Little League - grounds for forfeit

[GA Umpire]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

It wasn't really missed. And nope. I would have zinged 'someone else' too. I get really really tired of people saying "Little League" is screwed up as if it were the only thing out there, some with an implication that everyting else is OK. In fact, they have less than half of the local youth baseball organizations. At the time of the date change they were claiming 40%.

I don't think it was a direct attack against LL. That is just what the OP is about. I think he is saying LL isn't the problem. It is the parents and the kids' lack of desire to play baseball. Many parents force their kids to play rather than giving the kids a choice. And, getting out there and encouraging their kids.

So many drop their kids off and leave. I know some have jobs to prevent them from participating as much as they want to. But, there are those few who use sports and coaches as a babysitter while they have "better things to do".

Also, how the coaches do not do their job and actually learn the game while they are suppose to be teaching it to the players.

It was an attack on society in general. Not LL.

Again, I may have missed the mark. I never know with Finnerty.

[Sven K]

We had a similar situation a few years ago. My kids' team was making a comeback on a team in the last inning against a lesser pitcher. The other teams' coach decided to take that kid out and re-insert his ace who had pitched the first inning (you play to win the game, right?).

I rarely take kids off the mound during an inning unless they are hurt. That league has a 5 run limit and I figure they can take their lumps and learn from it. Not the other coach, he wanted a win.

When I gently pointed out that you can't re-insert at pitcher their assistant threw a fit. Eventually the PU dug the rules out and said, yep, you can't re-insert at pitcher.

The pitcher (a little kid at that) went on to get the two last outs including snagging a ball hit up the middle destined to a hit and threw the runner out to end it.

Probably the highlight of the kid's career and the coaches almost ruined it for him. The head coach from the other team actually called me later that night and apologized for his behavior. I told him that I was happy for his pitcher and glad it worked out. Even if we lost the game.

Sometimes the adults DO get it right.