A Heckuva Choice to Make: Ballgame or Funeral

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

The participation of the Southwestern York Legion baseball team in this weekend’s Region 4 tournament is in question following the tragic death of a close friend to least eight of the team’s players.

Josh Hertz, 18, was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning in West Manheim Twp., York County. Hertz was a recent graduate of South Western High School, a popular student-athlete and a former football player for the Mustangs. Several of Southwestern York head coach Mike Resetar’s kids were football teammates of Hertz.

Hertz’s funeral is set for Saturday morning at the same time the Legion team is supposed to be playing in the first round of the tournament at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg, Lebanon County. Their game is scheduled for a 9:30 a.m. start.

Seeing the conflict from a few days out, Resetar appealed Monday night to Region 4 director Homer Mylin about switching time slots from the Saturday 9:30 a.m. game to the 4 p.m. slot.

"I had received a text message from one of my players concerning the [funeral] arrangements Monday evening," Resetar said. "I wanted to make sure I had everything straight before I approached Homer with a phone call.

"I walked him through the situation. We’re not asking to change to bracket; we’re not asking to change anything other than the time."

No other teams were able or willing to switch time slots, Mylin said.

Resetar disputes that account. "There were only four teams that had guaranteed spots by Monday," he said.

Mylin ultimately ruled that Southwestern York must show up for its Saturday morning game as scheduled or forfeit its spot in the tournament. Times would not be changed.

"The tournament is set up by the state," Mylin said. "I have the backing of the state, I have the backing of some of the other people involved.

"We talked about it, suggested different things, but unfortunately nothing worked out. The games have to go on."

Mylin declined to speak on the specifics of what alternatives were discussed.

According to Rule 10, Section A, Item 3 of the Pa. Legion baseball rule guide, no team is allowed to forfeit the first game of a state or region tournament and continue playing. So forfeiting Saturday’s game and coming back to play out of the loser’s bracket on Sunday is not an option.

The bottom line is that the ruling is forcing 17- and 18-year old ballplayers to choose between attending the funeral of a close friend or playing ball as scheduled.

"Basically, that’s right," Mylin said.

"Homer did not indicate to me that is was anyone else’s decision but his," Resetar said. "Here we are, as adults, with a chance to show compassion, some flexibility and what I would consider good judgement to these kids. And we’re not."

Resetar, who will attend Thursday night’s tournament meeting in Fredericksburg, has left the choice up to his players.

He has no idea which way it’ll go.

"We had a players’ meeting [Tuesday]," Resetar said. "I told them where we were at. I laid out the scenarios. I told them it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. This is a whole lot bigger than the game of baseball.

"I said ‘you guys are the ones who have to be at peace with what you decide to do. Five years from now, I don’t want you looking back with regret.’"

http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2011/07/a_heckuva_choice_to_make_ballg.html