Youth Baseball: Is ‘Young Guns’ an appropriate name for a youth baseball team?
By Doug Halberstadt
Sports Columnist
I was watching the 10 p.m. version of the local news, weather and sports one night last week, and I caught a story about a local boys’ baseball team that had qualified for post-season play. They are called the “Young Guns.”
First of all, congratulations to the players, parents and coaches for all of their hard-earned success. I took the time to do a little research on the Young Guns. According to their website, they are classified as “Baseball Boys 11 & Under AA.” They play under the sanctioning body of the United States Specialty Sports Association. As a result of their success this season, they’ve qualified to represent our city in their post-season tournaments.
OK, here’s my problem … it’s their name. Really, the Young Guns? Is this an appropriate name for a group of 11-year-old boys playing baseball? Especially since they are representing Rockford? Our town was recently cited as the ninth most dangerous town in America. Why did they choose this as their name? Who thought it was a good idea? With the proliferation of violence in this town, why on earth would you name your team after a weapon?
What kind of message is this sending to the team? What do guns have to do with the game of baseball? What does this say to the opponents of this team? Does this send a message of acceptance of weapons? I think it’s in incredibly poor taste, and they should change their name immediately.
This isn’t the first time a team’s name has been considered offensive because of violent overtures. In 1995, NBA team owner Abe Pollin announced his Washington, D.C., franchise was to be renamed because Bullets carried violent overtones, which he wanted to repudiate, especially since Washington was experiencing some of the highest homicide rates in the country at the time. A contest was held to choose a new name, and the choices were narrowed to the Dragons, Express, Stallions, Sea Dogs or Wizards. May 15, 1997, the Bullets became the Washington Wizards.
The current Young Guns, their managers, sponsors, parents and anyone who has anything to do with the team should follow Pollin’s lead and quickly change their name.
Doug Halberstadt can be reached via e-mail at Dougster61@aol.com.watering because that can help to spread the disease. Buy varieties of plants that are resistant to mildew.”
From the July 20-26, 2011 issue
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5 Comments
In poker – Jacks. Kings are Cowboys, Jacks are “Young Guns” or just “Guns”. World English Dictionary an up-and-coming young man, esp one considered as being assertive and confident. You can use young guns to talk about people, especially young men, who have lots of energy and talent, and are becoming very successful, etc.
In baseball anyone that is a hard thrower is considered to have a “Gun” for an arm.
Since these boys are all young and hard throwing I think the name is clever and befitting of a championship baseball team. Good luck to them, and represent our city well by bringing home a world series trophy.
Well I hope you don’t own the movie Young Guns because then you MUST be promoting violence by owning it. Just because a name has weapon in it doesn’t mean you promote violence. It just a name! Does an atheist not befriend a person who’s name is Jesus because he might be promoting God? A name is a name it doesn’t define you.
I really think people are more interested in trying to find more problems in society then find solutions. Maybe you should have written an article about preventing violence then nick picking team names. What are you doing to prevent violence in society? These coaches are getting the kids off the street and getting them into sports, which they learn to work as a group, how to communicate with people and problem solve.
GO YOUNG GUNS!!!!!
Yeah the team isn’t named after weapons. “Young guns” is an expression.
Doug:
You must have a boring life to write a story on this really?? Your fact checking is off too, these kids are 13U not eleven, you should have checked more than the website. Oh, but that would have actually taken work. To get to the point, your very left leaning ideology is really taking you away from what your title says, “sports columnist”. Instead your degrading a name of a team, for what your ideology? Whatever! Have you actually listened to any lyrics to any rap songs that these children listen to at a far younger age than eleven? Ummm…its a little worse than the name Rockford Young Guns. So are you going to write a story on rap music now as a so called “sports writer”, probably not. How about when a thirteen year old goes to the doctor for a physical and they ask these children if they have done drugs,drank alcohol,or smoked in life yet? Is that not promoting all of that activity too? That’s coming from a doctor, should we not stop those progressive steps too? Bottom line is that if you raise your children right they will not have the tendency to play with guns, or will not have a tendency after reading or hearing the word gun. Maybe for you, Doug, we can call them the Rockford Flowers or something,or Rockford Climate Change. After every game they could get together and plant flowers, ones without mildew, that would make men out of them. This is a group of some of the finest kids I have known, and their name has nothing to do with violence. You should keep your personal ideology out of it and stick to sports if thats what you do, instead of bashing a kids baseball team name. And then one last thing because this whole story is so obsurd,Doug, in your fact finding you should have noticed the kids are going to a city called Battle Creek, Michigan, and you say what! Children going to a city called Battle Creek. Battle Creek that in itself is pretty violent. So you have the Rockford Young Guns going to a city called Battle Creek,that city should change their name. Maybe the kids think there’s going to be a battle,using their guns. The whole story is pathetic. And I think you should write a story apologizing to these kids on how you should keep your own opinion to yourself,congratulate them and their coaches for the hard work, along with many hours of practice it took them to get them where there going for the city of Rockford. Good luck Rockford YOUNG GUNS!!