Little League behavior

I've got 4 words....

Staten Island Little League (was it 2006?)

Proud moment for the father/son duo in the dugout.

Yeah, the game I saw a couple of days ago where the kid hit a walk-off grand slam (I forget what teams were playing), the pitcher grabbed his hat and threw it to the ground in disgust. Ain't nothing like seeing that a couple of times on the Top 10 plays on Sportscenter throughout the day.

I debated posting this, I don't want to come across as a crotchety old jerk, but I couldn't ignore it anymore. I hate the way the vast majority of youngsters who never play on TV, but have class and sportmanship are being represented by the supposed elite players. My God, in the glorification of the talented child baseball player, what have we created?

Do you really think kids 12-13U really can control themselves on the verge of going to the Little League World Series. For many of the kids it may well be the first time they are in such a big event. Some kids may have played travel ball, but others who are getting killed most likely not.

I am surprised you don't see more of it, you know they are told to be their best behavior but they are going to have emotions.

quote:

Originally posted by cheapseats:
I've got 4 words....

Staten Island Little League (was it 2006?)

Proud moment for the father/son duo in the dugout.

Do you have a link to that video? I'd like to see it. If not, what happen?

quote:

Originally posted by Homerun04:
Do you really think kids 12-13U really can control themselves on the verge of going to the Little League World Series. For many of the kids it may well be the first time they are in such a big event. Some kids may have played travel ball, but others who are getting killed most likely not.

I am surprised you don't see more of it, you know they are told to be their best behavior but they are going to have emotions.

Talking back to your coach, throwing your hat down in disgust on the mound, or like Wayne said, yelling "get the "F*** off me" is letting the emotions go to far in my opinion.

coach from the SE - go to youtube and search "Little league cussing" and several versions of it should pop up, some are edited with a beep and some are not.

The coaches reaction (slap) was as surprising as the cuss.

Type "Staten Island Little League" in YouTube, you'll find it. And Homerun, I'm not talking about the tears and emotions you expect, and even respect, in 12 year-olds. A kid who crys when he loses deserves a hug because he cares. I mean the f-bombs, and back-talk, and tantrums no coach should put up with. I remember a few years ago one pitcher who chewed his coach out on the mound as he was being replaced after geting shelled, and then continued mouthing at his new position in the infield.

quote:

Originally posted by cheapseats:
coach from the SE - go to youtube and search "Little league cussing" and several versions of it should pop up, some are edited with a beep and some are not.

The coaches reaction (slap) was as surprising as the cuss.

Yup, I just seen it cheapseats. I would have slapped the kid too. I have a feeling that probably wasn't the first time that player said something like that. He seemed to say it freely thinking that their wouldn't be consequences for him saying that. That coach should have been suspended. What an embarrassment for that league under those circumstances.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach From The Southeast:

Talking back to your coach, throwing your hat down in disgust on the mound, or like Wayne said, yelling "get the "F*** off me" is letting the emotions go to far in my opinion.

What do you bet that the sulking player is the coach's son...

I don't like it one bit, but you are not going to change their behavior with the emotions they are having.

Do you really think the coaches are so well behaved, it was really funny when the coach turned off his mike when the pitcher was getting pounded on the mound and he went out to chew him out and thought about the mike, we started to laugh when we saw that!

Wayne,

I hear you. Nearly agree. Since I too thought it was poor behavior. But then, these are simply...kids.

Unfortanately, I watched it several times on my coaching watch, over twelve years ago, and with thirteen y/o. When I murmured something like 'diaper boy' under my breath, the kids on the team picked it up. Of course I apologized to the boy and Mom & Dad, several times.
They continued for several days. I ended up suggesting to each parent to end it now, your son is welcomed to stay with the team, or simply don't come back. The Umpire Association, I pay for, may bring up the event in the parking lot from time to time. I heard about five years later, the boy was a reserve on his HS team, and the parents ended breaking up.

But then, is this glorification of the amateur LL WS baseball 12 & 13 y/o really any different than
the glorification of a young man, a convict, who paid his dues, is being provided a second chance (from the City of Brotherly Love), yet agreed to interview on 60 minutes to simply talk about his personal financial losses (and not show sorrow for his personal conduct nor mention his six years of his cruelty to dogs?)

Cheapseats....Mid-Island LL WS incident
Here's what I remember.

ABC Sports and ESPN aired it all. The LL coaches wore open mics for the real time broadcast. Don't forget the first incident was a LL pitcher (from CA) was heard on the open mike "[the umpire] ain't giving me shi^".

The Mid-Island LL of Staten Island event occured when a player (also heard on a coaches open mike) said "just score one "f" run". In the heat of the battle, the Staten Island coach slapped the bad mouthing player.

What did the broadcasting companies do?
Impose a 5 sec delay for the future!

The unfortanate event is spoken about and frequently, about this time of year!

Didn't the Super Bowl broadcast something on it at halftime?

I know, Bear. I struggle with these issues every day raising my own 17 (18 in a month) year old son. Can you imagine the WWII "greatest generation" and what they must think of the attention and preferential treatment today's priveleged athletes get. I think that influence, and the behavior these kids witness on TV by their sports heroes is what drives this.

Should we also say "Media Sensationalism"?

RU near Mobile? Huntsville?

Huntsville, and you have a PM.

quote:

Originally posted by Wayne:
Huntsville, and you have a PM.

What's a PM?

If interested in tickets to Joe Davis Stadium, for your son and you (to take on the Stars), as my guest,
let me know (I need about a week)

Private Message, check your Personal Zone. And yes! We would love to go, saw the Stars unfortunately lose the the Miss. Braves two weeks ago at Joe Davis.

quote:

Originally posted by Wayne:
Private Message, check your Personal Zone. And yes! We would love to go, saw the Stars unfortunately lose the the Miss. Braves two weeks ago at Joe Davis.

Forgot all about PM. Must be dementia.

Stars have been struggling for a bit
in 2nd half of season. Won last night vs league leading West Tenn 4-3. Winning Pitcher in relief, Zach Braddock, just came back from DL. 2b Shane Justice may get promoted, soon, to come back since
Stars will be in Playoffs for winning 1st half.

i never thought of myself as a tough coach.
my youngest was watching some local LL/br games this summer. and commented on the argueing w/ coaches and umps. and the attitudes of the players. he couldn't believe the coaches allowed it. he say's dad, they wouldn't last 5 minutes with you.

i guess he learned something after all.

I've always followed the LLWS including the game last night. I've never seen some of what I saw last night. If I hadn't been watching with a friend, I would have thought I was imagining things. One of the teams had a pitcher who said "sh*t" several times, two other players who said "f*ck" and a mom in the stands who said "no f*cking way" when she though the player didn't really walk.

As a mom who grounded her son for three days when he said a cuss word upon striking out once in high school ball..... it's just not acceptable in my household. If I was that mom, I'd be embarrassed.

A kid says the f word or something similar at the local level and nobody knows about it. He says it on a national television broadcast and you have to live with it. I am sure years ago when the trend to televise the games was introduced the little league people thought it was great. Well with exposure comes risks. A kid misbehaves or curses etc and everybody sees it. do all the kids do it? no but everybody saw that one kid and human nature being what it is? people draw conclusions on all based on a few. Little league let the corporations and the media in now they have to live with the consequences of what may happen.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, or perhaps, just a fuddy-duddy right-wing Christian fanatic....

But, when did it become acceptable for a kid to drop an F-bomb....whether he's on TV or in the local LL dugout with no cameras (save for Mom's handheld video camera) around?!?!?

A commandant at a Virginia military prep school, where most kids weren't there because they knew how to behave, in his opening talk with kids and parents:

"Any of you who have brought ADD, HDD, or any other medicine with you can take it home. We don't administer it. We don't need to; I've never seen a case of ADD not cured by 5 miles at 5 a.m."

Swift and sure punishment, either by parents or coaches, would end this stuff in a heatbeat.

quote:

Originally posted by Bear:
Don't forget the first incident was a LL pitcher (from CA) was heard on the open mike "[the umpire] ain't giving me shi^".

I haven't watched this year enough to see the bad behavior but over the years I've watched enough that I am not sympathetic to what this pitcher said. For the most part the strike zones are huge in these games.

Back to the behavior, the expression of emotion is alright by me. On the other hand the crudeness and prima donna look at me stuff reflects problems bigger than baseball.

Good- So I am not going crazy and other folks thought the behavior was below par

. I saw players cussing, others storming by their coach in a hissy fit when the coach was trying to speak with them, showing up their teammates on missed plays, slamming a bat after a strikeout, and thought it all was a little over the top.

Now that son is going off to college, I was thinking of going back to help out in the local little league and resume coaching at that level. But after seeing some of the shenanigans, mmmm...

On the other side of the coin, when one team won (and I forget who it was) earlier this week, the first thing the coach told them was to get up, go over to the stands, and salute the parents and friends that supported them! classy gesture!

Me thinks TV coverage is spoiling this LL stuff and maybe it was better when you just got up to Pa. for the great experience of the LL WS complex.

quote:

Swift and sure punishment, either by parents or coaches, would end this stuff in a heatbeat.

But what about their self esteem?

Of course it will. but today try doing it as a coach or a teacher sometimes you might spend hours trying to justify why.

.

What? Me worry ...about my self esteem.



Why worry...the frame isn't the only thing gilded! I'm golden!



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quote:

Originally posted by Wayne:
I debated posting this, I don't want to come across as a crotchety old jerk, but I couldn't ignore it anymore. I hate the way the vast majority of youngsters who never play on TV, but have class and sportmanship are being represented by the supposed elite players. My God, in the glorification of the talented child baseball player, what have we created?

Kids??

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
A commandant at a Virginia military prep school, where most kids weren't there because they knew how to behave, in his opening talk with kids and parents:

"Any of you who have brought ADD, HDD, or any other medicine with you can take it home. We don't administer it. We don't need to; I've never seen a case of ADD not cured by 5 miles at 5 a.m."

Swift and sure punishment, either by parents or coaches, would end this stuff in a heatbeat.

Couldn't agree more and it is a lot of what is wrong with the youth of today.

But I fault not the kids but the parents.

The home plate ump last night was HORRIBLE to be fair. No consistency at all and several curves that never were in the strike zone called for strikes..several for strike 3! Then a fastball on the corner would be called a ball. I was watching and getting upset at the poor job by the home plate ump myself!

I didn't see anything THAT outrageous by the kids last night. Sure there was some eye rolling and such but you are kidding yourself if you think that isn't the norm out there. They weren't out there trying to show up the ump or anything. Most kids don't have cameras zoomed up into their faces for the world to see. I'm not condoning the behavior just wanted to point out that it is not that uncommon unfortunately.

quote:

Originally posted by redsox8191:
I didn't see anything THAT outrageous by the kids last night. Sure there was some eye rolling and such but you are kidding yourself if you think that isn't the norm out there. They weren't out there trying to show up the ump or anything. Most kids don't have cameras zoomed up into their faces for the world to see. I'm not condoning the behavior just wanted to point out that it is not that uncommon unfortunately.

I thought the home plate umpire was terrible also, I know there was one situation when there was bases loaded and the kid on the mound threw a curveball that breaks in the other batters box and he rings him up in a crucial situation.

As far as behavior in this game. I can't remember what team it was but the pitcher threw a wild pitch to the back stop and you could see the kid looking over to the dugout to see if the coach was coming out. Once the coach stepped out of the dugout, the camera caught the expression of the pitcher and I'm pretty sure he dropped the "F" bomb.

I can't begrudge a kid in what is likely the most pressure-packed situation of his so far short life, if he rolls his eyes or expresses exasperation at an adverse call. But when someone is insubordinate to the authority figures on the field (whether coaches or umpires), much less profane, that is a sign of ingrained behavior that predates the immediate event.

We had a word for kids like that on our travel teams, and the word was, CUT. Cut because not only were the kids likely to be problems and bad influences, but in the sense that these apples don't tend to fall far from the trees. Meaning, if you keep them on your team, you tend to have problems in the stands as well. (And lots of nasty e-mails, too.)

So, however bad the umps were, the kids were not justified.

But if you want to start a separate thread about how bad the umpiring has been, that could go on for pages. Start with the SE regional final, when the VA team lost after two tie-breaking runs, and a third later run, after all three umpires failed to call dead ball/runner out when a struck ball hit off a base runner's shoe. True, they also botched an ensuing rundown play, but that's a game that should've gone to extra innings and didn't because three umpires managed not to see what caused a ball to take a 45 degree ricochet past the SS into the outfield grass. Unbelievable.

These kids cussing on TV or even at home in the backyard...I just have one thing to say about that. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Dawgduck, you have a PM if you haven't check it lately!

Kids need boundaries as to what is acceptable and unacceptable on the baseball field and off the baseball field. These boundaries come from coaches and parents. I coached a successful elite youth travel baseball for many years. I've seen mostly well behaved teams, coaches and parents. However, there was always an exception at every tournament. The parents never learned decency, and sportmanship. I suspect the apple isn't falling far from the tree with these kids and parents. ESPN is adding fuel to the fire, by broadcasting these f-bombs, tantrums, and fits. I'm wondering if you will see the same attitude issues with the international LL players.....my guess is no.

i don't like it anymore - the obnoxiously proud parents, the kid twice the weight of the others on the mound, the overabundance of curve balls when everyone knows it is bad for the arm at that age, the crying when a kid makes an error, the anger, resentment, eye-rolling at umpire's calls, the coaches who "pretend" they just got out of Church, the overemphasis on part of baseball that does Not represent our best 12 (or should I say 13) year old athletes, the fact that 13 years olds should NOT be playing on a field that size, the weird way foreign teams play their own tournament to get in bypassing the American teams, the Mom and Dad reaction shots, the stupid dancing mascot tradition, and I could go on -

OK - I do like the great plays and joyous reactions of the kids, and some of the games do have last minute comebacks, but on balance, the greater the coverage the farther it gets away from baseball.

quote:

the fact that 13 years olds should NOT be playing on a field that size,

I brought this up on another thread and I didnt like this at all.To be 6'2 and 210 pounds on little league field?.Some of these kids are way too big and talk about safety issues.
I didnt like the rolling of the eyes by teammates when mistakes were made, or pitchers struggling a little.Stand by your teammates, even if they are making mistakes.

Three things that bothered me the most so far are:

1. Umpires - strike zones are absolutely ridiculous and inconsistent. One left field ump missed a short hop by about a foot in one game. Called it a catch and doubled a kid off first. I have turned off every game I've watched so far because I get so frustrated with the umps. (I know, I'm seeing someone today about it)

2. Obnoxious parents. Kids get hit and mom and dad high five everyone in the stands. Was that his first hit all year?

3. Fences for all 12-13 LLWS games should be at least 230'. A 200' fence is too small for some 11 yo's let alone 13's. The cutoff age should have been moved in the other direction, to the end of the calendar year. Then all kids playing LL/CR would be 12.

Son and I have been watching the LLWS together since he started playing. I enjoy it, but it gets harder to watch every year.

i am usually alone in this line of thinking but. i think LL baseball should follow the cal ripken league's 50/70 deal. w/ leading and stealing.
i've really never understood why in these kids formative years we teach them 1/2 the game. people say it's to much to grasp for the young lads,but yet we teach them spanish in the 1st grade?

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Sí señor.

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quote:

Originally posted by fanofgame:
Stand by your teammates, even if they are making mistakes.

10-4 good buddy!






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