When It's Not Everything

Winning is everything, or so the oft-quoted platitude goes. But when is the line crossed, and winning become all-consuming goal at which we care about too much?

I am one of the most competitive people you will ever meet. There’s just an innate feeling inside me that craves and will stop at almost nothing to achieve victory. I’ll play Monopoly down to my last thin dollar until 2 a.m. and not quit until you surrender or concede. I got into fights in elementary school over playground basketball, and the legitimacy of spin serves in the annual four-square tournament. I will pick my girlfriend last (and other girls before her) on my pick-up Ultimate Frisbee team because I know she can’t catch. Sure I’ll pay the price later, but it would be worth it for the triumph.

However, as competitive as I may be, I know where to draw the line. When feelings get hurt, when the game turns dirty, I’ve learned how to take a step back, put pride and selfishness on the backburner and do the right thing. Unfortunately, as a debate that has risen to national prominence from Bountiful, Utah, has evidenced, many people as competitive as myself do not.

It was the bottom of the last inning in a nine and ten-year-old Little League game, the Yankees clinging to a one run lead over the Red Sox in the championship game. At the plate with the tying run on third and two outs was the Red Sox best hitter, a player named Jordan Bleak, up to bat.

It was a thrilling situation- parents standing in the crowded bleachers, anticipating baseball drama. It looked to be as good as it gets for a Little League game, one almost as fun to watch as it is to play. Then the unthinkable happened, and turned the game sour.

The Yankees coach, Bob Farley, decided to intentionally walk Jordan, bringing up the Red Sox worst player, Romney Oaks.

Romney Oaks had his growth stunted by a malignant brain tumor at the age of 4. After many painful years of chemotherapy and radiation, and with a shunt in his brain, Romney has recovered and loves playing baseball. He had managed only two hits in twelve games, but kept an uplifting attitude and love for the game.

As boos cascaded from the stands, Romney stood trembling at home plate. By strike two tears were rolling down his cheeks. Strike three was conceded, and Romney cried himself to sleep that night.

After the game, the coaching staffs of each team nearly came to blows over the move. The town was split, newspaper articles attacking and defending the move. Bob Farley later claimed he had no idea the child was a cancer survivor. Really? The child that has to wear a helmet in the outfield? That made the papers during his struggle with his brain tumor and became so weak the Make-A-Wish foundation granted his wish to meet President Bush? Farley claimed he would have done it even if he had known, because “it’s a good baseball move.”

And so the line was crossed, without shame or regret, but ending in heartbreak and disrespect. I hope the Yankees coaches really enjoyed their championship, however much it cost anyone else. Sadly, its just one of many cases in youth sports where coaches put their selfish motives and insatiable desire to win over the respect for their competitors and sometimes even their own players.

In a recent CNNSI.com poll, 63% of voters said they would not intentionally walk the slugger, even if it meant losing the game. I would hope that the actual percentage would be more than that.

So to all players, coaches, and fans out there- do the right thing. Play to win, but do what’s right- you know when it's not everything, and you know where the line is.

Factual information for this article was found at CNNSI.com (Rick Reilly's August 8th article) and ESPN.com (Greg Garber's great front-page article 'Should Winning Be Everything When You're Nine?')