Suspended Little League Player’s Controversial Bat Brings In $10K At Auction After Legal Battle

A controversial bat that sparked a legal battle between a 12-year-old player and Little League officials sold for $9,882 at auction Friday, ESPN reported.

Marco Rocco’s signed bat drew 68 bids through Goldin Auctions after the New Jersey player flipped it following a home run July 16 in the Little League sectional tournament final, according to ESPN. The celebration earned him an immediate ejection and one-game suspension that would have barred him from the state tournament’s opening game. The proceeds from the auction is going to the same organization that suspended the boy.

The suspension didn’t stand. Marco’s father, Joe Rocco, sued Little League and secured an emergency temporary restraining order from a judge, clearing his son to play in the double-elimination tournament.

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“Marco loves Little League and is happy that he is able to give back to an organization that he is very fond of,” Joe Rocco said in a text, the outlet reported. “Little League was such a big part of Marco’s life for a long time.”

The bat flip controversy reached beyond local fields. Major League players publicly backed the 12-year-old, arguing the punishment went too far for a spontaneous celebration, the outlet reported. Little League itself later sold commemorative pins featuring the incident at the Little League World Series. (RELATED:A Scary Moment Turns Into A Display Of Exceptional Sportsmanship For This Little League Team)

The July incident occurred during a crucial game when Marco homered and tossed his bat in celebration. Umpires immediately ejected him under Little League rules prohibiting unsportsmanlike conduct, according to the outlet. The suspension notice came shortly after, prompting the Rocco family’s legal response.

The auction winner remains anonymous. The nearly $10,000 raised will support Haddonfield Little League’s programs.