[Mick]

This past summer I was scorekeeper for the all-stars playoffs for our local Little League district (it was the 11-12 year-old age group that plays in the Little League World Series in Williamsport).

During a semifinal game, the second base umpire stopped play and called out a runner on second base for stealing signs. The runner, who happened to also be the team's best pitcher, and the manager were ejected from the game and ordered to leave the premises. They went across the street from the park and hung out in an Albertson's grocery store parking lot while the game was completed. The cheating team happened to win that game but, per Little League rules, the star player and manager were also ineligible for the championship game versus my son's team. My son's team won, by the way.

My point is this: if Little League International holds both the player and manager responsible, why won't MLB? I can understand a reduction in punishment for an offending player who later offers evidence/testimony, but there's absolutely no disincentive if the player does not have to suffer some kind of consequence.

Papa, your story hits close to home. 
I coached a team in All Stars and we lost to an opposing team who had runners signal to the batter what pitch was. coming  I still blame myself for not catching this and somehow finding a way to stop it before the damage was done.  A fan in our stands (who also coached but his son was on another team) brought it to my attention after a bad inning when they scored 6 runs.  TBH, it never crossed my mind that an opposing manager would instruct/allow his kids to do that - it is expressly forbidden in the rules.  Silly me.  But I should have been on it more as the game was a 0-0 affair after 3 innings, and then the opposing team got a runner to 2B with 1 out and then it was smash after smash after smash.  That team beat us; and my belated, later-inning chat with the umps (after I observed the signaling myself) only led to a specific warning to that team as it headed to the semis . . . where they lost.  Not saying we would have won the game, but it still pisses me off that other teams cheat.

And FTR, adults who cheat and lead/instruct our kids are the lowest of the low.  Really.

Reminds me of coaching a 10 year old LL tournament team.  All the south bay leagues were participating.  The Los Gatos coach asks the district representative "Let's say I have my last guy on the bench, I'm getting 10-runned, it's the 4th inning.  What's my incentive to put him in?"  He asked it as a genuine question.  The district rep stumbles, possibly because he'd never heard such naked I-want-to-cheat crap before and said "Well, you'll get in trouble."  LG coach says "What do I care?  It's the last game and my kid is 10 years old."  I looked him in the eye and said "How about because it's the right thing to do?"  LG coach does Olympic eye roll and stuck the landing.  "Oh.  Yeah.  Right." he said in the snarkiest voice possible.

Honestly, it was only the fourth-worst thing I saw an LG parent or coach do in sports.  Not that I hold on to things...

[Mick]

This past summer I was scorekeeper for the all-stars playoffs for our local Little League district (it was the 11-12 year-old age group that plays in the Little League World Series in Williamsport).

During a semifinal game, the second base umpire stopped play and called out a runner on second base for stealing signs. The runner, who happened to also be the team's best pitcher, and the manager were ejected from the game and ordered to leave the premises. They went across the street from the park and hung out in an Albertson's grocery store parking lot while the game was completed. The cheating team happened to win that game but, per Little League rules, the star player and manager were also ineligible for the championship game versus my son's team. My son's team won, by the way.

My point is this: if Little League International holds both the player and manager responsible, why won't MLB? I can understand a reduction in punishment for an offending player who later offers evidence/testimony, but there's absolutely no disincentive if the player does not have to suffer some kind of consequence.

Papa, your story hits close to home. 
I coached a team in All Stars and we lost to an opposing team who had runners signal to the batter what pitch was. coming  I still blame myself for not catching this and somehow finding a way to stop it before the damage was done.  A fan in our stands (who also coached but his son was on another team) brought it to my attention after a bad inning when they scored 6 runs.  TBH, it never crossed my mind that an opposing manager would instruct/allow his kids to do that - it is expressly forbidden in the rules.  Silly me.  But I should have been on it more as the game was a 0-0 affair after 3 innings, and then the opposing team got a runner to 2B with 1 out and then it was smash after smash after smash.  That team beat us; and my belated, later-inning chat with the umps (after I observed the signaling myself) only led to a specific warning to that team as it headed to the semis . . . where they lost.  Not saying we would have won the game, but it still pisses me off that other teams cheat.

And FTR, adults who cheat and lead/instruct our kids are the lowest of the low.  Really.

Reminds me of coaching a 10 year old LL tournament team.  All the south bay leagues were participating.  The Los Gatos coach asks the district representative "Let's say I have my last guy on the bench, I'm getting 10-runned, it's the 4th inning.  What's my incentive to put him in?"  He asked it as a genuine question.  The district rep stumbles, possibly because he'd never heard such naked I-want-to-cheat crap before and said "Well, you'll get in trouble."  LG coach says "What do I care?  It's the last game and my kid is 10 years old."  I looked him in the eye and said "How about because it's the right thing to do?"  LG coach does Olympic eye roll and stuck the landing.  "Oh.  Yeah.  Right." he said in the snarkiest voice possible.

Honestly, it was only the fourth-worst thing I saw an LG parent or coach do in sports.  Not that I hold on to things...