News story

Underage Player Banned, Team Suspended

Oct. 1, 2008 – Senior Softball-USA

Softball News Report

A player on the Seven Softball 50 Major team has been banned for life, the manager suspended and the team disbanded for the 2008 season for putting an underage player on the roster. In addition, Seven Softball, which won the Atlantic Coast Championships, was stripped of its awards and its berth to the Tournament of Champions.

The player, Robert Daily of Maryland, has been banned for life for attempting to falsify his age in order to play senior softball. Daily is 49 years old.

The incident at SSUSA’s Atlantic Coast Championships came to light when a protest was lodged that the team was using an underage player.

The tournament director, Dave Dowell, refused to allow Daily to play and had him stricken from the lineup card for the first game until Daily could produce identification. Daily had a temporary membership number, which the manager, Pierce Jones III, received when he called into Sacramento to verify Daily would complete the registration.

The next day, Daily produced a driver’s license, but kept his thumb over the birthdate. After Dowell requested the license for further study – and the birthdate was uncovered – it showed Daily would only be 49.

In an appeal of SSUSA’s decision to suspend Jones and his team, attorney Purcell Luke, wrote:

“Mr. Jones states that he did not falsify any credentials for Mr. Daily, nor did he have any knowledge that Mr. Daily did not meet the minimum requirement of 50 years of age… to penalize a team by stripping them of awards, titles and berths for a well-earned weekend battle when that player did not participate in any of the games is genuinely wrong.”

In answer to Jones’ appeal, SSUSA lifted the team and manager suspension for 2009 because Daily did not participate in the tournament.

“After reviewing the information,” Terry Hennessy, SSUSA’s chief executive officer wrote in the appeal:

“You verified to George Moreno (SSUSA National Office Director) that Robert Daily was the correct age when you offered to pay for his card and received a temporary registration number for him prior to the tournament.

“The manager reporting that Daily was underage said that it was “pretty common knowledge in this part of the country” that Robert Daily was too young to participate.

“Robert Daily was listed on the lineup and only taken out of the lineup – and not allowed to play in the event – because the intervention of the Tournament Director, Dave Dowell.

“You were responsible for verifying Daily’s age directly to Moreno and by the fact that you listed him on the roster and your lineup. The assertion that “it was common knowledge” creates significant doubt about any claims of not knowing Daily was underage.

“Frankly, you can thank Dave Dowell for not allowing Daily to participate. If Daily had participated, the suspension would be upheld for the full time. Because Daily did not participate, the team disbandment and your suspension are both lifted for the 2009 season. As manager, you are suspended for the remainder of the 2008 season and your team is disbanded for the remainder of the 2008 season. In addition, your team forfeits all awards and its TOC berth, which will go to the second-place team. The 2008 season ends on Oct. 28, 2008.

“Robert Daily remains banned for life from Senior Softball for intentionally misrepresenting his age.”