Local Little League Drama
Bottom9th
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in Sports Talk
This was in our local paper today. What's your take?
The score was tied at 5 in the top of the last inning when South Lake’s Hunter Cowers crushed a baseball deep into the Spring Hill night. Teammates thronged the exuberant boy at home plate, celebrating the dramatic go-ahead home run.
In his elation, however, Cowers failed to touch home — a misstep that has turned a simple game among 11and 12-year-olds into a swirling controversy involving angr y adults and lawyers.
Realizing Cowers’ mistake, a South Lake coach turned the boy around and sent him back to the plate. But it was too late. An umpire called him out.
That set off nearly two hours of argument that involved a protest committee, the district and state directors of the Dixie Youth Baseball and e ven a consultation with the league’s national commissioner in Texas. The state director then upheld the umpire’s ruling . Cowers was out.
South Lake’s opponent that night, Spring Hill National Triple-A Majors All Stars, went on to win the June 30 game in extra innings, then another in the tournament. But three days later, their dreams of a state title were crushed when the national commissioner reversed the ruling , awarding the game to South Lake, a Lake County team.
Today, one national pastime, playing baseball, will collide with another, filing lawsuits, in Hernando County Judge Kurt Hitzemann’s courtroom. Parents and every Spring Hill team member will be in court to hear attorney Scott Smith argue for an adult version of the time-honored method of resolving sandlot sports disputes — a do-over. They are seeking an injunction that would allow Spring Hill to play in the state tournament that begins Friday.
That’s all well and good for the adults who are now in charge. But for the youngsters involved, the matter is a lot simpler.
“It stinks,’’ said 12-year-old Spring Hill right-fielder John Centella. “We’ve always followed the rules, but they have been broken and it feels like we’ve been cheated.’’
A person answering the phone at the home of Manny Mendoza, the manager of South Lake, hung up on a tbt* reporter seeking comment.
Beetz said Spring Hill’s argument today will not focus on the umpire’s ruling on June 30, but on the league’s protocols for filing appeals. T he rules, he said, state teams can protest the outcome of a game only if there is doubt raised about a player’s eligibility. “If the judge were just to look at the rule book, then he’ ll see the decision wasn’t right,” he said.
National commissioner Wes Skelton, who lives in Texas, said the rule about player eligibility is just for managers. Directors or commissioners are allowed to over turn an outcome or umpire’s ruling.
Skelton explained he had a conference call with Spring Hill manager Al Sorrentino and Spring Hill league director Jim Keith. Skelton said Keith apparently told the South Lake manager that Skelton had been consulted on the umpire’s ruling, so Mendoza did not pursue the matter further.
That was not true, Skelton said. He said he reversed the decision because Mendoza and South Lake had not been given a chance to appeal the ruling.
“The judge has a chance to become a baseball commissioner today,” he said. “He will pretty much be able to do what he wants with our rules.”
Jerry Theilen has been umpiring and training umpires for 11 years. While he did not train the umpiring crew at the June 30 game, he has heard what had happened. T heilen suggested the fairest way to resolve the controversy might be to award tournament berths to both Spring Hill and South Lake.
Skelton said the state tournament already has 12 teams. “Kicking a team out to put (Spring Hill) in, I don’t think that would be right,” he said.
The score was tied at 5 in the top of the last inning when South Lake’s Hunter Cowers crushed a baseball deep into the Spring Hill night. Teammates thronged the exuberant boy at home plate, celebrating the dramatic go-ahead home run.
In his elation, however, Cowers failed to touch home — a misstep that has turned a simple game among 11and 12-year-olds into a swirling controversy involving angr y adults and lawyers.
Realizing Cowers’ mistake, a South Lake coach turned the boy around and sent him back to the plate. But it was too late. An umpire called him out.
That set off nearly two hours of argument that involved a protest committee, the district and state directors of the Dixie Youth Baseball and e ven a consultation with the league’s national commissioner in Texas. The state director then upheld the umpire’s ruling . Cowers was out.
South Lake’s opponent that night, Spring Hill National Triple-A Majors All Stars, went on to win the June 30 game in extra innings, then another in the tournament. But three days later, their dreams of a state title were crushed when the national commissioner reversed the ruling , awarding the game to South Lake, a Lake County team.
Today, one national pastime, playing baseball, will collide with another, filing lawsuits, in Hernando County Judge Kurt Hitzemann’s courtroom. Parents and every Spring Hill team member will be in court to hear attorney Scott Smith argue for an adult version of the time-honored method of resolving sandlot sports disputes — a do-over. They are seeking an injunction that would allow Spring Hill to play in the state tournament that begins Friday.
That’s all well and good for the adults who are now in charge. But for the youngsters involved, the matter is a lot simpler.
“It stinks,’’ said 12-year-old Spring Hill right-fielder John Centella. “We’ve always followed the rules, but they have been broken and it feels like we’ve been cheated.’’
A person answering the phone at the home of Manny Mendoza, the manager of South Lake, hung up on a tbt* reporter seeking comment.
Beetz said Spring Hill’s argument today will not focus on the umpire’s ruling on June 30, but on the league’s protocols for filing appeals. T he rules, he said, state teams can protest the outcome of a game only if there is doubt raised about a player’s eligibility. “If the judge were just to look at the rule book, then he’ ll see the decision wasn’t right,” he said.
National commissioner Wes Skelton, who lives in Texas, said the rule about player eligibility is just for managers. Directors or commissioners are allowed to over turn an outcome or umpire’s ruling.
Skelton explained he had a conference call with Spring Hill manager Al Sorrentino and Spring Hill league director Jim Keith. Skelton said Keith apparently told the South Lake manager that Skelton had been consulted on the umpire’s ruling, so Mendoza did not pursue the matter further.
That was not true, Skelton said. He said he reversed the decision because Mendoza and South Lake had not been given a chance to appeal the ruling.
“The judge has a chance to become a baseball commissioner today,” he said. “He will pretty much be able to do what he wants with our rules.”
Jerry Theilen has been umpiring and training umpires for 11 years. While he did not train the umpiring crew at the June 30 game, he has heard what had happened. T heilen suggested the fairest way to resolve the controversy might be to award tournament berths to both Spring Hill and South Lake.
Skelton said the state tournament already has 12 teams. “Kicking a team out to put (Spring Hill) in, I don’t think that would be right,” he said.
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Comments
that being said, they should immediately toss out any and all lawsuits, and say the ruling on the field stands, get the hell out of my courtroom you slack jawed yokels.
We still won, but the same team was the eventual city champs. They are just kids. Let them play and get over these 120 year old rules that are insignificant and it's only a problem if one team is sour about losing and looking for a way to change the outcome.
If the other team tagged home plate before he returned, and the umpire called him out, then he is out.
If the coach turned him back before the other team had a chance to tag home plate, then the coach interfered
with play, and the play is dead, and the batter is out.
<< <i>I agree w SteveK & Edmondfitgerald - the rules are the rules. What more is there to talk about? >>
Me too. I am astounded that the Umpire's correct call was overturned.
<< <i>When ya come to a traffic light, the red light means stop...if say just 1% of drivers would disobey this rule, then traffic lights would basically cease to have meaning. Rules are in place for a reason...I'm not saying all rules are necessarily just...but the rule here is that the batter is out, and the rule should be obeyed. Case closed. >>
I find it rather arrogant that you give your opinion and then state "case closed." Apparently it is not closed, as some opinions differ from yours.
<< <i>
<< <i>When ya come to a traffic light, the red light means stop...if say just 1% of drivers would disobey this rule, then traffic lights would basically cease to have meaning. Rules are in place for a reason...I'm not saying all rules are necessarily just...but the rule here is that the batter is out, and the rule should be obeyed. Case closed. >>
I find it rather arrogant that you give your opinion and then state "case closed." Apparently it is not closed, as some opinions differ from yours. >>
It's not an opinion - it's a rule.
You wanna change the rule so that if an excited player forgets to touch home plate then that's okay, or a player doesn't need to touch home plate say on a walk off home run, then you help get the rule changed or follow the rule. Case closed.
<< <i>the only thing that is closed is your pea sized brain
...that happens to almost always be right.
...but oh what the heck...golly gee...let's not bother with touching those silly bases at all...as long as a player gets close to touching them while rounding the diamond, then that's okay...is that right? LOL
I'm liking this no having to follow the rules stuff.
the ump behind the plate yelled at them all to get back from the plate and watched the kid circling the bases until he touched home.
then he was mobbed.
sorry but rules are rules.
<< <i>If fact, next time I'm playing baseball, and get a nice extra base hit, I'm just gonna run left to third base and take a triple rather than going to first and second base, and then third base...that would be a lot easier with less running, right? >>
Baseball is a game of rules, and Hernando County Judge Kurt Hitzemann scoured the Dixie Youth Baseball League Official Rule book until he found what he needed.
“Lawyer words,’’ he called them.
Citing bylaws that give the league’s national commissioner the final say in disputes, the judge on Wednesday rejected a Spring Hill team’s request to reverse the commissioner’s July 3 ruling and allow them to play in this weekend’s state tournament.
“I didn’t see anything in this book that said if you don’t like what the national commissioner says you can take it to court,” Hitzemann said.
Nearly 30 suppor ters, including some of the 11- and 12-year-old boys on the Spring Hill National TripleA Majors All Stars, attended the hearing. They all left disappointed.
“We’re all upset with this ruling and we’re kind of mad,’’ said 12-yearold Johb Centella.
The controversy stems from a game on June 30 between Spring Hill and a team from South Lake.
That night, a player for South Lake hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the final inning , but failed to touch home plate and was ruled out. After a lengthy debate involving officials from the Dixie Youth Baseball organization, the umpire’s ruling stood. The Spring Hill squad won that game in e xtra innings.
Three days later, Wes Skelton, the league’s national commissioner, awarded the game to South Lake, saying they had been denied an opportunity to appeal the decision on the night of the game.
<< <i>A follow up for those interested:
Baseball is a game of rules, and Hernando County Judge Kurt Hitzemann scoured the Dixie Youth Baseball League Official Rule book until he found what he needed.
“Lawyer words,’’ he called them.
Citing bylaws that give the league’s national commissioner the final say in disputes, the judge on Wednesday rejected a Spring Hill team’s request to reverse the commissioner’s July 3 ruling and allow them to play in this weekend’s state tournament.
“I didn’t see anything in this book that said if you don’t like what the national commissioner says you can take it to court,” Hitzemann said.
Nearly 30 suppor ters, including some of the 11- and 12-year-old boys on the Spring Hill National TripleA Majors All Stars, attended the hearing. They all left disappointed.
“We’re all upset with this ruling and we’re kind of mad,’’ said 12-yearold Johb Centella.
The controversy stems from a game on June 30 between Spring Hill and a team from South Lake.
That night, a player for South Lake hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the final inning , but failed to touch home plate and was ruled out. After a lengthy debate involving officials from the Dixie Youth Baseball organization, the umpire’s ruling stood. The Spring Hill squad won that game in e xtra innings.
Three days later, Wes Skelton, the league’s national commissioner, awarded the game to South Lake, saying they had been denied an opportunity to appeal the decision on the night of the game. >>
Video interview with Wes Skelton with his own comments about the rules of the league (not about this incident)
http://www.infosports.com/videos/baseball/1221.htm