Little League Controversy

* It is with sadness and dismay that we read about the controversy surrounding the Woodland Hills [and] Encino Little League teams (“Disqualifications Disrupt Little Leaguers,” July 19). Having dedicated many years to the Little League program in the past, bringing in “ringers” is nothing new. It probably has been done since the inception of Little League and will continue to be done until adults can act like adults, instead of acting like children.

Except for the egos of some of the parents and coaches, no one benefited from this mess--probably not even the lawyers who did all of the work, since their kids were probably playing on the teams anyway.

Just think--if the Encino Little League parents took the time they spent on digging through trash cans, spying and trying to prove the Woodland Hills team did something “illegal” and instead donated that time to a charity, community, church or temple, or even to a needy neighbor, this world would be all the better for it. And without passing judgment on either team, the bottom line is that the team that plays by the rules is always a winner.

JOHN and CATHIE PINTO

Northridge

*

* And I thought Little League parents were nuts when I was a kid! Witness now the parents and boosters of the Woodland Hills players recently declared ineligible due to lack of residency in league boundaries.

Once again, the adults have taken over the kids’ game and ruined it. But these folks have made things even worse by behaving in a manner distinctive of the ‘90s:

* They’ve got a lawyer and are threatening to go to federal court.

* They’re clearly to blame for what’s happened, but they’ve turned around and blamed everybody else.

* They’ve succumbed to the hype about winning and have forgotten that without fairness, sports are meaningless.

STEPHEN A. MEISTER

Sherman Oaks