Scandals

The whole world probably knows about the scandal at last month's Little League World Series. I just can't get the sick feeling I have about it out of my system. I also get that sick feeling when I think about potential scandals in major poker events, which we'll get to in a minute. Right now, let's talk Little League baseball.

A team from the Bronx, New York, used Danny Almonte, a true superstar pitcher who didn't give up an earned run the whole summer, who is 14 years old. This is two years older than the age permitted by Little League baseball. Although his talent belied his proposed age, his entourage continued to claim that he was 12 years old. It turns out that he was using a false birth certificate and is really 14 years old.

The false birth certificate (and passport) was presented to his team and league officials. Did the Bronx coaches know the birth certificate was not the original? Probably (but not necessarily), but the prestige of winning can be overpowering at times, no matter how you do it. Danny's father sure knew the birth certificate was false, as he is the one who forged it in 1994.

It's not so much my concern about a father misleading a son regarding fairness, honesty, and integrity as it is about destroying the hopes and dreams of the kids on teams that Danny Almonte and the "Baby Bronx Bombers" beat along the way. And these are once-in-a-lifetime dreams, as kids get only one shot at going to the Little League World Series.

I coached Little League baseball for six years. It was by far the greatest joy of my life. I know the pride that a kid has when he makes the all-star team. And when his team advances to the city, regional, and state championships, it becomes a wonderful memory for life. I can only imagine the thrill of making it to Williamsport. For a scandal and fraud to take this opportunity away from these kids, to rob them of their hopes and dreams, is despicable. For example, with Danny Almonte pitching, the Oceanside, California, team lost 1-0 to the Bronx for the right to be in the national championship game and appear on national television. The Oceanside kids must feel they would have won had he not pitched.

It will be a while before we know the ultimate consequences of this scandal. Will ABC and ESPN quit televising the event? They raved about this kid for a week, and now are embarrassed about having promoted a fraud. Has the event become so big that scandals will continue to occur? Will all of us who love to watch this annual championship now be deprived of this right because of one stupid parent? Will Little League baseball regroup or be tainted forever?

I have always feared that a major scandal might occur at one of our most prestigious poker events. How far back would that set poker? For example, what would happen if someone wearing a headset at the final table of a championship event was not listening to the watoosie, but to someone on the other end who was coaching him or "sending over" one of his opponents? Casinos are not interested in this type of thing happening. What can be done to prevent it?

One possible solution to this potential problem is to disallow headsets at any final table, which, thankfully, more and more events are doing. I am a strong advocate of this, not just because the above could happen, but because there might be a perception of it happening to those watching, which is also not good.

What would happen if a chip scandal occurred at the World Series of Poker? Players begin play downstairs in some events at the WSOP. As players are eliminated, tables are broken down and players are moved upstairs. Players take their chips to a totally new environment. What would happen if, somehow, someone had extra tournament chips to bring in and add to his stack, or a friend gave him some of his chips so that he could add them to his stack prior to sitting at his new table?

My suggestion to help solve this potential problem is to not allow players to transfer their own chips to their new seat assignments when their table is being broken down, especially when going from one room to another. Members of the staff can carry their chips to their new seat assignments. They do this at the seven-card stud championship in Vienna. It works wonderfully well, and the players love it. A side benefit is that it prevents players from strolling around before taking their new seats. Let's simply not allow players to take chips off the table.

These solutions may help prevent any scandals from occurring. That's all we can really do.

Take care.