A group of North Texas boys who share a passion for baseball have always had one major goal in mind.
Cooper Neumann, one of the players, expressed that playing in the Little League World Series was a shared dream among them all.
Paul Peluso, a player, expressed his disappointment by stating, “We didn’t lose a single game all season, and yet, we were just kicked out.”
According to NBC 5’s report, there were complaints from other teams when this specific team was winning against everyone. The parents of the other players expressed their dissatisfaction with how much more skilled this team was in comparison to their own kids. It was observed that almost every game ended up being a shutout.
The anger of another team was so intense that they discarded their second-place trophy into the trash bin. They firmly believed that the first-place team did not deserve to participate and that they were the true champions of the event.
Despite being undefeated, there were no rules that the team broke and they fulfilled all the necessary qualification requirements.
According to Cyle Brossman, the assistant coach of the team, it was the first time that all the stars had come together to play. The committee at Williamsport had voted to clear their team after considering all the concerns that were raised.
Little League International conducted an investigation and found no evidence of any wrongdoing, according to documents obtained by NBC 5. However, Derek Rush, the president of the local league, received a phone call from Little League International a few days later.
Rush said that they had received additional information that once again raised concerns about their qualifications.
An ultimatum was given to him, but he was never informed about the information or the rules that were being questioned.
Rush informed us that the team had two options: either they could voluntarily withdraw from the tournament, or risk having all four teams removed. He even mentioned that he was instructed to use the term ‘voluntary’ in the email he sent.
“The opposing team was unbeatable. Losing was not an option for them as they had been playing in the league for a considerable period of time and possessed greater financial resources compared to Fossil Creek,” revealed Greg Harper, the coach of Fossil Creek’s team.
Upon reaching out to Little League International regarding this matter once again, they have provided us with the following statement in response.
While a protest was received by the Little League International Tournament Committee, numerous complaints were also received both from within the Fossil Creek Little League and from other leagues within the district. During this time, while the Tournament Committee reviewed the information provided in the protest, the Little League International Region and Operations team had discussions with the Fossil Creek Little League Board, and ultimately, the Fossil Creek Little League Board voluntarily withdrew the team from the tournament. Little League International remains committed to continuing to work with the district and local officials to support a positive, equitable experience for all players and considers this issue closed as the state tournament continues to progress.
The team was questioned about the rules they had violated, and in response, they stated that Little League International has a policy of not revealing any specific details of cases brought before the Little League International Tournament Committee.
Rush, the President of Fossil Creek League, expressed confusion over the recent development and the reason behind the new allegation. According to him, there needs to be a more in-depth investigation conducted by Little League.
Brossman expressed his concern by saying, “We need something to explain to our 12-year-old kids. They played their hearts out and never lost a single game. However, we cannot tell them why they are not playing anymore. It’s disheartening to have nothing to say to a group of disappointed 12-year-olds.”
Regrettably, the boys who missed out on the games cannot be brought back in time. Nonetheless, supporters of the team are emerging from various parts of the country, demanding answers they believe the team is entitled to receive.