Opinions on Appealing a 10U HR

[ecupiratehts]

Let me start off by saying this is my 1st post. I enjoy reading the forum almost daily. I wanted to hear opinions on a situation that happened to my son this weekend.
His 10U team was playing in the Top Gun Winter World Series in Wilson NC. The game was tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 5th, 2 outs and my son is up to bat. He hits a HR (over the fence). As you can imagine, he and his team are beyond excited. He rounds the bases cheering, clapping, fist pumping and looking at his team mates that are now jumping up and down at home plate. After the celebrating on the field and in the stands, the umpires get together with the opposing coaches and an appeal is made at 2nd base and my son is called out. Apparently during his excitement, he missed 2nd base. Talk about going from on top of the world to absolutely crushed in a matter of minutes. And to make matters worse, his team lost in extra innings.
I am interested in hearing the opinions from everyone on weather or not you appeal this situation if you are the opposing coach. I realize that on one hand, the rules are the rules and he missed it, so he is out. Then there's the flip side, do you really take that away from a 10 year old? On an in the park HR, absolutely, but on one over the fence? Thanks for reading and I appreciate your opinions.

[JJA]

I've seen it happen every now and then. It's rare, but it does happen. As for the appeal, no point, he missed the base so he's out. That's the rule of course. Whether the umpires should have called it is another question, but they made the call by the rule book, which of course is their perogative.

Don't worry about it, he knows he hit the home run. He'll also never forget to step on all of the bases again, that's for sure! Great thing about baseball is there is another game tomorrow so chalk that one up to experience. If he can do it once, he can do it again.

-JJA

[raptor]

Wow. No way I'm appealing that and would have no respect for a coach who would (at that age.) This situation strikes a chord with me, as last year during a scoreless game (also 10u), late innings, an opposing hitter hits a rocket to the left center gap. The ball hits, our outfielders are chasing it and both immediately put their hands up as it hops over the short temporary fence. Field Ump signals home run, the runner (who was now slowing into second) looks confused, grins sheepishly, and trots home. Everyone in the park knew blue just missed the call including the other coaches, who were laughing about it. We immediately lost respect for that staff.

[benz99]

We had an opposing coach in Cooperstown appeal a Home Run for a kid taking his helmet off about 15 ft before touching home plate. The kid was excited as it was his first HR he ever hit over a fence & this guy wants to take it away from a 12 yr old. Sometimes people forget this is about the kids & not the meaning less trophy you can display on your mantle

[Bolts-Baseball]

You would have to appeal the ruling when it happened for it even to be considered an appeal... Doing something now would do nothing. Too bad for the kid, but I'll bet he learned a valuable lesson. Better to do it at 10u than to do it in when it actually means something...

Good luck!

[Jake Patterson]

Here's a couple of thoughts...

Many here know my opinions about age-inappropriate baseball - which I feel some of these tournaments promote. In the skeme of things 10u tourney/TB ball doesn't matter much. What should be more important is learning the game, playing catch with dad, and enjoying the game with friends. Once you cross the line and enter the highly-competative, expensive, tournament world it becomes all about winning (and the adults) and the rules have to apply. If he missed the bag he's out.


Left to their own... Most 10 y/o's playing for fun would have missed this, celebrated, and got ice cream - for both teams.

[ecupiratehts]

Bolts, I personally do not want to appeal anything. I was just wondering what people thought about the opposing coach appealing the missed bag to the umpires. Do you make that call? He did learn a valuable lesson and learned it the hard way.

[Jake Patterson]

Sometimes people forget this is about the kids & not the meaning less trophy you can display on your mantle

I feel many parennts forget it's about the kids when they allow their children to play age-inappropriate travel and tournament ball.... Then it becomes more about the adults. The OP was talking about 9 and 10 year olds.


BTW- I do not oppose a trip to Cooperstown as a family weekend get away. These types of questions, however, always seem to come from parents participating in some 9U Top Gun Winter World Series, or World Championship somewhere. JMHO

[Bolts-Baseball]

At 10u... No way... Kid hit a bomb... Game over. :hyper:

[skipper5]

If I were the head coach of the defensive team, and was the only one to notice it, I would have ignored it.
But, agreeing with Jake: "in the highly competitive, expensive tournament world", if others noticed it, I'd appeal the play and take away the HR.

Jake: Let's say you're the head coach of the defensive team in the same situation, in a highly (but healthily) competitive 12yo LL in-town championship game--you and your assistants notice that the baserunner missed second base on a walk-off HR--do you apply the rules, appeal the play, and take away a walk-off HR from a 12yo?

[JJA]

Bolts, I personally do not want to appeal anything. I was just wondering what people thought about the opposing coach appealing the missed bag to the umpires. Do you make that call? He did learn a valuable lesson and learned it the hard way.

In these types of competitive tournaments, that's what you get, guys focused on winning. Swim with the sharks, sometimes you get bitten. Sort of the price to be paid occasionally if you're going to participate in these types of very competitive tournaments.

[songtitle]

He'll also never forget to step on all of the bases again, that's for sure!

Agree

Left to their own... Most 10 y/o's playing for fun would have missed this

hmmm, cultural differences I guess ... when I was younger, we would have called him out, then mercilessly mocked him for missing the bag (for decades afterwards), then gone to get ice cream.

These types of questions, however, always seem to come from parents participating in some 9U Top Gun Winter World Series, or World Championship somewhere. JMHO

In 7/8 PeeWee, one of my kids hit a HR over the fence. After he ran the bases, the opposing coach goes to home plate, points at the batter's box, and the umpire calls our kid out for 'stepping out of the box'. The box had long been unmarked for the day, and where the kid stepped was clearly where the box should have been - but the ump didn't know how big a batter's box was.

[JJA]

If I were the head coach of the defensive team, and was the only one to notice it, I would have ignored it.
But, agreeing with Jake: "in the highly competitive, expensive tournament world", if others noticed it, I'd appeal the play and take away the HR.

Jake: Let's say you're the head coach of the defensive team in the same situation, in a highly (but healthily) competitive 12yo LL in-town championship game--you and your assistants notice that the baserunner missed second base on a walk-off HR--do you apply the rules, appeal the play, and take away a walk-off HR from a 12yo?

In a little league environment, even a competitive one, I wouldn't, but that's just me. What message would I be sending to my players by doing that? Basically that you do anything you can to win. Sure it would be legal, totally get that, but it's against the spirit of the rules, my opinion only. I would never do it personally.

[Roothog66]

I feel many parennts forget it's about the kids when they allow their children to play age-inappropriate travel and tournament ball.... Then it becomes more about the adults. The OP was talking about 9 and 10 year olds.


BTW- I do not oppose a trip to Cooperstown as a family weekend get away. These types of questions, however, always seem to come from parents participating in some 9U Top Gun Winter World Series, or World Championship somewhere. JMHO

Jake, this was a question about whether any coaches here would have appealed in this situation. Derailing the post into whether travel ball at 10yo is inappropriate or not is, itself, inappropriate. You, among all of us, should klnow better.

[tg643]

Let me start off by saying this is my 1st post. I enjoy reading the forum almost daily. I wanted to hear opinions on a situation that happened to my son this weekend.
His 10U team was playing in the Top Gun Winter World Series in Wilson NC. The game was tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 5th, 2 outs and my son is up to bat. He hits a HR (over the fence). As you can imagine, he and his team are beyond excited. He rounds the bases cheering, clapping, fist pumping and looking at his team mates that are now jumping up and down at home plate. After the celebrating on the field and in the stands, the umpires get together with the opposing coaches and an appeal is made at 2nd base and my son is called out. Apparently during his excitement, he missed 2nd base. Talk about going from on top of the world to absolutely crushed in a matter of minutes. And to make matters worse, his team lost in extra innings.
I am interested in hearing the opinions from everyone on weather or not you appeal this situation if you are the opposing coach. I realize that on one hand, the rules are the rules and he missed it, so he is out. Then there's the flip side, do you really take that away from a 10 year old? On an in the park HR, absolutely, but on one over the fence? Thanks for reading and I appreciate your opinions.

In rec ball I would suggest the opposing coach be tarred and feathered for appealing a ten year old's home run. But if you want to subject yourself to the absurdity of a 10U World Series you get the absurdity that comes with it. Here's another absurdity. I will bet there are at least fifty 10U World Series. I'll ante up for most of them the qualifications are pay the fee.

In a LL game I once told one of my team's parents to shut up when they started screaming an opposing player missed home on a homer. The dance started a step before the plate.