CNNSI reports that in a recent Little League game in Massachusetts, an umpire forbid members of one team from speaking in Spanish to each while on on the field:

Coaches on a Little League team filed a protest with the league after an umpire ordered the players to stop speaking Spanish during a state tournament game this week. . . National Little League spokesman Lance Van Auken said there’s no rule against players speaking Spanish or any other language on the field. But he said it’s too late to reverse the decision or the outcome of the game. . .

Methuen was winning 3-1 when assistant coach Domingo Infante instructed the pitcher in Spanish to try to pick off a runner at second base. After the unsuccessful attempt, the umpire called time-out and spoke with a Little League official who was at the game. The unidentified umpire then decreed that only English could be spoken.

The article goes on to say that League officials admit that the umpire erred and should not have prohibited Spanish to be spoken, but the outcome of the game can’t be changed and the umpire will not be punished. Another skirmish in the developing cultural wars -- in this case, English versus Spanish.