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New Jersey youth baseball player Marco Rocco was officially suspended prior to the state championship ahead of the Little League World Series. A celebratory bat flip was the cause.
He was, however, able to get the last laugh after having that ruling overturned. He smacked a home run in his final at-bat before rounding the bases in calculated fashion.
Rocco plays for Haddonfield, New Jersey’s Little League baseball program. The team won the 2024 state championship and was a favorite to repeat in 2025 given the talent returning to the roster.
The 12-year-old Rocco was a big reason why.
Marco Rocco hits bombs.
He lets his opponent know about them, too. That’s what got him in trouble while attempting to qualify for the Little League World Series this summer.
@njdotcom 12 year-old Marco Rocco was ejected from a July 16th game after flipping his bat while celebrating a home run for Haddonfield Little League. The ejection comes with an automatic one-game suspension, which means Marco can’t play in the state finals. Unlike the major leagues, bat flipping is banned in Little League as its considered “horse play.” What do you think, is the rule fair or too harsh? #nj #newjersey #littleleague #sports #gloucestercountynj 🎥 Jason Fiorentino
Rocco was ejected from a July 16th game due to a celebratory bat flip. He was later suspended for the four-team, double elimination state championship.
“Safety concerns” were the reasoning for that ruling, though Little League has failed to punish prior bat flip instances in the same fashion.
A temporary restraining order reversed the decision.
Marco Rocco was allowed to play! He shined in the championship event, hitting .625 with six runs and four RBIs for Haddonfield across three contests.
In his final at-bat of Game 3, he went yard. He was very calculated in his home run celebration.
NJ.com says he “planted [his bat] calmly near the batter’s box and took his lap around the bases.” He did the complete opposite in a sarcastic response trolling Little League’s previous ruling.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to advance to the Little League World Series. Haddonfield lost their final game 14-10 to Elmora, a team they’d already fallen to 10-0 in the state championship event.
That postseason exit would’ve been much more controversial had Marco Rocco been unable to play. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.