illegal Pitcher in LL minor (long)

[Luckyme]

I manage a 9-10 ll minors team in a league with 19 teams that play on 4 or 5 different fields. The league officials have stated that it is the manager's responsibility to ensure the opposing pitcher has eligibility (no more than 6 innings per week (sun-sat); 1 day's rest for 3 or less; 3 days rest for more than 3); the scorebooks are kept in each scorekeepers box at the respective field; Because of rainouts, etc numerous games are always rescheduled and, usually played on a different field than originally schedueld;
Now the scenerio, the opposing manager in a game last Saturday pitched a 9 yo 4 innings; I got suspicious when I jokingly asked him about pitcher eligibilty for this boy and he didn't reply quickly and eye-to-eye; I spent the next hour searching and found out that the same boy pitched 5 innings the previous Monday - 9 innings in one week; I have no real recourse since the rules are clear about protesting illegal pitchers; The league VP confronted the individual and the manager didn't care that he violated the rules; My real question is, how do other leagues handle the monitoring of pitcher eligibility as to make it a little easier for managers to check and unscrupulous managers be wary of someone watching?

How can or why doesn't this rule actually have some teeth for violators ? if you don't get caught, it appears that there is nothing that can be done with respect to LL rules;

thanks to all

Dennis

[spillguy]

In our league, AA or 9-10 minors are restricted to a max of three innings per game. We are scheduled for two games/week. Therefore, unless rain makeup games are held, it becomes pretty easy to manage the <6 per week limit. WIth a few excpetions, these kids are thowing too many pitches for their age if they go more than 3 innings any way.

Dennis,
Cheaters will find ways to cheat almost any system. Just making the BOD aware of the situation will hopefully prevent this cheater from cheating next season (do not give them a team again).

SG

[brandda]

There are a bunch of different questions here, so I will try to answer them one at a time:

1) How do other leagues handle this?
There are a couple of different ways. Really, really organized leagues have the playbooks or at least a copy of the relevant scoring pages for each game turned into a board official who tracks this at a league level. While this is a great way to do it, it requires a significant time commitment and is very unusual, but I have seen it done. Most of the time, this is monitored by individual managers who have agreed to uphold the rules for the safety of the kids and the good of the league.

2) Why doesn't the rule have teeth?
Sounds like you have a spineless board and a serious culture problem. In our league, if someone got caught purposefully doing what you describe here (and they would since we all know each other, know the kids pretty well and tend to watch each others games), they would be banned from managing, plain and simple as well as the standard penalties outlined in the rule book (see below). Besides being unsportsmanlike and against the basic principles on which LL baseball was founded, it is also dangerous to the kids to overpitch them at that age. Finally, in this day and age, you are open to a lawsuit from the kid's parents so it also qualifies as stupid.

3) There is nothing that can be done with respect to little league rules.
That's not true. The LL rulebook says that the team which used an ineligible pitcher automatically forfeits the games in which that pitcher threw. IMO, that should be the start of any punitive action, but that is up to your league.

It sounds to me like this is less of a rules issue for you and more of a cultural issue. The question really becomes, what kind of standards for behavior do you have in your league? If your board does not have a problem with this in a big way, then I would look for a different league for your son to play in. It sounds to me like you have bigger problems than this one incident.

[Luckyme]

BrandDA said "

That's not true. The LL rulebook says that the team which used an ineligible pitcher automatically forfeits the games in which that pitcher threw. IMO, that should be the start of any punitive action, but that is up to your league"

I thought that I had the rules fairly well covered- still I am unable to see where the game would be forfeited; I was not able to protest before the umpires departed the field since I did not find out about the inilegibility of their pitcher until about 1 hour later; I did notify a board official immediately and then notified my division VP as soon as I located him; I agree that it is a reflection on the integrity of the Board, since this individual only got a team because he is a sponsor (read: he bought a team); If the rules (offical regulation and Playing rules for all divisions of Little league baseball) cover this, I would be most grateful if you could point me toward it;

thanks to all

Dennis

[brandda]

I went back and tried to reread the passage where I thought I saw the forfeit language and now can't find it. Sorry about that. Apparently I was wrong.

Still think your BOD ought to string this guy up by his thumbs. Surely the league does not need his money this much.

[Luckyme]

thanks david..

the forfeit would only be for the team - it wouldn't change our standings as we start playoff ball this week; I have been a 'lurker' on this forum for a few months and have to say, that, of all the internet sites available, I've learned more from this one that all the others combined; The graciousness,completeness and accuracy with which members reply, is, bar-none, the best. I'll continue to read and learn; Someone once said," when a old man dies, a Library burns to the ground"; Thanks to all of you who share your wealth of knowledge with neophites like me;

Dennis