The one-game strike by Little League baseball player Zack McManus has ended - but not with a settlement.

The 10-year-old McManus and his younger brother are withdrawing from the Mars Baseball Association, said their father, John McManus.

Following Monday's game, at which his son chose to hold a picket sign calling for more equal opportunity and fair play from the league, McManus was invited by league president James Hilscher to attend a regular Mars Baseball Association meeting Wednesday night.

"They wanted to discuss the issue with me and we did that," McManus said. "But I'm very disappointed with the league's direction and by-laws."

McManus said it was explained to him "that the coaching staff has the final responsibility regarding any child's ability to play, based on the coaching staff's assessment of each child's talent."

Zack McManus also plays soccer in the spring and has missed occasional baseball practice and game times as a result. His father is a youth soccer coach.

McManus said baseball association officials told him that "because my son had missed two or three of the possibly eight practice sessions, as well as a part of one regular season game because of his soccer commitment, that his coach should have every justification to limit his participation.

"As a parent, do I want my child to be involved in an organization where kids have to compete and commit at such a young age?"

Hilscher could not be reached for comment. Association secretary Rob Miller attended Wednesday's meeting and spoke to McManus.

"I tried convincing him that we give everybody a chance," Miller said. "I was trying to figure out why he was so upset.

"We're just a bunch of mothers and fathers donating our free time so kids can play baseball. With so many kids involved, no matter which way you go (competitive or non-competitive), some parents are going to be upset."

Miller refuted the argument of soccer playing being a factor in Zack McManus not getting an opportunity to play other positions in baseball.

"A lot of kids in our association play soccer," he said. "Some of our age groups don't even schedule games on Saturdays because that's a big soccer day."

David Nearhoof, a former Mars Baseball Association 11- to 12-year-old division commissioner and now a coach in the 9-to 10-year-old division, said the league is and always has been non-competitive.

"We have two or three kids drop out of the league every year because it's not competitive enough," Nearhoof said.

"Mr. McManus' philosophy of fair and equal opportunity is fine. But it has to be provided by the parents as well as the coaches."

Nearhoof, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, pointed out the 9-to-10 division of the baseball association has doubled in size in five years.

The association enrolls 500 youths and has existed for 50 years. It has access to the two fields by the Mars High School administration building four days a week, the Adams Park field three days a week and a field in Valencia twice a week.

"Field availability and practice times are a problem," he said. "Coaches show up at 5 p.m. for a 6:15 game to work with the kids. Teams that aren't playing on a given night will rotate in and use the batting cage for hitting and pitching practice.

"Parents have to get their kids to these sessions - and work with them on their own - for them to develop."

Nearhoof said Don Edinger, coach of Zack McManus' team, is "a good coach who lets each kid play infield and outfield.

"But all of the coaches have to be careful not to put a kid at a position where he might get hurt because he's not ready to play that position.

"I've seen pitchers at this level walk 12 or 14 batters in a row because they're not ready to be pitchers. I'm not gonna put a kid through that," Nearhoof said.

McManus agreed the association has the right to set its own standards and by-laws.

"But they should advertise those expectations to parents before they sign their kids up," he said.

"The association offered to refund my money. I told them I'm not interested in the money. I'm interested in teaching children to enjoy sports."

Miller said he regrets the entire incident and that league officials were surprised by it.

"This whole thing came out of the blue," he said. "Nothing like this has ever happened in this organization before.

"It's a shame it had to come to this. We should be talking about the good things in baseball."