Lincoln East will be ruled as the American Legion champion in Nebraska after a bizarre disqualification involving an ineligible baseball player led its opponent to forfeit. It is a bad look for the organization.
I understand that rules are rules but this specific rule must be changed.
The American Legion chose to punish one of its top baseball teams because one of its players tried to get recruited. He cost his team a chance to play in the state championship and the regional tournament.
What are the rules for American Legion baseball?
American Legion is open to players aged 13 through 19. There are two divisions: Junior and Senior.
Junior is typically split for ages 13-16. Senior typically covers ages 17-19.
The league was founded in 1925. 82 former players have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Needless to say, it is one of the most historic and important youth leagues in the country.
Per the national American Legion rules, its players are not allowed to compete at other showcases, camps or tournaments during an ongoing competition. That is where this latest controversy comes into the picture.
Lincoln Southwest was disqualified from the Nebraska state championship.
Lincoln Southwest played its way into the Nebraska state championship against Lincoln East. However, the national Legion committee ruled that Lincoln Southwest played an ineligible athlete during the semifinal round and subsequently removed his team from the tournament.
Papio South lost to Lincoln Southwest in the semifinal round. It retroactively received an automatic bid to the state championship game by default because of the eligibility ruling.
Papio South was not prepared for the championship game and ultimately decided to forfeit. Lincoln East will be named as the state champion without playing. Both teams will receive an automatic bid to the regional tournament because of their 1-2 finish in Nebraska.
Lincoln Southwest will not. Its season is over.
Why was the player ruled ineligible?
According to Nebraska Prospects Baseball, the Lincoln Southwest player at the center of this ruling was just trying to get in front of a Division-I coaching staff. He went and pitched in front of a D1 program at a separate Perfect Game tournament after the American Legion tournament had already started.
Legion Nebraska approved players to play in alternate leagues so that they can participate in the recruiting process. The national American Legion committee did not.
Thus, the player who played in the Perfect Game tournament was ineligible when he played in the American Legion state semifinal. Lincoln Southwest was, in turn, disqualified. Papio South later chose not to play in the championship game after it received the replacement bid.
American Legion decided to punish a high school kid (and his entire team!!) for trying to get recruited. While this saga is as much on the player and his coaches for not adhering to the national rules, it reflects the need for change. American Legion needs to update this rule as soon as possible. Kids are going to stop playing in the league if they cannot do what they need to do to get to the next level.
The post Nebraska Baseball Controversy Forces Ineligible American Legion Star To Cause Surprising Forfeit appeared first on BroBible.
Nebraska Baseball Controversy Forces Ineligible American Legion Star To Cause Surprising Forfeit
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