Really coach? Really?

[MarsOmega]

I worked a 12u travel game with little league rules last night.

Teams were playing music inbetween innings and playing walk up songs. Everything was fine until VT 4th batter had a walk up song that included a four letter word that starts with P and refrences S** work and a six letter word that starts with H and again refrences s** work. At the half inning I go over to VTC and explain that that players walk up song was innapropriate and needed to be changed or shut off. He tried to argue that those words wern't innapropriate. The kids are 11 and 12. Seriously? they switched the song.

Any thoughts on profanity or innapropriate language in music for youth baseball, travel or otherwise?

[The Man in Blue]

It is absolutely ridiculous … but most people are ignorant and don’t actually listen to the lyrics.

For example, ”Hallelujah” is NOT a Christmas song, FFS.  “Fortunate Son” is not a positive song celebrating your successes.  

That said, the music is outside the field.  As long as they aren’t playing it during play, it’s not my monkeys, not my circus.  Tell the TD / site admin and let them deal with it.  I will agree, it blows my mind the stuff that people play.  Beastie Boys seem to be making an inappropriate come back.

[MarsOmega]

Just now, The Man in Blue said:

It is absolutely ridiculous … but most people are ignorant and don’t actually listen to the lyrics.

For example, ”Hallelujah” is NOT a Christmas song, FFS.  “Fortunate Son” is not a positive song celebrating your successes.  

That said, the music is outside the field.  As long as they aren’t playing it during play, it’s not my monkeys, not my circus.  Tell the TD / site admin and let them deal with it.

We don't have a TD or site admin. LL has no tolorance for profanity or innapropriate language. Also, these were walk up songs. the ball was live and the music was in the dugout.

[The Man in Blue]

Nope.  Music NEVER comes from the dugout.  That you can and should shut down immediately.  End of discussion there.

If it is LL then you have some sort of administrator to report it to.

[SH0102]

Am I that old and out of touch that it took me ten minutes of solid thought to figure out the P word and I still haven’t figured out the H word? 🤔 

[The Man in Blue]

Going to step on the deep end, which I usually try to bite my tongue and not do … 

12u baseball could use more T & A.  Have you seen the baseball moms lately?

If they are going to play that music, I am going to make that comment.  My apologies now.

[BigBlue4u]

6 hours ago, MarsOmega said:

. He tried to argue that those words wern't innapropriate. The kids are 11 and 12. Seriously? they switched the song.

When you get that kind of feedback, here's your answer, "Coach, let me put it to you another way, if I hear that music again, you're done.!"  

[SeeingEyeDog]

It's like that scene in "Tombstone" when Wyatt hangs up a sign that says, "No guns in town".

"Now coach...I'm not sayin' you can't play that music anywhere at all. And I'm not sayin' you can't play some music here. I'm just sayin'...you can't play THAT music HERE."

~Dawg

[LMSANS]

4 hours ago, SH0102 said:

Am I that old and out of touch that it took me ten minutes of solid thought to figure out the P word and I still haven’t figured out the H word? 🤔 

I’m with you. I couldn’t figure either.

[Senor Azul]

I could not find any policy or rules concerning walkup music from the Little League governing body. Apparently, they leave that issue to the local leagues to decide because I found several examples online. For example, here's something from the Vista LL (California):

Walkup music may be played as players walk up for their at bat only, no music in between innings or during other points in the game. 

This particular rule goes on to say that the speaker must be aimed at your own team's dugout and asks for discretion in the use of foul language and sexual content. Authority to decide what is inappropriate is given to its board members.

[beerguy55]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:34 AM, The Man in Blue said:

For example, ”Hallelujah” is NOT a Christmas song, FFS

I showed this verse to someone once...I'm pretty sure I actually witnessed the formation of an aneurism.

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And I remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove she was moving too
And every single breath we drew was Hallelujah

[834k3r]

On 6/10/2023 at 3:23 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

It's like that scene in "Tombstone" when Wyatt hangs up a sign that says, "No guns in town".

"Now coach...I'm not sayin' you can't play that music anywhere at all. And I'm not sayin' you can't play some music here. I'm just sayin'...you can't play THAT music HERE."

~Dawg

[Mudisfun]

For our district TOC, the specific instruction given was if the TD wanted music, they will play it from the booth. No individual teams may have walkup music or between inning music coming from the dugouts. We were also told this is not an umpire issue and the TD will be the POC to handle if there is an issue.

[MadMax]

On 6/10/2023 at 4:41 PM, The Man in Blue said:

Going to step on the deep end, which I usually try to bite my tongue and not do … 

Well, you usually fail, at least here on U-E  

No worries, this is a safe-space for failure.  
 

2 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

I showed this verse to someone once...I'm pretty sure I actually witnessed the formation of an aneurism.

It’s a deeply complex song! It took Leonard Cohen five years to write it. This isn’t a silly, mindless pop song alá Katy Perry or Harry Styles, wherein they have a small army of writers (all expecting a writer’s credit) trying to come up with the “perfect hook” that will be (over)played in clubs and on radios across the land. 

[The Man in Blue]

27 minutes ago, MadMax said:

Well, you usually fail, at least here on U-E  

No worries, this is a safe-space for failure.  
 

It’s a deeply complex song! It took Leonard Cohen five years to write it. This isn’t a silly, mindless pop song alá Katy Perry or Harry Styles, wherein they have a small army of writers (all expecting a writer’s credit) trying to come up with the “perfect hook” that will be (over)played in clubs and on radios across the land. 

 

Oh, you should see/hear the things that I redact and don't post!  😁😇😈

I read that he had something like 300 different versions with various lyrics that he tried out during performances.  

[aaluck]

A couple of the parks allowed "walk up music" here in Dixie baseball.  They claim it keeps the kids from going to "travel ball"?  Anyway, there wasn't anything vulgar or inappropriate.  In fact, it was 90% popular country and I liked most of the songs.  However, i there was I would have done the same thing as @MarsOmega .  I have to listen to that crap when I'm filling up my truck, in a public parking lot, etc, on and on.  I'M NOT LISTENING TO IT WHEN I'M TRYING TO ENJOY MYSELF ON THE FIELD. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

I'm pretty sure the reason I didn't make it to pro ball was we didn't have walk-up music in the 80s where I grew up...

~Dawg

[Velho]

Anecdote: Players on my son's HS team were to submit their music choices for parental review. F2's first submission was rejected... and his second... and his third. At which point the reply was "You get AC/DC".

[834k3r]

17 hours ago, Velho said:

Anecdote: Players on my son's HS team were to submit their music choices for parental review. F2's first submission was rejected... and his second... and his third. At which point the reply was "You get AC/DC".

I made a playlist for my son's travel team a couple (?) years ago. One of the players picked "Despicito" which was popular at the time. Knowing more German than Spanish, I put the lyrics into an online translation service--and promptly deleted the song from the playlist.

 

On 6/10/2023 at 8:34 AM, The Man in Blue said:

It is absolutely ridiculous … but most people are ignorant and don’t actually listen to the lyrics.

For example, ”Hallelujah” is NOT a Christmas song, FFS.  “Fortunate Son” is not a positive song celebrating your successes.  

And "Born in the USA" is not the feel-good patriotic song people believe it to be.

[beerguy55]

1 hour ago, 834k3r said:

And "Born in the USA" is not the feel-good patriotic song people believe it to be.

Same with "Pink Houses"

[Velho]

9 hours ago, 834k3r said:

One of the players picked "Despicito" which was popular at the time. Knowing more German than Spanish, I put the lyrics into an online translation service--and promptly deleted the song from the playlist.

That song was big when my son was in 8th grade. His spanish teacher (best teacher he ever had, unfortunately he only had her the one year) wanted to bring current culture into the class. She came to the exact same conclusion as you.

Along this line, I've held off posting THIS LINK regarding this topic. But am now, so consider yourself warned.

[agdz59]

10 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

Same with "Pink Houses"

And how anyone didn't hear that on the first listen to both of those songs boggles the mind.  Both Mellencamp and Springsteen were up front and honest with their "We can do better" approach on those songs.

[Velho]

“I love LA” falls into this group as well.

[beerguy55]

And Macarena is about a woman who cheats on her boyfriend while he's away on conscripted military service...

 

My favorite though is the old ladies who request  "Please Release Me" at wedding receptions!!!

[scrounge]

9 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

And Macarena is about a woman who cheats on her boyfriend while he's away on conscripted military service...

 

My favorite though is the old ladies who request  "Please Release Me" at wedding receptions!!!

I played "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" at my wedding reception. I don't think anyone got the joke.