[MD Longhorn]

If I'm going to post my complaint, I should post his response, yes? Reads like a copy/paste, so I suspect he's answered this 100 times... but here's the response:

With respect to the matter in Bristol you reference, there are elements of this that have been reported inaccurately; however it does not change the fact that a television replay was used to help an umpire make the correct call and that shouldn’t have happened. Mr. Soucy, who was not present in the press box at the time, now understands, as confirmed by Mr. Wright, that Mr. Wright was not directed by me to order a call be reversed by the home plate umpire. My only comments to Mr. Wright in the press box, after seeing the replay were, “I hope he asks for help with this one”. Mr. Wright, as he will attest, called the umpire supervisor via radio while on his way to that area and said, “I can help if needed”. Mr. Wright, who was proceeding to the scoring area while the umpires conferred on the field (who upheld the call of the home plate umpire), told the home plate umpire he could help. The umpire told him that he just wanted to get the call correct. Mr. Wright told the umpire “ it’s your call, but I can help if you need it” The umpire again said he wanted to get the call correct and Mr. Wright proceeded to advise the plate umpire that the ball did hit the batters foot. Those are the facts. Should that have happened? No, but it did.

As President of Little League International, the responsibility for this rests with me, not Corey Wright or Don Soucy, both valued employees of Little League International. A television replay should not have been used at a regional game to assist the field umpires despite an honest effort by a good man to help correct an obvious wrong.

Steve Keener