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Not Yankees

Edgy MD Sep 06 2019 06:48 AM

Ms. Edgy meets one of her new piano students, about 10 years old. Ms. Edgy: So, your mom said that you played baseball this year. What team were you on? Student: The Sox. Ms. Edgy: You mean, like, the Red Sox? Student: Yeah, but we wore Yankees uniforms. Ms. Edgy: That sounds weird. Mom (calling from kitchen): Tell her why. Ms. Edgy: Yeah, why? Student: Well, our coach was assigned to our team just before the season started. And he found out that we were the Yankees, and he said we couldn't be the Yankees, because the Yankees were evil and everybody knows that they're evil. We told him that the name was already set and the uniforms were already ordered. And he said, that's fine, but he's not going to coach an evil team, so we couldn't be the Yankees. That the NY on our shirts and hats would stand for "Not Yankees." Ms. Edgy: WOW! Student: Yeah, he actually wanted us to duct tape OVER the NY.

41Forever Sep 06 2019 07:28 AM Re: Not Yankees

That coach is a Great American! And a smart Red Sox communications staff sould be sending those kids a box of Sox t-shirts and caps by the end of the day.

Ceetar Sep 06 2019 07:31 AM Re: Not Yankees

I know no one thinks about these things roughly ever, but they probably should've drawn all the team names from the non AL East/NL East teams. Or hey, name them after the Japanese league teams.

Lefty Specialist Sep 06 2019 08:16 AM Re: Not Yankees

That coach is awesome. When my son was playing Little league, I always dreaded that he'd be put on a Yankees team. As luck would have it, his first grade team was the Mets, and he was ecstatic (as was i). The coach was a friend and a big Yankee fan, and I could see the pain it caused him every time he had to put on that royal blue hat with the orange NY. He navigated through his Little League career as a member of the Braves, Cardinals, Mets again, Royals, Athletics and Cubs. But never the Yankees.

Centerfield Sep 06 2019 11:05 AM Re: Not Yankees

Wow. So, I'm gonna be Debbie Downer here and say that this coach is kinda out of line. Maybe there aren't many Yankee fans in that area, but chances are there was at least one 10 year old who was thrilled at getting to play on the Yankees. And now because of the fandom of his middle-aged coach, he doesn't get to enjoy it. Baseball, especially 10U baseball, is for the kids. So if you're a dude who can't put his fandom aside to make the experience fun for the kids, then pass the scorebook to someone who can. Little League is a great time to teach kids that people root for different teams and can do so without being douchebags to each other. That being said, I'm completely with ceetar. I think Little League should stay away from naming their teams after MLB clubs for this very reason. I love the idea of taking on Japanese clubs. What a fun idea. My son's little league never had MLB teams. Since he started, they've always had animal names (Cobras, Jaguars, Ravens etc.) But my daughter, three years younger, has only been on teams named after MLB clubs. She was on the Yankees once. We survived.

Centerfield Sep 06 2019 11:14 AM Re: Not Yankees

This reminds me of a conversation I had with my son when he was little. He said if he got drafted by the Yankees, would I stop going to his games? Or would I go to the games and root against him? I told him if he ever ended up on the Yankees, I'd go to each game and root my heart out for him and them. Pride, pinstripes, all that bullshit. He seemed kinda surprised, but somewhat relieved that his father wouldn't hate him if he became a Yankee. Then he followed up. "Dad, what if I went to the Braves, would you do the Tomahawk Chop?" Let's not push things buddy.

Ceetar Sep 06 2019 11:40 AM Re: Not Yankees

My town is it's own baseball thing, not officially little league. my daughter (well, mine too) t-ball team was just the 'Midland Park Panthers' I guess, sponsored by the local Vet. I think at the higher levels it's just one team and they play other towns. I'm not sure what they do inbetween though, probably just call 'em by the sponsor. That's what we did on Long Island when I was a kid. We were 'Caldwell Bankers' and my favorite 'Carvel Ice Cream'

Edgy MD Sep 06 2019 11:47 AM Re: Not Yankees

While I completely agree LL teams shouldn't share the names and logos and such of big league teams, once the money's on the table, things go to shit.

Centerfield Sep 06 2019 12:02 PM Re: Not Yankees

Edgy MD wrote: While I completely agree LL teams shouldn't share the names and logos and such of big league teams, once the money's on the table, things go to shit. Really? Never remember an issue in my home town. Here in Manhattan, some of the teams are sponsored, some are not. The ones that are just have a line added to the back of their jersey: "Sponsored by Cohen Orthodontics LLP".

cal sharpie Sep 06 2019 12:55 PM Re: Not Yankees

When I was a coach we always named our own teams. Sometimes I came up with the names sometimes I let the kids come up with them. When I was in Little League we were just the name of the local sponsors. I was on Hilltop Toys my first year.

Edgy MD Sep 06 2019 01:01 PM Re: Not Yankees

And I fought to advance the reputation of Halperin Shoes.

Frayed Knot Sep 06 2019 01:10 PM Re: Not Yankees

I think Little League should stay away from naming their teams after MLB clubs for this very reason ... My son's little league never had MLB teams. Since he started, they've always had animal names (Cobras, Jaguars, Ravens etc.) Particularly because you have to pay royalties for those ML names/logos/colors. Any LL outfit that wants to be ML teams for the 'status' it gives them but then complains to be in a money crunch gets no sympathy from me. Suck it up, give them all different colored t-shirts, and call them something un-copyrighted. My LL never had ML team names and it never occurred to me that they should. The different age/skill levels (I think there were six) each had a theme: one would be all animal names, another was birds, one Indian tribes (prolly couldn't get away with that one now) and no one ever felt cheated that those weren't "real" teams. I remember being a Beaver and a Comanche ... and there were at least two others although I'll be damned if I can think of any right now.

Lefty Specialist Sep 06 2019 02:03 PM Re: Not Yankees

I was a State Bank of North Jersey second baseman. (The bank has probably been bought and merged a dozen times since then.) After my son retired, they stopped using MLB teams in our town, apparently because there were licensing fees involved that they didn't feel like paying.

Fman99 Sep 06 2019 06:40 PM Re: Not Yankees

Fboy played on the mini MFY's a few times as a tee baller/Little Leaguer. I spent a lot of time yelling "Go Nate!" and "Go Team!" I did not cheer for the Yankees though, by name, at any point. In his league the coach picked the team, and the neighbor who was his coach was a MFY fan, and entitled to pick what team he coached. That did and still does seem fair to me. His son was on the team and got to wear #2