Little Leage OWNAGE!

[Dragoon42]

Originally posted by: rsd

Originally posted by: Eugechi

Originally posted by: rsd
I love how you internet jocks are defending this coach.

Give me a freaking break. In little league, the point is to have fun, teach sportmanship, and the game (and don't say this is what you are supposed to do strategy wise, because it isn't the freaking major leagues).

EDIT: and notice nine- and 10-year-old PONY league? Who cares if it is the "championship"? Likely they get to go to Friendly's after the game regardless of whether they win or lose it.

BS.. so your idea of sportsmanship is to let the other team win because it's "right" and sensitive?

So you're too scared to let your pitcher pitch to their best hitter? Give me a f'ing break.

hey emo boy, seriously. It's called strategy. It'd be stupid to play the best hitter?

 

[NeoV]

it's 9 and 10 year olds....it's not "play to win" at all, not even close. - rules like "Everyone bats", and "max 4 runs per inning" show right off the bat that the league isn't about winning and losing.

I've coached 8-14 year old kids in baseball and basketball for 10 years, and by FAR the best moments have been things like - a kid making a basket that hasn't made one all year, or a kid catching a fly ball when he's missed a bunch of them, or a kid getting his first hit of the season a few weeks in.

When the league gets to the point that everyone doesn't have to play, and there are no special rules in place, then yes, winning is important...but in this case that clearly wasn't the case.

 

[PinmasterJay]

Originally posted by: BigJ
I disagree with the coach. He shoulda beaned the star, not walk him.

I thought the same thing.... :evil:

 

[SirChadwick]

I would have done the same thing... walk the star and pitch to the kancer kid - he's a human and not retarded... and he's playing in the league for a reason. I doubt he wants to be there to feel like the weakest link. Pitch to him and let him prove himself. If he strikes out, oh well he'll play another day.

 

[LordMorpheus]

I think this was a better experience for the cancer kid, too.

The article says the next day he woke up and decided to work on his hitting - now he knows the world isn't made of nerf and people won't always tiptoe around him just because he is sick and fragile - he knows that if he wants something he's going to have to work at it and take it for himself, and he's doing it, too. A hard lesson, but one well learned.

 

[Eugechi]

If i know that my pitcher would not get the star hitter out then yes;I wouldn't set up my kids to FAIL, and then explain to him afterward that oh, sorry, there's a weak kid on the other side, let's just throw away everything we worked for during the season and let him win the championship game...

 

[rsd]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: rsd

Originally posted by: Eugechi

Originally posted by: rsd
I love how you internet jocks are defending this coach.

Give me a freaking break. In little league, the point is to have fun, teach sportmanship, and the game (and don't say this is what you are supposed to do strategy wise, because it isn't the freaking major leagues).

EDIT: and notice nine- and 10-year-old PONY league? Who cares if it is the "championship"? Likely they get to go to Friendly's after the game regardless of whether they win or lose it.

BS.. so your idea of sportsmanship is to let the other team win because it's "right" and sensitive?

So you're too scared to let your pitcher pitch to their best hitter? Give me a f'ing break.

Do you know what strategy is?

You're right. Next time these 9-10 year olds play, they should give some chin music to the clean up hitter since Timmy was crowding the plate and Stevie needs to be able to own the inside to work the batters.

Next the coach of the other team should execute a double steal, and if that doesn't work a suicide squeeze...
:roll:

Give me a break on your "strategy"

 

[PinmasterJay]

This wouldn't have been a problem if the coach hadn't placed the team's WORST hitter following the team's BEST
which is just stupid strategy in the first place

 

[Eugechi]

Originally posted by: NeoV
it's 9 and 10 year olds....it's not "play to win" at all, not even close. - rules like "Everyone bats", and "max 4 runs per inning" show right off the bat that the league isn't about winning and losing.

I've coached 8-14 year old kids in baseball and basketball for 10 years, and by FAR the best moments have been things like - a kid making a basket that hasn't made one all year, or a kid catching a fly ball when he's missed a bunch of them, or a kid getting his first hit of the season a few weeks in.

When the league gets to the point that everyone doesn't have to play, and there are no special rules in place, then yes, winning is important...but in this case that clearly wasn't the case.

So if your team plays against a team that lost their star player because he/she is sick and couldn't play, do you throw the game too? COME ON!

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: rsd

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: rsd

Originally posted by: Eugechi

Originally posted by: rsd
I love how you internet jocks are defending this coach.

Give me a freaking break. In little league, the point is to have fun, teach sportmanship, and the game (and don't say this is what you are supposed to do strategy wise, because it isn't the freaking major leagues).

EDIT: and notice nine- and 10-year-old PONY league? Who cares if it is the "championship"? Likely they get to go to Friendly's after the game regardless of whether they win or lose it.

BS.. so your idea of sportsmanship is to let the other team win because it's "right" and sensitive?

So you're too scared to let your pitcher pitch to their best hitter? Give me a f'ing break.

Do you know what strategy is?

You're right. Next time these 9-10 year olds play, they should give some chin music to the clean up hitter since Timmy was crowding the plate and Stevie needs to be able to own the inside to work the batters.

Next the coach of the other team should execute a double steal, and if that doesn't work a suicide squeeze...
:roll:

Give me a break on your "strategy"

You were the kid that always got picked last in gym class, weren't you?

 

[speg]

Why was the weakest hitter batting after their best hitter? That's not a very good strategy.

 

[rsd]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: rsd

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: rsd

Originally posted by: Eugechi

Originally posted by: rsd
I love how you internet jocks are defending this coach.

Give me a freaking break. In little league, the point is to have fun, teach sportmanship, and the game (and don't say this is what you are supposed to do strategy wise, because it isn't the freaking major leagues).

EDIT: and notice nine- and 10-year-old PONY league? Who cares if it is the "championship"? Likely they get to go to Friendly's after the game regardless of whether they win or lose it.

BS.. so your idea of sportsmanship is to let the other team win because it's "right" and sensitive?

So you're too scared to let your pitcher pitch to their best hitter? Give me a f'ing break.

Do you know what strategy is?

You're right. Next time these 9-10 year olds play, they should give some chin music to the clean up hitter since Timmy was crowding the plate and Stevie needs to be able to own the inside to work the batters.

Next the coach of the other team should execute a double steal, and if that doesn't work a suicide squeeze...
:roll:

Give me a break on your "strategy"

You were the kid that always got picked last in gym class, weren't you?

Actually I'd say I was always a pretty good athlete (not amazing or anything, but I played enough sports). At that age none of these kids will give a crap or remember that they won the championship. Whoop de doo.

 

[Pikachu]

We see it all over the country...

...and ATOT. Exactly why I want NOTHING to do with organized sports at any level. They certainly have an institution to be proud of. :thumbsup:

 

[PinmasterJay]

This thread needs a pole

 

[Eugechi]

Originally posted by: rsd

Actually I'd say I was always a pretty good athlete (not amazing or anything, but I played enough sports). At that age none of these kids will give a crap or remember that they won the championship. Whoop de doo.

If you say that kids won't give a crap when they get older, then why the "special" treatment for the cancer kid then? Does he have better memory then the other kids? Will he remember that he got "picked on" during the championship game? psh

 

[mugs]

1. If this kid is so bad, why is he hitting after the best player on the team?

2. Life is not going to hold this kid's hand and help him out. He doesn't deserve special treatment just because he was a cancer survivor. If he was just the worst kid on the team and not a cancer survivor, I don't think this would have ever made the news, so I think it's stupid that people are making an exception for this kid. He's playing a competitive sport, so he must understand that people want to win!

3. Substitutions are allowed in Little League. If this kid HAD to hit in this situation because his coach didn't have him hit earlier in the game, then that's HIS coach's problem.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Dragoon42
Link to Ownage"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

The little runt learned a valuable life lesson that day, and by the attitude he has in that quote, he learned it well. The problem with the world today is that kids are coddled in this naive blanket of "everyone is special" mediocrity.

Harsh words aside, this was a league founded upon the tenets of "everyone is special" mediocrity, and the game should have been played out that way.

in the end, im with dragoon42... kids today dont know how to deal with failure, stress, and demanding situations as well as previous generations iMO. we expect everything to be taken care of for us, the playing field made level for us, etc.

and i bet the coach would have walked the star hitter regardless of who was next. does he want to risk letting that kid score? hell no. if he's the best, whoever's next is worse, and therefore won't have as great a shot at beating them.

 

[GRIFFIN1]

I blame modern medicine for this situation....

 

[Izzo]

Yankees coach did nothing wrong.

This whole thing happened because the Sox coach was stupid. WhyTF did the Sox coach have is star hitter protected by a weak batter? Didn't he learn from the Giants during Bonds' steroid surge that you need to have quality hitters behind your star hitter? You can't win with your star hitter being protected by a bunch of hacks.

<conspiracy theory> Was the Sox coach doing this on purpose so other managers would feel more obligated to pitch to his star hitter?:evil:

 

[rsd]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Dragoon42
Link to Ownage"I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk."

The little runt learned a valuable life lesson that day, and by the attitude he has in that quote, he learned it well. The problem with the world today is that kids are coddled in this naive blanket of "everyone is special" mediocrity.

Harsh words aside, this was a league founded upon the tenets of "everyone is special" mediocrity, and the game should have been played out that way.

in the end, im with dragoon42... kids today dont know how to deal with failure, stress, and demanding situations as well as previous generations iMO. we expect everything to be taken care of for us, the playing field made level for us, etc.

and i bet the coach would have walked the star hitter regardless of who was next. does he want to risk letting that kid score? hell no. if he's the best, whoever's next is worse, and therefore won't have as great a shot at beating them.

I guarantee you that 50 years ago, they would've not walked the kid. Please don't give me any of this BS about hardships and such, it's freaking PONY LEAGUE .
:disgust:

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

I was listening to Dan Patrick on the way into work this morning and he was torn but I think he had the right reaction.

The Yankees coaches had an obligation to help their team win.

As a parent, as painful as it is to watch, sometimes you have to bite your tounge and watch your kid fail.

And he interviewed Romney's father. Dad said he thought is was a cheap move at the time but by the next day everyone, including Romney, was over it. On the way home dad and Romney talked about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and all the times their teammates counted on them to make the winning shot and how many times they missed and lost the game. (Basically, it happens to the very BEST of us) Romney woke up and said he wanted to practice his batting so that next year he'd be the kid that everyone wanted to walk. (Good for him by the way)

Apparently they don't get the local paper so they were totally unaware of the impact of the moment until they got a call from Sports Illustrated. He seemed to be a combination of amused and annoyed that so many people were so upset over something that happened to his kid. He also said he planned to call the other coach and tell him no hard feelings.


Personally... I think it was a cheap move BUT I understand the decision. The Yankees coaches owed it to their team to make the right moves so they could win. I really don't think it would have mattered who was up next, they would have walked that kid anyway. He'd already hit a HR and a triple. It was just dumb luck that the next batter was Romney.

As for Romney, or any kid who plays sports, it's a hard lesson but it's one that you have to learn eventually... sometimes the ball is going to be in your hands and the game will tilt on how you play... and sometimes you will lose. That is sports. And to a greater extent, that's life. And how you deal with the aftermath will determine how you far you succeed.

I'm proud of Romney and his parents. After he struck out he could have quit. And his parents could have been the stereotypical little league parents and thrown a hissy fit over the whole thing. (Like some of the parents who took up the "cause") He could have taken the "weak cancer victim" rout. But instead he took an honest look at himself and decided that if he didn't want that to happen again he just had to get better.

That says a lot about him and it says a lot about his parents.

 

[Poulsonator]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
lol
People act like life is some heart-warming movie.
It's not.

This the best response yet.

Real life is harsh. The quicker you learn that the better off you'll be.

 

[notfred]

If you don't want to be competitive, then don't play sports. The walk was fine, IMO. If Romney can't handle it, he can take up some other activity.

Edit: finished reading the whole story. Romney sounds like a class act at the and. He can admit that his batting isn't very good, and he's going to try and practice and get better. He's not making any "I'm sick, I get special treatment!" excuses, so why are so many of the adults in this story?

The kid recognizes that he lost fair and square, why can't everyone else?

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: PoPPeR

Originally posted by: DBL
I'd have walked the batter. It's your job as coach to put your team in the best position to win.

If the kid is so sick, why have him play in the first place? If he is just a bad player, who also happens to have cancer, then those angry are using his disease as an excuse.

i very highly doubt that very many people agree that a little league's coach primary job is to make sure his team wins.

It's the championship game. C'mon. A better question would be why the worst hitter is directly behind the best hitter in the batting order. It sounds like people are faulting the wrong coach.

 

[Shadowknight]

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?

Dude, I would have kicked him off the team for this. If he's that prone to dying just from getting an injury, the coach would have to put his health and safety first over getting to play ball.