Life Of Reilly/ Win At All Costs?

Great quote from the article:

"What the Yankees' coaches did was make it about them, not the kids. It became their medal to pin on their pecs and show off at their barbecues. And if a fragile kid got stomped on the way, well, that's baseball. We see it all over the country -- the overcaffeinated coach who watches too much SportsCenter and needs to win far more than the kids, who will forget about it two Dove bars later."

Well, I know I will get thrashed but think on this.

Some one always makes the last out in the game. None of us wants it to be our kid.

Would it have been better to also walk Romney and let the next batter be the last out?

They could have hit the power hitter and put him on base or intentionally walked him without it being obvious. Would that have been OK?

Would Romney want special treatment that would label him as different from his peers, or would he rather be known as a player who gave what he had to the game?

Don't be so quick to jump on the coaches. I doubt that they are as heartless as the article portrays them to be.

One other thought and then I'm finished. I don't think the coaches thought "hey, let's get the weak kid out!! Yeah, that sounds like fun!" It was probably something like " this guy has already hit a triple and a HR. We can't let him put the bat on the ball."

... and speaking as a mom, I think Romney is the only one who really gets it. He was treated like a player, and he intends to continue to be a player, by improving his weakness. He's got the heart of a competitor - he just needs time to work on his skills.

If you're going to allow your "fragile" child to play with everyone else, then I think you should be glad when he's treated like everyone else. I agree with those in the article who mention all the other kids who are different - and how about the kids who are just like everyone else, but just aren't very good. Do you go easy on them too? Sports are tough, competition is hard, losing is never fun, but it's how they ALL learn... the "superstars" make the last out plenty of times, and they feel just as bad as I'm sure Romney did. If I were his parents, I would have felt bad for him, and then I would have said a prayer of gratitude that, with all he has faced and overcome, he was still able to play and make that last out!

And if 9-10 year olds are too young to understand that there's strategy in the game, then they shouldn't be playing.

At that age, I never had my pitchers walk anyone because I was afraid they might give up a hit. I wanted my pitchers to know that I had the confidence that they could get any batter in the league out. And you know what, sometimes they did.

We are talking young ages of youth ball. I would never condone putting a kid on just because he had a reputation as a good hitter. How do you expect your pitchers to develop if they don't pitch against good hitters in tough situations?

This is NOT a win at ALL COST. Walking a batter to avoid the “power hitter” is like intentionally fouling the weakest shooter in basket ball or running at the smallest linebacker in football ---- all are accepted in sports at all ages. It's tough to be understanding, compassionate, and politically correct and compete in sports at any age. 50% win and 50% lose. Now if Texan doesn’t want to utilize the IBB then that is Texans choice. Understand the media intentionally hypes stories like this to stir emotions and wants to polarize the readership (sells papers or makes you log on to SI.com). I just up their clicks by about 4 on SI.com. There are many cancer survivors that play sports and there are many “scrawny” weak players that play sports. There are kids that strike out to lose games and championships. This is not news. Go back and read all the sensationalism in Rick Reilly’s article ---- pure sensationalism and the readers’ emotions are being toyed with.

“He sobbed himself to sleep that night”
"It made me sick,"
The kid who can barely swing
The umpire, Mike Wright, thought to himself, Low-ball move.
Romney's eight-year-old sister cried. "They're picking on Romney!"
The kid who's been through hell already

Let me pose a couple of questions:

Should the sports media sensationalize personal weakness and strife for monetary gains? Or should it be anything goes to increase readership?

Should Romney’s parents allow Romney to play organized sports while taking growth hormones and having a brain shunt? It sounds to me like he could get seriously injured but then I only have Reilly’s evaluation of his physical condition to make that assumption.

Should the organizations require special on-field treatment for handicapped players or should they keep the game intact and refer those with special needs to something like Special Olympics?

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:
Should Romney’s parents allow Romney to play organized sports while taking growth hormones and having a brain shunt? It sounds to me like he could get seriously injured but then I only have Reilly’s evaluation of his physical condition to make that assumption.

That is probably an easy statement to make when it is not one's own child. I imagine his parents are extremely conflicted on that issue. On one hand, no parent wants their child exposed to any danger. The easy thing to do would be to avoid sports.

On the other hand, obviously baseball is something the young man loves and it is highly important to him. Do you deny him this in his condition?

Tough call. I have a great deal of sympathy and respect for his parents.

I would be pretty certain that the doctors released him (with the proviso of a helmet). Otherwise the league would not be allowing him to play.

Listen if they have t ball traveling teams why should this surprise anyone. Win win win.

my first thought is these kids are 10 years old,i don't ever remember a 10 year old getting drafted or getting a full boat to college.
my next thought is if this kid is playing on the team he must be ok?well enough to play?good enough to play? if not why is he there? i am NOT a parent of a handicapped child so i don't have an opinion from that perspective.but from my perspective if you are mainstreaming your child in sports or in school you want him or her treated like everyone else?so what's the big deal?
not to sound heartless i see handicaped kids in school with there name on the honor roll right next to the kid going to dartmouth.do the really have the same gpa?take the same classes? what would that story be if that kid had hit a double to win the game?
some days chicken, some days feathers.

20dad,

Completely agree!

Does eveyone remember the young man with autism that made a bunch of 3-pointers in basketball this past season?

Now, was he allowed to just shoot? Did the opposition play legitimate defense on him? If someone went out and blocked his first couple of attempts, how would people have reacted?

remember, this story was picked up by ESPN, CNN, FOX...etc.

I agree all the way with 20dad on the idea of "mainstreaming". My wife works in a middle school, and can guarantee you when you see a child that is a special education child getting an "A", It is not anywhere near the same level of work that a normal student does to get an "A".

Sports is the great equalizer when it comes the this idea of mainstreaming kids with special needs. Competiton on the field or court is brutally honest. If your skills are not up to par (for whatever reason), it will show.

One last point on this article and it was my wife that caught this!

Why is the worst hitter on the team hitting behind the best hitter? Especially in a league that bats everyone.