millbank Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 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..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Maybe some will say I'm cold and heartless, but I don't have a problem with what the coaches did. As the coach said, he played by the rules. The author tries to slant it like the coaches are bad guys and that the game is supposed to be about the kids. Well, what about the kids on the winning team? Is it fair to them to pitch to the strongest player on the opposing team and lose the game? No. Sorry, but real life isn't like a movie. This line sums it up perfectly: "I'm going to work on my batting," he told his dad. "Then maybe someday I'll be the one they walk." Bring others up to a higher level, don't bring everyone down to a lower level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phlegm Alley Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Maybe some will say I'm cold and heartless, but I don't have a problem with what the coaches did. As the coach said, he played by the rules. The author tries to slant it like the coaches are bad guys and that the game is supposed to be about the kids. Well, what about the kids on the winning team? Is it fair to them to pitch to the strongest player on the opposing team and lose the game? No. I would agree with you if these weren't 9 YEAR OLDS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 He's on the Red Sox? Bean them both. Although I'm not heartless. I'd cut the cancer kid a break and wouldn't throw at his head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 "He's a scrawny cancer survivor who has to take human growth hormone" The kids juiced, he shouldn't even be playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 should not walk any one . make them all hit . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGTEleven 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] Here's what I would do..... Walk the stud hitter. Strike out the cancer victim. Celebrate with my team. Lie about knowing the kid had cancer. Oh, wait....that's been done. Since when does "baseball strategy" in a 9 year old league outweigh friggin human dignity? Oh yeah, always did. Never mind. How about he walks them both and pitches to the third kid just to call it even? Nah, he might lose. The 9YO championship is way too important for that. Just to be sure he should have had the kids do a cancer chant or something to make the kid nervous. If the kid really said, "I'll just get better at my batting until they have to walk me....." good for him. The dirt bag coach will never change. Reilly nailed it with this quote What the Yankees' coaches did was make it about them, not the kids. It became their medal to pin on their pecs and show off at their barbecues. And if a fragile kid got stomped on the way, well, that's baseball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 "He's a scrawny cancer survivor who has to take human growth hormone" The kids juiced, he shouldn't even be playing. 740326[/snapback] Beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 The kids juiced, he shouldn't even be playing. 740326[/snapback] Classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 i would walk the best hitter to get to the poorer hitter......then me being me, i might then go serve up a gopher ball so he can knock one out. but then again, at 10 they should begin to understand that not everyone can or should make the team, if you are not good enough, find out what u are good at and go out for that, the entitlement mentality of our society has to subside. 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] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGTEleven Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 i would walk the best hitter to get to the poorer hitter......then me being me, i might then go serve up a gopher ball so he can knock one out. but then again, at 10 they should begin to understand that not everyone can or should make the team, if you are not good enough, find out what u are good at and go out for that, the entitlement mentality of our society has to subside. 740416[/snapback] There is a stark difference between a government entitlement and rubbing an inability in the face of a nine year old cancer victim. The 9 year olds on this team will get 2 trillion more chances in their lives to watch someone win a deal or take advantage of a favored position. Most of the time this will be appropriate. They would have learned their lessons without seeing this one. But I guess 2 trillion and one is better than two trillion. Plus they get neato plastic trophies too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfanone Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 He's on the Red Sox? Bean them both. Although I'm not heartless. I'd cut the cancer kid a break and wouldn't throw at his head. 740319[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 There is a stark difference between a government entitlement and rubbing an inability in the face of a nine year old cancer victim. The 9 year olds on this team will get 2 trillion more chances in their lives to watch someone win a deal or take advantage of a favored position. Most of the time this will be appropriate. They would have learned their lessons without seeing this one. But I guess 2 trillion and one is better than two trillion. Plus they get neato plastic trophies too. 740422[/snapback] The kid must not have been that bad if his team made the championship game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGTEleven Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 The kid must not have been that bad if his team made the championship game. 740472[/snapback] Was that meant to be obnoxious, sarcastic or stupid? I can't tell. Which do you think is a better thing for the NINE YEAR OLD kids on the winning team to remember? A. Let's make sure we win by taking advantage of the cancer victim. or B. Let's try to win this like real champions and beat their best player. I'm sure everywhere these kids go in life, they'll have a choice of either facing competition head on or just waiting for someone in a wheelchair to happen along instead. They'll be well equipped to deal with this situation because of the bravery and valiant nature of their 9YO little league coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Was that meant to be obnoxious, sarcastic or stupid? I can't tell. Which do you think is a better thing for the NINE YEAR OLD kids on the winning team to remember? A. Let's make sure we win by taking advantage of the cancer victim. or B. Let's try to win this like real champions and beat their best player. I'm sure everywhere these kids go in life, they'll have a choice of either facing competition head on or just waiting for someone in a wheelchair to happen along instead. They'll be well equipped to deal with this situation because of the bravery and valiant nature of their 9YO little league coach. 740477[/snapback] It must be fun living in a world where everyday is a Disney movie. Also, I'm curious what the age cutoff is in Disneyland. Do we start playing when they're 10? 12? 16? 37? When do you go from being a kid who shouldn't care about winning to a kid who should care about winning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 it is a cruel thought, but one that is haunting us, for too long now, we have played games where the score doesn't matter because little johnny or little jane might get thier feelings hurt, and we wonder why there is such a lack of personal responsibiltiy today. you hate to be cruel, but the sooner you face reality the better in the long run everyone will be It must be fun living in a world where everyday is a Disney movie. Also, I'm curious what the age cutoff is in Disneyland. Do we start playing when they're 10? 12? 16? 37? When do you go from being a kid who shouldn't care about winning to a kid who should care about winning? 740573[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGTEleven Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 It must be fun living in a world where everyday is a Disney movie. 740573[/snapback] It must be. You can just burn it to DVD and sell it on the internet. I coached for many years in little league. I do not remember a single instance in which someone walked a better to get to another batter in a nine year old league. Maybe it happened. I think I'd really have to strain my memory to think of when someone was walked to get to the cancer victim. Sometimes dignity and class are more important than the task at hand. This is true in 9 YO baseball and in real life. As for the age cutoff....how about this.....when the other coach has an option of pinch hitting for the cancer victim. In this case, there was no option. He had to put the kid out there. Strategy works really well when the other team has no choice, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 i hate to pick nits and i did not click the link in the original post, just read the verbage in the post. I thought it was a 10 year old pony league, how did we get to 9 year olds? It must be. You can just burn it to DVD and sell it on the internet. I coached for many years in little league. I do not remember a single instance in which someone walked a better to get to another batter in a nine year old league. Maybe it happened. I think I'd really have to strain my memory to think of when someone was walked to get to the cancer victim. Sometimes dignity and class are more important than the task at hand. This is true in 9 YO baseball and in real life. 740579[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGTEleven Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 i hate to pick nits and i did not click the link in the original post, just read the verbage in the post. I thought it was a 10 year old pony league, how did we get to 9 year olds? 740580[/snapback] It says 9&10. I missed that too. It does say it is a level where all kids bat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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