Little Leaguer cleared to play after being suspended for an 'unsportsmanlike' bat flip
Marco Rocco, of Haddonfield, tossed his bat in the air on July 16 after his sixth-inning, two-run homer in the final of the sectional tournament.
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A South Jersey Little League player is back on the field after a "bat flip" nearly cost him the chance to play.
Last week, a Little League player in Haddonfield hit a home run and tossed his bat in the air, showing excitement.
The umpire called him out, citing "unsportsmanlike conduct," and 12-year-old Marco Rocco was ejected from the playoff game and suspended from the next game - one that would be crucial to Haddonfield's chances of heading to the Little League World Series.
Rocco's father filed for a temporary restraining order to allow him to play.
"He was distraught. He was incredibly upset, and I told him 'I will do everything in my power to fix this for you,’" he said.
Ahead of Thursday's game, an emergency court hearing took place. A judge ruled to let Rocco play after learning that Rocco had tossed his bat twice before, but there was no penalty.
RELATED: Little Leaguer suspended for home run bat flip; team to fight decision in court
"If they want to have some sort of prohibition against bat flipping, they should make that a rule," said Joe Rocco.
Parents and coaches, even the judge now pose a bigger question to Little League baseball: What exactly is considered “unsportsmanlike conduct?”
Kelley Brousovic, president of the South River Little League, also has kids who play Little League Baseball within Rocco's age group.
"A kid hitting a home run on a 200-foot field. It doesn't happen very often." "If it was really that bad, the umpire should have took him off to the side and said, 'Hey look, you can't do that,'" she says.
“Little League is about fun, playing with teammates and being competitive," said her son Julien Brousovic.
The team that played against Haddonfield that day, Harrison Little League, also had a player ejected from the same game, according to one of the coaches who wanted to remain anonymous.
"We do not believe that any 11 or 12-year-old player should be ejected from any game, let alone suspended, unless there is egregious behavior on the part of that player or a clear violation of known and communicated rules of play and conduct," he said.
Haddonfield lost Thursday night's game 10-0.
