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Umpire reprimanded by Little League (Update)
Reuters ^ | 8-1-2005

Posted on 08/01/2005 9:03:51 AM PDT by Cagey

BOSTON (Reuters) - An umpire who ordered a Little League baseball team to stop speaking Spanish during a game this week was barred from officiating any more games this year, league officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred when a bilingual assistant coach shouted out instructions in Spanish to the team's 14-year-old pitcher and catcher, who are immigrants from the Dominican Republic and speak little English, the Eagle-Tribune newspaper reported.

The umpire, whose name has been withheld, then ordered the team to speak only English.

The coach of a Methuen, Massachusetts-based Little League squad said the umpire's ruling banning the use of Spanish on the field demoralized his team and ultimately contributed to its loss in a state tournament game, according to the newspaper report.

Lance Van Auken, a spokesman for Little League International, said in a statement, "The umpire made an incorrect decision, for which there was no basis in the Rules and Regulations of Little League."

As a result, Little League officials will not allow that umpire to work any more games for the remainder of the year.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: littleleague
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1 posted on 08/01/2005 9:03:51 AM PDT by Cagey
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To: Cagey

being dual lingual myself I'd say giving instructions no one else understands could provide a huge advantage over the other team, it makes it an unfair playing field!


2 posted on 08/01/2005 9:05:42 AM PDT by kharaku (G3 (http://www.cobolsoundsystem.com/mp3s/unreleased/evewasanape.mp3))
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To: Cagey

He should have insisted they text messageed in ebonics instead.


3 posted on 08/01/2005 9:08:50 AM PDT by One Proud Dad
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To: Cagey

How much did they lose by?


4 posted on 08/01/2005 9:09:03 AM PDT by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: Jeff Head
from the original story:

Methuen was winning 3-1 when assistant coach Domingo Infante instructed the pitcher in Spanish to try to pick off a runner at second base. After the unsuccessful attempt, the umpire called time-out and spoke with the local tournament director. The unidentified umpire then decreed that only English could be spoken.

"All I could hear was, 'We cannot allow this,'" Mosher said. "At this point I was baffled why we could only speak English."

Mosher said he challenged the ruling, but kept his team on the field after the tournament director said it would stand.

An angry Infante then left the field, which Mosher said demoralized his pitcher and catcher, who speak little English. Methuen lost the game 10-6, though the team remains alive in the tournament.

5 posted on 08/01/2005 9:12:44 AM PDT by Cagey (Scrapple is not for vegetarians, those who keep kosher, or those with weak stomachs)
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To: Cagey

Did they have to stop using hand signals for their pitches as well?

What a maroon.


6 posted on 08/01/2005 9:20:02 AM PDT by dmz
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To: kharaku

Have you ever been to a baseball game?

They use hand signals quite frequently to determine who will cover what base under what cirumstances, or which pitch to throw, or whether to attempt a pickoff, or any number of other "plays".

Those are not able to be translated by the other team, either. Should they also be outlawed?

Your statement is silly.


7 posted on 08/01/2005 9:23:46 AM PDT by dmz
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To: dmz

What about the kids on the team who AREN'T versed in Spanish, also there's a finite number of things hand signals can mean, one of them isn't for instance, try to break this kids arm when he runs by, which one COULD say in Spanish. Spanish has a lot bigger bandwidth than hand signals for plays. If they want to speak spanish they should pay for everyone on both teams to learn spanish first.


8 posted on 08/01/2005 9:27:15 AM PDT by kharaku (G3 (http://www.cobolsoundsystem.com/mp3s/unreleased/evewasanape.mp3))
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To: dmz
At first glance I thought that the umpire had a point, but you're right. Signals are an intricate part of baseball and I have to agree with you.
9 posted on 08/01/2005 9:27:48 AM PDT by Cagey (Scrapple is not for vegetarians, those who keep kosher, or those with weak stomachs)
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To: kharaku

You are compounding your silliness, with all due respect.

Do you really think I could not take a player aside, tell him that when I touch my elbow to my knee I want you to [fill in the blank]? I can use signs to mean ANYTHING I want them to. Hand signals are WAY more flexible than speaking Spanish on the field. I can have one signal mean one thing in the odd numbered innings, and something totally different in the even numbered innings.

Watch a baseball game, will ya? The catcher uses different signs for the pitches when there is a runner on 2nd.



10 posted on 08/01/2005 9:35:45 AM PDT by dmz
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To: dmz

Are you suggesting the other side is completely ignorant of what those play signals mean? I suspect they pay a good deal of attention to them, if they would use steroids to win, they'd decode hand signals to win.


11 posted on 08/01/2005 9:37:15 AM PDT by kharaku (G3 (http://www.cobolsoundsystem.com/mp3s/unreleased/evewasanape.mp3))
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To: kharaku

So, you have no problem with non-verbal communication on the field. Also, no problem with English being spoken on the field. OK.

But you have a problem with Spanish being spoken.

Interesting.


12 posted on 08/01/2005 9:41:21 AM PDT by dmz
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To: dmz

Ancay eway eakspay inay igpay Atinlay?


13 posted on 08/01/2005 9:44:47 AM PDT by raccoonradio
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To: Cagey
If the umpire first checked with the tournament director and received the go ahead to request english only be spoken on the playing field, why is the umpire being punished?

Moreover, if there is a rule in the league that limits the number of visits a manager may make to the pitcher's mound, this speaking of a foreign language is a distinct and unfair advantage on behalf of the team using it.
14 posted on 08/01/2005 9:44:56 AM PDT by Eagles Talon IV
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To: raccoonradio

LOL. I was wondering the same thing.


15 posted on 08/01/2005 9:47:10 AM PDT by dmz
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To: Eagles Talon IV

Just 'cuz the tourney director is ALSO an idiot doesn't let the ump off the hook. He was the one who initially had the issue with it.

If you can show me how the speaking of Spanish makes players hit, field and pitch better, let me know.

The game is still played on the field.


16 posted on 08/01/2005 9:52:00 AM PDT by dmz
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To: kharaku
Are you suggesting the other side is completely ignorant of what those play signals mean? I suspect they pay a good deal of attention to them.....

Ummmm....That's part of the game of baseball.

Both teams have signals.

Both teams try to "steal" the other team's signals.

Both teams change their signals as often as needed to try to keep them secret.

It's the same thing in footbal when the quarteback calls out "audibles" to change the play at the line of scrimmage. When he calls out "Thirty two, Twenty nine, etc.", it may be a signal to do something or it may mean nothing at all.

17 posted on 08/01/2005 9:57:57 AM PDT by Polybius
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To: dmz
"Just 'cuz the tourney director is ALSO an idiot doesn't let the ump off the hook. He was the one who initially had the issue with it."

+++Do you have a job? Do you have a supervisor? If you go to the supervisor and ask if you should do such and such, and the supervisor says "sure go ahead", the responsibility then rests with the supervisor and NOT with the person who sought and received the authority to act, in this case the Umpire. It's all about chain of command.

"If you can show me how the speaking of Spanish makes players hit, field and pitch better, let me know."

It gives one team a toll the other doesn't have. Plus if the 2 visits to the pitchers mound is in effect the manager does not have to go to the mound to issue instructions to his pitcher (2 visits by the coach and the pitcher must be removed)but can instead speak from the sidelines in Spanish thereby circumventing the rule.

"The game is still played on the field.

Correct and no team shall have any advantage over another except in physical ability. Coaching can vary by the coach and his methods but what is available to one team must be available to the other. If these Spanish kids are playing here then it is incumbent upon them to learn the language.

18 posted on 08/01/2005 10:04:33 AM PDT by Eagles Talon IV
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To: Cagey

Coulda been worse then damage to their self-esteem.
Cop walks onto field and orders them to stop throwing baseballs.
Of course they don't have a clue, so he shoots them all in the legs.
Lo siento mucho, pobrecitos.


19 posted on 08/01/2005 10:07:05 AM PDT by tumblindice (I have a degree in liberal arts. So, like, you want fries with that, or what?)
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To: Cagey

I would actually encourage Little League players to learn to speak Spanish if they have pro aspirations. Spanish speaking players abound in MLB. Speaking Spanish is a valuable skill in the majors. Ask Tommy Lasorda.


20 posted on 08/01/2005 10:15:43 AM PDT by Chris_Shugart
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