Disgusting Little League story

[theaub]

I'm putting this here because it would get far more views (although I guess it does belong on the other board).

In summary, two teams (Yankees and Red Sox) were playing in the championship game of a 10 year old PONY league game with the Red Sox having the tying run on third. The batter was the best hitter on the team, and on-deck was a kid who had cancer and couldn't hit. The Yankee coach walked the best hitter to get to the bad hitter, and he struck out and the Yankees won. There was a brawl between the coaches, and a bunch of other stuff. The league was non-competitive (everyone gets an at-bat, no stealing until the ball crosses home plate, etc). They were just talking about it on the FAN (Toronto sports radio).

That's pretty weak...but it reminds me of my house league days when I was 10. The crap that goes on there is brutal. Our team was undefeated (which is the worst thing ever in house league), and in the final game, since the umpires were usually umps who did 13-15 year old games but did our games for the championships, the coach on the other team told the umps the wrong rules, and when our coach (who was my dad) told them that they were wrong, they called the convenor over, who had clarifyed the rules to every team before the playoffs, and changed them right there...a lot of crap went down after that. I'll just say that a 5-inning game with a 5 run per inning mercy took 2.5 hours to play, and both teams didn't walk people, and the final score was 8-3.

[Stu]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

I agree with you and Rick Reilly 100%. Complete bush move by the coaches of that team. I have no problem with competetiveness between kids, but adults in many situations take it to a level where it just isn't fun for the kids anymore. I can't imagine the pitcher taking any pleasure in striking out that kid to end the game.

The goal at this level shouldn't be to teach advanced baseball strategy, but to teach the kids the basics and help them enjoy the game.

[Brandon13]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

The league was non-competitive (everyone gets an at-bat, no stealing until the ball crosses home plate, etc).

But it's not non-competitive. It was a championship game. When you put that kind of value on any kind of game, some people are going to do this. However, there should have been a rule against intentionally walking a player in the first place.

I really wish leagues wouldn't even have championship games and league champions until the kids get to the 9-10 age group. I've seen this kind of thing plenty of times and truthfully, the only reason we heard about it in the first place was because the kid had cancer.

Here's the link to the article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...814/index.html

[Misfit]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

Well, you can't have a rule against intentionally walking players because how can you tell if the walk was intentional? I don't know if in this instance it was ok for the catcher to stand in the opposite batter's box and just catch lobs clearly walking the kid or if the pitcher just threw 4 high/low ones. I agree about the championship stuff. When I played little league often my coaches wouldn't even tell us what the score was (there was no score board) and everyone at the end of the season got a trophy (though the champs got a bigger one).

At any rate, that is pretty disgusting. As if life hasn't thrown enough in that kid's face, now he gets to feel like he cost his team the game because he struck out. That coach shouldn't be allowed to coach anymore.

[Brandon13]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

Well, you can't have a rule against intentionally walking players because how can you tell if the walk was intentional? I don't know if in this instance it was ok for the catcher to stand in the opposite batter's box and just catch lobs clearly walking the kid or if the pitcher just threw 4 high/low ones. I agree about the championship stuff. When I played little league often my coaches wouldn't even tell us what the score was (there was no score board) and everyone at the end of the season got a trophy (though the champs got a bigger one).

I know in most leagues like this you don't even have to throw pitches to intentionally walk a player. You just have to say that you want to put him on base. I think a rule against intentional walks would work. I don't think too many 10 year old kids have enough control to be pitch around a player. And if the pitcher starts throwing it wild intentionally, who knows, he might end up letting a few runs cross the plate due to wild pitches.

[Thrasha]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

That's so.... Yankee-like. Fitting.




It truly is amazing how grown men will act when they are coaching a team or whatnot. The fun/innocence of going out with some friends as a little kid, and playing on a team is pretty stripped in todays game.

[GBrushTWood]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

That Yankees coach needs to be beaten in the shins with a lead pipe.

As if anybody needed further proof that the Yankees were satans' spawn..

[SPTO]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

Gee I was reading that and thinking "awww just like that story I read a long time ago in Readers Digest". I guess not....

Anyways I think it was Reader's Digest but I know it's a true story. Anyways during this little league type game there was one kid who was hm "********" so to speak and had a lot of mental deficiencies. The kid always wanted to play ball with his peers so he was allowed to play this time. It was his first AB and the pitcher throws a weak underhand pitch which the kid barely hits but the fielder's act like they can't get it. Everyone on the "********" kid's team said "go go run the bases!" and they were helping him run the bases. Heading from 3rd to home some of the kids lifted him up and really made the kid feel like he was a hero.

It was one of the more touching stories i've ever read. I only wish I remember where I read it for sure.


As for this particular story, that Yankee coach should be ashamed at himself.

[MassNole]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

Doesn't anyone wonder why this kid was batting behind the slugger? Was the coach using him as insurance so no one would intentionally pitch around his star? There are 2 sides to this and it is sad to see one coach blasted and the other getting a pass when it is possible his behavior was even more appauling.

They said this is a non-competitive league which is great, but if there is a championship game (which in itself is rather counter intuitive to a non-competitive league) then both teams want to win, how would you like to explain why you pitche to the star and loss to a bunch of kids who just lost a championship? They won't understand and they want to win. I give kudos to this coach for having the balls to do this, especially if the other coach was using this kid as protection for this star.

EDIT
What do you know, Reilly didn't mention the actions of the other coach in his article. Must be great to stand on a soap box and only need to tell one side of a story, real professional for a 'journalist' in the loosest definition of the word.

[ExtremeGamer]

Disgusting Little League story

I would punch this coach in the face.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/rick_reilly/08/07/reilly0814/index.html

[Stu]

Re: Disgusting Little League story

http://forums.operationsports.com/vB...d.php?t=178837

[Altimus]

Re: Disgusting Little League story

Freaking disgusting...

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Disgusting Little League story

http://forums.operationsports.com/vB...d.php?t=178837

What's it doing there? LOL It's not professional baseball!

I'll lock this up anyway.

[Graphik]

Re: Disgusting Little League story

Thats just foul. Winning a Pony League game is'nt that important. This coach must be making up for his own life failures.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Anyone read the Rick Reilly SI article from this week?

Doesn't anyone wonder why this kid was batting behind the slugger? Was the coach using him as insurance so no one would intentionally pitch around his star? There are 2 sides to this and it is sad to see one coach blasted and the other getting a pass when it is possible his behavior was even more appauling.

They said this is a non-competitive league which is great, but if there is a championship game (which in itself is rather counter intuitive to a non-competitive league) then both teams want to win, how would you like to explain why you pitche to the star and loss to a bunch of kids who just lost a championship? They won't understand and they want to win. I give kudos to this coach for having the balls to do this, especially if the other coach was using this kid as protection for this star.

EDIT
What do you know, Reilly didn't mention the actions of the other coach in his article. Must be great to stand on a soap box and only need to tell one side of a story, real professional for a 'journalist' in the loosest definition of the word.

You have to be kidding me?!

Never coached little league huh? When I coached I had my worst hitter behind my best hitter. He wasn't a Cancer survivor, just wasn't any good. But when everyone has to hit, and there's a run max, why have your worst hitters hitting in a row? This isn't the MLB, the bad hitters in a 9/10 league are bad. To even say it was for protection of the "star" is easily the most laughable and disgusting thing I've ever heard.