Protest Leaves Them Embarrassed in Encino

As former board members of Encino Baseball Incorporated, as well as members of the Encino Little League and Pony Baseball programs, we are appalled by the recent actions of Encino Little League against Woodland Hills.

Our sons played on numerous Encino all-star teams. Throughout the years we were involved in the youth baseball programs at the Encino complex, there were many instances of residency violations that were overlooked when friends wanted to play baseball with friends. This practice, we suspect, is very common in all Little League programs that exist all across America. . . .

While in some instances protests were launched, it was never carried to the degree of tabloid style investigation nor plastered on the front page of the newspaper or nightly television news programs. The self-serving notion that Encino’s current protest, spearheaded by Rob Glushon, was based on “principle” is a pathetic excuse for the glaring fact that Woodland Hills was simply a better team. We would like to understand what “principle” was involved that only served to cause the anguish that Junior Garcia and Garrett Feig had to endure.

The sportsmanlike way to protest potentially illegal players is at the Little League certification meeting where all Little League all-star teams are certified by Little League district officials, not after the team has started to play.

We would like to remind Encino Little League that these individuals are children, who, simply because they are outstanding players, were denied the possibility of participating in the experience of a lifetime, and instead, became the unsuspecting victims of the inexplicable motives of vindictive adults.

We are embarrassed and ashamed that the actions of Encino Little League have damaged the 45-year reputation of an otherwise outstanding youth baseball program that always had the well-being of all its participants at its heart, not the insincere, self-righteous, mean spirited ramblings of a misguided crusade.

LESLIE and GARY PERSELL

Encino