Uniform infraction this time dooms Kagman

Protests over uniform violations in the 2009 Saipan Little League Baseball has turned into an epidemic, as the playoff game between Ol’Aces against Kagman Lion Hearts was marred by another incident.

This time, Kagman was on the losing end, as Ol’Aces was awarded the win by forfeiture, moving the latter to the title match against pennant champion Patriots this Saturday.

The Patriots booked the second finals seat after whipping Red Sox in the second semifinals match, 6-2.

Lion Hearts and Ol’Aces played in the first semis game, but the match was halted after the top of the first inning, as the latter protested the wrong uniform of Kagman pitcher Aldofo Guillermo Roppul. Roppul had the word “Kings” printed on his shirt, instead of “Hearts.”

Lion Hearts coaches and managers claimed responsibility to the uniform violation and said they are abiding by the decision of the SLLB board to forfeit the game in favor of Ol’Aces.

But Lion Hearts officials sent a letter to the letter to Saipan Tribune explaining the incident Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

“Prior to our scheduled game, we noticed that one of the players (Aldofo Guillermo Roppul) who replaced one of our other players currently under suspension was wearing a shirt that had “Kings” instead of “Hearts” printed on it. Although the color of the uniforms is exactly the same, the name printed on the shirt was not. It is for this reason that our head coach, Wally Emul, spoke to one of the Ol’Aces coaches, Mr. Mark Flores, while the teams were still practicing and agreed that both team would play without disruption by protest because of a uniform violation,” the Lion Hearts letter read.

“This conversation took place in the presence of the chief umpire, Mr. Roy Celis. In addition, prior to the start of the game, Mr. Tony Flores [manager for Ol’Aces] approached our assistant coach [Syl Ada], while both teams were already in the dugout and informed Mr. Ada that two of his players were wearing pants with faded stripes and requested if both teams could proceed with the game without disruption by protest. Both Mr. Emul and Mr. Ada gave their word that a protest would not be made from their side and requested that the other team reciprocate the same favor, in which both Mr. Mark and Mr. Anthony Flores gave their word that they would proceed without any disruption,” the letter added.

Tony Flores, in an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday during the Ol’Aces’ training session at the Oleai Elementary School Field, denied there was an agreement that no protest will be filed.

“I approached the assistant coach, clarifying that the pants that two of our players are wearing are the same uniform that others have. They just have faded stripes, but they are the ones we used from the very beginning of the tournament,” the Ol’Aces manager said.

“Since that thing [uniform violation] happened in the Senior League playoffs, everyone seemed to be very cautious about their uniforms, so we just wanted to clear things with Kagman before the game begins,” Flores added.

In the Senior League playoff game, Kagman Lion King protested the missing stripes on the pants of Jets pitcher Toby Fleming, saying it is a violation on ground rules on uniforms. The Jets were ahead, 11-0, in the third inning when Lion King filed a protest and won the game via forfeiture. The Jets appealed the ruling, but the SLLB board stood by its earlier decision. Lion King eventually played in the finals, but lost to the Fielders in a shutout game, 10-0.

Flores said when the Lion Hearts started batting in the first inning of their semis game in the Junior division, they noticed the different print on the pitcher’s shirt. Ol’Aces waited for the top of the first inning to end before approaching the chief umpire to lodge their protest.

“If the rule (in uniforms) is enforced in the Senior League, why should we not also apply it to the Junior League. We are all in the same Little League program and we have to follow the rules,” Flores said.