Little League legal drama -- self-serving stupidity in action

[snoopy369]

I understand the rationale behind not having one superteam - because otherwise all the good players will always try to form one superteam, whenever possible, rather than staying spread across teams so more people can play with good players (and thus learn more); but the above is not a case of that, obviously. I couldn't speak to Ben's experience, of course.

[Arrian]

My little league team was the "superteam" of our (tiny, insignificant) league. Our coach cherry-picked the best players first (and then tacked on some scrubs like me) and so we always won. We usually mercy-ruled the other teams. Not cool.

-Arrian

[Asher]

The little league team I play on is the best in the league also. I'm at least twice everyone's height.

[EPW]

40mph could kill a 9yr.

[Kirnwaffen]

40mph could kill a 9yr.

Which is why you make them wear the proper safety equipment, rather than screwing the kid out of his favorite position. Most sane leagues have inning limits, as mentioned before, so I doubt this kid was the sole factor in the team's success. Let him own a couple games or a couple innings per game or whatever. He'll have fun and the kids will learn to better deal with fast pitchers. It certainly doesn't get any slower after that.

[Asher]

If he's too good in that league, bump him up until he fits in.

[Zkribbler]

Let me get this straight:
(1) The League makes a ruling that, for the safety of other children, this kid is not allowed to pitch.
(2) The team does nothing to protest or to appeal, but rather ignores the ruling.
(3) When the League enforces its rule, the team still insists on having the kid pitch rather than play any other position. And so the League causes them to forfeit the game.
(4) When the League tries to re-assign all the other kids to other teams so they can continued playing, they refuse. And then complain because they can't play.
(5) Still, rather than appealling, the team tries to try it's case in the media.

I say, don't let the kids play. It will teach them that, when you don't follow the rules, there are consequences.

[Swissy]

After three years, a developemental league should have a pool of highly skilled players to support either a small advanced league or a traveling team to compete versus other towns. This looks to be a failure of the league board to properly plan to build upon the success of their league. Also, the kid's mom is nuts. If I had a 9 YO son who threw 40 MPH with control I wouldn't have him in a developemental league.

[-Jrabbit]

The league had age limits, not skill levels.

The fact that the kid's mother is nuts doesn't excuse the league's changing the rules in the middle of the season. Most mothers go a little crazy over any perceived slight to their precious child. And her kid got screwed over. That doesn't change the fact that the league is being run by a bunch of self-serving jerkoffs. With a lawyer.

[Ben Kenobi]

I read another article that explains what was going on.

The commissioner was stocking up a team of the best players to win the championship, and invited the boy. The boy turned it down. Took his team to an 8-0 record, and they were going into the playoffs where they were to face the commissioners' stacked team.

So rather then watch the scrubs crush the supposed 'best team', they banned the kid from pitching.

If they had concerns with safety, the time to bring them up was game 1, not game 8.

[Lancer]

Move the kid on up to the majors.