As 12-year-old New Jersey Little Leaguer Marco Rocco’s shocking ejection for bat flipping has become a national storyline, his father, Joe, has tried to ease the pain.
“We’re sick to our stomachs over this,” Rocco told the Cherry Hill Courier Post on Tuesday after the Haddonfield 12-U team’s practice. “My son is distraught. He said, ‘I didn’t know I was breaking a rule, I see bat flips all over TV during the Little League World Series.’
“He doesn’t understand why he was ejected from the game. I told him, ‘Sometimes life isn’t fair, but I’ll go to bat for you.'”
While the family tries to digest all the fallout since Rocco’s ejection for bat flipping last week and the subsequent one-game suspension for the state tournament, Wednesday could be a pivotal day regarding his availability for Haddonfield’s next game.
A hearing is expected to happen Wednesday following Joe filing an emergency restraining order in Gloucester County Court Chancery Division on Tuesday, he told the outlet.
The hope is to overturn his suspension for the double-elimination tournament beginning Thursday when Haddonfield faces Elmora.
The bracket features four teams and the winner advances to next week’s Metro Region Tournament.
The controversial moment came last Wednesday when Marco hit a two-run homer against Harrison Township to take an 8-0 lead in the sixth inning, as detailed by the outlet.
Marco flipped his bat while running toward first base, as seen in a video posted to social media.
Rocco told the Courier Post the umpire first said his son was out and the runs did not count, but after a “call was made to Little League” the umpire counted the homer but said Marco was ejected.
Joe told NJ.com the umpires noted a “safety concern” and “Little League International” told him that Marco violated a rule with the bat flip.
The Post Courier reported that Little League does not have any bat flipping rules, although it could be seen as unsportsmanlike conduct or horseplay and a player can be ejected if deemed excessive.
“They wrote us a letter saying there’s a rule that says there’s no horseplay in Little League, and they consider bat flipping horse play,” Joe said to Nj.com.
“Little League International openly promotes bat flipping all over their social media accounts, their websites and the broadcasts on TV for the Little League World Series. It’s openly promoted and encouraged. My son watches that and was emulating what he sees.”
The ejection comes with the one-game penalty, which would be Thursday’s contest.
Joe told NJ.com that his family tried to negotiate with Little League International only to be told “they’re not willing to compromise in any way.”
“He’s played Little League his whole life, and his dream is to make it to the World Series in Williamsport,” Joe said to the outlet. “We’re in the state finals and are a couple of steps away. We’re on our way there, and now, they tell him he can’t play.”