I think what you have to ask yourself is, If the kid behind the big slugger, wasn't a cancer survivor, just wasn't a very good baseball player, would you even be mad that the coach walked the big slugger in front of him? I've been to my friends brothers little league games, where they don't even keep score, and every single kid mimicks a Boston Red Sox player. They want to play little league as if they are in the Major Leagues, that's whay it's fun for them. Technically they are there to learn about the rules of baseball, and walking a batter is a rule of baseball. I highly doubt that if the kid who sruvived cancer, never had cancer, that his parents would be crying that the coach walked the batter to get to him.
byfrcp wrote:I think what you have to ask yourself is, If the kid behind the big slugger, wasn't a cancer survivor, just wasn't a very good baseball player, would you even be mad that the coach walked the big slugger in front of him? I've been to my friends brothers little league games, where they don't even keep score, and every single kid mimicks a Boston Red Sox player. They want to play little league as if they are in the Major Leagues, that's whay it's fun for them. Technically they are there to learn about the rules of baseball, and walking a batter is a rule of baseball. I highly doubt that if the kid who sruvived cancer, never had cancer, that his parents would be crying that the coach walked the batter to get to him.
The kid surviving cancer is simply what got it in the news. Even if he wasn't a cancer survivor, it's ridiculous for a coach to call for an intentional walk in a league with 9 and 10 year old kids in a supposed non-competitive league.
I guess anyother way you could look at it, though it's not what the coach had in mind, is that it is just a fun 9 and 10 year old league. Kid A already hit a Home Run in the game, kid B doesn't have a hit in the game yet. Obviously this wasn't there intention but why not give Kid B another shot to get a hit because that's what the kids are there for, to have fun and give everyone one a chance to get a hit or make a play on defense. And I highly agree that it's sending kids mixed signals that it's a non-competitive league, with a championship?
First of all, this league is definitley non-competitive. There is a championship but, come on, they have run limits for innings and game time limits. This league is made for 9 year olds to have fun.
When I was a little kid I used to play in leagues like this. Intentional walks were unheard of. If a coach had walked a player intentionally in this league they would be considered insane. Any normal coach (by normal I mean not a complete jerk) would never manage a game so professionally, much less issue an intentional walk. Coaches set the lineup and told the kids to go have fun. They didn't pull double switches and play matchups. This is ridiculous that this idiot of a coach decided to intentionally walk a good hitter to get to a cancer survivor (and he knew he was a cancer survivor, the fact that he tried to cover up this knowledge just shows that he knew EXACTLY what he was doing). Selfish move by a true jack ***. These kids are playing for fun. Pitch to the batter!
And yes, I would have a problem with the coach if the guy on deck wasn't a cancer survivor. If the kid was just a scrub who couldn't play, it would be just as wrong to single a player out who doesn't have the abilities of the other kids in a league for 9 year olds. The fact that the kid was a cancer survivor just makes it more wrong.
What makes me the most angry is seeing these comments by the coach about "baseball strategy." Thats complete bull. You don't strategize like that in 9 year old PONY league baseball. The fact is this coach is selfish and wanted to win so bad in this non-competitive league that he decided to pull the lowest move and intentionally walk a batter to single out a cancer survivor.
What kind of message does this send to the cancer survivor? You can make an argument that you would want them to go after him to make him feel more normal. But in my opinion, this just tells the kid:
"We know you can't hit and we are going to let you lose the game for your team by intentionally walking the kid in front of you."
This move just embarrased this kid, and it is horribly wrong. This is my longest post at the cafe yet but it was well worth it
sportsaddict wrote:First of all, this league is definitley non-competitive. There is a championship but, come on, they have run limits for innings and game time limits. This league is made for 9 year olds to have fun.
When I was a little kid I used to play in leagues like this. Intentional walks were unheard of. If a coach had walked a player intentionally in this league they would be considered insane. Any normal coach (by normal I mean not a complete jerk) would never manage a game so professionally, much less issue an intentional walk. Coaches set the lineup and told the kids to go have fun. They didn't pull double switches and play matchups. This is ridiculous that this idiot of a coach decided to intentionally walk a good hitter to get to a cancer survivor (and he knew he was a cancer survivor, the fact that he tried to cover up this knowledge just shows that he knew EXACTLY what he was doing). Selfish move by a true jack ***. These kids are playing for fun. Pitch to the batter!
And yes, I would have a problem with the coach if the guy on deck wasn't a cancer survivor. If the kid was just a scrub who couldn't play, it would be just as wrong to single a player out who doesn't have the abilities of the other kids in a league for 9 year olds. The fact that the kid was a cancer survivor just makes it more wrong.
What makes me the most angry is seeing these comments by the coach about "baseball strategy." Thats complete bull. You don't strategize like that in 9 year old PONY league baseball. The fact is this coach is selfish and wanted to win so bad in this non-competitive league that he decided to pull the lowest move and intentionally walk a batter to single out a cancer survivor.
What kind of message does this send to the cancer survivor? You can make an argument that you would want them to go after him to make him feel more normal. But in my opinion, this just tells the kid:
"We know you can't hit and we are going to let you lose the game for your team by intentionally walking the kid in front of you."
This move just embarrased this kid, and it is horribly wrong. This is my longest post at the cafe yet but it was well worth it
Well said. They set him up to fail, in perhaps one of the most humiliating ways possible. Despicable. I can't even begin to think about how that poor kid felt, cancer or not. And I can't believe people here are actually heartless enough to justify this move.
1337_Dude wrote:Normally I'd say good move on the coach who walked the good hitter, but if the league has never had an intentional walk I think this is the worst time to set a precedent. It's just begging for people to call you out. Clearly this guy is a bit of jerk with the way he worded his comment about the Special Olympics. As Mookie said, if the kids aren't going to Williamsport it's probably best to leave big league strategy at home. This basically looks like he was trying to pick on the kid who had cancer, even if this isn't the case, perception is everything here.
In fairness, in the last inning of the championship game with the best hitter up is probably the one point in the whole season where an Ibb makes most sense, so that there's been none up to then that season doesn't really tell us anything about appropriateness of the action.
It just seems like a terrible time to decide to issue the first IBB that season. I mean earlier in the game the other coach has a similar situation, did he walk him? Of course not. You have to realize that you're coaching kids and there is going to be a ton of backlash if you decide to issue an IBB in your little league to get to the kid who has had cancer. The fact that you're even issuing an IBB in a league that isnt' classed as competitive is just beyond a bad decision.
When your there coaching a bunch of little kids you need to think a little bit farther ahead then what this guy did. On top of that, when you act like a complete jerk afterward and act like you didn't know who the kid was, you deserve to be kicked to the curb. I have to say that I hope they find a new coach for that team...one who may think about what he does be he does it.
I think the Romney's dad says it best
"People say, `Don't you want Romney treated the same as everybody else?' Yes, that's the point exactly. This is the first time [an intentional walk] happened. His weakness was being singled out. In reality, he was not being treated the same."
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by byfrcp » Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:34 pm 
