The email below has been sent to your managers. I have instructed your manager to print a copy of the message and hand it to you. The CDMSBL 38 division is no longer going to endure abusive behavior from players. This also includes any disparaging, demeaning, baiting, threatening comments toward other players posted on this bulletin board.
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To 38 managers:
Last year, the 38 playoffs were marred when a team had to forfeit in the championship series.
I would have thought everyone would have learned something from it.
Instead, I’m reading and hearing about player’s bickering, baiting and disparaging umpires and other players during this year’s playoffs.
It ends right now.
I have instructed the umpires to apply a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY. If an umpire hears or observes a player disparage, denigrate, demean, threaten or bait a player from the opposing team, it is an automatic ejection. If he can’t determine who made the statement, you the manager, will be ejected.
If any of your players argue a call, it will be up to the individual umpire to determine how much he will tolerate before he issues an ejection.
If I am at your game and I hear or see anything directed at the opposing team, I will suspend the player.
THERRE WILL BE NO WARNINGS FROM THE UMPIRES. THIS IS YOUR WARNING!
The code of conduct each player signed said he would follow protocol if there’s a disputed call. You need to remind your players about the Code of Conduct and the protocol to follow if your player disagrees with a call.
I am not taking this lightly and price to pay for an ejection for the remaining playoff games is going to be severe.
If a player is ejected, not only will he sit out the next game, he will be suspended for his team’s first game next year and will not be allowed to attend any of these games.
If your team has a second player ejected during the playoffs, for any reason, at any time, you, the manager, will be suspended for the remainder of your playoffs and will not be allowed to attend any of these games.
It’s great we have a competitive league, but when certain teams play against each other, their zeal goes too far and a debacle ensues. This ruins the experience for everyone.
For 98% of the players, I apologize that you have to fall under this umbrella, but this edict applies to everyone equally.
Managers – please print one copy of this email for each player on your team and distribute this message to them.
This email will also be posted on the bulletin board.
Kevin, respectfully, this is not nearly enough. It's the Code of Conduct all over again, and it totally ignores the event that sparked this discussion.
If the story is true -- and no one seems to be denying it -- one of our players was cursed at and threatened with violence during a game.
Think of that for a minute: It's so stupid it's hard to comprehend.
And there's been zero response.
Not zero tolerance, zero response.
I don't care who is involved, if a player threatens violence at one of our games, the penalty must be severe.
At minimum, you have to ban that offending player for the remainder of the playoffs and put that player on lifetime probation. That is, assuming your findings are consistent with what's been reported here.
You've got to seriously consider a lifetime ban.
But that's my personal point of view: There's no place for that in our league. We don't need it. We're 400 members strong. If somebody wants to act like that, they can take their ugly behavior and go find somewhere else to play baseball.
But much, much more significant than my opinion is that of the league officials. Sure, I may not think there's a place for violence in our league. Who cares, I'm just another guy who can type. The question is, does the Board? Are you going to act decisively to protect the integrity of our league, and the safety of our players, or not?
I believe the Board is making a huge mistake by ignoring this.
We already have a "zero tolerance policy". Now is the time to enforce it. League officials should quickly investigate the incident, and if true, suspend the player for the rest of the year and place the player on probation next year at a minimum. Please remember that when we play at a public/school field we don't play in a vacuum. Some of the behavior and language expressed, if witnessed by the wrong people, will result in our loss of those facilities of this I'm sure. I'm proud to know 99% of the guys in this league. I'm embarassed by 1%. I had the misfortune to take my young daughter with me to see an early Marlins/Orioles game in May at Elm Ave. park to watch some good baseball. However, after several expletive laced diatribes by a couple players on both sides and with the umpires working hard to make sure a hockey game didn't break out, I had to leave. Such is the nature of certain players. Realize please that Elm Ave is next to the Town pool which is loaded with children and parents. CBA will not tolerate this and I'm sure officials at any other field we play in feels the same way. This incident is bigger than the game at hand - it represents a condition present in some MSBL players that needs to be addressed, corrected or ultimately excised.
I believe this tone represents the majority of how this incident should be handled. Jim LaTorre's self-imposed suspension may be well-meaning, but I can also understand how others will question his, and his team's, sincerity or motivation.
Without prompt action by the commissioner or board, our COC was a waste of time. And since the COC was generated by the board over the winter last year, I would think it is responsible for meeting with the commissioner (who is also a board member), to act NOW.
And this also opens up a whole new issue. We have board members who are commissioners, and board members who are also league officials (Treasurer, secretary, president, VP). A conflict can be construed when it comes to voting on issues.
I, for one, hope we get a HUGE turnout at the leaguewide meeting in November or December this year. There is a lot to discuss. Perhaps a lot to change.
Jim Konstantakis former board member 47 commissioner Giants manager
I said this under Mike Girard's posting, but I'll say it again here...
I'm hearing that the Board should jump in and take matters into their hands. First of all, has anyone issued a formal complaint to the Board? Umpires, managers and players have the right to make a written request to the board to review an incident. It is then up to the Board to investigate and take an appropriate action if one is warranted. Look guys, the Board is not and should not be run by a bunch of vigilantes. They should react. So if language is preventing you from bringing your son/daughter/family to a game, make a written request to the Board to investigate the offending people. Name names, dates and incidences. Then let the Board do their job. But you have to be willing to report said incidents, and name names. This is OUR league and we should all participate to make it the type of league we want...
