Big Business Throws Curve at Little League

Coaches and parents of the Northridge Little League team who produced an instructional baseball video that capitalized on the team’s national championship at the Little League World Series last August have learned another lesson.

Lesson No. 1 came when the video, “The Earthquake Kids Teach Winning Baseball” was unveiled Dec. 1 and several families of the nine players not included voiced their shock and anger.

This lesson came just as hard.

The Woodland Hills firm of Fisher and Associates Inc. inundated television, radio and print media Wednesday with charges that the video makers reneged on payment of $6,990.80. The firm filed a breach of contract suit in Los Angeles Municipal Court.

“We typically wouldn’t go public with this sort of thing, but because of the anniversary of the earthquake we didn’t want everyone to think we were still doing work for them,” said Robert J. Fisher, president of the firm.

On Monday, Fisher left this message on the answering machine of Northridge Coach George Saul: “I’d hate to have to destroy you people. But I could do it real easy.”

Saul says Fisher is doing a better job of smearing the video makers than he did promoting the project.

“He’s full of double talk; he hasn’t delivered what he promised,” Saul said. “We hired him to get us national exposure, and he hasn’t done anything.”

Fisher refused to provide an itemized breakdown of expenses, Saul said. “We just want to know who he has talked to and what the results were.”

Fisher admits the video has not gotten the national media exposure he hoped for, but said his firm completed the five public relations projects agreed upon. He said he was paid $4,000 in November and $1,600 in December.

“We agreed the work would not exceed $10,000 in fees and expenses,” Fisher said. “Since reaching that limit we have donated another $4,000 worth of time to them for nothing.”