Conference 7.286::sports_90

    
    	Booooooooo!  Hssssssssss!

    
    Sounds classless and tacky.  What's a few dollars for a shirt compared
    to the personal value it has to the kid?
    
    Dickster
    

In my mind, it's like someone getting injured in Week 11, and then
having his team win the Bowl.  Doesn't that guy deserve a Super Bowl
ring also?

I'm seriously thinking of writing a letter.  This has me really upset.
The worst part is it's a 13 year old kid.  I mean, probably the greatest
event of his young life and some bureaucratic dorkwad has to mess it
up for him.

'Saw

Yup, Saw,

Sucks the whole way, Way.

Either the kid was on the team and gets a jersey, or he wasn't and he shouldn't.

Sure sounds to me as though he was, even though he didn't get to play.

Maybe a petishun would be betta thana letta?  I'll sign if electronic counts.

avagooweeken,

rick ellis

 >>    some bureaucratic dorkwad....       <<
    
    
    'saw, if you want it to be an international petition, count me in.
    
    PJ

Okay, here's what I'll do.

I'm going to look into this a little bit more...

Perhaps I can contact their coach and maybe get an address of
the LittleLeagueDorkwads(tm).

For you international folks, what I'll try to do it to put a form
letter in here.  You can extract it, edit it (perhaps adding where
you're from), print it out, sign it and FAX it to me here in BMF.

For you regular folks, you could do the same thing, actually.

If I send them a whole bunch of letters, from around the world, maybe
it would change their minds.

Give me the weekend to try and look into this...

Chainsaw

PS  I hope we can do this, and maybe change their minds!!!!!

While I think this crusade is noble and I'd like to see it succeed, I can't
help but wonder why we haven't been more vocal and action-oriented around the
racial controversy at the Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama.

Hmmm ???

Bob Hunt

    Valid point Bob,  I planned to call the local ABC affiliate to
    complain.  Not sure if they're the ones who should suffer though.
    It's the PGA's doing, ABC has to show due to contract, right?
    
    I figure golf's such a lame game anyway, only the true sippers
    would be affected.  I'm glad to see a lot of the sponsors pulling
    out.  I guess USA today is going to feature it next week in a 
    sports special.  Glad to see Jim Thorpe and Trevino are still playing too.
    Good to see minorities out there to smack it around.  I hope one of
    them win it.
    
    -Walt
    
    Oh yeah, back to the topic.  I'd be up for it 'Saw... bring copies
    tomorrow.
    

    I moved the comments on the Shoal Creek situation to the Golf note
    (#243).
    
    HTH
    
    Mac the moderator

    You know, the more I hear about the Little League hierarchy and
    legalistic rule-making, the more grateful I am that my son never had
    any interest in playing baseball.
    
    It's my considered opinion, based on what I've read here, in my local
    paper, and heard on TV, that the national/international headquarters of
    Little League doesn't care *AT ALL* about the kids who are playing the
    game.  It seems to be being run (at that level) for the aggrandizement
    of the adults governing the sport.
    
    I sincerely hope that at the local, day-in day-out, let's play ball
    level, that the coaches and umpires are keeping in mind that they are
    dealing with kids.  That the reason for participating in baseball (in
    any youth sport, actually) is to learn a skill, to learn how to practice, 
    to learn how to get along with others on your team regardless of 
    personalities, and to learn to "meet both victory and defeat, and treat 
    those two imposters both the same".  [I think I got the quote right.]
    
    Feel free to send this along with your set of letters if you think it
    would do any good.
    
    A&W

I may not have a draft by tomorrow.

I have to get yesterday's paper, then try and find the coach's phone
number in Trumbull area (I suppose).

Early next week, I'll put a form letter in the topic here.  The fax
number here at BMF is

		203-286-4360

Our DTN prefix is 238, and I'm assuming the FAX machine will
work that way also.


re Bob:
	You have a good point.  While I can add a couple of
	perhaps relevant comments in note 243 re the PGA,
	I don't get upset over that because there are enough
	people who have chosen to make that their crusade.
	I'm just pissed because a kid is being screwed here, and
	it doesn't seem as if anyone is helping him....

'Saw

    You should be able to just use the dtn # alone to fax.

    A&W, goo note.  Saw, count me in, too.
    
    My feeling is that the adults in LL are the problem.  Be they parents
    on the sidelines, or those running the whole thing.
    
    When I was a kid, no LL was in Mass. So, we organized our own team,
    and "drafted" one Dad who had some experience in playing.  We got
    guys from different parts of town to make-up teams, and even found
    a offeecial umpire who would do our games for free.  Then, we 
    got a petition and took it to our Rec department.  They were so
    impressed, they funded us for baseballs, bats, bases and umpires.
    Hats, too.  We supplied the rest.  The Rec Dept did also schedule
    our games on the city diamonds so that the "big guys" couldn't kick
    us off the field like they used to.
    
    We never had any uniforms, not even T-shirts with a team name. 
    Never had anyone watching our games, either.  Never a banquet, or
    an outing, no tournaments.  No buses to other fields, we walked.
    
    What did we have?    FUN!  NO adults to tell us what to do or
    criticizing us for our play, or any of the other negative things
    that seem to occur in LL.  All we had was that one Dad who coached
    us, and LOTs of peer pressure to show up.  What was worse than
    committing multiple errors, or going 0-fer?  Not showing up for the
    game and having your team forfeit it.  That's all.  We played for
    our city championship, but nobody got carried away with it.
    
    We all met guys from other parts of town that we wouldn't have met
    until highschool.  We'd practice until we couldn't run, or swing
    a bat.  Drenched with sweat, dirty (grubby's a better word), bleeding
    from scrapes and scratches, but, SMILING!  I doubt that I would
    have put out the same effort for some offeeecial coach.  But, you
    couldn't let your buddies down.  Everyone wanted to be the last
    to quit.  
    
    Ya know, the old days weren't great, but some of them were pretty
    damn good.
    
    Lee

    A&W, that was supposed to be "good" note.  :*)
    
    Lee

Lee, you just gave the best example of intrinsic motivation I've
ever heard.

Hell, I'm at the point where I'd shell out some bucks to buy this
kid a jersey.  

If that sounds kind of sappy, anyone who was in the parking lot of
the Meadowlands last year for Giantsmania should remember how I
felt.  We had a little TV plugged into my cigarette lighter in 
my truck, and we were all gathered around the passenger side window.
We even moved back to let a couple little kids move in front to
watch.

The kids from Trumbull won a big one for America that day (apologies
to my friends from other countries if I wax a little patriotic here)
and I for one was DAMN proud of them.  No big league celebration
after the October classic could have matched what these
kids did after the game....the sheer joy showing on their faces.

That kid is going to have a jersey if I have to sew one myself, dammit!

'Saw
    
    

    
    		Here! Here!  Man, I've got goose pimples....
    
    

    I cried when they won it.  Sport in its purist, emotional, humanistic
    form.  Compare these kids to the Eric Dickerson's of the world and you
    see what sport is really about.
    
    Have a good weekend, ya'll.
    
    	--dan'l

    I'm another one who's with you all the way in this 'Saw.  Go git 'em!
    
    NAZZ
    
    BTW - How the h*ll old ARE you Timmons?  No Little League when you
    were around.  Was this at the turn of the century?  ;-)

Nazz,

Lee isn't quite that old, but I had to wonder when he was telling
his story if they were part of the era where you had to fashion
your own woodie from a tree, and laquer that baby up (or halfway
up) and like use an old woodburning set to write your name in it...

Probably used a ball until they literally blasted the cover off it.

And I'll even bet that Lee walked to school...5 miles each way...uphill.

And in the winter, his mom would bake potatoes in the morning, and 
give each kid two, one for each pocket, to keep their hands warm on
the way to school.  Once at school, the potatoes became paperweights
or something...

Ah yeah, the good old days... ;^)

later,
'Saw

    Wow!!!!  What memories...Little League.  
                                                                     
                                                                     
    Actually LL was only 5 years ago for me, and I remember alot     
    of BS that we had to put up with just to play and uniforms       
    at that age no matter if it was a patch, a T-shirt, or if        
    we were lucky a jersey that we were able to keep meant alot!!!!!!
    It is truly sad if this kid doesnt get his jersey.
    
    
    
    	COUNT ME IN!!!
    
    
    RUB

    NAZZ, I'm 50.  LL started in Haverhill the year after I was too
    old to play.  We'd heard about it, mainly because of the championships
    played in Pa. 
    
    Saw, no potatoes in my pockets, only walked about 1.5 miles to school.
    An easy stroll back then.  But, we DID have our Dads put screws in our
    broken bats and wrap some electrical tape on the handles.  This
    got more time out of them if they had been cracked a bit.  And,
    I played more than one day with a ball wrapped in tape, too.  Gloves
    were something else, mainly a heavy heel and no real web, at least
    not like today.  Those babies were stitched up by Moms if a tear
    was developed.  
    
    Most of our football practices were on concrete.  I was pretty good
    at kicking back them, especially the drop-kick.  We actually wore
    out a few footballs on the noses, mainly from being scraped on the
    cement.
    
    I was struck by what you quoted on the kids and their trophies,
    Hawk.  The boy across the street is 6 and plays T-ball.  When the
    season ended, he was out in his yard and called me over to see his
    trophy.  It was a replica of a baseball on a stand.  He was as proud
    as punch over it.  The kid next door to him saw him showing it to
    me.  So, he ran into his house and came back out with his 3 trophies,
    all for Karate.  He's 8, and a nice kid.  But all he was interested
    in was how many he had, not why he got them.
    
    When Kerrie played on a tournament softball team, when she was 13
    and 14, the team won a tournament.  They received a very large and
    fancy trophy for the TEAM.  Each member of the team got to keep
    it for a week, nothing for each player.  What she treasured most,
    tho, was a few game balls she won.  Most of these tournaments were
    in central and western Mass.  After each and every game, each team
    would vote for the outstanding player of the opponents team.  They
    would all sign a ball, including their team name, date and score,
    then present it to the one they elected.  It's always meaningful
    to get recognized by your opponent. I thought it was a very nice
    gesture, better than some rinky-dink plated trophy given out by
    the dozens.  Sure, it cost a lot less, and isn't glamorous, but
    it's meaningful.
    
    Lee

	I don't know all the details but there was a real disturbing article
in one of last weeks Lowell Sun (friday maybe) concerning a recent Little 
League All-star game.  One of the coaches was attacked by the other coach and
members of the other team.  The guy ended up with fractured ribs and a bruise
behind the knee, where he was hit with a bat by one of the kids.  Charges 
are being brought up against the coach, one of the kids, and possibly another
kid.

sad
Mike

OKAY FOLKS HERE IT IS......

Here's the scoop.

On Friday afternoon I spoke with the coach's wife.  She was a very nice
lady and she told me of the long battle they had been involved with against
Little League.  Evidently the President of Little League is this old
fart (my expression, not hers), and is just plain being a you-know-what.

This kid was really upset that he had a jersey for the White House
ceremony and then had to give it back.

So, what I've done is this.  The NEXT replay is a form letter.
You can extract it, and then edit it and put in your address, and
name at the bottom.  Print it out, sign it, and then FAX it to me.

I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.  Especially folks from across the pond, or
down under.  In my cover letter, which is the reply following the form
letter, I mention that I'm enclosing letters from all over the world.

Please, don't let me down.  I know some of you aren't technoweenies, and
personally, I have no idea how to use a FAX machine.  If you need help
editing, and have questions, send me mail, or ask your system manager.
The more letters we get, especially from across the pond and down under,
the more pressure we bring to bear on Little League.


There are other people writing letters as well, mostly from Connecticut.
Also, there was a scathing editorial in the Hartford Courant the day following
the article.  I'm planning on sending that too.

Mrs. Galla (the coach's wife) was really pleased that we could muster a good
response from all over, so again, please help me out.

If nothing else, I think all of us believe in the innocence of sport at
a youngster's level.  This is our chance to put that belief on display
in a tangible manner.


Thanks folks,
Frank

Okay, extract this note (use EXTRACT filename), edit out this header,
and then put in your address (at top) and name (at bottom).

Print it out, sign it, and FAX it (DTN 238-4360, or 203-286-4360) to me.

THANKS!

=========================================================================
						street address  
						city, state, zip
						6 August, 1990

	Dr. Creighton Hale
	President of Little League
	Little League Headquarters
	Williamsport, PA

	Dear Dr. Hale:

	I am writing this because I have heard of your refusal to give
	the Little League player Matt Sewell a championship jersey.

	I feel this is unfair, and contrary to the concept of
	good sportsmanship.

	The players that make up a championship team contribute in
	various ways, and at different times.  Players that go down
	with injuries early in a sporting season have helped provide
	a foundation upon which the team drives to the championship.

	That this youngster is the only youngster in this predicament
	magnifies the situation, and the fact that he was given a jersey
	for his day at the White House, and then had it taken away
	is unconscionable.

	I would urge you to provide this player with a token of his
	contribution to the Little League World Champions.  Send him
	a championship jersey.


                                                Sincerely,


						your name here

Here's my letter.  Hope it does the trick!

Please note the paragraph about me enclosing your letters.....

'Saw

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

						85 North Street
						Hebron, CT 06248
						6 August, 1990

	Dr. Creighton Hale
	President of Little League
	Little League Headquarters
	Williamsport, PA

	Dear Dr. Hale:

	I am writing to express my extreme displeasure at the decision
	of Little League to exclude Matt Sewell from receiving a 
	championship uniform.  Little League's position of hiding behind
	inflexible rules is both disappointing and contrary to the
	spirit and values which Little League represents.

	When I was young and involved in Little League ball, Little
	League stood for fairness and sportsmanship, and a chance for
	all to play, regardless of ability.  Emphasis was placed on 
	every child's unique contribution, whether the youngster was
	the best hitter or pitcher on the team, or the kid who always
	struck out.  Now, it seems that Little League stands for
	bureaucratic obstinacy.

	Little League is stating that Matt Sewell was not part of the 
	team, due to an interpretation of a rule.  Matt Sewell played
	on the team, and without his unique contribution, Trumbull would
	not have been present in the Finals.  The Trumbull team brought
	a great deal of happiness and pride to American baseball fans, 
	and Matt Sewell deserves accolades for that just as surely as
	any of the nine who were on the field for the final out, or the
	reserves on the bench that day.

	Denying Sewell his jersey is akin to telling a member of last
	year's 49ers championship team that a player injured in mid-season
	does not deserve a Super Bowl ring because he didn't play in the
	playoffs.  Denying Sewell his jersey is akin to denying the men
	who died on the beaches at Normandy were part of the "team", 
	because they weren't around to celebrate VE day.  Denying Sewell 
	his jersey is to deny a young man a memento of perhaps the greatest
	event of his young life, a young man whose unique contribution
	was part of the springboard for the Trumbull team.
	
	There are many rules and laws in America, but our forefathers had
	the presence of mind to design our government in such a way that
	rules could be applied in a fair and equitable manner, and perhaps
	even bent in situations of rare circumstance.  If ever a 
	circumstance existed where a rule needed bending, this is that
	circumstance.  The very fact that the uniforms are not usually
	given to the champs is unusual circumstance enough.  To bend a
	tradition and yet hold fast to a rule which denies one youngster
	a small piece of history is cruel and absurd.

	Enclosed you will find letters signed by people I work with.
	As I work for an international vendor of computer equipment, some of
	the letters have been FAXed from other countries as well as ours.
	In this day and age where baseball is growing in nations all over
	the world, it's truly unfortunate that citizens of those nations
	should see this blatant unfairness to this boy.  I would hope
	this incident would not tarnish Little League's image in their
	eyes as it has been tarnished in mine.

	Finally, Dr. Hale, as one human being to another, I appeal to
	your sense of human decency.  Matt Sewell's greatest pain was 
	not being on the field the day his team won glory and a 
	championship for the USA.  It is both unfair and cruel to deny
	him a memento of his unique contribution to that effort.
	

                                                Sincerely,


						Francis G. Way

    Way to go, Francis G.!  Nice job!  If the part about the men who died
    on the beaches of Normandy don't get to him, nothing will.....
    
    I also read about the attack of one LL coach and 2 kids on the opposing
    team's coach after a game.  Unbelievable!  That coach definitely
    deserves some jail time and the 2 kids should be banned from any future
    organized sports (high school, college, hometown).  JMO.
    
    On the trophy issue, I'm glad (not really) that someone else notices
    this.  I wish I could agree with you 100% NAZZ, that kids don't play
    just for the trophies.  Yes, many, and probably most, do play for the
    thrill and excitement of the sport, but there are many also that just
    tale up space waiting to add that little statue to their collection.....
    
    God Bless America.
    
    Hawk

Oh, btw....

Rick Ellis brought up a point that I wanted to quickly address.

I didn't mention how the other kids on the team felt, and didn't
mention their protest.

Basically, in talking with the coach's wife, I found out that
the team felt that the spearhead should be the coach.  The kids
are upset, and feel that they've all been wronged in a way, but
they knew that the best one to take care of it was the coach.

And, btw, they are all very appreciative of what we are trying to
do...

'Saw

    >>        Sincerely,
    >>
    >>
    >>	    Francis G. Way
    
    
    	Nice letter 'saw.    Check your fax machine.
    
    PJ (International Division)

    Say, Lee - speaking of Kerrie, how's her rehab coming?  Where's
    she going to school this fall?
    
    Fifty, huh?  And I thought 40 was old!!!
    
    NAZZ
    
    PS - "Is that a potato in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"
    could become the SPORTS.NOTE phrase of 1990. 

    Frank - I don't have access to a fax - what's your mailstop?
    
    NAZZ

    
    
    
    		BO DON'T KNOW MATT SEWELL......YET
    

re Nazz:

It's BMF.  If you'd like, you could forward me your letter in mail.
Several other noters have done the same, and requested I sign for them.
I doubt that Little League will do signature verifications on us, and
I promise I won't append a clause to your letter wherein you give 
me a million dollars 8^)


Re PJ:

	AMEN! ;^)


PS If you FAX me, just drop me a VAXmail also... Our fax machine has
   been acting strangely....

You know, if I were using company resources, like FAX machines, for example,
for personal business, I would not be so bold as to broadcast that fact in
a "public" notesfile.... Especially in these days of cost containment and
year-end, first-ever losses.

    Frank, I don't think Doug questioned the intent, as noble as it
    is.  However, the note is a solicitation, which may (or may not)
    be a violation of policy.
    
    Mark.

Whether I have done anything that is in violation of company policy is
not the issue {but, hypothetically, I would imagine everyone has}.  The
issue is whether it is wise to broadcast it in a notesfile.   I know,
I know, this is just like passing the hat at the old "Pseudo Sports Bar".


The kid deserves a shirt.  And maybe if you post your home address, I
would gladly mail you a letter.   But to tie up a FAX machine in an office
{what happens if 500 Sports readers take you up on it?} might cause 
problems for the senders and the sendee.

We also do not know if the Little League head office maybe does their
record keeping on some sort of VAX... Might the sales rep who supports
the hypothetical account take kindly to a bunch of letters purportedly
representing the views of Digital?

    Valid point regarding the Fax.  I was apprehensive about using it
    myself, especially where I never have the need to.  However, I still
    feel that the most effective way would be to simply edit your name into
    the form letter that Francis wrote and send it to him through Email. 
    He can then print it out and forward it along......
    
    I must admit though, my 1st reaction, Doug, was that you were picking
    on Frank only because you've made your feelings *public* about him
    several times in the past......
    
    Let's get this kid his jersey.....
    
    Hawk

>    I must admit though, my 1st reaction, Doug, was that you were picking
>    on Frank only because you've made your feelings *public* about him
>    several times in the past......

	Could you give me a reference, Hawk?   There's a difference between
	a man and his notes, I hope.   As I've come to meet various noters
	over time, I've yet to find one who matched his noting personality.
	Except, Dan maybe... :-)

>    
>    Let's get this kid his jersey.....
    
	Now wouldn't it have been easier just to say that and post the
	address of the moron who denied the kid the jersey and ask those
	supported the belief to send their own letter with their own stamp?
	

    > Could you give me a reference, Hawk?
    
    Not electronically exactly, but about a week and a half ago, when
    SPORTS was going through it's semi-annual guilt trip cleanup act
    [smiley probably necessary here], you did write something personal
    directed at Frank.......
    
    Can we drop this now?  I simply made an observation and was agreeing
    with Frank's view.  No need to debate.  Besides, I sip at debating....
    
    Hawk

    'Saw, you are a man among men. I lived 115 miles from Williamsport
    after my recent transfer and I've got a notion to drive down there 
    and maybe paint a litle something on the road in front of the LL HQ.
    I'll be sending my letter directly to the LL president. I've also
    brought this matter to the attention of 3 league presidents who are
    close to me (1 is my dad) and also to a guy who is on the NY State
    Board of Directors for LL. They all assured me that they would go
    to bat for this kid and try and get him a jersey. Also, on August
    18th my brother is playing in the NY State All-Star Tournament and
    the guy on the State Board told me that the whole Board will be present
    that day. 'Saw, I assure you that I will bring this injustice to their
    attention and I will dog them all afternoon to find out what the
    hail they're gonna do about it.
			Rich_who_is_mad_as_hell
    

    'Saw, you'll be happy to hear that my father has just called me and
    told me that the Irondequoit Atheletic Association is calling an
    unprecendented after season meeting to discuss this matter. Seems
    us Sports_Noters arent the only ones P_O'ed about this. The board
    is going to send a letter to Dr. Hale and in my dad's words they're
    gonna rip him a new you_know_what. Dad says he's had it with the
    BS of Little League being holier than thou and its time that the
    individual leagues started making their voices heard. I update the
    note when I find out more.
    
    			Rich
    

Rich --

It is you, sir, who is the man among men, and I heartily defer!

I know of one coach, one coach's wife, 15 kids, and one kid without
a jersey who will be very pleased to hear what you just said.

I'm really not much of a crusader.  Those who know me know that there
are things I'm serious about: loyalty, friendship, freedom, properly
flying our colors.  But, something about this youngster losing a
piece of his youth really got to me.

Perhaps I was remiss in asking people to FAX to me.  Our FAX machine
sits idle most of the week, and it is not unheard of for people to
use the FAX machines for things that would not strictly be considered
DEC business.  But that is neither here nor there.

I suggested the FAX mainly to consolidate the effort, and get past the
inertia of writing the letter and everything that some might feel.

I'm sincerely heartened by the fact that people are willing to extract
and send their own letters.


I may not be the pivotal element here, but I hope that in some small
way I can help get this kid his jersey.  It might not amount to a hill
of beans in the overall world, but I think it's worth the effort....


Again, to all of you who've participated so far, my heartfelt thanks!

'Saw

   I agree. Tie that little snot up in a Jersey and hit him up side the
   haid with a baseball bat. Those kids need to learn <lrijgn[pow80utj	[0
   7yh= a PO: M
   ,]M 0[inwAG8YU0]3 9ih0	8=u3	 j9
   0-W9 HI8J


   UH.. SORRY!

   	Da  Debil  got  into  my  toiminal.

   Re:  trophies

   My kids this year were all ten and eleven year olds. I told them at the
   beginning of the year that they wouldn't be getting trophies just for
   showing up like they did when they were `little' kids. They needed to
   win! No problem. Some of the parents however were quite concerned (and
   I've got really neat parents....  very supportive) that the kids would
   be disappointed. As it turned out, they went 17-1, took first place in
   the division, and everybody got HUGE trophies. 

   ( Okay... so I just wanted to brag )
   Mike JN

>   be disappointed. As it turned out, they went 17-1, took first place in
>   the division, and everybody got HUGE trophies. 

Mike...

It's not the size of the trophy.  It's how you use it.

Does it just sit on the mantle?  Or do you use it to let onion
rings drain?  

Shlep me, and all that....

'Saw

At the end of today I had twenty letters.  Thanks to all who
responded.

If you decide to write, and send off a letter of your own, please
drop me a VAXmail, as I'd like to provide Tom and Sandy Galla with
a list of all the folks who responded.

I've got to wait a bit more, and will probably mail on Wednesday.

Thanks very, very much.
'Saw

   I don't know how he's going to use them all. I don't really know when
   the practice of giving out trophies just for playing began. My kid has
   TONS of trophies: Football, baseball, basketball, soccer.... every year
   since he's been six....  trophies just for being on the team, then
   trophies if they happened to win something as well! 

   (Actually, I'm just jealous. The darned kid has more trophies than ME)

   Mike JN

Latest and greatest news:

	I just spoke with Tom Galla.  This thing is really snowballing.

	Tom expressed his thanks to all of us, and he said that he'd felt
	bad, because initially, he had not wanted to make a big deal out
	of this, because he's not a person who seeks publicity etc.

	After the story broke, a local radio station approached him for
	an interview, but he declined.  One of the reasons was that he
	did not want to detract from the tournaments now going on (and
	he says that Trumbell has a helluva good team this year too.)

	After talking with me, and hearing of our interest and feelings,
	he decided to call the station and accept the interview.  In
	addition, I urged him to call WFSB-TV3, who covered the series
	out in Williamsport.

	He received a call this morning from a Sportcaster in LA who
	is incensed just like us, and he's received letters from Texas,
	Montana and all over.

	So, keep those letters going folks.  It's only a 25 cent stamp
	and it might help get this kid his jersey.

	Tom also said that he'd been reluctant to really make waves, because
	he didn't want to get everyone's hopes up and then have Hale still
	refuse.  I told him that if you've got two strikes on you, and
	the pitcher gives you that high floater, you've *GOT* to go for the
	fence, no doubt about it.

I'll keep you informed as more goes by...

Chainsaw

    How does the rest of the team fell about Matt not getting his jersey?
    
    REK

    To:   Francis G. Way
    	  (aka The Jersey Crusader)
    
    Subject:  Matt Sewell
    ______________________________________________________________________
    
    Check your machine....Three letters coming in..
    
    	Two from London, England
    	One from Sweden
    
    PJ
    
    P.S.     Maybe we can get this sleazeball Hale fired!!
    P.P.S.   Maybe we should start a new crusade....
    
    	       "FRANCIS G. WAY FOR LITTLE LEAGUE PRESIDENT"
    

The kids are upset, of course.

Basically however, they're following the baseball maxim of letting
the coach be the spearhead.

Any time I ever played ball, if you were in a tight play and thought
about arguing with the ump, you'd usually just get about two words
out, then the coach would be pulling you away and starting to jaw
the ump out himself.  Easier for a team to lose a coach than a player.

The kids are doing the same thing.

This issue, btw, is starting to gain national attention....

'Saw

    frankwa,
    
    damn proud of ya! Sir, i will personally
     salute a sammy adams to ya!
    

    Tell this little whiner Max Sewell to quit with the moany groany
    routine and admit that the only thing he deserves is a swift kick
    in the ace.  Hail, next you'll want the Broncos' water boy to 
    get a Super Bowl Ring next January!
    
    Hey Matt, if you hadn't been malingering with this "injury" of 
    yours and actually playing like you were supposed to be, maybe
    you woulda flubbed things up and them Taiwanese woulda won their
    14,789th World Series in a row.  Breaking your arm was probly the
    best thing that happened to this country since that coke runner
    Secord's airplane went down in Nicaragua...
    
    MrT

    leave it to t.. ha... wheres your smilies ?
    

Remember folks, that MrT learnt his appreciation of little league
baseball from those midwestern, Big10 states, where teams are led onto
the field by their coach to beat up the other team's coach.

TTom

    Hey Markie, methinks you gave MrT too strong a dose of punk......
    
    W.D.O.P. = MrT  :-)
    
    Hawk

MrT,

If you fax me a copy of that note, I'll make sure it gets forwarded
to the Committee to Deny Clothing to Pubescent Whiners.

    a voice of reason from where?
    

    i gotta say this, course when have i ever held back from opening
    my irish  mouth.. but  doug, why dont ya just do a  unseen  and
    leave it at that?
    
    
    
    dinz
    

Doug, 

If you've got a problem with me, and/or what I do, why don't you
just be man enough to come right out and say it.

If you're kidding around, then I'll give you your feeble attempt
at humor, but why not follow the more or less standard practice
of appending one of these "8^)" after your note.

If you're not kidding around, then I'd say you're much better when
you're quoting stats on amount of notes entered than when you're trying
to be funny.

If you've got a problem with what I'm trying to do here fine...say so,
and then just use next unseen, like I do when you get going on Wade Boggs...

with all due respect,
frank

> "austin goober.smile, enjoy the world."

	Who is this Austin Goober guy?   Or is this another attempt at
	written English.   Good try.


>    i gotta say this, course when have i ever held back from opening
>    my irish  mouth.. but  doug, why dont ya just do a  unseen  and
>    leave it at that?
    
	Because this is the great sports bar where all opinions are welcome,
	all junk notes treasured, and all of the downtrodden go to get 
	support.    Just like Davy Crockett leading the Green Mountain Boys
	over the Sands of Iwo Jima, we use this forum, sparing no expense
	to Digital, to right the terrible wrongs of the world {like kids
	in upper-middle-class CT towns who don't get shirts}.

	Why I'm sure when George Washington and Betsy Ross {no relation} were
	drafting the Bill of Rights back in the early 1900's, they had
	situations just like this in mind.   It's not like the kid's parents,
	coaches, and teammates could manage this case alone. We need to help
        this drive to get the kid a $15 shirt.   Damn the torpedoes, as General
	Robert E. Lee used to say, full speed ahead!   If the bar doesn't
	close early, we may even spend a few moments thinking about people
	who can't afford shoes or food.... but only if they're SPORTS related.
     
	

    
    AUSTIN GOOBER, HES  agood friend of mine... Doug,   do you have
    a child?  I
    
    dinz
    
    
    

>        <<< Note 320.69 by COBRA::DINSMORE "T and Ross.. whata team" >>>
>
>    
>    AUSTIN GOOBER, HES  agood friend of mine... Doug,   do you have
>    a child?  I
>    
>    dinz
    
 I assume this was supposed to be some sort of "How would you feel
if your son was the kid who didn't get the shirt?" query.  

Yes, I have a son...  in fact, someone who reads this notesfile regularly
is his godfather.  

Number 1, when my son gets to Little League age, he won't play Little
League if they still have drafts to pick the teams. 

Number 2, if he were in this situation, I would do everything in MY power
to rectify the situation, gathering the support of the coaches and the parents
of the other players.  I would not make it a world-wide issue, because I
wouldn't want him to think an adult's incompetence over a shirt was worth 
that much effort.  I would do whatever I could to lessen the pain... like
take him to a Red Sox game, buy him a special baseball card...  I would also
guess that by the end of the summer, it would probably be forgotten.

Finally, you guys are all gung ho on junk notes and freedom of speech, etc.
until someone comes in and rains on the parade.   Sort of like when a 
transvestite walks into the sports bar and orders a Brandy Alexander.

    So, it wouldnt be nice to know  perfect starngers were backing ya
    up, supporting the cause, .... nice analogy there with the 
    
    transvesite doug..
    

    beforew  doug corrects me, that should be strangers.. the misspelled
    
    word.
    

>        <<< Note 320.71 by COBRA::DINSMORE "T and Ross.. whata team" >>>
>                  -< think we are beating a dead horse here >-
>
>    So, it wouldnt be nice to know  perfect starngers were backing ya
>    up, supporting the cause

Nope.... because it wouldn't be a "cause".   It would be a private matter
that didn't require outside "help."

    RE: .64 Ahhh...kudos to you!  Good note!
    
    RE: .70
    
    Wouldn't you rather have a bunch of nice people like us do something
    *NOW* so as to change this ignorant rule so more children don't get
    hurt?
    
    Sounds to me like a lack of compassion....
    

Doug --

Let me give you a little background...

This issue was kept very quiet for a long time.  Tom Galla the
coach, along with other parents from the team, worked this issue
for a long time.

About a week and a half ago, Tom was being interviewed by a
small local paper in the Trumbell/Bridgeport area.  He had not
previously said anything to the press at all about the issue of
the uniform.  The report asked him something about it, and he
answered the question honestly.  That would have been the
end of it, had a reporter from the Hartford Courant not seen the
article.

The Courant picked up the story, and I guess all the do-gooders in 
the world like me 8^) read it and got really mad.

Prior to my talking with Tom yesterday afternoon (oh, it was on my
own dime btw) he had declined further interviews, not wanting to
make a cause of it.  However, the swell of public opinion began
dictating the course this thing would take.

Matt is 13, and at that awkward age between childhood and adulthood,
when understanding what motivates adults to do what they do is sometimes
confusing.  He hasn't whined, in fact his quotes in the paper were very
mature.

I'm sorry if it bothers you or anyone else, but I feel for this kid.
And I was motivated to do something about it.  That's the way I am.
I do a lot of other charitable type things, but I don't advertise
it.  I don't tell people what I do because to me it's private.
I told you in the mail message because it was something I felt you
perhaps needed to know about me.

There are many other causes in the world.  This happened to be one
that I felt I could do something about, in my own small way.

I understand your point of view, so let's just agree to disagree, okay?

'Saw

    FRANK,
    
    Ya dont have to apoligise to anyone, dammit, it was a good thing
    ya did... not enough things that  are positive are done now a days.
    
    bravo!
    
    dinz
    
    

    So, let's make others miserable because they don't see things as
    structured as you personally feel as correct.  Let's start our own
    crusade to squelch the present crusade that you don't believe is 
    necessary.  Let's make others feel the lesser because they aren't
    nearly as witty or eloquent.  Right, Doug?  Make sure you teach your
    boy these fine qualities so that he may be successful in bringing
    misery to others.......
    
    Un-freakin-believable.
    
    Hawk

You realize this all started because I had the nerve to suggest that
openly soliciting FAX submissions might not be a good idea.   

Today's rathole was based on my sarcastic reply to MrT's reply.  I had
already stated much earlier that the kid deserved a shirt.  You guys are
too much.   Circle the wagons, here comes Big Bad Doug and his keyboard,
causing misery around the world.

And I'm accused of taking life too seriously....

On a lighter note folks....

Tomorrow I'm going to mail all this stuff in.  I went out at 
lunch time today and bought me an envelope and some stamps (needed
some for home anyway, so I just bought me a roll).  Probably'll
take three or four anyway to send this thing in...

Tomorrow I'm going to put it all in the envelope and then after
a couple of days, Dr. Hale will know how we feel.


Thanks to everyone who's participated.  I really mean that.

Regardless of how people may feel about this issue, I'd like to
say that if there's something in your life that you feel strongly
about, whether it's the homeless, the hungry, or even Shoeless Joe
Jackson not being in the HoF, do something about it.  Every little
bit helps.

Have a good one...
'Saw

Who knows, maybe because of our efforts, Matt Sewell will grow up to
solve the S&L crisis.

TTom

    re: .80
    
    You mentioned the decline in this nation.  I wonder why that is?
    Couldn't be that a lot of people always think about themselves
    only could it?
    
    So someone makes an effort to do something else in the spirit of
    helping and takes a bashin' for it.  I tell ya, what is this
    country coming to?
    

There's a young boy who was struck in the head the other day by a batted
ball at a Cubs game... he was in serious condition but it looks like he
will recover...

There's a kid here in South Carolina who signed a letter of intent to play
football at Clemson {or N.C. State} this year...  within the past few months
he was diagnosed with leukemia and now it's not even clear if he will make it
to the start of the season.  His parent's are faced with enormous hospital
bills.

There's another kid out in the midwest who signed to play basketball at a 
major university.  This spring, he slipped while fooling around near a 
train, and was run over, losing his foot in the process.  Just last week,
the kid said he's going to try and play ball again before he graduates.

How many of you have wondered how Hank Gathers' kid is doing these days?

>    Is feeding the deer in the nature conservatory or the brown bear in
>    the national park *helping*?!  No, I think not.  Feeding the animals
>    turns them into weak-willed domesticated freaks of semi-natural unable
>    to weather storms or protect themselves in the food chain.

	Yeah, MrT... what little Matt should do is use this experience
	as a "rite of passage" to manhood.   Driven by the trauma of the
	"shirt denied," Matt quits baseball and throws himself into the
	study of computers and telecommunications.  Within a couple years,
	after honing his hacking and phreaking skills, Matt breaks into
	the computers at TRW and Citibank and destroys Hale's credit, causing
	him to suffer a mental breakdown and drive his Audi 5000 off a cliff.
	After his arrest and subsequent suspended sentence, Matt writes a
	best selling book "You Took the Shirt Off My Back, I Took Your Life"
	and becomes a consulting engineer.

	Maybe this was for the best.

    MrT,
    
    I still disagree, young children's ideas and values are formed at an
    early age and carry on to adulthood.
    
    If a child is subjected to a low set of values he/she will go through
    life with these.  Children (like Matt) who see the good that OTHER
    people have done for them will more than likely do the same for
    others.
    
    BTW, you might as well stop arguing, because I'm stubborn, and I'm
    a true optimist: you'll never get me to see the bad side of this!
    
    
    Have a good day!

    It's easy to preach behind a tube, MrT, but would you actually be so
    bold and say everything you've said about the kid, including the
    name-calling, directly to his face?  I am assuming, of course that you
    are being totally serious about this, although I not convinced that it
    isn't just a joke.......
    
    Hawk

    re .86  
     Why don't you think before you write.  You know you are really
    irritating people in here with your bashing of this topic(i.e. your
    title)  While you can pretend you're fooling around, you really are
    trying to be biting.  Those are sad stories, but like you say, they
    don't belong here, so find another home for them.  Lastly, stop being a
    sap and Grow Up.
    
    
    re .87
    I'm pretty sure you're kidding; but if you're not ->  you're right, you
    shouldn't  try to help Matt Sewell, you  need to get yourself a life.
    Open your eyes.  You think that we're going to right all the world's
    wrongs just because you know what they are.  The only way we'll ever
    mobilize to come to solutions for our larger problems is through
    cooperation.  Small and seemingly meaningless problems in the big
    picture can have long term benefits (other kids) and help people to
    be active in dealing with problems outside of their households.
                                                 
    
    Sincerely but seriously,
    Tom Richard
                                                             

The causes that Doug mentions are definitely all good causes, without a doubt.  
If anyone choses to head up any type of effort in relation to them, please 
let me know, I'll be glad to participate.

My efforts are predicated on the fact that this occured in my area and
was something I'm familiar with.  I hadn't heard about the kid with the
train, or the kid who was hit in the head with the ball... 

There are plenty of issues to go around.  If someone wants tackle the
S&L issue, fine by me.  If you've ever heard the story of the Big Lighthouse
and the Little Lighthouse (and those of you with kids I'm sure you must
have), I'm content to be the little Lighthouse, lighting up the harbor,
while the other lighthouse lights up the coastline or whatever
it was doing....

'Saw

    Serious question, because I don't know Little League rules.
    
    At what point during the games leading up to the Little League World
    Series are the rosters for the teams frozen?  (i.e., you can't add
    any more kids - if someone gets hurt you play short.)  I know for
    soccer tournaments, the roster has to be sent in about 6 weeks to 2
    months prior to the tournament.  If Matt was on the roster at the time
    that it was frozen, it seems to me that he was a member of the team and
    should have been accorded that status, regardless of whether or not he
    played.  I've seen kids who were injured prior to a soccer tournament
    come to the tournament and get a trophy, because they were on the
    roster and their team won.
    
    So what is the Little League rule?
    
    A&W

I don't know about the roster being frozen, or what the rule is per se.

From what I understand, he played in the regional tournament as
part of the team, then broke his wrist.  He was not allowed to
go to Williamsport and was replaced by one of two alternates allowed.

I can perhaps call Tom and get the exact chronology if possible.

'Saw

    I know this ain't hockey, but in hockey to get your name on the Cup
    you have to have either played in HALF the regular season games or
    played in the finals.
    
    If he played all the way to the regional tournament then I think
    he should get it.

    .100
    Mr. T,
     I really pity ignorant bastards who think like you write.  It's
    because of ignorance like in your generaliztions that he lives in a
    rich, snobby household--- that there is still racial discrimination in
    the U.S. today, and relatedly a much higher minority infant mortality
    rate in this country.
    
    TomR

    Mr. T is a master of the "bait & switch" ;-)  He loves to get you guys
    all riled up and most of you fall right into the trap everytime!
    
    I bet he doesn't have any kids either.
    
    Mike

    IF all you folks in the SPORTSbar would sober up and intelligently
    read T's replies, you'd notice that he has a very valid point.
    
    All across this nation there are much more serious problems that
    crop up every day than worrying about if some middle-class suburban
    kid gets a lousy T-shirt.  Getting drugs off the street and out
    of 8 year old's hands, educating our youth, ridding the streets
    of the homeless, strengthening the family, lowering infant mortality
    rates, stamping out disease, helping the poverty stricken and I
    could go on and on....
    
    If people would put half the support into fighting some of these
    problems as they do with these media created sensations than maybe
    we could make progress in eliminating them.  A perfect example is
    that of Baby Jesse, which the nation poured tens of thousands of dollars
    inot gifts, contributions and cards.  It was a beautiful story and
    I'm glad the kid was saved, but if it was a little black girl who
    fell down a sewer pipe in downtown D.C. than you better believe
    that some rich family in Newport R.I isn't going to send a Teddy
    Bear to her hospital and it wouldn't be on the CBS Evening News,
    with updates every 15 minutes. 
    
    The real heroes of that story were the volunteers who helped free
    that girl and there would be heroes for the girl in D.C. as well,
    If the people sent 10 dollars to a local charity instead of
    sending that girl a teddy bear than maybe we could start to clean
    up some of these problems.
     
    We are an apathetic society that rallies to strange causes at times.
    I'm not saying anyone's intentions in this T-shirt matter aren't
    good nor am I saying that the people who have sent letters supporting
    this matter haven't worked hard to make a dent with some of the
    other problems that I have mentioned.  What I'm saying is that if
    people showed this kind of energy and fervor in fighting some of
    these other problems, than maybe we all could live in a better world.
    
    Wake up and smell the coffee people, there are alot more important
    issues out there than whether this kid gets a lousy shirt.  No one
    can ever take away his memories and that's what is important.
    
    I'm off my podium now,
    
    Cap

    Mr crypTic.
       
    There are better ways of getting you points across, the SHOCK treatment
    isn't always needed but it is very entertaining....
    
    One of these days you're going to really shock me and put in a note
    that is meant to inform the reader not enrage them...
    
    You've got some good points, but people get so pissed of at you
    that they never really read into what you are saying...
    
    Keep at it, for the most part I enjoy what you bring to the conference.
                                                     
    Cap

    Cap,
    
    While I agree with your comments, and understand where T is coming
    from, I don't think rallying around this is such a bad thing.
    
    Many times, when people get involved in something like this, it
    is the first time they've ever gotten involved in a 'charitable'
    function (for want of a better term).  If just one person decides
    that helping causes is a good thing because of this, then in my
    book, a goodness has been served.
    
    There are lots of horrible things happening out there, and I to
    feel that too much coverage is given to 'trivial' problems like
    that baby in Texas - but sometimes stories like that are good for
    the psyche.  THe news is filled with so many bad stories that its
    damn nice to hear about something that is positive.
    
    Volunteering to help right any of society's evils, or to help those
    that are handicapped, homeless, etc., is a noble cause.  TO many
    times those that rant and rave are the ones that don't do anything
    to help solve the problems they moan about. 
    
    Helping this kid instead of helping solve the drug problem is no
    worse than throwing away your leftovers while folks are starving;
    no worse than spending money on luxury items, or fancy vacations,
    while folks are homeless.   

    I agree with you 100% JD, I just was doing a little 'translating',
    if you know what I mean...
    
    Good deeds are always commendable and I didn't want to make it seem
    like I didn't agree with that.  I am bothered by the people(and
    I'll bet you there were a few in this file) who turn something like
    this into a national tragedy and ignore what's going on in their
    own back yard.
    
    I commend Frank Way on his efforts, he doesn't seem like the type
    of person who would ignore some of hte major problems in this world.
                                                                 
    You made good points JD, I think to some degree every person is
    a little guilty of apathy(good example with the leftovers).  I just
    wish that America would use their energies to more productive causes.
    
    You can always learn something in Sports, thanks for providing the
    'flip side' of the coin for me....
    
    Cap

    Cap,
    
    I caught on to the 'translating', and agreed on your note about
    T's "SHOCK" treatment...
    
    Also, as often happens, a note addressed to one turns into a note
    addressed to all.....
    
    JD

 >>   Mr. T is a master of the "bait & switch" ;-)  He loves to get you guys
 >>   all riled up and most of you fall right into the trap everytime!
    
    
      I guess this makes Mr. T a    'master-baiter'  !!!
    
    'nuff said,
    PJ
               

I agree with the points made out in .105 by you, Cap.  Most people are sometimes
guilty of what you described - it makes us feel as though we are participating
in making things better when in fact we *do* nothing when things happen right
under our noses.

However, sometimes we see injustices that are within reach that get us just 
when we're in the right mood and we go for them, which is what I think Frank
did...

Anyway, the kid *was* on the team.  Whether he played in the Championship
game or not means little to me.  As we all know, it's the long road *to*
that last game that counts most, not just the championship itself.

Hell, it's the same as if we worked on a project from the little idea on the
back of a cigarette pack right through to pilot, missed the sign-off meeting,
and got no credit for it.

I'd sure feel pretty lousy if it happened to me...
         
Waydago, Frank.  You *did* something.

rick ellis

    Saw, in the words of an 'ole country boy that I used to work with,
    "You done good."
    
    Do you feel good about what you did?  Then, that's all that really
    matters.  None of us can rectify all the wrongs in this world. 
    What's important is that we at least make an attempt to do so when
    we are able to.  
    
    I sent my letter out yesterday.  I feel good about that.  Nothing
    that anyone says in here will change that.  Thanks for presenting
    me with the opportunity.
    
    Lee

    I think that just about everybody in here agrees that this is a trivial
    problem in the grand scheme of things, and no one ever said that there
    weren't much more important problems in our world(our neighborhoods)
    today.  I go to school in West Philly and I'm well aware of many of the
    problems that are eating away at our society.  Like others have said,
    'Saw found something that he didn't think was right and he acted on it.  
    That is very commendable.  While it might not solve all the world's
    problems, it's a small way that the people in here could do a little
    something to brighten a kid's day.  I don't know Mr T. at all, but shock
    treatment isn't going to do too much, except perpetuate the amount of
    time we discuss the validity of this topic.  No one was
    saying that this was more important than the other problems and  the
    tragedies mentioned before, but it is little something people in here
    can get behind, and for this conference, it is sports related.
    
    P.S.  The amount of time we spent on this concern does not have to be
    construed as directly detracting from our major concerns and efforts in
    correcting the major wrongs  around us.  I will agree that too many people
    today choose to look the other way and pretend that everything is
    peachy.
    
    Tom Richard
                                          

After some more thought on the subject...

What's going to happen when Matt Sewell finally gets his shirt {which I
imagine will happen}?  Is it going to really make him feel better after
all this?  Is he going to be "the boy who didn't get a shirt" for the
rest of his life?

Maybe a better solution would be for the rest of the team to send back
their shirts to the Little League head office, in care of the President.
One per day for however long it takes.   They have the title and the 
memories, and the show of support for their teammate would probably make
Matt feel much better than having to fight the system to get one.

    Re: -1
    
    That sounds like a great idea.  Somewhat along the lines of the U.S.
    Olympic basketball team in '68 (or was it '72?) that refused to accept 
    their bronze medals after getting jobbed in the game against the Russians.
                 
    					Steve

You all make good points, even MrT, even if his manner is unpalatable
to some.

The thing that I find humorous is that people will belittle the cause, 
and then make an assumption that it will be a major event in the life
of Matt Sewell.

To the last few replies I say the game isn't over, anything can happen, 
and we'll have to wait and see.

Now, to address some other things....


I realize there are a great many major issues in the world today.  I will
not list the things I take part in, but suffice it to say that I'm an
involved person, be it by contributing food to the Greater Hartford 
Food Bank (News Flash here folks -- there *ARE* poor people in Connecticut,
and quite frankly, the assumptions made of Connecticut as a "Who's the
Boss" state are as bogus as me assuming that everyone in NC goes barefoot
and have ears that stick out, or that folks in Minnesota are all like
MrT 8^) 8^)....) or by donating things to the Salvation Army or clothing
drives.   I'm into environmental issues, and other things too.

However, there are several reasons why I got involved here.  First, I felt
that I could make a difference that was tangible, and I could *see* right
here, right now.   For all of the cans of food that go to the food bank,
I can't see a tangible dent in hunger in my own state, let alone the
world.  And also, I felt like JD stated, that if some people helped out
here and felt good about it, they might be more inclined to help out
other people sometime.

I won't be a snob about causes.  Just because it's a little cause, it
doesn't belittle one who gets involved in it.  There are many big
causes that need adressing, but that doesn't mean that someone should
bypass a little one just because they're not covering it on the
national news.  

As always, these are just some of my opinions, and I wouldn't ever
expect any of you to see things from the viewpoint that I have.

Again, thanks to all that helped, and even thanks to the people who
have expressed differing viewpoints, for that's what I think sports
is about...viewpoints and debates.

later,
'Saw

>   The message will pervert them,
>    for they will see and understand that a homie who don't show up for
>    the rumble steal gits to wear the colors earned in the victory won
>    there.

Just for my edification:

	if the homie gets shots in one of the preliminary rumbles, 
	and get participate in the Big Rumble, does he still get
	to where the colors?  Or is he out of the gang?

Just curious,
'Saw

	and get participate in the Big Rumble, does he still get
            ^^^

Sorry, that should say "doesn't get to"

'Saw

    It never ceases to amaze me how some of the people in this file can sit
    behind a terminal and say some of the things that you do. Gentlemen some
    of the comments in this file border on libel.. I find some of the
    comments and "descriptions" in this note  offensive at best. 
    
    I seriously doubt whether some of the noters here would say some of
    these things in a face to face discussion with the principals. I think
    some of the comments are without taste, and go way beyond the 
    boundries of good judgement. I don't really care whether someone is
    trying to "stir the pot" or not. It is easy to attach descriptions to
    people from the anonymous confines of your office, especially when you
    do not know the people involved. 
    
    Some of you really do need to grow up in a very big way.
    
    I see no reason to participate in this discussion any further in this
    forum. You got a problem, I'm in the book.
    
    Regards to some, none to others,
    Jerry Tirrell 
    
     

    Re: .121
    
    Good point JD!  Maybe T can start a new note to tell us about all the
    wimpy "Save the _____!" projects that he's involved in and supports
    with his own finances and time.
    
    Mike

>                             -< This is Offensive >-

	I find your note kind of offensive.  You don't 'know' the noters
so saying you doubt some would say these things in a face to face discussion
is making a character statement about them that you realy have no grounds 
to make.  

	There have been some very valid points made on both sides of the
discussion.  You may not agree with them or how they were advanced but that 
doesn't give you the right to bash away.  Nothing as been written in here
that you don't see in the papers or on the news every day.

Chill out.

Mc

(Reprinted from the Hartford Courant, Saturday, August 11, 1990
w/o permission)


Sewell Will Get His Uniform
Hoping to End Controversy Little League Changes Mind

by Paul Doyle


Matt Sewell was shocked but happy Friday.

He will get a uniform from Williamsport, PA., and in the eyes of
Little League, he is a member of the Trumbull team that won
the World Series last summer.

Sewell, a .500 hitter for Trumbull, broke his wrist and was unable
to play in the Series a year ago.  When Little League gave uniforms
to Trumbull players in December to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
the league, Sewell was overlooked.

It said he was not a member of the team.  To give him a uniform would
be breaking a rule.

Trumbull Little League officials, particularly coach Tom Galla, spent
months haggling on behalf of Sewell.

Little League yielded Friday.

"I was surprised," Sewell said.  "I thought I was never going to get
it. But they gave in...Thank goodness."

The Sewell story went national when wire services picked up an Aug. 2
Courant story and it appeared in papers across the country.  Since then,
calls to Little League, the Sewells and Trumbull coach Tom Galla have
been steady.

Galla appeared on a radio show in Los Angeles and was heard by L.A
Kings center Wayne Gretzky, who reportedly tried to call Sewell this
week.  The Sewells were vacationing in Cape Cod.

The Sewells heard from Maury Povich of "A Current Affair" Wednesday.
Old ladies "in varying stages of hysteria" called Galla.

"One was crying. I almost had to console her," Galla said.  "They
couldn't understand why a 12-year old boy would be forced to go through
this ordeal."

The apparent breaking point came Friday when Galla and Sewell
appeared separately on  WFAN, the all-sports radio station in New York.
Galla was on at 10:30 a.m., Sewell and his father Ed two hours later.

Callers to WFAN complained Friday afternoon and the station gave out
the number of Little League's offices on the air.  According to
Little League public relations director Steve Keener, the decision
to give Sewell a uniform was made at a meeting early in the afternoon.
The announcement was made at 4 p.m.

"After meeting with different people, we decided we just didn't need this,"
Keener said.  "We were contacted by people from all over the country
and we sensed that something was wrong.  People were not going to leave
this alone.  The only way to resolve this was to give the youngster
the uniform."

John Heher, District II Little League administrator, lobbied for 
Trumbull for months.

"It was stupid for it to come to this.  All this was for a $10 uniform,
or whatever it costs," Heher said.

Galla and the Sewell family are happy to put the issue behind them.

"Now he's got his uniform.  I don't have an ax to grind with anyone,"
Galla said.l  "I'm thrilled.  Justice has been served.  I regret
that [Sewell] went through this ordeal.  My intention now is to go to
the [Little League] World Series [in two weeks] and not talk to any 
reporters at all."

Ed Sewell said, "I'm happy it turned out this way, but I wish it had
not gone this far.  In general, Little League is a super organization.
If this prevents anything like this happening again, then there will
be a benefit in it."

----------------------------------------------------


So, we did it.  We and a whole bunch of other people.

If my calculations were correct, our letters would have arrived
there on Friday, considering when I mailed them and all....

Thanks to *everyone* who helped!

'Saw

    Justice prevails!!!!
    
    Congrats to you, 'Saw.  You done good.
    
    NAZZ

Well, I guess the final word on this would be to tell you all that
Tom Galla called me up on Saturday evening.  He wanted, among other
things, to thank all of you for writing or calling.  He was surprised
at the amount of people who took an interest.

He had some very interesting things to say on the way the American
teams get treated at the tournament, and we talked about that for
a while.  He also told me some about the game last year, what it meant
to him and the kids.

At any rate, if any of you get the New York Times, they asked Tom
to write an article about the World Series experience, and it will
be in the Sunday edition on August 19th.

And I'd like to say thanks.  It might not have been a world saving
banner cause, and it might not affect global warming, nuclear disarmament,
or people going hungry, but somehow it touched me, and I felt it
was important, and I thank everyone who helped out.....

later,
'Saw

    	The point, though, is that the whole thing was STUPID!
    
    	My wife and I were discussing this Saturday. I mean,
    	how much would it have cost them to give him the
    	uniform in the beginning? Now, the Little League
    	is going to have a bad rap (deserved for the BONE
    	HAIDS who wouldn't give out the uniform) for some
    	time.
    
    	Sometimes you just gotta wonder what makes people
    	tick.
    
    	Scott

    This isn't the first time that LL followed the letter of the law only
    to have the situation blow up in their faces.  I think it was last year
    that a Texas kid was banned from his team, and the team was forced to
    forfeit all of the games that were won with him on the roster, because
    the kid was too old.
    
    The rest of the story was that the coach took a liking to a handicapped
    kid who could not compete on the same level as kids his own age.  The
    coach found a spot for him on his team which was an age bracket below
    the kid's age.  After much publicity, the LL changed the ruling.

This whole sordid saga was rather typically American, wasn't it?

1) Rules are set to apply equally to all.

2) Spoiled rich kid gets hurt and ends up not contributing one damned bit
   to a Title.

3) Spoiled rich kid's coach and dad begin whining publicly about how unfair
   Little League rules cain be when applied to spoiled rich kid like Moochy.

4) American public, anesthisized to the point of lobotomy by a decade of
   trivialized causes, seizes onto this as a cause celebre as a way of taking
   their troubled minds off of disturbing issues like chemical and/or biological
   warfare and maybe even nuclear conflagaration in the Mideast, not to mention
   the nascent recession, the trillion dollar S&L scam, the foreign debt, the
   national debt, plummeting educational standards, runaway crime, and the 
   continued rapid loss of worldwide industrial market share, the price of gas
   skyrocketing... to mention a few minor side issues.

5) Moochy's pop gets involved personally and calls WFAN from the family compound
   on Cape Cod to wheedle for not only a shirt but a_entire uniform!

6) Airhaid media picks it up as yet another "major issue" facing the nation.

7) Poor Little League execs relent, understanding that the call from Moochy's
   family compound in Cape Cod was the fatal blow to equable rules enforcement.
   Relinquishes uniform as ransom to PR campaign.

8) Millions of shoulders are separated throughout our Concerned Nation by way
   of "patriots who get aren't afraid to get involved" patting themselves on
   their backs in a fit of delerious self-congratulations over their ability to
   face down problems when confronted with a_emergency of such gravity as this
   one.

    9)  Noter always ready, willing and able to insult/offend other noters
    writes inflamatory reply (as implied by the 'patriotic' comment).

    I'd like to offer my congratulations to Frank Way for his efforts in
    working on young Matt Sewell's behalf.  I'm glad I was able to help in
    a small way, too, by sending in a letter.
    
    But ...
    
    You guys really ought to go back and re-read T's comments again.  If
    you can filter out his customary inflammatory rhetoric, you will see
    that he is 100% correct.   There *ARE* other things that are more
    important.   He mentioned half a dozen critical issues and there are
    more.  The homeless and the AIDS epidemic are just two more.
    
    This country has a disturbing trend to get itself distracted by the
    trivial issues and to ignore the tough ones.   I'm sorry but Matt
    Sewell belongs in the same general category as some of the other "no
    great big deal" issues that we've rallied around.  The trapped whales
    and Jessica McClure's rescue were some others just like this one.  No
    big deal in the overall sense.
    
    Try and separate his rhetoric from his message.  I know I don't always
    do that but I try to.
    
    Again, to Frank Way, well done.  I applaud your spirit and your
    efforts.  To the rest, take a deep breath and let's move on to other
    more important issues.
    
    Like SPORTS ...	:-)
    
    Bob Hunt

    I missed most of this discussion while I was gone on vacation.  I, too,
    have to agree with Bob and Mr T to a certain extent.  A rule is a rule
    and should be followed and Little League should be bashed for having a
    bad rule, and not for applying the rule.
    
    Frank and company, I do applaud your efforts, though.
    
    John

    Bob,
    Read some of the replies to T.  We all agree that there are bigger
    problems out there.  Just because we send in letters to help out this
    situation doesn't indicate that anyone is turning away from the major
    problems of society.  It's pretty stupid to insist that this is the
    case after just about everybody in here has agreed that there are huge
    problems out there that must be dealt with. 
       A lot of you have fallen into T's trap.  His narrow minded rhetoric
    makes it seem as ifeverybody here is taking this as a great social
    cause, and we are ignoring everything else(that just isn't the case). 
    T also succeded in diverting a lot of attention from the topic with his
    blatantly ignorant assertions.  There are big problems in today's
    world,& a lot of people look the other way--but it's foolish to tag
    it onto this topic and keep trying to correlate this  ignorance with
    this topic.  
    
        I've said it already, "Let's drop the discussion on world problems, 
    and T your schtick is getting old.
    
    TomR 

    Bob, John Hendry,
    
    Whenever I read a MrT tirade like his latest, I think of the old
    proverb "Be it him without sin that casts the first stone".
    
    JD

   To each his own.

   Mr T and Mr hunT MAY have a point, but to be perfectly honest,
   I'm much more concerned about, and interested in, Little League
   uniforms going to the deserving than I am in AIDS and brain damaged
   Iraquis.

   PS I liked the bit about the `compound'
                                `anesthetized to the point of lobotomy'
                                `millions of shoulders are separated'

   Even when T says dumb things... I love the way he says `em!

   Mike JN

This just in... Bowing to public pressure, the Little League organization
has forwarded uniforms to the trapped whales {size XXXXXXXXXXXXL}, Baby
Jessica,  the eight rejected Crayola Crayons, Donald Trump, Roseanne Barr,
Bart Simpson, America's Funniest Home Videos, oat bran, Madonna, New Kids
on the Block, and Two Live Crew.

A spokesman for the Little League said, "We want the American public to
know we're on their side now on all the major issues."

Well, I never said it was a major issue.

I think one reason why people rally around smaller things like this
is because it makes them feel as if they can actually get something
done.

I try to do my part for larger causes, especially concerning the
environment, but sometimes my little contributions make me feel as
if I'm lost in a giant sea.

It all boils down to different types of people.  Some will see
a glass half full, other half empty.  It's all in how you look
at it.

And, FWIW, I'm not an advocate of selective interpretations of the
rules, rather, I think the rule itself was/is bad, since it excluded
someone who clearly had contributed to the team *getting* there.

But, hey, it's all said and done, and now it's on to bigger and 
better things...

'Saw

If we want to talk about rules and sports, why doesn't the sporting 
public put a little effort into ranting against the NCAA?   Is it 
because there's no little Benneton-clad, Reebok-wearing waif involved?

The NCAA has rules that make the Little League look like the Little League.

Steve Alford was suspended for a game several years ago because he posed
for a calendar to be sold by an on-campus sorority.

A kid who had signed a letter of intent {not even in school yet} won a car 
by sinking a shot from halfcourt at a ballgame and was forced to either give 
up the car or lose his eligibility.

Some players {for Ball State, I think} were penalized for being paid
extras in the movie "Hoosiers."

Schools get put on probation for giving kids shirts;  letting them stay
over an extra night during visits; or loaning kids money to go home for
funerals.

Can you get fired up to change that?  Or would that be too hard? 

Doug, 

Open a topic, get up a list of particulars, write a letter that
I can extract, and then let's start the campaign.

There is a lot of inequity in some of the NCAA rules.  Perhaps
I'm not aware of all of it, since I don't follow all that much
college hoops.  I think the deal of the current UNLV players being
"shut out" due to violations in the past really stinks.

I'm more than willing to support something that I think is worthy.
There's no need for you to belittle something that I found worthwhile.
If you need to do that to feel important, or big, or whatever okay.
But you really don't have to.

And as I said, if you wanna lead the brigade, pass me some ammo, 
and I'll contribute some writing and a 25 cent stamp...

'Saw

    Furthermore, Mr. T, I was under the impression that this is the SPORTS
    CONFERENCE.  IF you're worried about AIDS and the homeless, go whine in
    their conferences.
    
    Sorry to 're-visit' the issue, but I had to get my $0.02 worth...
    PJ

    t,
    
    ever been to the cape.. great place to get away.. you should plan
    
    a vacation there seriously.. Old silver beach in falmouth  has
    
    great sights!!!!!!
    
    

>    >The two are not related.
>    
>    What's not related, Medvid, is your personal cheap shot bashing and my
>    sports-related fact-based writings.  That you would call for censorship,
>    and write about other noters instead of sports issues says nothing about
>    me, something about the sad-sack state of discourse, and a ton about you.
    
    I'm either expecting an explanation or an apology because I don't
    recall replying to this topic.  But I'll check.
    
    	--dan'l
    

Boy, for a minute there, I thought I heard the violins rise up,
and the french horn section soar in a drippy parody of Wagnerian
romanticism.....

Gotta stop havin' those 'shrooms for breakfast....

'Saw

    I had a chance to think a little bit more about my answer yesterday and
    it becomes possible to attack and defend Little League simultaneously.
    
    I first of all would prefer it if there were no organized youth sports
    at all because I think kids grow and develop more if they're left alone
    to play by themselves.  I also think they have more fun.  I strongly
    believe in letting kids be kids, there's enough time later to get
    involved in competitive sports.  Besides, free-play on the sandlots can
    be competitive enough.
    
    I agree the rule was stupid and probably should have been changed. 
    From Little League's point of view however, and from the viewpoint of
    anyone in this type of organization be it a softball league, youth
    hockey or whatever, rules do have to be set up and they do have to be
    followed, no exception.  Why?  It opens the door to cries of foul, it
    opens the door to exceptions, it opens the door to lawsuits saying "You
    changed rule A for child B, now you must also change rule C for child D
    in the interest of fairness."  It's a lot simpler to set up rules,
    enforce the rules and keep things fair.
    
    That's why I said I would bash Little League for having a stupid rule
    but not for enforcing said stupid rule.
    
    Little League's dealing with the new issue of handicapped children
    wanting to participate makes it look even worse but I think it was even
    more important for Little League to move slowly because of issues of
    safety and liability.  If Little League hadn't been careful they would
    have been leaving the door wide-open for a suit in case something
    happened, no matter how many documents parents signed absolving Little
    League of liability.  The two examples I know of are the previously
    cited incident where a handicapped child who was older than the age
    limit wanted to play, and also where a league in Brockton was set up
    under the auspices of the City of Brockton Little League exclusively
    for handicapped children.  In both cases, Little League had to be
    assured that the people who were coaching knew what they were doing,
    that there was adequate medical care, that special precautions had to
    be taken to minimize the risk of injury and so forth.  The first case
    also had to do with an exception being made because of age, and that's
    a whole new can of worms for Little League, because eligibility for
    organized youth sports is ruled strictly by age.  It opens the door for
    the exception issue I cited above.  The second case
    became a cause celebre around here because Senator Kerry got involved
    and the situation got widespread TV and newspaper coverage.  Big,
    heartless organization denying kids the right to play ball (LL
    threatened to revoke the charter of the Brockton Little League for
    having this unsanctioned activity), and denying handicapped kids, no
    less.  Talk about your motherhood and apple pie issue!  All the
    coverage and having a Senator involved managed to pressure Little
    League into changing the rules, but again, if you look at it from the
    viewpoint of Little League, they had to cover themselves.  I don't like
    the fact that all the pressure had to be exerted to make them change
    the rule, and they looked like a bunch of jerks, but if you look at it
    from their side of the fence, I think they did the right thing by
    moving slowly.
    
    I think Little League does have to look to the future and be more ready
    and willing to adapt to situations like this.  They moved slowly on
    girls playing and moved slowly on the handicapped.  I also think
    parents who have children who might have an exception to the norm
    should start working the issue early, rather than waiting until the
    child is eligible, trying to get the kid in, not being able to and
    raising a stink.  I'll admit that working the issue early will only
    work if Little League is open and receptive.
    
    John

    >I'm either expecting an explanation or an apology
    
    I'm sorry, Dan'l.  It was Vender.  Your names are so similar as I'm
    sure you must agree.  Cuz a my special condition the last 6 months,
    sometimes days pass between reading a note and being able to respond
    to it...
    
    MrT(ruth in Rules Application)

    First we had the spectacle of Bob "Witch" Hunt making the badly 
    stretched point that placing a game in the wrong arena amounted
    to a geography mistake.  Now we have Mike Johnston (no nickname 
    for him, he's not a heel) trying to show that a typo is a geographical
    mistake.
    
    Ain't saying you're stooping any lower than Witch, just that you're
    more nimble is all.
    
    MrT

    Port of New Orleans DOES have a naval presence and has for awhile.
    There is a shipyard in the port that does alot of the Navy's updating.
    True, as far as I know there is no ship permanently stationed there,
    but there as been ships stay there for great lengths of time. Norfolk
    is a nice place to be, I enjoyed my "Tour Of Duty" up there and N.O. is
    a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great place to party, I wouldn't find time
    enough to leave Bourbon St. to go see a football game.....
    
     Just my .02!!!!                    M.J. 

    T.,
    
    Get your facks straight big guy.  You and Doug were the ones who
    started the bashing in this topic.  I made no personal cheap shots to
    you; if you can't take the heat little T then get out.  I also NEVER
    called for censorship against your replies as you so Truthfully stated.  
    I was writing to say that I thought what you wrote was ignorant and wrong,
    and I'll stand by that. (I do think some of your rantings are pretty funny
    however.)
    
    re .152
    Secondly, I don't see much similarity between VENDER and MEDVID.  
    "Your names are so similar as I'm sure you must agree."
    I'm sure no one would agree wif you on that one.  You also stated that
    your confusion was caused because of your inability to adequately
    communicate(because of work?) on a regular basis.  T, you've been
    consistently making replies in this topic, and that's a pretty lame
    excuse.  Just be straight up, admit you made a simple mistake, and stop
    trying to cover your *** with B.S.--it's a lot easier.
    
    You got a lot of people to go off base in this topic.  By using your
    inflamed rhetoric, you portrayed this topic as a way in which we were
    ignoring the greater problems of society, and that just is not the
    case.
    Lastly, if you think that my reply told you something about my personal
    character, and  if you have a problem with it, then
    I think we had better move this discussion to VaxMail.  You can reach
    me @ KRSTEN::RICHARD.  I'm out of this discussion, it's outlived it's
    purpose.
    
     
    
    Tom Richard.
    

    I wrote that last reply last night, but didn't enter it until this
    morning, so excuse some comments that may sound like ones in the other
    replies.
    
    TomR

    >I made no personal cheap shots to you; if you can't take the heat 
    >little T then get out.
    
    Oh, I cain take the heat awright.  I ain't complaining, just throwing
    the cloak of pseudorighteousness back from the hypocritical rantings
    in here.  A simple fact:
    
    >You and Doug were the ones who started the bashing in this topic.
    
    "Bashing" is to criticize maliciously and unfairly.  I say Moochy Matt
    don't deserve the tee-shirt, and I'm sure millions agree.  That ain't
    bashing.  Doug pointed out certain regulatory elements surrounding
    this note, and that's even further removed from "bashing."
    
    "Bashing" would be writing about thy neighbor: 
    
    1) I wrote about sports figures and subjects.
    
    2) Shocked and dismayed to see a dissenting opinion in the lovey-dovey
       circle-jerk of a "discussion," a raft of notes float in about *me*.
    
    3) What's described in 2 above is both "ignorant and wrong."
    
    I agree, fini.  This note's outlived its usefulness.  You'll need a new
    launching pad from which to launch these hurtful attacks against poor
    MrT (sniff)...
    
    Poor MrT 

Yeah folks...

I think this river is about panned out.

I started this topic for one reason, that purpose has been fulfilled,
in a good or bad outcome depending on your viewpoint.

All we're doing now is dredging up more grit from the bottom and 
pushing it around the pan.

On to bigger and better things...

'Saw

    Saw's right.  Perhaps we should delete or write lock the topic.  But
    first let me point out another T geography mistake.  It is the Ukraine
    or the Ukrainian Republic; there is no such place as "Ukrania."
    
    	--dan'l

Damn, Steven, ya beat me to the punch!!!!!

Too funny...

'Saw