Little League team kicked out of Ohio League for...get this...being to good...

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  • POJO_Risin
    Roth Army Caesar
    • Mar 2003
    • 40648

    Little League team kicked out of Ohio League for...get this...being to good...

    Alright...I've fucking heard of everything now...

    This team didn't have any illegal players on it...they were just damn good...

    I'll let the article explain...


    Hit the showers, boys
    Youth baseball team ousted from league for being ‘too good’
    Friday, June 17, 2005
    Kirk D . Richards
    THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


    JAMES D . DeCAMP | DISPATCH PHOTOS
    Columbus Stars pitcher Josh Dameron lets one fly against the Georgian Heights Redhawks.

    Columbus Stars coach Jerry Glick, front left, talks strategy with his team during the game against Georgian Heights.


    No one misbehaved. No one broke any rules.

    But after only a few games, the Columbus Stars have been kicked out of a recreational youth baseball league in Canal Winchester.

    The players, ages 11 and 12, were deemed too good.

    On May 9, the Stars beat the Red Sox, 18-0. Two weeks later, the Stars also beat World Harvest, 13-0. But the biggest blowout occurred on May 27, when the Stars defeated Sugar Grove II, 24-0.

    Sugar Grove I lost to the Stars the next day, 10-2.

    "After hearing and seeing the scores from that group, I called up the league office and said, ‘No way are we going to play them,’ " said Terry Morris, who coaches one of three teams from Bloom-Carroll schools in Fairfield County. "I wasn’t going to subject my players to that."

    Other teams started complaining. And canceling. The Stars were pulled from the league schedule. The team appealed to the league’s commissioner, Joe Bernowski, to no avail.

    Stars coach Jerry Glick said the ouster is unjustified. He thinks his team should have been credited with wins for the forfeits.

    "I’ve been in amateur sports for 35 years," said Glick, 55. "This isn’t something I’ve had to deal with before."

    Michael Mirones, board chairman for the Canal Winchester Joint Recreation District, returned the Stars’ $150 entry fee.

    He said it would be wrong for other teams to bolt from the decade-old recreational league when, in his view, the Stars should play in a travel league against better teams.

    "They were just beating the rec kids up," Mirones said. "It’s no fun for the kids that are losing."

    Darla and J.R. Perry, parents of R.J., a Stars player who is 11, said the team feels wronged because it is too late to join another league.

    "Our boys went into this with a good attitude," Mrs. Perry said. "It’s turned into a disaster."

    Since April, the boys have been honing their skills on a field outside the Zion Lutheran Church on Obetz Road. They practice 2½ hours a day, four days a week.

    Some have been playing together for four or five years, though not the entire team.

    "I don’t think it’s fair," said Michael Allston, 12, a catcher and pitcher for the Stars. "We always played our best, and we were just winning games."

    Teammate Matthew "Boomer" Hufferd, 12, who plays second base, said he thinks overprotective adults are to blame.

    "If they learn at their age that they can forfeit on things they don’t want to do, it’s quitting," Hufferd said.

    The Stars haven’t played a league game since June 6, when they beat the Cardinals, 17-6.

    "One team told us they didn’t want their boys’ self-esteem battered," said Trina Cochran, mother of Mario, a Stars player who is 11.

    During the team’s brief stay in the Canal Winchester league, opponents complained that the players were too big for their ages. R.J. Perry is 155 pounds. Michael Allston is 5 feet 8. Mrs. Perry resorted to carrying copies of each boy’s birth certificate to games to avoid a disqualification.

    In addition, some accused the coach of plucking talented players from across Columbus to form an all-star team. The team then supplied addresses to the league showing that all but one of the 14 players live in the 43207 ZIP code.

    Kris Hutchins, coach of the Yankees in the Canal Winchester league, said the parents of his players unanimously decided not to engage such a fearsome squad. It was an issue not only of competitiveness but also of safety, Hutchins said. "We didn’t want one of our kids to get hit in the face with a ball, not being able to defend himself."

    The Stars would not have had a game this week, but their parents arranged a scrimmage on the West Side against Georgian Heights, which plays in another league. The teams had met earlier in the year during a preseason Teays Valley tournament. The Stars had won, 9-8.

    Georgian Heights Coach Ken Carius said his team, which has a 24-1 record, was eager to avenge its only loss.

    Players from both sides swatted liners and deep balls on Wednesday night, and defenders fielded grounders and made catches on the run. Fans leapt for joy when one of theirs got a base hit or scored.

    In the end, the Stars won, 7-3.
    "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."
  • POJO_Risin
    Roth Army Caesar
    • Mar 2003
    • 40648

    #2


    "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

    Comment

    • POJO_Risin
      Roth Army Caesar
      • Mar 2003
      • 40648

      #3
      GOOD JOB!!!!

      Way to teach a whole town's worth of kids how TO BE QUITTERS!!!

      Fucking idiots...just fucking idiots...
      "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

      Comment

      • POJO_Risin
        Roth Army Caesar
        • Mar 2003
        • 40648

        #4
        It was an interest of "SAFETY?"

        Are you fucking kidding me...

        I just read that part to my wife...and her quote?

        Didn't they have gloves?
        exactly...

        I've played on bad teams...but alls that did was make me want to win more...

        these fucking people should be lined up and stoned...
        "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

        Comment

        • Figs
          Crazy Ass Mofo
          • Jun 2004
          • 2904

          #5
          When I saw little league in the headline I thought it was going to be about asshole parents, and i suppose it still is in a way.

          It's the general pussification of little league sports where no one wants to lose (fairly of course) and everyone gets trophies.

          Comment

          • POJO_Risin
            Roth Army Caesar
            • Mar 2003
            • 40648

            #6
            Tell me about it...

            DOESN'T EVERYONE REMEMBER A TEAM LIKE THAT???

            My first year of traveling league...it was 12 and 13 year olds...we sucked ass...there were two teams in our town...and the fucking Tigers were badass...when they went mid-state for the Little League World Series from our region...they didn't all-star like many other teams did...they went with their complete squad...

            anyways...they ended their year something like 15 or 16-1...in regular season play...

            we were 4 or 5 and something...

            we ended our year against them...were down 3 runs in the 6th inning...tied it when Troy Eversol hit a 3 run homer...

            and won it in the bottom of the 7th on a passed ball with two outs...I'd hit a double previous to that...and the fucking kid on first...Chad fucking Seeman (yeah...we were ruthless to that poor kid)...was standing on second watching my ball roll up to the wall by the time I reached second...he barely made it to third...and then got yanked for a pitch runner...who eventually scored the winning run...

            yeah...our shitass team beat an undefeated team...

            and we went on to win our league the following year when most of us turned 13...

            Of course...we could have just quit...
            "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

            Comment

            • Va Beach VH Fan
              ROTH ARMY FOUNDER
              • Dec 2003
              • 17913

              #7
              This situation aside, Little league baseball is just not the same as it used to be....

              The article is a little general in it's description of the team, but even though 99% of the players are from the same area code (I'm assuming that's one of the eligibility rules), it really sounds to me like this was a hand-picked team of potential All-Stars....

              This is nothing new, overzealous parents and coaches have been doing this more and more over the past few years....
              Eat Us And Smile - The Originals

              "I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth

              "We are part of the, not just the culture, but the geography. Van Halen music goes along with like fries with the burger." - David Lee Roth

              Comment

              • Figs
                Crazy Ass Mofo
                • Jun 2004
                • 2904

                #8
                Cool story, I'm sure a lot of kids in this league would like to have a shot a this team. Sure they'll probably lose, but you never know. Their intensity would be way up, they'd be locked in like never before while facing these guys, at least until the score got out of hand. Play out of pride at least! Learning to deal with setbacks is part of life. Just a bad overall lesson and example to set for the kids in this league.

                Comment

                • POJO_Risin
                  Roth Army Caesar
                  • Mar 2003
                  • 40648

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
                  This situation aside, Little league baseball is just not the same as it used to be....

                  The article is a little general in it's description of the team, but even though 99% of the players are from the same area code (I'm assuming that's one of the eligibility rules), it really sounds to me like this was a hand-picked team of potential All-Stars....

                  This is nothing new, overzealous parents and coaches have been doing this more and more over the past few years....
                  Va...look...more and more over the past few years?...hell man...it's been happening since little league started...

                  the only thing here is that it sounds like this team was eligible for traveling league...but didn't sign up for it...so it's possible they signed up for a league they were eligible for...but knew they'd be the best...

                  either way...you don't quit a league because 1 team is better than the rest...no matter what the reason...unless they are 2 or 3 years older...and even then...
                  "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

                  Comment

                  • Va Beach VH Fan
                    ROTH ARMY FOUNDER
                    • Dec 2003
                    • 17913

                    #10
                    I was speaking conservatively, you bastard....

                    As I said, we just don't know the specifics, like is there a draft for formulate teams, or just the good buddy system among coaches and league officials, which happens in every league....
                    Eat Us And Smile - The Originals

                    "I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth

                    "We are part of the, not just the culture, but the geography. Van Halen music goes along with like fries with the burger." - David Lee Roth

                    Comment

                    • POJO_Risin
                      Roth Army Caesar
                      • Mar 2003
                      • 40648

                      #11
                      Honestly...who cares...

                      Prep does it every year...you don't see the ERIE teams refusing to play them...and now...Prep gets their asses handed to them every year...

                      the POINT of the article is that parents are creating quiters...irregardless of the rules...

                      Mr. Conservative...lmfao...bet you've never been called that before...
                      "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

                      Comment

                      • Va Beach VH Fan
                        ROTH ARMY FOUNDER
                        • Dec 2003
                        • 17913

                        #12
                        You're damn right about that one, I said that to myself as soon as I typed it....

                        I guess you'd have to be there to know the situation....

                        But I agree, you can turn it into a motivation factor, i.e. playing well against the best....

                        My son is having to do that this year, playing against older pitchers, who throw some good heat.... He wants to work on his game more this summer (they don't play summer ball here)....
                        Eat Us And Smile - The Originals

                        "I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth

                        "We are part of the, not just the culture, but the geography. Van Halen music goes along with like fries with the burger." - David Lee Roth

                        Comment

                        • POJO_Risin
                          Roth Army Caesar
                          • Mar 2003
                          • 40648

                          #13
                          No summer ball?...hmmmm...

                          Where I live Va...about a mile down the road is called "Cleveland Crossings..."

                          and of course...they are rabid about little league baseball...

                          and of course...their team is called the Indians...

                          can't wait...
                          "Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."

                          Comment

                          • Va Beach VH Fan
                            ROTH ARMY FOUNDER
                            • Dec 2003
                            • 17913

                            #14
                            Yeah, strange, I know...

                            But the weather here is decent enough in the spring and fall to play both seasons....

                            Fall ball is unofficial, spring counts for tournaments and shit like that...

                            Shit, we couldn't START baseball in PA until summer....
                            Eat Us And Smile - The Originals

                            "I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth

                            "We are part of the, not just the culture, but the geography. Van Halen music goes along with like fries with the burger." - David Lee Roth

                            Comment

                            • Hardrock69
                              DIAMOND STATUS
                              • Feb 2005
                              • 21838

                              #15
                              Learning that life is not fair and that everyone has to lose eventually is part of growing up.

                              Those fucking assholes are doing ALL of the kids in that league a severe disservice.

                              Some of those kids may grow up to have to play against overwhelming major-league teams like the Yankees some day, where they might get their ass handed to them on a paper plate....

                              Kids have to learn they can't always get what they want...

                              Comment

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