apuszczalowski Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Well what should they have done, maybe they could remove the other team from the field and let the cancer kid hit from a tee so that everytime he makes contact with the ball its a homerun. Or they could let the kid stay up at bat until he hits the ball no matter how long it takes. I hate the way this world is today where no ones feelings are aloud to get their feelings hurt and we have to let everyone be a winner. No wonder kids wind up growing up thinking they should get everything given to them. Losing is a part of reality, same as winning. The coach was doing his job, to lead his team to victory againt the other team. Did his team have a cancer survivor that can't play that other teams should have to cater too? Plus this is a league where every kid bats right? So whats the difference if the best hitter gets walked or not? The kid was going to bat anyways. Its not like the coaches intention was to walk the best guy so he could pitch to the other kid to get the final out. He just didn't pitch to the best hitter. He could have struck out the best hitter or let him hit a homerun, either way the other kids was going to bat. People are making it out to sound like he was taunting the kid or intentionally throwing at him just because he was sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopsGuy Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 My $0.02: A society is judged by how it treats the least of its members. They should have pitched to the slugger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Figures it was the yankees that walked the slugger. Somewhere george steinbrenner is clapping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinandjokin Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I think the fact that he's a cancer survivor is clouding judgement here. Forget the cancer part of it. Why does the coach of the losing team have his worst player batting behind his best player??? Why would you not walk the big dog in that situation? Why pitch to the kid who's 4-4 when the tying run is on third when you can pitch to the kid who's 0-3? I understand it's a young league designed around fun, but that's the championship game. I'm sure they had a lot of fun all summer in the previous 15 games. I'm sure the cancer kid got plenty of chances to take some good cuts. But in the last inning of the finals, you are trying to win. Period. If the coach penciled the cancer kid in the fourth spot in the lineup to make him feel good, he should be prepared to watch him strike out in a big spot. In the end, the pitcher should have just thrown four sh*tty pitches to the stud hitter and "unintentionally" walked him. Then there wouldn't be the big hubbub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 In the end, the team with the cancer survivor is going to win. Some local professional team will end up inviting them to a game where they'll meet all the players and be given the best seats in the park. They'll remember that day longer than any of the kids from the other team will remember their championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 My $0.02: A society is judged by how it treats the least of its members. They should have pitched to the slugger. 740657[/snapback] They treated him just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 If you want to blame someone, you should blame the cancer kid’s coach for putting him in that situation (batting behind the best batter). What did he think was going to happen? The other team was going to hand the game to them because they have a cancer kid on the team? Why not get an entire team of cancer kids and walk your way to a championship, because every team would have to forfeit to prevent hurting anyone’s feelings? Think about the kids on the opposing team from the cancer kid. How will they feel knowing that they need to lay down to make one of the other team’s members feel better about themselves? Don’t you think that you are going to create resentment for treating the cancer kid differently than everyone else? Is the cancer kid not going to participate in sports in the future because he is not being treated differently than everyone else? If you join sports, you need to be capable of handling adversity (things like losing for example). He has already dealt with it in the rest of his life. Sports is no different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinandjokin Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 If you want to blame someone, you should blame the cancer kid’s coach for putting him in that situation (batting behind the best batter). What did he think was going to happen? The other team was going to hand the game to them because they have a cancer kid on the team? Why not get an entire team of cancer kids and walk your way to a championship, because every team would have to forfeit to prevent hurting anyone’s feelings? Think about the kids on the opposing team from the cancer kid. How will they feel knowing that they need to lay down to make one of the other team’s members feel better about themselves? Don’t you think that you are going to create resentment for treating the cancer kid differently than everyone else? Is the cancer kid not going to participate in sports in the future because he is not being treated differently than everyone else? If you join sports, you need to be capable of handling adversity (things like losing for example). He has already dealt with it in the rest of his life. Sports is no different. 740698[/snapback] I agree KRC...I beat you to it a few posts above^^^ The coach had to expect that might possibly happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 If you want to blame someone, you should blame the cancer kid’s coach for putting him in that situation (batting behind the best batter). What did he think was going to happen? The other team was going to hand the game to them because they have a cancer kid on the team? Why not get an entire team of cancer kids and walk your way to a championship, because every team would have to forfeit to prevent hurting anyone’s feelings?740698[/snapback] It's not like he set the lineup at that very instant when the team was down 1 run with 1 out left. The lineup was set at the start of the game. In those leagues where everyone bats, you have to mix up the batting order to avoid the situation where the game is on the line and you've got your 5 worst players all lined up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 It's not like he set the lineup at that very instant when the team was down 1 run with 1 out left. The lineup was set at the start of the game. In those leagues where everyone bats, you have to mix up the batting order to avoid the situation where the game is on the line and you've got your 5 worst players all lined up. 740707[/snapback] Where did I say that the roster was set that very instant? When you have your best player followed by your worst player, there is a very good chance that they will walk the best batter to pitch to the worst. It not only happens at the end of the game, but during any inning. It is part of baseball. Blame the cancer kid's coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 I think you walk the best hitter, and pitch to the cancer survivor. Say this scenario unfolds, and the cancer survivor ends up winning the game for his team. I'm sure they wouldn't be saying that he was picked on then. Besides, its a league where everyone gets to bat. 740290[/snapback] Exactly. Pitching to the best hitter likely robs Romney of his chance at being the hero... Seriously though, part of it is on the Red Sox coach in putting together that batting order, creating the "no win" for the Yankees' coach. Yes, I know, there are no guarantees as to how the lineup will turn out, it was partially coincidental that the slugger was up being the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. BUT, in an "everyone bats" league, somehow the slugger and Romney were still up in that position...[edit: was apparently typing this while Ken was putting his .02 in] Further, let's say they do pitch to the slugger. Anything less than a home run puts Romney at the plate. So then what...? Do you pitch to strike Romney out? Go "easy?" The Sox coach created a bunch of opportunities to be able to "cry foul." As far as the age goes, if they are at the level where they actually have playoffs and a championship, if they are rescinding "courtesy rules" for the playoffs (like the 4 run per inning limit that was lifted for the championships), then they are at a level when they are playing to win. If it's a completely "for fun" league, you don't do playoffs. As Darin said, they treated Romney like a regular player... Just some devil's advocacy to munch on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Just some devil's advocacy to munch on... 740715[/snapback] I was starting to think I was the only one on this side of the fence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Good thing he didn't have autism, the Yankees would have been screwed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Where did I say that the roster was set that very instant? When you have your best player followed by your worst player, there is a very good chance that they will walk the best batter to pitch to the worst. It not only happens at the end of the game, but during any inning. It is part of baseball. Blame the cancer kid's coach. 740712[/snapback] You never said it. That's not the point at all. If this kind of thing is happening ridiculously early in a game full of 10 year olds, what you have is an overly competitive jackass coach. That kind of stuff was not happening when I was that age. 10 year olds don't care about baseball strategy enough to be walking power hitters in the 3rd inning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Avenger Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Not sure what this league is like - is it common to intentionally walk to win games, or is it supposed to be one of those leagues where everyone is supposed to play? Big difference in my mind. Assuming that intentional walks are seen from time to time, I don't have a problem when a coach decides to walk the other team's best hitter in a championship game. There is no problem if the coach makes that call willing to walk the best hitter in order to pitch to anyone else (even the second best hitter) and if he doesn't know that the next batter is a cancer kid. The coach is really in a loose-loose situation - if he walks the kid people say he's picking on a cancer kid, if he pitches to the best hitter and his kids loose the game his kids and their parents blast him. The only way I think that walking the best hitter is the wrong decision is if this is the type of league where it's not really about the competition and everyone plays and/or the coach knew the next batter was a cancer kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Deny the cancer survivor the right to an at bat? I'd walk the power hitter and the right play calls for the cancer survivor to get the opportunity he deserves. Would I walk the kid, pitch slow to him? I don't think that's good for anyone, especially the kid. The kid gets a hit...fine. The kid strikes out...that's fine too. Its only a game and the kid wants to play. Let the kid play and don't assume he can't or that he needs some special attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinandjokin Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Bottom line: Middle of June in the regular season, you pitch to young Pujols and try to get him out. Middle of August in the championship game, with two outs and the tying run on third in the last inning, you walk young Pujols if there's a better chance for an out with the next batter. Both teams played long seasons, and probably won a lot of games to make it to the finals. Every player got to hit many, many times over the course of the season. Both teams were playing to win in the finals...Hence the reason the Yankees walked young Pujols to pitch to young Lance Armstrong, and hence the reason Lance's parents and all the Red Sox coaches were mad about it. They all wanted to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erynthered Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Bottom line: Middle of June in the regular season, you pitch to young Pujols and try to get him out. Middle of August in the championship game, with two outs and the tying run on third in the last inning, you walk young Pujols if there's a better chance for an out with the next batter. Both teams played long seasons, and probably won a lot of games to make it to the finals. Every player got to hit many, many times over the course of the season. Both teams were playing to win in the finals...Hence the reason the Yankees walked Lance Armstrong, and hence the reason Lance's parents and all the Red Sox coaches were mad about it. They all wanted to win. 740746[/snapback] Two " Hence's" in one sentence. Nice! Hence, a smilie face for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 What about the ten year old pony? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 You Make the Decision This actually happened. Your job is to decide whether it should have. In a nine- and 10-year-old PONY league championship game in Bountiful, Utah, the Yankees lead the Red Sox by one run. The Sox are up in the bottom of the last inning, two outs, a runner on third. At the plate is the Sox' best hitter, a kid named Jordan. On deck is the Sox' worst hitter, a kid named Romney. He's a scrawny cancer survivor who has to take human growth hormone and has a shunt in his brain. So, you're the coach: Do you intentionally walk the star hitter so you can face the kid who can barely swing? -Interesting split on what people would do..... 740275[/snapback] I'd bunt for a squeeze play. All bases covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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