Controversial coaching move mars Little League regional game

Player benched despite mandatory play rule


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WMUR Updated: 6:49 PM EDT Aug 12, 2017
Cam Tranchemontagne
Assignment Editor

MANCHESTER, N.H. —
A local official said Little League Baseball is considering sanctions for Goffstown Little League after a controversial move by the team's coach.

During a nationally televised game Friday, coach Jeff O'Connell opted not to play one of his players, violating the rules and earning swift and widespread condemnation.

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"So he's accepting the penalty in an effort to help his team win the game," announced ESPN announcer Karl Ravech.

The decision drew an immediate rebuke from ESPN announcers.

The violation would've led to a two-game suspension for the coach if Goffstown had won the game. But they lost, preventing the controversy from becoming a full-blown sportsmanship crisis.

But international Little League officials aren't letting this go.

In a statement posted to the New Hampshire District 1 Little League Facebook page administrators said this was "not a proud day for New Hampshire Little League Baseball."

They included a letter saying: "Little League International is extremely disappointed in the intentional mandatory play violation by New Hampshire manager, Jeff O'Connell. While the normal penalty for violating the mandatory play regulation is a two-game suspension, unfortunately the New Hampshire team's season has concluded. Little League International strongly encourages Goffstown Little League officials to take this incident into consideration when appointing coaches and managers for the 2018 Little League season."

The full statement can be found here.

WMUR spoke with several Little League officials across the state. All of them expressed disgust with O'Connell's coaching decision but they did not want to comment until deliberations on the matter are finished. O'Connell has not responded to WMUR's request for an interview.

Figures it was Goffstown.

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Its right there for ya...

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Man that would be tough though. In our league everyone bats, so it doesnt matter. But having to pick a team to squeeze an at bat in like that.

They should probably make a rule that it has to be no later than the 4th inning or something.


They were down like 5 though. It'd be slightly more understandable if they had like the tying run on 3rd and winning run on second.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Aren't teams that make the LLWS full of All Stars from whatever league the teams play in? It shouldn't be that the last kid on the pine is some scrub who can't hit, right?

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Little League sucks. If this guy was serious his kid would play travel ball or even Pony.

Yea, the guy fucked up. Several spots in the game he could have gotten him in even if he is the weakest hitter on a team of all stars.