Two innings later, Walty hit a screaming liner just under the glove of the first baseman. Again, he pulled up and stopped at second base. All the parents in the stand were yelling things like, "Great job!" and "Way to go." I was yelling, "You have a way to go!" and "Keep running!"

My godson sat out the rest of the game, because another pansy rule in some Little Leagues these days is that everyone has to play at least two innings. The nerve! When I was a child, if a kid stunk at baseball he was relegated to manager or deep, deep left field. Sometimes if a kid wasn't good at baseball, HE DIDN'T GO OUT FOR THE TEAM! Not today, folks. Today we have a field full of kids whose parents can't admit that their child doesn't want to be there. Instead of having their kids play soccer, they shove their "one, two, three strikes and you're out" kids onto Little League fields all over the country.

After watching my godson get pulled, I was further incensed by how the game ended. With the brand-new scoreboard in center field reading, "Dodgers 6, Mariners 1," I watched in horror as it was reset to read, "Dodgers 6, Mariners 6"! Huh?

No one loses in today's Little League world. What the powers-that-be fail to realize is that not only are they ensuring that no one loses, but also, sadly, that no one wins, either. Forget crushing the opponent and taking slow home run trots; today's kids are taught that what matters most is being a good winner and a good loser. Who is a good loser (aside from the Atlanta Braves)? Why are we trying to protect kids so much as to deny them the feeling of humiliating one another? These kids are in for a shock when the real world gets a hold of them, because as you and I know, there are winners and losers in life.

The American workplace never resets the scoreboard. Your nemesis in business will never pull up short at second base and will never shake your hand after a good game. I say we abolish all ties in youth sports. Hell, even the NHL did it!

I wish to use this forum to officially present to you a portion of the box score from Sunday's Little League game:
Walter Gause: 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBIs
Dodgers 6, Mariners 1.