Northridge Parents Angered by Little League Ticket Blunder

Parents of Northridge players are incensed over the way tickets have been distributed for today’s Little League World Series final and are weighing options that include not allowing the team to take the field.

Little League officials provided Northridge with 190 tickets, but only 60 are above the team’s first-base dugout, where all of the team’s supporters have sat at games all week. The rest of the tickets are for the right-field area.

About 100 family members of Northridge players will attend the game, which is expected to draw 40,000 fans.

“Grandparents, brothers and sisters who flew 2,500 miles for this can’t even sit with the rest of us,” said Jack Fisher, father of shortstop Matt Fisher. “This stinks, and if I have to pull my kid off the field to get it straightened out, that’s what I will do.”

Jon Gentile, father of Justin Gentile, today’s starting pitcher, contacted an ABC television producer and requested that the network, which is covering the game, step in on the team’s behalf. The producer said he would do so.

“It’s inconceivable that they won’t let 100 Northridge supporters sit together,” said Tim Cunningham, father of catcher Matt Cunningham.