Rocky River baseball in the spotlight for Myrtle Beach incident
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One of the biggest talkers in Cleveland this month involves the Rocky River High School baseball team and a controversial trip to an out-of-town tournament.
Catch up quick: Head coach Ed Piazza and assistant coach Michael Harper both resigned after an incident on a team trip to Myrtle Beach.
State of play: The team won all four of its games in the South Atlantic Bank Invitational, then went into town to celebrate and scuffled with a local college fraternity, per multiple media reports.
- Law enforcement was summoned at 3:41am on April 11, per a police report obtained by News 5 and others, to sort out the sides of the story. No one was injured or charged.
What they're saying: In a letter to Rocky River baseball families, school officials said that after they learned of the incident, they began an investigation with the aid of the Rocky River Police Department. This resulted in the resignations of Piazza and Harper.
The other side: Piazza released a statement on April 16.
- "While I understand the situation may have created concerns or negative perceptions for the school and the Rocky River baseball program, it is important to state clearly that no wrongdoing occurred on our part," it read.
What we're hearing: The local chatter at water coolers and on social media has split largely into two camps.
- Some feel the coaches, as chaperones, were negligent by letting the team celebrate late into the night.
- Others contend that "boys will be boys," and the coaching staff responsibly ensured players' safety and involved law enforcement as necessary.
🤔 What do you think? Were the coaches wrongfully pushed out?
- Or should some measure of misbehavior be expected (and accommodated) on high school trips like these?
- Email your thoughts to [email protected].