Bat flip backlash: NJ judge clears 12-year-old to play after ‘hypocritical’ suspension Associated Press Published: July 24, 2025 A judge cleared a Haddonfield Little League player to return to the field. (Canva/Haddonfield Little League)
WOODBURY — The 12-year-old Little Leaguer who faced suspension from his team’s first state tournament game for flipping his bat after hitting a game-winning home run will be allowed to play Thursday night.
Marco Rocco, of Haddonfield , tossed his bat in the air on July 16 after his sixth-inning, two-run homer in the final of the sectional tournament. Marco was ejected and suspended for a game over what the family was told were actions deemed “unsportsmanlike” and “horseplay.”
The family sought an emergency temporary restraining order that would