format=&page=1

Here's the part that gets me.

“Call me stupid, but I didn’t know anything until they wouldn’t pitch to my son (Connor),” Portsmouth manager Mark McCauley said. “When they started to throw the ball into the screen, I was like ’Whoa, wait a minute. This kid just got wild.’ Then one of the (Portsmouth) parents yelled down right after - or maybe it was simultaneous - ’They don’t have a kid that’s in.’
“Once it was obvious to me that they were playing (funny) by throwing the ball into the top of the screen, the administrators called both (managers) over and said, ’You will not make a mockery of this game,”’ McCauley added.
When Vermont continued to try to help Portsmouth tie the game, Place and Vermont pitcher Zach Tandy were ejected.
Tandy’s two blatant wild pitches pushed the potential tying run to third, but McCauley kept his player from advancing any farther. The Portsmouth manager said he also told his players to swing at poor pitches and intentionally miss, to ensure the team could protest.
“It was crystal clear to me that (Vermont’s manager) was not going to let the kids decide the outcome of the game,” McCauley said. “He was going to cover his tail. He was doing what was in the best interest of his team. I had to do the same for my team.”

Without getting into how stupid the whole thing is to begin with (yes, yes it is), there are a couple things that pop out at me.

Now, call ME stupid, but it seems to me that McCauley's comment about "letting the kids decide the outcome of the game" is disingenuous at best.

The only way Vermont could have won that game is if Portsmouth staged a rally to tie the game in the first place. If Portsmouth loses without first tying the game, McCauley gets to protest because of Little League's "everybody plays" rule, and thus gets the forfeit. In short, there are three potential outcomes (ignoring extra innings): Portsmouth wins outright, loses by forfeit. Vermont ties the game, Portsmouth wins in the bottom of the 9th with no forfeiture necessary. Vermont ties the game and then gets the winning run(s) to boot.

Three outcomes, two favoring Portsmouth, and only one is "letting the kids decide the outcome."

Another thought; doing what's in the best interest of his team. So, what does that mean in the context of Vermont trying to let Portsmouth tie the game so their kid could hit? Is his team clearly inferior to Vermont and he felt that they had no chance to get any additional runs, so going the protest/forfeit route was in his team's best interests? His team wasn't capable of making Vermont pay for their shenanigans?

In "real life," people don't always play by the rules either. Is the lesson these kids need to learn "run to Poppa, he'll fix" when somebody else isn't being fair? Me, I kinda feel like teaching them to overcome artificial obstacles is probably going to be more beneficial to them in the long run.

I don't have an issue with the administration's decision here, FWIW. They made the right call. I'm just thinking that McCauley had the opportunity to impart some valuable lessons to his kids without necessarily calling in the administration, and failed to seize the day. Further, I admit I don't understand why his kids needed to swing at obviously bad pitches in order to preserve the protest route if that was the way they needed to go.

[Poli]

Stupid. You told me to.

[SackAttack]

Thanks, Rodney.

I needed that!

[Poli]

I do what I can.

[GoldenEagle]

The real question is...

What the manager for Vermont thinking?

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

The real question is...

What the manager for Vermont thinking?

jb?

[thealmighty]

stop causing trouble

[JeeberD]

me sory

[Marc Vaughan]

McCauley gets to protest because of Little League's "everybody plays" rule,

Whats this? - and why were coaches trying to ensure their teams did badly?

(over here we have much simpler rules - play your best, if you 'suck' then it builds character and you learn that sometimes in life you're the supporting actor not the hero)

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Whats this? - and why were coaches trying to ensure their teams did badly?

(over here we have much simpler rules - play your best, if you 'suck' then it builds character and you learn that sometimes in life you're the supporting actor not the hero)

Americans are always the heros. We're also always the winners, except when we're playing other Americans. And we're bigger than you are (usually). And we have more money (usually).

American stereotype redux.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Whats this? - and why were coaches trying to ensure their teams did badly?

(over here we have much simpler rules - play your best, if you 'suck' then it builds character and you learn that sometimes in life you're the supporting actor not the hero)

Little League baseball has a pure sense to it. The umpires never get paid and every kid has to bat at least once. An analogy in soccer would be every kid has to get on the field for ten minutes.

Little League use to be the most popular league for youngsters to play in. But because of these rules, other competitive leagues such as USSSA have formed. USSSA incorporates the regular rules of baseball and every kid does not have to play. The only restrictions USSSA enforces are pitching restrictions, for obvious reasons.

[vtbub]

Front page news here two days in a row.

Colchester made a mistake and proceeded to make it worse in trying to get Portsmouth to tie.

We bad, not New Hampshire.

[ScottVib]

To me the worst part is this was the semi-final. What a way to advance to the TV game. NH takes on CT at 1:00 on ESPN. (Tonight's game is at 8:00 and will likely be a blowout victory for NJ)

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

The umpires never get paid .

Maybe in some places, but the umpires here are certainly paid.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

Maybe in some places, but the umpires here are certainly paid.

I know the Little League out here pays, but that's because they have to - Pony pays their umpires very well, and if LL didn't pay, they'd never get anybody to work their games.

[GoldenEagle]

I am pretty sure if you are running an officially sanctioned Little League organzation, then umpires are not allowed to be paid. I am sure there are work arounds though.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I am pretty sure if you are running an officially sanctioned Little League organzation, then umpires are not allowed to be paid. I am sure there are work arounds though.

Correct.

[Desnudo]

What a silly rule. These kids should be taught to crush their enemies. Save the hands around the world stuff for playground kickball.

[thealmighty]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

What a silly rule. These kids should be taught to crush their enemies. Save the hands around the world stuff for playground kickball.

Have you seen playground kickball these days...brutal, man, brutal.

[spleen1015]

I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if I were in this situation.

I remember one little league game I played in where it got dark. My team was winning after like the 4th or 5th inning and the other team took the lead in the top half of the next inning. The rule for darkness was the game ended at the end of the last completed inning, so all of us playing in the field made sure the game lasted until we couldn't see the ball anymore and we won.

[caspanky]

I'm pretty sure that I remember doing the same thing when I played. Of course, with the talent level of my team, we didnt' really have to try too hard to make it last longer. Couple overthrows of first here, grounder through the legs there, and what do you know, it's dark.