Mandatory Play has damaged Little League to a higher extent then any actions by that manager.
Each year multiple thousands of worthy players are not practising, not travelling and not "getting ready for next year" as the direct result of mandatory play.
Since its institution we have never seen a team at a full compliment of 14 players, come to district play which was the norm before. Even the game you mention only had 12 players. This now permeates all the way to upper level baseball. This year not one district team, at any level, had more then 12 players. Two had 11 and one had 10!
Sorry, mandatory play, in my personal opinion, has been an abomination. Ask anyone who has seen players sitting out a game, in the stands (at a National Championship - seated right next to the national LL President), so the team can play with only 10 players on the bench today. That is another part of the true travesty that is mandatory play.
If they were really concerned the rule would force all teams to carry a full compliment of 14 players, and to play all those players, but it doesn't.
What has it accomplished, fewer players putting on the All-Star uniform, no players getting prepped for the future, no specialist runners, closers etc. Elite players, playing on elite teams, with elite attitudes.
The real travesty is in the rule itself, not the manager's actions.
... in my personal opinion only
Brent
|