Dear dimwit on the phone

[Gator]

Having all-star teams for 9-10 year old Little League has to be one of the dumbest things ever.

How about having all-star teams for 7 and 8 year olds?

Just found out today that in our state - which is very, very small - we have two 9-10 all-star teams, Majors and Minors, in each town. Holy fork. Is this like everyone gets a ribbon? Everyone gets to be an all-star?

How big is the league? Because that's the number that matters.
And what's wrong with having two teams? The kids play in a tournament and if they're not good enough, they lose. So what.

No, there are two different tournaments. 9-10 good kids vs. 9-10 good kids, and 9-10 worse kids have their own tournament against other worse kids. That's awful.

Like Schieza said, if everyone is an "all-star," nobody is an all-star. Talk about a false sense of reality.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

I believe that at the young ages, everyone should be allowed a chance to play. Not everyone can be Pete Rose's kid. Some kids would NEVER get a chance to play if it were not for these type of leagues.

But at which point do you cut that off?

 

[reformedhack]

I told the coach don't do that again because it makes me look bad, not him.

How did he respond to that?

 

[TheHacker]

Dear Little League coach,
I asked to talk to Johnny and Jimmy because Johnny had the game-winning hit and a handful of RBIs and Jimmy came on in relief to stop a team that just scored 13 runs and allowed one uneared run the last two innings. I know Bobby hit two home runs, but for this story, I don't want to interview him. When you then tell him to come over for an interview and I tell him I don't need to talk to him, I look like an ashhole. I talked to him anyway, but if you fork me over like that again I'll give your Little League guys the High School treatment and if you lose, you will not like it.
-Rhody

That always sucks, but sometimes you might pull a pretty good quote. I'm sure you didn't, but sometimes it happens.

I talked to the kid anyway; I told the coach don't do that again because it makes me look bad, not him. I was more angry because his team led 13-0 after 3 1/2, then gave up 13 runs before scoring 9 in the sixth to win 22-14 in a game that was an hour longer than it should have been.

Covering a 22-14 Little League game that lasts an hour longer than it should and then getting backed into having to interview children you don't want to talk to ... that, sir, is my definition of hell on earth.

I think I speak for everyone when I say our thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[schiezainc]

The only thing worse than interviewing kids you don't want to interview is actually getting to interview someone you want to talk to and ask questions of ... only to have another person (Be it a parent, coach or, in my case, a PR flackie) stand four feet away and interject at times and/or ask questions of your subject to make sure he hits the company's talking points.

And this, my friend, is why they pay us the big bucks.

 

[Mark2010]

Stuff like this is why I won't cover little league.

 

[albert77]

I believe that at the young ages, everyone should be allowed a chance to play. Not everyone can be Pete Rose's kid. Some kids would NEVER get a chance to play if it were not for these type of leagues.

But at which point do you cut that off?

I actually think 9 is a pretty good age to start letting the cream rise to the top when it comes to post-regular season competition in youth baseball. However, at that age, everybody still gets a chance to play in the regular season, and even when the all-stars go on to district, state and World Series competition, the rules state that every player on the roster has to at least get a chance to bat in every game. It's when they turn 13 that it becomes a matter of the best players playing to win.

What is interesting in my neck of the woods is that Dixie Baseball (the largest youth baseball organization in my area) goes all the way through age 19. We've got local teams that won the state Dixie Majors (18-19) and Dixie Pre-Majors (15-17). The DM World Series is going to be held not too far from here, which means we'll see some pretty good college underclash and Juco talent from all over the Southeast on display. I'm actually looking forward to that.

 

[Mark2010]

I think if you start cutting kids and having all-star teams at a young age, you will get a lot of kids just dropping out altogether. I would say don't start cutting people before teen years at the earliest. Participation at the younger levels is more important.

 

[HanSenSE]

I believe that at the young ages, everyone should be allowed a chance to play. Not everyone can be Pete Rose's kid. Some kids would NEVER get a chance to play if it were not for these type of leagues.

But at which point do you cut that off?

About junior high/middle school age seems about right.

 

[Justin_Rice]

Dear mom who called twice tonight:

We were glad to run a brief in our rail about your son who signed a contract with the arena league team. But no, we have no problem pointing out that he's 0-for-2 kicking field goals so far. Your son is a professional athlete. Do you think Tony Romo's mom calls the Dallas Morning News and complains when they point out his interception cost the Cowboys the game ... AGAIN.

Thanks for reading, and have a nice night!
-Justin

 

[Rhody31]

Dear mom who called twice tonight:

We were glad to run a brief in our rail about your son who signed a contract with the arena league team. But no, we have no problem pointing out that he's 0-for-2 kicking field goals so far. Your son is a professional athlete. Do you think Tony Romo's mom calls the Dallas Morning News and complains when they point out his interception cost the Cowboys the game ... AGAIN.

Thanks for reading, and have a nice night!
-Justin

We have a winner.

 

[HanSenSE]

Dear mom who called twice tonight:

We were glad to run a brief in our rail about your son who signed a contract with the arena league team. But no, we have no problem pointing out that he's 0-for-2 kicking field goals so far. Your son is a professional athlete. Do you think Tony Romo's mom calls the Dallas Morning News and complains when they point out his interception cost the Cowboys the game ... AGAIN.

Thanks for reading, and have a nice night!
-Justin

We have a winner.

Can we waive the waiting period and advance it to the SportsJournalists.com HOF now?