There’s nothing like going to Chuck E. Cheese’s and being made fun of while playing a game. As a child! Can’t say you’ve had that experience? Unfortunately, 9-year-old Marie Marcum did. She played a Major League Baseball-licensed pitching game at the famous kid’s establishment recently, when, as she missed a throw, an electronic announcement proclaimed, “Well, there’s always softball.”
Marie had already been playing softball for years, as the second base player for the Plainfield Twisters softball team. She felt the response was rude and reductive, as if baseball were better than softball.
We know what you’re thinking: Are you kidding me? Sadly, we’re not. A little girl shouldn’t be taunted for a throw, especially at a kid’s establishment. Naturally, Marie was pretty annoyed, but she kept playing hard — because she’s amazing. Her mother, Lisa Marcum, stepped in when Marie seemed noticeably upset.
She suggested she write a letter to Major League Baseball (MLB) and complain.
Marie’s mother also wrote on her own personal Facebook page to say she wanted to raise Marie to be “proud to be a girl and eventually proud to be a woman… It’s hard enough to be a female, but it’s really sad that these messages start in places like this… She should have been having fun earning tickets by throwing the ball around (which she loves), but instead, she is questioning why the sport she enjoys is used to tease people.” Her Facebook post has since been made private.
“I decided to write the letter so they could change the game so that it was better,” Marie said. She ended up writing, “It made it seem like baseball is better than [softball]… It made me feel that I wasn’t good enough… I hope that you can fix it somehow.”
The hand-written letter has since gotten 10,000 likes on ESPNW’s Instagram account. The caption says, “A 9-year-old girl wrote a letter and called out Chuck E. Cheese’s and Major League Baseball after a MLB-licensed throwing game told her ‘there’s always softball.'”
MLB stated that they did not condone the response Marie got at her game. This is what they said:
“MLB does not support the message conveyed in the game and we are reaching out to the company to share our concerns about it. We love Marie’s passion for softball and her view that softball is just as great as baseball. Through our PLAY BALL program, growing youth softball has remained a priority for MLB, equally as important as growing youth baseball.”
Luckily, the internet is behind Marie, too:
People are standing up to share her message. We’re glad it’s getting around!
Marie Marcum is 9 and not happy. She writes to MLB about an arcade game that taunts, 'Hey, there's always softball.' Marie says that’s “rude.” @espnWD @espnW : https://t.co/JHOCPmchjg
— Jena Janovy (@JenaJ34) February 21, 2019
In fact, an ESPN softball analyst wrote, “Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.”
Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
— Amanda Scarborough (@ascarborough) February 21, 2019
....just like 9 year old Marie Marcum.
Dear @MLB, to quote Marie, “I hope you can make some changes please.”
Full story by @espnWD here:https://t.co/OPk7oXM0F2 pic.twitter.com/I7qK7zzYQm
Others are sharing the story, saying, “This girl isn’t playing.” Nope, she’s not!
When an MLB-licensed pitching game at a Chicago Chuck E. Cheese’s mocked 9-year-old Marie Marcum, she called them out for belittling softball.
— MAKERS (@MAKERSwomen) February 22, 2019
Watch out @MLB, this little girl isn't playing. 💪https://t.co/lFUfnLebTb
We love seeing this outpouring of support:
Marie Marcum is a #gamechanger, in every sense of the word. It takes guts to speak up, and I am proud of her. @profastpitch is full of incredible athletes. 🥎 https://t.co/C0dapu0HYQ
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) February 22, 2019
Softball isn’t an easy game! It shouldn’t be made to sound that way.
In fact, we wish we could play! Looks fun.
Just look at this! That’s gotta hurt.
Still, we applaud anyone who plays softball. Haters be damned.
You go, Marie! We support you — and your softball team!
