Intentional Walk controversy

Question
You are probably aware of the controversy surrounding the recent Intentional Walk that brought up to bat the (apparently) weakest player who also happened to be (or has recently been) battling cancer.  The parent was upset that the opposing coach had intentional been out to "get" his kid. The intentional walk is a valid Big League strategy, and if it is allowed in Little League, then why the controversy?  If it is illegal in Little League, then the errant coach deserves to be chastised (as is happening now!) If it is not outlawed, then why should the child who is weakest be dealt special cards, so to speak? He is competitive, by his own admission. Let him compete. I have had cancer; I have had a child who wasn't all that great at sports. Both of us abhored being given special "breaks" that assumed we couldn't do it on our own. Maybe we couldn't, but being given special treatment automatically took that possibility away from us. If the little batter with Cancer had stepped up and hit the game-winning run (and it happens!) would there be this uproar about having walked the previous batter? I think not. Is there a question here? Yes. Is the Intentional Walk allowed or not?) Thanks for letting me vent..
Sharon  

Answer
Sharon -

Its a great question (And yes, I do see a few questions in there!)...  SO I will try and give you as much as I can from a wealth of experience.  First off, most little leagues DO allow intentional walks.  So technically, the opposing coach did not brake the rules.  The issue is the reasoning for the walk, and who, when and why.  Stop and take a good look at it. The controversy isnt about a ruling, it is about the ethics every little league coach follows when participating.

Now before you even begin, one thing that grown adults seem to forget is WHY little leaguers play in the first place.  For the most part, the winning and losing is supposed to be a distant second to the competition and having fun; learning the game. It is supposed to be about everyone being allowed to play, with no favortism, and no singling players out for negative reasons.  Just keep that in mind. Little leaguers can be hit by a pitch as well.. IS it ok if the other team would have intentionally hit the player before the cancer patient, not intentionally walked him?  It is technically allowed..

So you have a child with cancer, coming up in a batting order.  It is the last inning of the championship.  The batter before him is the best hitter on the team.  So you intentionally walk him to get to a handicapped child (my understanding is that this child had a cancer that DID cause physical problems, so it was an obvious move on the coaches part)It wasnt done just to walk the best hitter.  If the 2nd worst hitter on the team wouldve been up next, that coach would have walked him too.  See where I am going?
Thats the problem here.  It wasnt the coach making a strategic move to get around a great player.. It was a coach manipulating the situation and rules to get to the worst player, who had a handicap no less.  Cant compare with the majors, because the big leaguers would never have this situation.  They are all paid to play, and there isnt that big of a gap between any of them on one team.  That in my opinion is where your question / comments get a little vague and unrealistic.


Now I agree with you, every child wanting to play should get the chance, and special breaks might get old to someone in those shoes.  But again, this isnt the majors... Purposely setting up the innings so that you have an advantage by facing a handicapped player?  Take it a step further.  Let's say you had a child who had some type (any type) of handicap.  Would you appreciate if the opposing team, every week, walked the players in front of him so they could face him?  Yes, he would get his shots, but how degrading to your child?  And especially if he doesnt see many positive results.  Even more in depth, what if YOUR kid WAS the best player who kept getting walked so they could get to the batter behind him??  What would you think about that?  IS that fair to the good player?  Doesnt he deserve his shot to play, just like the cancer patient?

Obviously, if he did get the hit, fantastic.  But I think the whole controversey started because it was made obvious he didnt have a great shot at getting that hit.  So it wasnt even that the opposing coach walked the best batter because he was the best, no matter who was up next.. He did it because he KNEW the next batter wasnt able to really do much all year due to his illness.  Would you think it would be OK if a little league team had a blind player, and coaches purposely tried to face him whenever possible by walking players who could see?

Its a tough thing to face.  The beginning of your question states something that is the root of the entire issue (which by the way, is a common thing these days so no one would blame you).  But There should NEVER, in any sense, for any reason, be a comparison between little league baseball and the major leagues.  Besides them both playing baseball, there isnt one thing that those two have in common.  Until these young men get paid to play, the ethics must remain completey different.  And where would it stop if this situation was ok?  Very slippery slope here.

Thanks for writing Sharon.  Its a valid thing to talk about in this day in age.

Coach Perl