TheLittle League baseball stands used to be a sacred place.
So long are the days of sitting in the stands with a beer while your kid is on the field. So long are the days of yelling out encouragement while a cold washcloth rests on the back of your neck. So long are the days of Keith telling you about this new program his son is on that's going to take him to the majors. Actually, Keith is giving me in-depth reports of this workout plan as we speak.
Now, several youth baseball games have turned into heated fights.
The latest took place in Stanton, Kentucky.
WARNING: There's some very NSFW language in the videos below. It does not belong on a youth baseball field.
Kentucky Youth Baseball Parent Brawl
Last night in Kentucky pic.twitter.com/Xg90xfA0h5
— Baseball Fight Club (@mlbfights) June 15, 2021
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In Eastern Kentucky, two teams were squaring off in a Little League championship game.
Tensions broke when a disputed call caused one coach to lose his cool. A coach in the red threw his hat down in fury. This was the turning point of the whole altercation, because another guy came out of nowhere and started shoving the freshly formed circle around the umpire. The shover then took off his shirt, ready to do his best Mike Tyson impression.
This led to several other adult spectators getting involved
The field turned into a huge shouting match. Audience members who stayed in the stands began filming the event and shouting at the adults on the field.
The video of the incident made it's way to social media via Destani Renaye Knox's Facebook page:
"It's really sad these kids that played hard all season and put their hearts on that field didn't get to finish their championship game because 'adults' wanted to act like this," she wrote.
To no one's surprise, the game was called off. The Stanton Police Department is still investigating the brawl, calling it a "dispute between adults." The Stanton Parks and Recreation Department is also looking further into the event. Some of the parents involved reportedly face criminal charges.
"What happened in the Little League Championship yesterday evening was obviously regrettable," Steve Randall, one of the Little League coaches, told LEX18 News. "It goes without saying that mistakes were made and it's not a good overall representation of what we stand for. We're there to set a good example for the kids but as humans, we all fall short sometimes. Heated exchanges, whether right or wrong, sometimes happen but at no point is it advisable for irate spectators to enter the field of play. It creates an escalated environment that can become unsafe for children, and they should be our number one priority. From this point forward I plan to continue to be a servant of the community, working for the growth of our kids and in myself as a person as well. We will learn from our mistakes and move forward."
I feel bad for these kids. A T-ball game is supposed to be about having fun, drawing circles in the dirt and looking at bugs.
If I wanted to see dad get in a fight, I would head down to Billy's Tavern on Keno night.
