Little League Championship...

[jspchief]

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

This actually happened. Your job is to decide whether it should have.

In a nine- and 10-year-old PONY league championship game in Bountiful, Utah, the Yankees lead the Red Sox by one run. The Sox are up in the bottom of the last inning, two outs, a runner on third. At the plate is the Sox' best hitter, a kid named Jordan. On deck is the Sox' worst hitter, a kid named Romney. He's a scrawny cancer survivor who has to take human growth hormone and has a shunt in his brain.

So, you're the coach: Do you intentionally walk the star hitter so you can face the kid who can barely swing?

Wait! Before you answer.... This is a league where everybody gets to bat, there's a four-runs-per-inning max, and no stealing until the ball crosses the plate. On the other hand, the stands are packed and it is the title game.

So ... do you pitch to the star or do you lay it all on the kid who's been through hell already?

Yanks coach Bob Farley decided to walk the star.

Parents booed. The umpire, Mike Wright, thought to himself, Low-ball move. In the stands, Romney's eight-year-old sister cried. "They're picking on Romney!" she said. Romney struck out. The Yanks celebrated. The Sox moaned. The two coaching staffs nearly brawled.

And Romney? He sobbed himself to sleep that night.

"It made me sick," says Romney's dad, Marlo Oaks. "It's going after the weakest chick in the flock."

Farley and his assistant coach, Shaun Farr, who recommended the walk, say they didn't know Romney was a cancer survivor. "And even if I had," insists Farr, "I'd have done the same thing. It's just good baseball strategy."

Romney's mom, Elaine, thinks Farr knew. "Romney's cancer was in the paper when he met with President Bush," she says. That was thanks to the Make-A-Wish people. "And [Farr] coached Romney in basketball. I tell all his coaches about his condition."

She has to. Because of his radiation treatments, Romney's body may not produce enough of a stress-responding hormone if he is seriously injured, so he has to quickly get a cortisone shot or it could be life-threatening. That's why he wears a helmet even in centerfield. Farr didn't notice?


The sports editor for the local Davis Clipper, Ben De Voe, ripped the Yankees' decision. "Hopefully these coaches enjoy the trophy on their mantle," De Voe wrote, "right next to their dunce caps."

Well, that turned Bountiful into Rancorful. The town was split -- with some people calling for De Voe's firing and describing Farr and Farley as "great men," while others called the coaches "pathetic human beings." They "should be tarred and feathered," one man wrote to De Voe. Blogs and letters pages howled. A state house candidate called it "shameful."

What the Yankees' coaches did was within the rules. But is it right to put winning over compassion? For that matter, does a kid who yearns to be treated like everybody else want compassion?

"What about the boy who is dyslexic -- should he get special treatment?" Blaine and Kris Smith wrote to the Clipper. "The boy who wears glasses -- should he never be struck out? ... NO! They should all play by the rules of the game."

The Yankees' coaches insisted that the Sox coach would've done the same thing. "Not only wouldn't I have," says Sox coach Keith Gulbransen, "I didn't. When their best hitter came up, I pitched to him. I especially wouldn't have done it to Romney."

Farr thinks the Sox coach is a hypocrite. He points out that all coaches put their worst fielder in rightfield and try to steal on the weakest catchers. "Isn't that strategy?" he asks. "Isn't that trying to win? Do we let the kid feel like he's a winner by having the whole league play easy on him? This isn't the Special Olympics. He's not retarded."

Me? I think what the Yanks did stinks. Strategy is fine against major leaguers, but not against a little kid with a tube in his head. Just good baseball strategy? This isn't the pros. This is: Everybody bats, one-hour games. That means it's about fun. Period.

What the Yankees' coaches did was make it about them, not the kids. It became their medal to pin on their pecs and show off at their barbecues. And if a fragile kid got stomped on the way, well, that's baseball. We see it all over the country -- the overcaffeinated coach who watches too much SportsCenter and needs to win far more than the kids, who will forget about it two Dove bars later.

By the way, the next morning, Romney woke up and decided to do something about what happened to him.

"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

[Fire Me Boy!]

I hope they give everyone trophies as to not hurt their self-esteem and psyche.

[Rain Man]

It may be unpopular, but the kid shouldn't be playing if his parents are unwilling to take the chance that he could end up in this situation. Also, the coach has an obligation to his own kids to coach in a way to let them win. Walk the star and let the cancer kid take his best shot.

Oh, and this:

By the way, the next morning, Romney woke up and decided to do something about what happened to him.

"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

is why you do it. The kid learned a lesson from it and developed some will and character.

[Brock]

Just another loser living vicariously through kids.

[Saulbadguy]

Yes, I would have done the same thing, even if I did know the kid was a cancer survivor.

You play...to win the game.

[morphius]

By the way, the next morning, Romney woke up and decided to do something about what happened to him.

"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

And this is exactly why you walk the best better to get to the weak guy, even in the little leagues. If you gave him a pass he wouldn't feel the need to prove more.

Oh well.

[JBucc]

If I was the Yankees coach I would pitch to the good kid because I hate intentional walks anyway. If I was the Sox coach I would not have had that kid in the lineup for the championship game. Otherwise get over it.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Yes, I would have done the same thing, even if I did knew the kid was a cancer survivor.

You play...to win the game.
Hello??!?!?!?!?

[dirk digler]

By the way, the next morning, Romney woke up and decided to do something about what happened to him.

"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

I think this says it all.

[Rain Man]

This is actually less cruel than Peyton Manning pointing at William Bartee every time Bartee took the field.

[dirk digler]

This is actually less cruel than Peyton Manning pointing at William Bartee every time Bartee took the field.

ROFL

Now that is funny...

ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL

[BigRedChief]

I deal with this situation a lot during the time I've been a little league coach. In the "recreational" league where everyone bats I went ahead and pitched to the good kid. At the level where my team plays now("competitive") I would walk the kid to face the weaker hitter. Standard baseball move. If I knew the kid was a cancer survivor I'd pitch to the good hitter.

One time I had a kid with luekima bat against us and he hasn't put the bat on the ball all year. I told my pitcher to throw fastballs over the middle of the plate and told my infielders if he puts it in play to overthrow first base. He didn't get close to the ball so no happy ending that time.

[Rain Man]

In thinking about it more, there were two outs already and a kid was on third. Perhaps a compromise would've been to walk both the star and the cancer kid, and face the next kid. The only damage is that you now put the winning run on second instead of first. It's not something that I would've thought of in a live situation, though.

[JBucc]

Also why was the worst hitter behind the best hitter? That's just bad baseball.

[Ne14a40]

My question is why do they have their worst hitter batting right after the best hitter? So basically they had the cancer kid hitting 5th? Thats the dumb ass Sox coaches problem right there.

[jspchief]

It was a championship game. The entire purpose is to decide the champion. I don't see how anyone could argue for anything other than doing everything you can to win.

[Demonpenz]

He was treating him like a normal kid.

[mlyonsd]

This proves whenever someone puts on a Yankee uniform they become scum.

[ck_IN]

<i>"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."</i>

Sounds to me like the kid has the best handle on the situation of anyone.

As for do it or don't do it, I'd walk him. If he's in the game then he's fair game. If he's that sick/weak/etc then he shouldn't be playing. If his parents play him anyway then they've no one to blame but themselves.

If the score is kept then the game is to be played to be won. End of story.

[Rain Man]

My question is why do they have their worst hitter batting right after the best hitter? So basically they had the cancer kid hitting 5th? Thats the dumb ass Sox coaches problem right there.

Maybe the cancer kid would fall down and fake a seizure occasionally, allowing the best hitter to steal 2nd and 3rd during the turmoil.

[Moooo]

My question is why do they have their worst hitter batting right after the best hitter? So basically they had the cancer kid hitting 5th? Thats the dumb ass Sox coaches problem right there.

The whole point was that everyone gets a chance. The team wasn't built to win, I think you guys are forgetting this.

This sounds like a league made for children who aren't good enough to be in a regular little league, whether for health reasons, or just inability.

I'ld have pitched the star loose. Don't give him anything over the plate, but don't intentionally walk him.

Moooo, who sees compromise

[BigRedChief]

It was a championship game. The entire purpose is to decide the champion. I don't see how anyone could argue for anything other than doing everything you can to win.

These are kids thats the difference. I've made the choice on so many occasions to pull a pitcher who is doing great because they had thrown 100 pitches on that day. I would rather lose a game than harm a pitchers arm.

[Demonpenz]

The whole point was that everyone gets a chance. The team wasn't built to win, I think you guys are forgetting this.

This sounds like a league made for children who aren't good enough to be in a regular little league, whether for health reasons, or just inability.

I'ld have pitched the star loose. Don't give him anything over the plate, but don't intentionally walk him.

Moooo, who sees compromise


In most cities these are the rules for every team. When i played in st joe they had these rules everyone batted are my parents supposed to drive somewhere where they had regular rules?

[Moooo]

In most cities these are the rules for every team. When i played in st joe they had these rules everyone batted are my parents supposed to drive somewhere where they had regular rules?

Don't blame the system, blame the people who made it that way.

They need to have two leagues, one for people who like to chill out and have fun... like me, and one for the people who are committed to winning...

It wouldn't be hard. Just make the one regular, and the other can be like a work league softball game minus the booze.

Moooo

[Lin Elliot]

No one had pity on me when I seized up during the playoff game.


Walk the strong and stomp on the weak is the KC motto.

[Rain Man]

Don't blame the system, blame the people who made it that way.

They need to have two leagues, one for people who like to chill out and have fun... like me, and one for the people who are committed to winning...

It wouldn't be hard. Just make the one regular, and the other can be like a work league softball game minus the booze.

Moooo

When I was in grad school, I started up an intramural football team for my grad school. This was at the University of Texas, so the intramural football league had scores of teams, if not hundreds. It was enormous.

The first year, we had a Terrell Owens type on the team who made it miserable for everybody. He was there to win, and he would complain if someone dropped a pass, or if the quarterback threw it to someone unworthy (i.e., not him).

The second year, I split us into two teams, a "wanna have fun" team and a "wanna win" team. Terrell and I parted ways in the roster division. We both went into the same league, and the "wanna have fun" team came out with a better record. I found that quite funny.

[BigRedChief]

Don't blame the system, blame the people who made it that way.

They need to have two leagues, one for people who like to chill out and have fun... like me, and one for the people who are committed to winning...

It wouldn't be hard. Just make the one regular, and the other can be like a work league softball game minus the booze.

Moooo

There is 2 such leagues in every city in the KC metro area. I've coached in both. Totally different approaches to youth baseball.

[jspchief]

These are kids thats the difference. I've made the choice on so many occasions to pull a pitcher who is doing great because they had thrown 100 pitches on that day. I would rather lose a game than harm a pitchers arm.Then don't have a game specifically designed to determine a champion. You can't say that it's not about winning, and at the same time have a structure that is designed to determine a winner.

[BigRedChief]

Then don't have a game specifically designed to determine a champion. You can't say that it's not about winning, and at the same time have a structure that is designed to determine a winner.

I agree. I can only say how I handle the win at all costs, go for the championship style of play. I see it every year some coach overthrowing a pitcher and taking a chance on ruining his arm for the sake of winnning.

All of my team (parents, players) know that if a player can possibly do damage to his arm or whatever that I'll chose to lose the game. We were good enough to go to the Mo. state championship and spread (mercy rule was used) 2 out of the 3 teams we faced in pool play in the tournament. But we may never win it all because we won't take chances with players health or push them like they are in college ball or going to be the next Griffey.

[Rain Man]

If you don't give a kid a chance to win, and take away all opportunities for him to do anything positive in the game, then he's going to end up just like Steve Bono under Paul Hackett's game plans.

[Moooo]

There is 2 such leagues in every city in the KC metro area. I've coached in both. Totally different approaches to youth baseball.

But for the record, in a "I wanna have fun" league, intentional walking seems kind of silly.

My answer depends on if it had been done a lot before or not. If it was the very first time that year someone was intentionally walked, that's bush league. But if this kid was used to seeing a free base, I wouldn't be upset at all.

I still say they should have just pitched him loose.

Moooo

[Fire Me Boy!]

pitched him loose.
That sounds dirty.

[BigRedChief]

But for the record, in a "I wanna have fun" league, intentional walking seems kind of silly.

My answer depends on if it had been done a lot before or not. If it was the very first time that year someone was intentionally walked, that's bush league. But if this kid was used to seeing a free base, I wouldn't be upset at all.

I still say they should have just pitched him loose.

Moooo

I've been coaching little league baseball for over 9 years, probably coached over 500 games and I've intentionally walked one batter one time.

[tk13]

I think the quotes by the kids' parents are nearly appalling. Calling him the weakest chick in the flock? Are you serious? That's 10 times worse than what the other coach did. If my dad said that about me when I was his age, I would've been crushed.

[KC Kings]

If your kid has cancer and needs/wants to be treated differently, there a millions of recreation leagues his parents could have joined. I feel bad for the kid, but it is the parents fault for not protecting him better.

He is playing in a competitive league, and it wouldn't be fair to take a chance on throwing the game to all of the Yankee kids, just to be nice t a kid that shouldn't be out there in the first place. It would be different if he was living his last days, never played a game of baseball, and they let him come in for one game to fulfill his dream. If he has been playing he entire season, like it sounds like he is doing, he should be treated like a regular kid.

[teedubya]

Seems to me that the Red Sox manager, should have created a better lineup card, and not had the weakest hitter batter after the strongest one.

Duh. Thats baseball strategory.

[Rain Man]

It's too bad that there hasn't been a single NFL coach the past few years who was sportsmanlike enough to play his second-team offense against our defense.

[hawkchief]

If your kid has cancer and needs/wants to be treated differently, there a millions of recreation leagues his parents could have joined. I feel bad for the kid, but it is the parents fault for not protecting him better.

He is playing in a competitive league, and it wouldn't be fair to take a chance on throwing the game to all of the Yankee kids, just to be nice t a kid that shouldn't be out there in the first place. It would be different if he was living his last days, never played a game of baseball, and they let him come in for one game to fulfill his dream. If he has been playing he entire season, like it sounds like he is doing, he should be treated like a regular kid.

This is a league where everbody bats, maximum # runs per inning etc. It sounds more like a recreational league to me, and as Rick Reilly discussed this with Dan Patrick yesterday he referred to it as a rec league.

My biggest question is, if this was a rec league, why is there even a "championship game" anyway? I coach 9 year olds in rec league basketball and soccer, and purposefully, there are no standings, stats etc. The idea is to get the kids a taste of the sport, not teach them how to step on an opponents neck. IMO, if it is a rec league, determining a "Champion" defeats the purpose of why you are playing rec league in the first place.

[Moooo]

Seems to me that the Red Sox manager, should have created a better lineup card, and not had the weakest hitter batter after the strongest one.

Duh. Thats baseball strategory.

If winning is your main priority...

Moooo

[eazyb81]

A few people have already mentioned it, but if this is the "recreational" or "fun" league, which it sounds like it is, then the coach should have just pitched to the best hitter.

However, if this was a competetive league, then I would have no problem with this move.

[Demonpenz]

the for fun league should be called the liberal arts league

[jenksme]

I feel that the move was classless, BUT, the kids on his team want to win too. The people should just quit griping about it. The kid is apparently going to do what all kids in sports should do, if I am not good enough work hard and get better and it won't happen again. That is what sports is supposed to do is teach us the way to win and how to loose w/ grace as well. If you loose then work harder to get better. If the kid does this and gets better then the coaches of the other team did their jobs and should be thanked. That is sports. If you make it easier then the children do not learn what it means to win or loose and learn from it.

[Bob Dole]

A few people have already mentioned it, but if this is the "recreational" or "fun" league, which it sounds like it is, then the coach should have just pitched to the best hitter.

However, if this was a competetive league, then I would have no problem with this move.

If there's a championship game, one would assume it's a competitive league.

By the way, the next morning, Romney woke up and decided to do something about what happened to him.

"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

Which is exactly the reaction Romney should have had and the lesson he should have learned. The kid has more going for him than the adults who are whining about it.

[eazyb81]

If there's a championship game, one would assume it's a competitive league.



"This is a league where everybody gets to bat, there's a four-runs-per-inning max, and no stealing until the ball crosses the plate."

That doesn't sound like a competetive league to me.

[Robo-Chachi]

Hey gave the kid the chance to score the winning run in a championship game and be the hero. This is the thanks he gets? He was trying to get him his own Disney movie.

[ExtremeChief]

If the kid would have gotten a hit he would have been a hero and everyone would be saying what a great coach the guy was for giving the kid with cancer the opportunity to win the game.

And, as someone mentioned earlier, the kids want to win too.

If you are going to have a "champion", then you play to win, period. If you want a "recreation" league then don't keep score or standings, and don't have tournaments.

[WilliamTheIrish]

"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk

I'd take that kid on my squad any day.

[KChiefs1]

I believe Missouri vs Iowa tomorrow on ESPN for the Midwest Championship.

[Spott]

Intentional walks are for pussies.

[Bob Dole]

Intentional walks are for pussies.

True.

As a former pitcher, Bob Dole knows it's much more enjoyable to bean the batter.

[Stinger]

Just a thought, why is there a title game in recreational league, does that not defeat the purpose?

So if it is a title game means there is something on the line, you play to win. Lets look at the other side of the coin here. If the coach decides not to pitch around their best hitter and or chooses to walk both batters and either things don't work, has the coach now failed his team? I believe so.

If you call it a Rec League where specials rules are enforced so everyone learns and plays then don't run a Title or Championship game.

[4th and Long]

Apparently these parents didn't see the video highlights of the autistic high school basketball player hammering down 3 pointers.

[BigRedChief]

Big ESPN article on the LL championship game:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2549340

Poll on ESPN on what you would do?
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=2375

[Rain Man]

I wonder if we can get the Romney kid to come in and motivate Siavii. "If you're not good enough, work hard and get better!"

[Mosbonian]

It would be interesting to see how the responses would differ if your child was the person picked on here...

mmaddog
*******

[Mosbonian]

Farr thinks the Sox coach is a hypocrite. He points out that all coaches put their worst fielder in rightfield and try to steal on the weakest catchers. "Isn't that strategy?" he asks. "Isn't that trying to win? Do we let the kid feel like he's a winner by having the whole league play easy on him? This isn't the Special Olympics. He's not retarded."

The above comment was enough to tell me what type of person the Assistant coach was....

mmaddog
*******

[Valiant]

Don't blame the system, blame the people who made it that way.

They need to have two leagues, one for people who like to chill out and have fun... like me, and one for the people who are committed to winning...

It wouldn't be hard. Just make the one regular, and the other can be like a work league softball game minus the booze.

Moooo


If that is the case then there would be no championship game like the one stated above... You cannot have both, if the league is for noncompetive players like you think it is then there should be no playoffs or score kept..


----

Side note,

the kid should not be behind their best hitter.. The kid should have not even played in that game if they did not want to lose that way.. Seriously you play a championship game and then have the gall to call out somebody who goes after your weaker player... What do you think those kids do when they play 4ball in the schoolyard???

Should the other team have thrown slower to this kid? From all accounts the blame should be placed on the kids parents and coach for putting him in that situation...

[Valiant]

This is a league where everbody bats, maximum # runs per inning etc. It sounds more like a recreational league to me, and as Rick Reilly discussed this with Dan Patrick yesterday he referred to it as a rec league.

My biggest question is, if this was a rec league, why is there even a "championship game" anyway? I coach 9 year olds in rec league basketball and soccer, and purposefully, there are no standings, stats etc. The idea is to get the kids a taste of the sport, not teach them how to step on an opponents neck. IMO, if it is a rec league, determining a "Champion" defeats the purpose of why you are playing rec league in the first place.


exactly...

[Sam Hall]

I'm not too pleased about the Special Olympics comment. If only the kid would've parked one over the fence, that would've been great.

[Valiant]

The above comment was enough to tell me what type of person the Assistant coach was....

mmaddog
*******


What about the kids own parents response???


"It's going after the weakest chick in the flock."

[Rain Man]

You wanna hear something sad? Some other article mentioned that the kid "only had two hits all season". During my only year in little league, I had no hits and one walk. They would have walked Romney to pitch to me.

[Mosbonian]

What about the kids own parents response???


"It's going after the weakest chick in the flock."

Trust me...that was the most pathetic response a parent could give. And I bet he probably regretted saying it..or at least I would hope he did.

Not to excuse it, but i am sure it was a protective parent response.

mmaddog
*******

[jidar]

Sorry man, that's the way the game is played. Kids need to learn that.

[Mosbonian]

Sorry man, that's the way the game is played. Kids need to learn that.

The I guess what you are saying is that winning, no matter what the cost, is more imperative than all else?

mmaddog
*******

[Stinger]

The I guess what you are saying is that winning, no matter what the cost, is more imperative than all else?

mmaddog
*******

Just curious ... Lets look at the other side of the coin here. If the coach decides not to pitch around their best hitter and or chooses to walk both batters and either things don't work, has the coach now failed the kids on his team?

[Mosbonian]

Just curious ... Lets look at the other side of the coin here. If the coach decides not to pitch around their best hitter and or chooses to walk both batters and either things don't work, has the coach now failed the kids on his team?

How has he failed them? It's just my opinion...and I know that there are many who disagree....but I would have wanted to win it by earning it going thru their best guy.

What you've taught them in part, is to always to take the easy way out....go after the weakest player on the team and beat him.

I guess my analogy might be this....what's the honor and dignity in beating a team by exploiting their weakest link?

I don't think there is an easy answer to this one....and both sides played this game all wrong.

mmaddog
*******

[Rain Man]

How has he failed them? It's just my opinion...and I know that there are many who disagree....but I would have wanted to win it by earning it going thru their best guy.

What you've taught them in part, is to always to take the easy way out....go after the weakest player on the team and beat him.

I guess my analogy might be this....what's the honor and dignity in beating a team by exploiting their weakest link?


mmaddog
*******


William Bartee is going to give you rep.

[Mosbonian]

William Bartee is going to give you rep.

:cuss: :cuss: :cuss: :cuss:

That's hitting below the belt....

mmaddog
*******

[Mosbonian]

William Bartee is going to give you rep.

And just in case you were being serious....(which I doubt)there's a big difference between Professional FB players and 9/10 y/o kids...

mmaddog
*******

[SCTrojan]

I think you should always be careful about the lessons you truly teach your kids. This would be especially true in a 9 and 10 year old league.

Play to win the game - yeah, got it. But, as I think has been mentioned here, at what cost and what message are you sending? Was the only lesson the Yankees players learned from that game is that sound baseball strategy is to walk a stronger hitter to get to the weaker? Or did the coach inadvertently send the pitcher the message that his game wasn't good enough for the best hitter, but plenty good enough for the worst? Was he also telling the team that it didn't have the stuff to make the final out against the best hitter?

I would make the argument that the lesson that coach taught is that you shouldn't go up against the best given the choice - it is logical, even laudable, to seek out the situation where you clearly overmatch the opposition. Especially when the championship is on the line. Winning is what matters, not how you got there.

[Valiant]

The I guess what you are saying is that winning, no matter what the cost, is more imperative than all else?

mmaddog
*******


I think the thing that most people are missing out on here, was what the kid did afterwards.. He started practicing to get better, that is the total emphasis of sports.. Achieve; If you fail, practice to make yourself better...


------------

On a side note after reading the article, it sounds like the parents want their kid to be an athlete, hell or high water... Not everybodies fortay is in sports or in a particular sport... The kid might be a great swimmer, like the video of the one kid with no arms, what would happen if all the competitors did not try as hard agianst him because of his disability he would not have gotten as good as he did...

[Mosbonian]

I think the thing that most people are missing out on here, was what the kid did afterwards.. He started practicing to get better, that is the total emphasis of sports.. Achieve; If you fail, practice to make yourself better...


------------

On a side note after reading the article, it sounds like the parents want their kid to be an athlete, hell or high water... Not everybodies fortay is in sports or in a particular sport... The kid might be a great swimmer, like the video of the one kid with no arms, what would happen if all the competitors did not try as hard agianst him because of his disability he would not have gotten as good as he did...

While your observations have merit....I don't think I could have said it any better than SC Trojan just did.

It's all about the messages we are teaching our kids.

mmaddog
*******

[morphius]

:cuss: :cuss: :cuss: :cuss:

That's hitting below the belt....

mmaddog
*******
Thank goodness, we will never have to see another bootleg against Hicks again.

While we are at it, why build better weapons then our enemies, obviously using stealth bombers is just cheating and unfair.

I have been the best player on the field, and the weakest link in the swim relay, each piece teaches you something.

[Mosbonian]

Thank goodness, we will never have to see another bootleg against Hicks again.

While we are at it, why build better weapons then our enemies, obviously using stealth bombers is just cheating and unfair.

I have been the best player on the field, and the weakest link in the swim relay, each piece teaches you something.

But how old were you when you were taught those lessons?

mmaddog
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[Frazod]

I'm obviously late to this thread, I haven't read through to see if it went off on any tangents.

IMO, a recovering cancer patient with a friggin shunt in his head has NO BUSINESS PLAYING BASEBALL. Seriously, what the f#ck is that all about? Who was the f#cking genius that said it was okay in the first place? And I'd like to stick a friggin shunt in the heads of this kid's parents - not that anything would drain out. Arguing how the coach reacted or didn't react isn't the point. The kid shouldn't have been playing in the first place. PERIOD. It sure wasn't fair to his teammates to introduce such a glaring and exploitable weakness into the situation. But, of course, nobody cares about them.

It sucks that little kids get cancer, but it happens. If/when the kid recovers his strength, let him play then. But it is nothing less than dumb f#ck PC bullshit to allow some disease-ravaged weakling into a sport like this.

This reminds me of the one time in my life I filed for unemployment. The state worker was retarded and had a SEVERE speech impediment. I could barely understand what he was saying, but pieced together the idea that I would automatically get a check in the mail. Of course, you don't get a check unless you file, and I was led to believe by tardboy that what I'd done that day was filing. That's a helluva place to stick some guy who can't communicate, but try telling that to some ADA asshole.

There are some things some people just can't do, due to disease, condition, or perhaps just because they suck. Life's a bitch, regardless of what the PC douchebags in the world would lead us and our kids to believe.

[BigRock]

But how old were you when you were taught those lessons?
These kids were 9 and 10... what's that, 3rd or 4th grade? They've already had countless PE classes and recess periods in their lives. We all know the lessons they learn there. When they're picking teams, they pick the best kid first and save the worst one for the end. They move in when the wimpy kid comes to the plate, and they move back when the strong one is up. Don't pass the ball to the kid who can't play. Pick the slow kid in Duck Duck Goose. And on and on and on.

And recess and PE is just when they're in school. Who knows how many times the same ideas are reinforced to them after school, on the weekends, during the summer.

As unfortunate as it is, the idea of taking an advantage and going after the weaker kid is probably nothing new to any of them.

[Mosbonian]

I guess I am out of this conversation now.....

It appears that I am in the minority when it comes to value lessons in life and when they need to happen...

mmaddog
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[carlos3652]

F*** it, if there is a Championship game in this league, it is not for recreation... This could go both ways...

If he pitches to the slow kid you you can make a case that the coach was being discriminatory (sp)

If he doesnt pitch to the slow kid you can make a case that the coach was being discriminatory (sp)...

Its a lose lose...