My dilemma...(long-sorry)

I think you already know deep inside what you need to do. And while your son may know about this age limit, having fun, etc. he is doing so under the muse that as long as you think it's ok, then it's ok to break some little rules to get what you want.

In my opinion (and I say this as a Dad), you are setting a very bad precedent for your son even at this early age. Heck, I'd say the same if he was 6. I mean, what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong. I personally believe that the foundation of our great nation is built on the truths and integrity of great men in the past. While I can't change what others do with their kids I CAN influence what I teach my own. And it starts with the little things.

I know you (and maybe others) may view this as "hey, it's just baseball" but I think you're teaching him a far great lesson, albeit, a bad one that will stay with him AFTER the season is long gone in the rear view mirror.

I remember telling my son back when he was 10yrs old and play s****r (communist kickball) that if he didn't get his grades up by a certain date that I would take him off the team. He was out in practice and I waited patiently for practice to end. When it was over I told him to go and inform the coach that he would not be returning because he had not gotten his grades up in school like he said he would. A hard lesson, yes. But he learned that day 2 things: 1- grades were of the utmost importance and 2- Dad meant what he said.

I think you would do your son a great service by sitting him down and talking to him about this entire situation and even admit that you were wrong in allowing it after learning of the age issue. But that doing the right things in life are way more important than a game of any caliber. And with that, you might even ask him what he thinks the right thing should be done. Help him with that. So that he even feels good with having learned a little and making an informed decision.

Now I apologize for replying SO LONG. lol

Good luck!

YGD

YGD - I think you misread the OP - he is talking about his nephew - not his son.

IMHO, the reason there are age rules is for safety. It doesn't always work because some kids are more mature for their age but in general it is safety imho. Given that, you say something. You tell your relative to get him in the right league and if that does not work, you inform the league. Someone could get hurt and then it is on you.

You are correct, it's my nephew that I'm talking about. But YGD, I think your post still makes perfect sence. It's exactly what I was thinking, all those points, along with the safety issue. My sister and her husband just don't get it, I'm afraid. As much as it pains me to "rat" on my own relitives, his team is playing against sons of people I know well, and some I consider freinds. If one of their boys got hurt, well, I don't even want to consider that.
I think I know what I have to do. Ugghh.

CD, my glasses are missing the lens out of the left side. And the right side is cracked! I swear one day I'm gonna get them fixed.

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you dont.

Thanks for the save. LOL

I agree.

What you might want to do is go the parents of your nephew 9brother/sister?) and say that what they are allowing their son to do is very illegal and that if they don't correct it themselves you may have to take care of it for them. To me this is no different that bringing in ringers with faked birth certificates to play against kids that are younger than them.

You might also explain that this does not make your nephew a better player and in fact probably will hurt him as he goes along in his baseball 'career'. He will be in for a major shock when he does move up and finds out that he isn't the dominating player he thought he was. I've found that 12 year olds thrive on a challenge and tend to become complacent when they don't have it. Your nephew should be playing to his talent level and having him blow away a bunch of kids that are younger than him doesn't improve him in the least.

As another poster said you already know the answer. It is just too bad that your brother/sister doesn't seem to realize what a bad example they are setting for his/her son.

Wow, well done; a real pickle. This dilemma has potential family betrayal and a cheating youth baseball coach.

Can I assume that your sister & her family have no idea that there’s a rule against 12YO’s pitching in the Minor division? Is there any possibility that two different leagues have different rules? (Although you state the Coach is only pitching your nephew in games against your league)

Is there any ironclad way to handle this anonymously? Can you pull a league official aside and strongly recommend they check the B.C.’s of each player against the starting lineup? … This’ll back-fire big time if there’s any chance the ‘spot-check’ is traced to you.

How about telling your sister: ‘Look, I have to tell; not to undermine Johnny Nephew, but there is a rule that 12YO are not supposed to pitch in this division. I wasn’t completely aware of the rule before, but it came up in a conversation at the league and I confirmed it with a league representative.’ Sort of feign that you brought the information to her (your sister) as soon as you found out about it?

And then worse case, because you’ll have so little control once the fire start burning is to talk to a Manager in your league in the Minors division prior to the next game your nephew pitches.

As a side bar, I’d be interested to know why a 12YO who can throw strikes that regularly wasn’t able to make the Majors division. And it’s not the end of the world for Nephew Johnny. I assume if he’s off the bump he’ll be put at one of the other glamour positions: SS or C.

Thanks guys, I knew you give me the advise I needed. I'm going to talk to a freind of mine that's on the BOD for LL in my town. He'll know the rules or at least point to someone that does. That's how I'm going to approach the subject.

I have to say, my son is even more concered. He's worried about someone getting hurt, or a kid not wanting to play because they don't have a chance to hit off this kid.
And it wasn't that he couldn't make the majors, he never tried out. I have to believe he could make it easily. He's a day older than my son and just as talented IMO. My nephew's coach convinced my sister to keep him in the minors. He said it would give him more playing time.
I'll let you guys know how it all pans out. Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by gtaft:

My nephew's coach convinced my sister to keep him in the minors. He said it would give him more playing time.

What a disservice. This coach's actions are disgusting to me. Not only is he breaking the rules, he is hurting the nephew. Instead of getting some time in Majors with older kids to improve over a couple years, now the kid will enter majors, get only one year and probably not excel. Heck, depending on his birthday, he may not be able to play majors next year. Then he would have to go from minors to juniors...oh boy!

Well, I talked to my son's coach last night and it turns out that my nephew's town is not affiliated with Little League. Even though me sister swore up and down that they were. Like I said, she has no idea. So no affiliation = no rules.
Leagle issues aside, you guys are right, no one is doing this kid any favors developmentally. Too bad, he could be a fine player.