RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Davenport Northwest Little League baseball coach Mark Erwin defended his players and coaches and denied any wrongdoing in the Aug. 14 victory that gave his squad a spot in the Little League World Series.
Erwin, in a phone interview with the Des Moines Register on Aug. 19, vehemently rejected recent accusations that his team was stealing signs during the Midwest Region final.
Davenport's 7-6, extra-innings victory over Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, sent the Iowa team to this week's LLWS in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Erwin's team opens against the West Region champion at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, Aug. 20 (ESPN2).
Accusations and conspiracy theories abound on social media, speculating that the Iowa team was relaying signs from a runner on second base to a hitter at the plate.
Erwin was eager to set the record straight during his conversation with the Register on Wednesday.
“We didn’t teach it and I can honestly say with 100% (certainty) that the guys that were involved absolutely had nothing to do with any sign-stealing,” Erwin said.
The controversy began early in the matchup when Davenport Northwest's Logan Chantos was seen tugging at his helmet while on second base.
During a mound visit by the Wisconsin manager, a Whitefish Bay player was heard on the broadcast accusing Chantos of relaying signs to his teammate at the plate.
Erwin had an easy explanation for Chantos' gestures.
“His helmet is extremely big on him,” Erwin said. “He’s got a little smaller head. And if you watched him on the other bases, he’s constantly moving his helmet. So, there’s no signs given.”
While sign stealing is legal in many levels of baseball, it’s a big no-no in Little League Baseball. According to Rule 9.0 “the stealing and relaying of signs to alert the batter of pitch selection and/or location is unsportsmanlike behavior.”
Each umpire has the authority to disqualify a player, coach, manager or substitute for unsportsmanlike conduct, according to the Little League Rulebook.
Erwin was upset that the allegations have diminished his team’s journey to Little League Baseball’s biggest stage. He said his team won fair and square.
“The guys involved didn’t know anything about it really until the next day of what was going on with the story that someone’s decided to try and dig up or make up,” Erwin said. “But the frustrating part is it takes away from all the hard work and the effort of the guys that did win that game. We made some plays. A few guys had some hits. I think we only had like four hits, though, so if we were stealing signs, maybe we would have had 10 or 12 hits.”
Erwin added, "It's definitely not something we teach or coach."
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