Little League Bullshit

[Limey]

I went to watch my Godson play (3rd/4th grade) LL last night.  A fun game in which, hitting lead-off for the "Mariners" (ugh!), he went 3 for 3 with a triple and two runs scored.  Going into the bottom of the 6th, his team was down 16-14, partly due to the opponents scoring an extra run having been given 4 outs in the top of the frame by the umpire.  There was some grumbling from the bleachers about this, but no complaints from the coaching staff and thus the run stood.

So, two to tie, three to win.  With a hit and 2 Ks to start the frame, the Mariners were in trouble.  But then a sharp single and some classic LL fielding under pressure later, they had runners at 2nd and 3rd.  Another single plated two to tie the game and put the batter on 2nd.  Another single scored the runner from 2nd to win the game.

Then the Pirates' (ugh!) coach challenged the winning run.  The kid didn't slide into home, as dictated by the rules when there's a throw incoming, and thus should be ruled out.  The thing is, there had been multiple examples of this during the game, and rarely did the kids remember to slide.  Heat of the moment and all that, and they're kids for fuck's sake.

The douchey coach stood over the umpires as they tried to figure this out.  They sent him away and he retreated reluctantly.  They made the only call they could, and ruled the runner out at the plate.  The game ended in a 16-16 tie.  Douchey ran over to his kids and tried to elicit the same sense of joy from them (sans the erection at that age, I presume) as he was displaying; they simply looked confused.

Meanwhile, the Mariners (UGH!) knew exactly what had happened, and were pissed.  Their coach rallied them for the post-game handshake lineup and played it all with class and grace.  I want to find where the Pirates coach lives, and stop up his sewers.

[Mr. Happy]

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Good for the coach who got screwed. Have class no matter what. God was smiling.

[HudsonHawk]

There is no "must slide" rule in Little League, just like anywhere else.  The runner cannot run the catcher over, but he doesn't have to slide either, as long as he attempts to avoid contact.  And he doesn't have to even do that, unless the catcher has the ball and is applying the tag.  A throw home on its own does not necessitate a slide.  Sounds like a terrible call, in addition to terrible sportsmanship by the Pirates coach.

[Jacksonian]

There is no "must slide" rule in Little League, just like anywhere else.  The runner cannot run the catcher over, but he doesn't have to slide either, as long as he attempts to avoid contact.  And he doesn't have to even do that, unless the catcher has the ball and is applying the tag.  A throw home on its own does not necessitate a slide.  Sounds like a terrible call, in addition to terrible sportsmanship by the Pirates coach.

Local leagues can add their own rules, like a slide rule, if they wish.

[Limey]

There is no "must slide" rule in Little League, just like anywhere else.  The runner cannot run the catcher over, but he doesn't have to slide either, as long as he attempts to avoid contact.  And he doesn't have to even do that, unless the catcher has the ball and is applying the tag.  A throw home on its own does not necessitate a slide.  Sounds like a terrible call, in addition to terrible sportsmanship by the Pirates coach.

Don't know the local rule details, but the play "at the plate" wasn't really at the plate.  Kid ran through upright, making no contact with the catcher who had been drawn away from the plate by the throw (natch) and was desperately running back to make a tag.  He didn't make it, and the runner crossed before the catcher could make an arm's length tag.

[NeilT]

Don't know the local rule details, but the play "at the plate" wasn't really at the plate.  Kid ran through upright, making no contact with the catcher who had been drawn away from the plate by the throw (natch) and was desperately running back to make a tag.  He didn't make it, and the runner crossed before the catcher could make an arm's length tag.

Sounds like a bad call.  I never knew that happened in little league.

[Limey]

Sounds like a bad call.  I never knew that happened in little league.

Lots of confusion from the umpiring crew during the game, including declaring the game over when the Pirates (ugh!) took the lead in the top of the 6th (and the aforementioned 4-out inning).  However, the shit all came down to Coach Douche challenging the safe call at the plate, all to give his players the unbridled joy of lawyering their way into a tie.

If he'd kept his mewling piehole shut, he would've shown his kids that it's how you play that counts, not the result.  At least in Little League, for fuck's sake.

[Ty in Tampa]

If he'd kept his mewling piehole shut, he would've shown his kids that it's how you play that counts, not the result.  At least in Little League, for fuck's sake.

Which in turn, he gave that lesson to the Mariners (ugh!) coach who hopefully gave it to the kids during post-game ice cream.

[Bench]

Which in turn, he gave that lesson to the Mariners (ugh!) coach who hopefully gave it to the kids during post-game ice creamfruit and granola bars that don't contain any peanuts.

[geezerdonk]

Which in turn, he gave that lesson to the Mariners (ugh!) coach who hopefully gave it to the kids during post-game fruit pesticide free and picked by union labor and granola bars that don't contain any peanuts in recycled wrappers.

[NeilT]

Which in turn, he gave that lesson to the Mariners (ugh!) coach who hopefully gave it to the kids during post-game fruit pesticide free and picked by union labor and vegan granola bars that don't contain any peanuts in recycled wrappers.

[BudGirl]

What ever happened to sno-cones and frito pies?  Poor kids today.

[Limey]

If it makes any difference, at the game, Mrs Limey and I had a hot dog each with ketchup and yellow mustard.  The dog itself, though, may have qualified as vegan.

[HudsonHawk]

Don't know the local rule details, but the play "at the plate" wasn't really at the plate.  Kid ran through upright, making no contact with the catcher who had been drawn away from the plate by the throw (natch) and was desperately running back to make a tag.  He didn't make it, and the runner crossed before the catcher could make an arm's length tag.

Then that was a complete bullshit call and the Pirate manager should be ashamed of himself.  For numerous reasons.

[Ty in Tampa]

Then that was a complete bullshit call and the Pirates (ugh!) manager should be ashamed of himself.  For numerous reasons.

[Bench]

If it makes any difference, at the game, Mrs Limey and I had a hot dog each with ketchup and yellow mustard.  The dog itself, though, may have qualified as vegan.

Ketchup?  You are risking your status as a proper Texan.  Let me guess, you probably put that devil goop on your burgers too?

[Limey]

Then that was a complete bullshit call and the Pirate manager should be ashamed of himself.  For numerous reasons.

I suspect he should be ashamed for a lot of his behaviour, but he appeared to deem the result of his challenge as somewhat akin to this.

[HudsonHawk]

And another thing...a tie?  What the fuck?  This isn't soccer.

[Limey]

And another thing...a tie?  What the fuck?  This isn't soccer.

It was a late start and a long game.  No time for extras.  This also speaks to the Pirates' (ugh!) douche coach's attitude.  He ran to his team smiling after the umps called out the last Mariner (ugh!) to cross the plate.