Little League Coach's Decision Causing Controversy

[Metallixs Girl]

Winning isn't supposed to be everything, especially in little league baseball. Some parents are mad, though, after a coach decided to walk an opposing team's power hitter in a win or lose situation, bringing to bat one of the team's weaker hitters. His decision is now getting national attention.

An old sports saying goes, if winning and losing isn't important, then why keep score? Well the score in a Bountiful little league championship game had a team down one run in the last inning with a man on third, two outs, and the power hitter up. The opposing coach decided to walk the power hitter, not wanting to face him.



The next batter was Romney Oaks, a cancer survivor who has a shunt in his brain to help him live. He has to take medicine every day and get an MRI every six months. Unfortunately, this story doesn't have a Hollywood ending -- Romney struck out and his team lost.

Many say the opposing coach intentionally walked the power hitter to face Romney, but the opposing coach says he had no idea who was up next, he just didn't want the power hitter to hit another homerun against his team, costing them the title.


Shaun Farr

Shaun Farr, Opposing Coach: "Do I let my 12 players down knowing that, as the coach, I have the obligation and the responsibility, if you will, to do the best I can to help my team win? You know, if it's not the championship game, and it's a regular season game, we don't do it."

The game and the decision has received a lot of attention, most of it nationally. It was on ESPN radio yesterday, MSNBC today and Sports Illustrated has it in this week's issue.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=415320

Do opposing coaches know each other's batting lineups? If not, it was probably a simple coincidence. If so, well, it's a sport, and it didn't exactly hurt the kid. It's just a game, but it does say what kind of charecter the coach has...

[PNT510]

[b]I don't really see what's so bad about walking a good hitter. It happens all the time in baseball. The fact that they happened to have a weak batter up next was just bad luck.

[Master Rudy]

Sorry but I fail to see the controversy in this. If I was a coach and my pitcher was facing Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds I think I'd tell him to walk them so we can face Joe Schmoe. Like PNT said it happens all the time.

[mr_pikachu]

Yes, it happens all the time in baseball. The problem, I think, is that this isn't the major leagues. It's little league, which many believe should be a friendlier environment than the hyper-competitive atmosphere of high school, college, and professional sports.

However, this was the championship game of the league, so it's a little different. I can't say I blame the coach; I think it was more of a bad situation with the particular condition of the boy, of which he was likely unaware. Can't blame him for choosing what batter to face, though.

And Metallix's Girl, it depends on the league. In more competitive leagues, the coaches usually have the starting lineups of the opponents in addition to any substitutions. It's not viewed as being so important in more "instructional" leagues.

[Arnen]

Dude, it's a bunch of kids hitting a ball with oversized sticks. I don't really see what the big deal is. :/

[Magmar]

For some people, that's life.

[Razola]

Why is this a national issue?

I just want to scream larger issues that are worth a damn that should be getting attention.

My God, what the fuck is wrong with the world?

[TKnHappyNess]

There's a lot of issues that should not been or have gotten national attention. Terri Schiavo for instance. It starts off in Florida, and basically near her real death, the whole nation gets involved. Not to mention her parents being idiots for saying that "she could get better". If she hasn't gotten better in that 15 years, she never would. I don't see what's wrong with the coach making that decision anyway. Managers make that decision all the time in the Major Leagues. They see a guy who's a threat, and intentionally walk him, bringing up a crappy hitter. It's not the coach's fault, he's just doing his job. And if any one of those parents has a problem with it, tell them to take the job.

[Asilynne]

Why is this a national issue?

I just want to scream larger issues that are worth a damn that should be getting attention.

My God, what the **** is wrong with the world?

lol Amen brother. Then again, stupid things like a squirrel riding waterskis makes the news sometimes XD

[Razola]

Not to mention her parents being idiots for saying that "she could get better".

Are you honestly calling her parents idiots because they didn't want to let their daughter die?

You're a monster.

[jet1213]

after 15 years you're just tourturing yourself with false hope.. but that is probably a lot harder to realize from her parents prospective

[TKnHappyNess]

Are you honestly calling her parents idiots because they didn't want to let their daughter die?

You're a monster.

You missed the other part I said. It was 15 years since she got whatever it was she got. If she hadn't gotten better once in those 15 years, then what would be the point of continuing to keep her alive? All you'd be doing is wasting taxpayers' money keeping a vegetable alive.

[Razola]

You missed the other part I said. It was 15 years since she got whatever it was she got. If she hadn't gotten better once in those 15 years, then what would be the point of continuing to keep her alive? All you'd be doing is wasting taxpayers' money keeping a vegetable alive.

You clearly have never had a dying child before.

Do you understand how hard it is for a parent to do that?

And they paid for her medical expenses.

[Bulbasaur4]

[color=royalblue]
I'm sure that the kid playing the sport wouldn't want to be treated any different than any other kid, so the fact that he was a cancer patient and what-not shouldn't even be placed into affect. I mean... I highly doubt any coach is going to research a kid's medical background for every opposing team. My father's a football coach and what does he do to research an opposing team? Watch film, see the 'hot shots' on the team and prepare for them- they usually don't even put the weaker or 'unseen' players into play.

There is just no way he could have known that. :/

[Dark Dragonite]

This isn't MLB, it's worse, this is little league, where father's beat the shit out of each other all the time...

Yes, coaches know the scorecard, they hold it almost all the time...

Some...probably less than 1% of little leaguers end up in MLB...it would be nice if they knew how to properly play...it's not let the other team win league...sports are competitive, it's their nature...the other team could have pinch hit for the kid who struck out...and I highly doubt the other coach knew the kid has cancer...

Remember this...reporters...all media are scum...they don't care about the game, or the kid...they care about twisting facts to make people lemmings...

[Magmar]

actually i write/copy edit for a newspaper and don't twist things. not ALL media is scum.

[Razola]

actually i write/copy edit for a newspaper and don't THINK I twist things. not ALL media is scum.

If you think you are 100% unbiased in journalism, well, you're wrong.

You minimize it, but bias always exists.

[Dark Dragonite]

I agree with Raz...

"they are generally expected to report in the most objective and unbiased way to serve the public good."

they are expected...but people have ties, people have affiliations, opinions, objectivities and biases...it's just human nature...

When someone reports about a crime, they usually assassinate the character of the suspects...innocent or not...they won't mention they used to do good...so it's oh, this suspected rapist, arsenist, rapist was in trouble with the law before...who cares if they could be innocent (as in innocent until PROVEN guilty...), or if they maybe fed homeless at soup kitchens in their spare time...it's they were loaners, and had abstract oppinions and lifestyles.

And I don't care how rich and famous you are, I don't need to know what brand of tampon Britney fucking Spears uses, give the celebrities some privacy...damn paparazzi