Schenectady baseball officials said a Little League 11-12-year-old all-star game game they were slated to host this week was moved to a neutral field in Scotia because Saratoga counterparts told a governing body they were afraid to come to Schenectady. And a day later, the Schenectady officials said, they still don’t have an official reason justifying the move — and governing officials aren’t offering one.
Officials from District 11/12 Little League either refused to comment or did not return messages on why the Tuesday all-star game was moved.
“We’re not going there on that,” said administrator Charlie Fitzpatrick, whose District 12 includes Schenectady. “I’d just as soon it died. It’s over, and it’s not going anywhere.”
Schenectady feels it was picked on because it is an inner-city team.
“It felt like he was denying our kids a chance to play on their field because we were an inner-city league and someone didn’t want to play there,” Schenectady LL president Ryan Pezzano, whose team won the District 12 title, said Wednesday. “It’s wrong.”
The issue began Monday night at Saratoga, where Schenectady was playing the opener of a best-of-three series against Saratoga National for the right to advance to regional play in the tournament that concludes with the Little League World Series.
Late in that game, Todd Lee, the father of one of the Schenectady players, was asked to leave the premises after the umpires determined he was a distraction. “There is a rule that you can’t make noise once the pitcher is getting set to throw,” Pezzano said. “Saratoga talked to the umpire. I guess they felt our kids were not stopping in time. That started it.
“The umpires came over and told Mr. Lee he had to go. He went over to the other side of the fence, and I went over to Todd and asked him to tone it down a little. The game was almost over.”
“I admit I am loud, I was asked to leave and that’s what I did. Some people were going ‘Oooh’, like that,” Lee said.
“I did say, ‘If you think I’m loud, just wait until Tuesday. I’m loud and proud.”
Lee, who is Hispanic, said no racial slurs were directed at him as he left.
Pezzano got a call from Fitzpatrick as he was driving home from the game.
“He said, ‘Ryan, we’ve got a problem,’ ” Pezzano said. “He said his source had told him, this is a quote, ‘The Schenectady people were chanting, ‘We will be loaded for you when you come to Schenectady.’ So [Tuesday’s] game is going to be played in Scotia.”
“He told me that they were afraid to come to our field.”
Fitzpatrick confirmed that source was District 11 administrator Dan DeCelle, who was in charge of Monday’s game, but declined to say if there were previous incidents that factored into the decision to move the game out of Schenectady.
DeCelle did not respond to an email request for comment.
“I had to go by what he said; he was there,” said Fitzpatrick. “We decided it was safer for everyone.”
Pezzano was not pleased, feeling the punishment did not fit the situation.
“Every team, every league, there’s always a parent that’s a little boisterous,” he said.
Nicole Peters, who serves as Schenectady LL’s player agent, was in the vicinity as Lee went to the parking lot.
“I was sitting at table on Saratoga side and he was walking out to parking lot,” said Peters. “The umpire wanted to start the game and asked him to hustle.
“One woman was getting her kids out of the way. I was like ‘What do you think he’s going to do?’ He was going to his car.”
Lee’s wife, Brenda, did say she heard some taunts directed at the Schenectady players during the game.
“They were saying things to our starting pitcher, who is black,” she said. “But it wasn’t everybody. I was talking to people at the concession stand, having a nice conversation, with some of the Saratoga parents, so it wasn’t everybody.”
Pezzano said he was left with no recourse.
“No evidence was presented to me. There was no video. I think it was someone said something, maybe someone else said something,” he said. “I reached out to as many parents as I could, to see if anyone could corroborate what I was told about what was supposedly being chanted. No one could.
“In my mind, this was decided and we were not given due process. I think he talked to Dan DeCelle and made up his mind. That’s my opinion.
“I think what may have happened was that someone got in Dan DeCelle’s ear and told them they didn’t want to come down to Schenectady.”
Pezzano said that a number of all-star games had been played at Schenectady, and didn’t see any reason not to use Northside again.
Fitzpatrick had no response to that.
“They wanted to protest, but we have the authority, through Little League, to make decisions about what fields we use,” he said. “It’s not protestable. It’s the decision of the DA’s.”
That answer rang hollow with Schenectady.
“If they were that concerned about safety, I could have had a Schenectady detective at the field, if that’s what it would have taken to the play the game.” Pezzano said.
“It affected our kids, you could see it [Tuesday],” Brenda Lee said. “They thought they were going to play on their field and then we had to explain why they couldn’t because some parents felt it wasn’t safe.”
Saratoga won 14-8 Tuesday to take the best-of-three series.
“We have Asian, black, Hispanic, Caucasian kids on our team, so I don’t want to play that card,” Brenda Lee said. “We were most hurt that our administrator didn’t back us up. The kids were excited about playing a home game.”
Peters said the players are confused.
“For these kids, it was heartbreaking,” she said. “It was nonsensical. Nothing should have led to this.” dailygazette.com
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
If Saratoga was afraid to come to the city, it should have been a forfeit.
Saratoga was allowed home field advantage.
Schenectady is entitled to the same.
From now on the Saratoga players should be named the Saratoga Chickens.
another 60's believer....eh?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
After reading about the couple (M&W) from Saratoga molesting children and hearing about a lot of the stuff that goes on in Saratoga but NEVER hits the newspapers, I would think that the parents of Schenectady LLers should be afraid to have their children play games in Saratoga,
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
I know Todd. He is a good guy; he is passionate about baseball but would never hurt anyone. He is not an intimidating person at all. Nice, joyful, always laughing. I completely belive this is biased, perhaps even racist, thinking on behalf of whomever in Saratoga.
Parent you may be right...seems like the "upper crust" or the media starts this chaos.....rather than use the word "racist" ...I would call it discriminatory
or biased....seems like the "racist" card is out of control and needs to be "toned" down a bit....
I have been at many LL games in my time....as long as you are not "dissing" the opposite team (vice versa) the right of spectators to "yell" or "banter" is
allowed.....BUT in some cases parents do have a tendency to go beyond what would be acceptable....all parents should be watchdogs for their own team's
spectators ....especially when playing the Tournament play......you have to show some class.....and respect for the kids.....and we all know that all this
starts at home.....let's give our kids the "models" they need to survive and have some sense or rational behavior......
Root, Root, Root, for the home team..........be civil .......let the kids play their game and have fun too.....
BUT in some cases parents do have a tendency to go beyond what would be acceptable.....
I agree. most issues are from the parents. I wasn't there so I don't know what happened. we can only base our 'opinions' on what the gazette reported.
unfortunately....Schenectady does not have a very great reputation. it's pretty much known as a crime/drug/poverty ridden scum-hole. so the perception is that everything and everyone from that scum-hole is scum. not saying it's right....just sayin
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I understand the need to crack down on the parents, I know people involved in kids sports who tell me this is so. But this stuff happens everywhere, and to allow it to reflect poorly and penalize the Schenectady kids was dead wrong. The kids from Saratoga would not have been in any danger here.
Afraid to play in Central Park? The game should have been forfeited and the administrator should be canned for his bias. The Schenectady manager should save his yelling for the brain dead administrator. Another sad story of what the region really thinks of Renaissanceville.
I agree. most issues are from the parents. I wasn't there so I don't know what happened. we can only base our 'opinions' on what the gazette reported.
unfortunately....Schenectady does not have a very great reputation. it's pretty much known as a crime/drug/poverty ridden scum-hole. so the perception is that everything and everyone from that scum-hole is scum. not saying it's right....just sayin
Saratoga (especially the city) has crime, poverty and drug problems.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Lee, who is Hispanic, said no racial slurs were directed at him as he left.
I like this part of the story. Reporting on something that didn't happen as if it was expected to happen. They may as well reported that Lee did not direct racial slurs at the umpires as he was leaving.
sadly im 100% sure its the adults who are the cowards here,not the kids....like the kids rose up and said "we dont want to go to schenectady".....right
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Afraid to play in Central Park? The game should have been forfeited and the administrator should be canned for his bias. The Schenectady manager should save his yelling for the 
