Two Southern California high school baseball teams got into a brawl earlier this week and an investigation is now underway.
Norwalk High School which earned a 3-2 victory over Mayfair on Wednesday, completing the two-game sweep in their regular season series. In an apparent taunt, a Norwalk player brought a broom to the postgame handshakes and swept home plate at the front of the line.
This is sports, everyone understands the connotation of the broom and sweeping a team. This is not some major affront or act of war.
It Was A Broom
There were Mayfair fans in the crowd, presumably parents of Mayfair players, that didn’t appreciate the sweep taunt. One person can be audibly heard yelling “Put your broom in the dugout! Respect the game!”
The Mayfair players on the field didn’t like it either, and a brawl ensued. Punches were thrown and some parents got involved as well, yelling derogatory names at players.
Fred Robledo, sports editor of the Southern California Newspaper Group, told KCAL News a Mayfair coach was seen “swinging at some players.”
Other adults present were heard blaming the Norwalk coach for the brawl. A man in a button-down shirt was also seen holding a bat in his hands arguing with somebody, which Robledo says was a parent.
“The NHS and Mayfair administrations, in conjunction with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), are currently conducting an investigation and will decide on the direction of any unsportsmanlike acts,” the Norwalk – La Mirada Unified School District said in a statement.
CIF is gathering information, and an update will be made at the conclusion of the investigation. Both teams are qualified for the playoffs and that could be in jeopardy based on the findings of the investigation.
On Friday, the Lakewood Sheriff’s Department said officers responded to the scene and an investigation from their department is also underway.
We Need To Be Better
All of this is so dumb but representative about where we are as a society.
A high school baseball player sweeps the plate as a taunt and parents start getting riled up in the stands, players on the field start swinging, and some adults (coaches and parents) escalate the situation.
This was a high school baseball game where the outcome was already decided. If you’re mad about losing, channel it for the next time you play the winning team.
Adults who ostensibly should know better are getting in the middle of a brawl with teenagers. It’s classless, uncivilized and stupid.
But what should we expect from a society that has long become desensitized to violence? By our screwed up standards and values, a brawl is tame. We’ve seen incidents where weapons are brought out to retaliate the aftermath of youth athletics.
It will be interesting to see what, if any, punishment CIF hands down. Barring both teams from the playoffs would be harsh for the kids, but that would be a teaching moment.
CIF can’t punish the adults but local law enforcement can. If punches were thrown maybe assault charges can be brought.
Regardless, something needs to be done to stop this madness.
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