According to the Tampere club Manse PP, a member of the KPL club management shouted disparagingly at a Manse player in Kouvola.
Baseball Association has started an investigation into the suspicion of harassment made public by Manse PP, which is related to the men’s Superpesis match played on Tuesday between the Kouvola Ballonlöji and the Tampere club.
The Tampere club Manse PP says on its website that in Kouvola, a person belonging to the club management of KPL shouted very degrading and personal insults to a Manse player.
According to Manse PP, the screams could be heard not only in the stands but also in the ears of the player in question.
Tampere club strongly condemns all non-game and personal harassment. Creating an atmosphere and proper encouragement belonging to the sport is of course desirable.
Executive Director of the Baseball Association Vesa Rämet told STT that the Päsäpalloliitto has asked Manse PP and Kouvola’s Ballonlöji for explanations about Tuesday’s events. Based on them, the association’s executive board decides whether there is a need to impose penalties for the events.
Punishments can vary from warnings of varying degrees to monetary sanctions. That’s the extremes, Rämet said.
In baseball’s disciplinary procedure, for example, deduction of series points is not known. Rämet is waiting for the explanations until next week, but possibly the union may have to request additional explanations.
Baseball Association and through that, the clubs are committed to the ongoing Don’t break sports campaign. According to the campaign, sport is broken if harassment is not dealt with in all situations. One manifestation of harassment can be degrading or humiliating speech.
The baseball association’s Rämet reminds that strong emotions belong to sports, but does not believe that disturbing speech is particularly common in baseball. And you don’t need that in baseball.
On the field, you have to be able to play sports in such a way that there is no fear of being hurt, Rämet reminded. According to Rämet, even one incident of harassment is too many, so the association takes suspicions seriously.
In the stands, it should be so that one encourages one’s own team and appreciates the opponent. Without opponents, even the home team won’t be able to play matches, Rämet said.
Manse PP says on its website that the club has raised the issue of harassment at the Superpesis club managers’ meeting already at the end of the 2021 season. According to the club, now is the time for action for baseball as a hundred-year-old national game at the latest. Manse PP encourages other clubs to demand zero tolerance for harassment.
STT has not reached the chairman of KPL Harri Lehto to comment on the matter.
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