Bruce - all well on this side of the state. Just busy as a cat coverin' up... Not much time for fishun' or anything other than work, family and kids stuff right now.

bgbrdhntr - You remind me of the old Saturday Night Live skits where Rosana Anna Danna end up saying, "Nevermind" at the end. Dude, they didn't walk the cancer kid. They walked the good hitter with two outs and a baserunner on first, to get to the cancer kid. They did put two runners on by walking the good kid. They knew the candcer kid would strike out because of his condition. So, he wasn't being treated like everyone else. He was, in fact, being singled out or "picked on" because of his condition.

A few things you need to understand: First, this was a non-competitive / recreational league (which begs the question: Why is there a championship game in the first place? But I digress.). In this league, it is virtually unheard of to walk kids intentionally. Second, the kids are 9 year-olds, not high school or even junior high. They are about one or two years removed from being snot-nosed, booger eating, can't-catch-or-hit-a-ball, annoying kids.

I think far too much is being made of this but I also think the winning coach showed a tremendous lack of class and sportsmanship. He should have walked to the mound and told his pitcher, "This is the best hitter on the team. If you want to win this game and be the best, you have to beat the best. Now, do the best you can and lets get this guy..." That's how you teach kids to win...

I have coached for years and NEVER intentionally walked a kid. Hell, my pitchers and catchers never even knew how to do it. I didn't think it was an important fundamental they needed to learn, considering you can teach it to a kid that has been playing ball for a few years, in about ten minutes. Of course, we only gave the "take" sign about twice a year as well. Until they get to high school, let 'em play the game. It's the only way they learn.