Summary

Footage Information

CONUS Archive
233958
LITTLE LEAGUE ACCUSATION (7/23/2002)
KEARNY, NEW JERSEY
PKG
7/23/2002
26:18
1:56
Kearny, New Jersey Cynthia Scott, Reporting Mitch Richardson, Kearny National All-Stars Gregg Richardson, Little League
BASEBALL ON THE GRASS, EMPTY BASEBALL FIELD, DUGOUT, SOT, KID'S BEDROOM, BASEBALLS, SOT, BASEBALL FIELD, STANDUP, SOT, PHOTO, PITCHERS MOUND, BASEBALL FIELD, SOT, BASEBALL FIELD, DUGOUT, SOT, SOT, BASEBALL, BASEBALL FIELD.
SEVERAL NEW JERSEY LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYERS SAY THEIR COACHES ASKED THEM TO INTENTIONALLY LOSE A GAME TO A CROSS-TOWN RIVAL. THEY SAY THE COACHES WANTED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE OTHER TEAM TO WIN THE DISTRICT TOURNAMENT.
LEAD: TWO LITTLE LEAGUE COACHES FROM HUDSON COUNTY NEW JERSEY MAY HAVE GONE TOO FAR. SOME PLAYERS FROM THE KEARNY NATIONAL ALL-STAR TEAM SAY THEY WERE TOLD TO LOSE A GAME AGAINST ONE OF THEIR DISTRICT RIVALS. SINCE THAT TEAM HAD A BETTER SHOT AT MAKING THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES. CYNTHIA SCOTT TELLS US MORE. SCRIPT: THE LITTLE LEAGUE SEASON IN KEARNY IS OVER BUT IT DIDN'T END HAPPILY. INSTEAD IT ENDED WITH PLAYERS ON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STARS, LIKE MITCH RICHARDSON, FORCED TO MAKE A DECISION. AFTER HE SAYS THE COACH THREW THIS AT HIM. (SOT-MITCH- "Told the pitcher Mike Manfredi to start throwing balls and he didn't want to and the coach said he was going to throw him out of the game and Little League so he can't play.") (STANDUP- "The players say the coaches asked them to throw the game so their rival team in the district who is considered better than them would win and put Kearny on the map. Players say that request crossed the line.") (SOT-CYNTHIA- "Who are they to do that to our kids?") CYNTHIA FORD IS OUTRAGED OVER THIS. HER SON DEREK IS ONE OF THE STAR PITCHERS ON THE KEARNY NATIONAL ALL STARS. SHE SAYS THE COACHES PURPOSELY KEPT HIM AWAY FROM THE MOUND DURING THE GAME, TO ENSURE THEY WOULD LOSE. NOW SHE FEARS DEREK AND HIS TEAMMATES ARE GOING TO KNOW WHAT IT REALLY FEELS LIKE TO STRIKE OUT. (SOT-CYNTHIA- "They're going to be remembered for kids that were asked to cheat or the kids that played on that team or the kids that spoke up.") THE TWO COACHES WEREN'T SPEAKING AT ALL THIS DAY BUT HAVE DENIED THROWING THE GAME. SOME PARENTS SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. (SOT-GREGG- "They made a bad call whether they thought about this before I don't know.") MITCH HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF THINKING AND SAYS IN THIS CASE THERE ARE NO WINNERS. (SOT-MITCH- "It made me really mad like I was exploding because I don't think that should be happening. The coaches shouldn't be asking us that -- we're only kids.") WHO MAY BE GROWING UP FAST AS A RESULT. IN KEARNY, CYNTHIA SCOTT, NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY. TAG: THE MAYOR OF KEARNY SAYS THERE IS AN INQUIRY INTO EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. BY THE WAY, THE KEARNY NATIONAL TEAM DID LOSE TO THE AMERICAN LEAGUE. BUT THE AMERICAN LEAGUE DIDN'T ADVANCE VERY FAR.
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Keywords

LITTLE LEAGUE
THROW THE GAME
LOSING ON PURPOSE
COACHES ACCUSED
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