Little League Team Did Nothing Wrong In Using Appeal Play

Now, I admittedly don’t watch the Little League World Series, because when you’re an adult and you watch the Little League World Series it means you’re really creepy. But, the controversial appeal play ending to a Little League World Series qualifying game between Petaluma, Calif. and Nanakuli, Hawaii this weekend certainly caught my eye.

It caught my eye primarily for two reasons. 1.) Because I’d never seen a baseball game end on an appeal play at any level and that’s a pretty exciting and interesting way to end a game. 2) The debate on whether or not it’s sportsmanlike to appeal a play in that situation.

Many people are giving the Northern California team coach Eric Smith grief for having his team appeal a play in which a Hawaii player failed to touch third base when he scored on an RBI single to pull Hawaii to within one run of the lead. After one of the Northern California players noticed that the Hawaii player missed the base a meeting was held at the mound in which Smith instructed his players how to appeal the play.

People are claiming that Smith and Northern California doing this in a close late game situation is everything from unethical and unsportsmanlike to even cheating. These people claiming this, however, are asinine.

An appeal play is an option given to teams in the rulebook and thus can in absolutely no way imaginable be considered cheating.

Considering an appeal play in this situation to be unsportsmanlike or unethical is up to interpretation, I guess, but again if it’s a rule than I don’t think applying it can possible be deemed wrong. Using an appeal play in a close game in the final inning shouldn’t be seen as any different as using an appeal play in a 0-0 game in the first inning.

Northern California coach Eric Smith and his players should be commended for a head’s up, great baseball decision that won them the game and that’s all.