# "Hey batter, batter" banned by Little League **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 3, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552 "2007-04-03T14:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/181 "2007-04-05T21:27:45Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] **lowbrass,** you’re so wrong it isn’t even funny. [/quote] yawn. > [@](#): > > If you want to use the word “taunt” then you are either deliberately misreading me or you’re just dense. “Hey batter, batter, SWING!” isn’t a taunt? O.K., whatever. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > Sure, chatter directed at the other team is negative. SFW? The game isn’t antiseptic. The game isn’t played in a vacuum, and if you can get in the other team’s head without resorting to “yo momma’s a whore,” then why not? Oh, I remember why not. Some egshell of a kid might just maybe get his feelings hurt. That’s where I’m correcting your POV. YOU are the one who wants a change. You want this league to specifically tell the kids to start using negative chatter again. Why is that so important to you? You seem to think that the sacred institution of baseball will crumble without negative chatter, and that it must be reinstated. And you have created a strawman wherein anyone who doesn’t share your view is “afraid an eggshell of a kid will get his feelings hurt.” What _I’m_ saying is that while I don’t think the chatter is particularly harmful, I don’t think it’s absence is going to hurt anything. Obviously you DO feel the absence of negative chatter is harmful, and that we MUST have negative chatter. > [@](#): > > And of course nobody’s going to say, “I hope you get a hit” to the other team. At least, not sincerely. Why would they? They don’t WANT the other team to get a hit. 'sactly > [@](#): > > I’m not talking about cheering. I’m not talking about encouraging your own team. “Chatter” OUGHT to be distracting. It OUGHT to be nattering. Maybe even needling. And it should NOT be banned. I say negative chatter (as I have defined it) should not be banned because there is no good reason to do so. Abuse can be dealt with under “sportsmanship,” not a blanket ban on a real tradition of the game. Unlike you, I don’t think negative chatter is a necessary part of the game of baseball. > [@](#): > > No, the question is, why are you so rabidly in support of a measure that kills a housefly with a cannon? I’m not - YOU’RE rabidly in support of negative-chatter, which, although not particularly harmful in and of itself, has no useful purpose. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/182 "2007-04-05T21:34:26Z")
And which is not a part of any other form of the game, at least between players. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/183 "2007-04-05T22:31:27Z")
[QUOTE= lowbrass] That’s where I’m correcting your POV. YOU are the one who wants a change. You want this league to specifically tell the kids to start using negative chatter again. Why is that so important to you? You seem to think that the sacred institution of baseball will crumble without negative chatter, and that it must be reinstated. And you have created a strawman wherein anyone who doesn’t share your view is “afraid an eggshell of a kid will get his feelings hurt.” [/QUOTE] It’s you that requires correcting. I am against the change that has happened. You, **lowbrass** , are attempting to reduce my points to the absurd. You are attempting to characterize me as a person who is in favor of institutionalized incivility. You are failing. Miserably. Where did I say that baseball would crumble without chatter? I made no such claim. I do think that the game would be _lessened_, make no mistake about it. I think any game is lessened when kids are coddled unnecessarily. [QUOTE= lowbrass] “Hey batter, batter, SWING!” isn’t a taunt? O.K., whatever. [/QUOTE] If you think “Hey batter, batter, SWING!” is a taunt, then you should be talking, not to me, but to a psychiatrist. [QUOTE= lowbrass] Unlike you, I don’t think negative chatter is a necessary part of the game of baseball. [/QUOTE] Then we can agree to disagree. It’s not your opinion that I’m against, it’s your support of needlessly institutionalizing it in the name of defending the self-esteem of kids. [QUOTE= lowbrass] I’m not - YOU’RE rabidly in support of negative-chatter, which, although not particularly harmful in and of itself, has no useful purpose. [/QUOTE] If it’s not harmful, then let 'em do it. Let 'em have FUN if they’re not hurting anybody. The game is supposed to be FUN. [QUOTE= Ludovic] Why are you so rabidly against it? [/QUOTE] Because I’m against just about ANY attempt to kill a housefly with a cannon. It doesn’t make me a lunatic to suggest that a flyswatter might be a more rational solution to the problem. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/184 "2007-04-05T23:32:00Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] Where did I say that baseball would crumble without chatter? I made no such claim. [/quote] Where did _I_ say “Some egshell of a kid might just maybe get his feelings hurt”? Oh, it’s o.k. when _you_ go apeshit with the hyperbole, but not anyone else. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > I do think that the game would be _lessened_, make no mistake about it. And I disagree. > [@](#): > > I think any game is lessened when kids are coddled unnecessarily. How is following the Rules of Major League Baseball “coddling”? You have an odd idea of what coddling is. > [@](#): > > If you think “Hey batter, batter, SWING!” is a taunt, then you should be talking, not to me, but to a psychiatrist. Whatever you say, dear. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > Then we can agree to disagree. It’s not your opinion that I’m against, it’s your support of needlessly institutionalizing it in the name of defending the self-esteem of kids. I support no such thing. As I said, I’m simply not rabidly in support of heckling as you are. I could take it or leave it. > [@](#): > > Because I’m against just about ANY attempt to kill a housefly with a cannon. It doesn’t make me a lunatic to suggest that a flyswatter might be a more rational solution to the problem. I have no idea where you get this idea that following the Rules of Major League Baseball is analagous to a “cannon”. You’re acting like it’s the end of the world if the kids can’t heckle the batter or pitcher. It’s quite simply not that big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/185 "2007-04-06T03:35:55Z")
[QUOTE= lowbrass] It’s quite simply not that big a deal. [/QUOTE] Yet here you are. I’m done with you. You’re not going to see my POV, and I’m not going to see yours. It’s a difference of opinion between two people who strongly hold opposing opinions, and I’m not really into teaching you to sing. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/186 "2007-04-06T13:05:36Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] You, **lowbrass** , are attempting to reduce my points to the absurd. You are attempting to characterize me as a person who is in favor of institutionalized incivility. You are failing. Miserably. [/QUOTE] **lowbrass** doesn’t need to succeed. You’re doing a fine job of it all by yourself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/187 "2007-04-06T13:26:14Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] Looking back, I think I did slightly misread you, I admit. Just a bitter subject for me as a umpire. I spend the entire game hoping to just not get hit by a 9 year old pitcher, and then some kid starts mouthing off. [/QUOTE] So you ump little league games? How long have you been doing that? This is off-topic, but out of curiousity, how often do you see kids get intentionally walked (in recreational little league, not Club or Travel or anything like that)? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/188 "2007-04-06T14:48:44Z")
[QUOTE= tdn] lowbrass doesn’t need to succeed. You’re doing a fine job of it all by yourself. [/QUOTE] You’re right. I suppose I have. In that case, I’ll meet you down at the local taxpayer-sponsored Department of Kicking the Ass of People With Whom One Disagrees. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/189 "2007-04-06T17:41:15Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] **lowbrass,** And of course nobody’s going to say, “I hope you get a hit” to the other team. At least, not sincerely. Why would they? They don’t WANT the other team to get a hit. [/QUOTE] No, but baseball tends to be a bit more of a gentlemen’s game. You will see runners on 2nd talking to the 2nd base & shortstop players during down times. Last week a kid on a team knocked a home run over the fence - first we had seen at this particular park. Not only did his team come out screaming, but the other team came out and clapped for his great hit. THAT is what we want the kids to learn. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/190 "2007-04-06T17:51:08Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] So you ump little league games? How long have you been doing that? This is off-topic, but out of curiousity, how often do you see kids get intentionally walked (in recreational little league, not Club or Travel or anything like that)? [/QUOTE] The oldest I ump is Little League Majors and Juniors - takes us to ~15 years old I think. I have been an ump for 5 years now, running AA, AAA, Majors and Juniors games. For Juniors I prefer to ump the bases, all others I am usually behind the plate dodging bats and poor pitches. I have never seen an intentional walk. At a Juniors game (the older bracket), they are still focused on good pitches and good fielding. This is when we actually have good enough pitchers who can throw at least 2 styles of pitch, if not an early curve ball. In the Majors, I see a lot of walks. Those are because the pitchers at 12 - 13 STILL are not good enough to just get it over the plate with every pitch. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/191 "2007-04-06T18:21:52Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] I have never seen an intentional walk. At a Juniors game (the older bracket), they are still focused on good pitches and good fielding. This is when we actually have good enough pitchers who can throw at least 2 styles of pitch, if not an early curve ball. [/QUOTE] Thanks. I wish you had been here a few months back. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/192 "2007-04-06T19:41:04Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Thanks. I wish you had been here a few months back. [/QUOTE] Still bitter, huh? Man, that apology must’ve _hurt_. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/193 "2007-04-06T19:55:41Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] Yet here you are. [/QUOTE] Huh? Someone starts a thread decrying the loss of heckling, and I comment that I don’t think it’s that big a deal, and that baseball will survive without heckling, and the fact that I am “here” is supposed to prove something? Whatever… ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/194 "2007-04-06T20:40:06Z")
[QUOTE=Garfield226] Still bitter, huh? Man, that apology must’ve _hurt_. [/QUOTE] Just further demonstration that you had no clue what you were talking about. Glad you checked in. I think I regret apologizing for calling you foul names - Zoe just made me feel bad about doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/195 "2007-04-06T20:53:11Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Thanks. I wish you had been here a few months back. [/QUOTE] Hey, I helped you out then! I have about 8 years of Little League coaching experience and, as I said then, I have never, ever, seen an intentional walk. What, only the umpire’s opinion counts? Oh, yeah, I guess that’s how it works. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/196 "2007-04-06T21:05:25Z")
[QUOTE=Stratocaster] Hey, I helped you out then! I have about 8 years of Little League coaching experience and, as I said then, I have never, ever, seen an intentional walk. What, only the umpire’s opinion counts? Oh, yeah, I guess that’s how it works. 😉 [/QUOTE] Of course. Us Umps DO run the game, remember. Now get back in your dugout coach, and turn off that cell phone. [puts mask back on and yells, “Play Ball!”] ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/197 "2007-04-06T21:08:13Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] Of course. Us Umps DO run the game, remember. Now get back in your dugout coach, and turn off that cell phone. [puts mask back on and yells, “Play Ball!”] [/QUOTE] ::shuffles angrily to the dugout muttering angrily under his breath:: ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/198 "2007-04-07T02:17:36Z")
[QUOTE=Stratocaster] Hey, I helped you out then! I have about 8 years of Little League coaching experience and, as I said then, I have never, ever, seen an intentional walk. What, only the umpire’s opinion counts? Oh, yeah, I guess that’s how it works. 😉 [/QUOTE] I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to imply that nobody else provided information. To the contrary, I already pointed out to **Garfield** that most people with experience did say as much. I just thought that perhaps even further evidence would have made a difference. Who am I kidding? The guy is still misrepresenting things and talking the same nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/199 "2007-04-07T04:45:58Z")
Note to the non-assholes (which is most of you): I apologize in advance for the hijack, and promise this will be my last post in this thread on this topic. Like I said, if you think this guy is an honorable enough person to continue a discussion with after the way he handled the last situation, please, feel free to waste your time. [QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] …To the contrary, I already pointed out to **Garfield** that most people with experience did say as much. I just thought that perhaps even further evidence would have made a difference. Who am I kidding? The guy is still misrepresenting things and talking the same nonsense. [/QUOTE] What “most” people think is irrelevant. The claim you made was, and I quote: > [@](#): > > And I am telling you that it is unfair to him AND to his teammates for the other team to employ a tactic that is not used by any other little league team there or anywhere else in order to win the game. You could produce 100 more people who say they never saw it used, and all it would prove is how much you agonized over your previous apology and wish you wouldn’t have shot off your mouth. You said it didn’t happen _anywhere_. You didn’t claim it was used infrequently, which is all you’re proving by continuing to solicit experiences more than 6 months later, and which I would have agreed with anyhow. You said it IS NOT used. You were wrong. I don’t particularly care what you think I’m misrepresenting. I’ll let other people whose opinions I value more highly read the other thread and see you call me a cunt with no provocation. I’ll let them read your original statement, which I quoted, and my response. I’ll then let them see you call me a liar, with absolutely no evidence on your part. I’ll let them see me apologize when I screwed up by misrepresenting a quote, since I have no problem doing apologizing when I make a mistake. Finally, I’ll let them see you, with your tail between your legs, apologize and take your ball and go home. They’ll come to the right conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552/200 "2007-04-07T06:05:19Z")
[QUOTE=Stratocaster] ::shuffles angrily to the dugout muttering angrily under his breath:: [/QUOTE] Thank you. That is how The Game is SUPPOSED to be played. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-batter-batter-banned-by-little-league/398552.md?page=11)