Little Slugger has a meltdown

Baseball has been going very well this year.  When you have a strong willed, emotional son, however, you just never know.  Tonight all started well.  Dakota was easily catching pop up balls I was throwing him, an improvement over moving out of the way, which he did until this very night.  He warmed up with the kids and was excited to start the game.  This was a make up game from a rain out late in May and it looked as though we may not get it all in tonight either.  We started with only five players and Dakota had anticipated batting all day because it was his turn to bat last and "hit the homerun".  (The last batter in the tball line up gets to run all the basis and we rotate the kids so everyone gets a turn).  Just before Dakota got his turn to bat, however, another player showed up, so he wasn't last and he was disappointed.  "Next inning", I told him.  The next inning the same thing happened....he was actually at the plate and another player showed up....no batting last again.  By the third and last inning, Dakota was in a full blown mood and he wanted me to know it.  He was kicking at things and grumbling and being demanding and after trying to reason with him, I decided he would not be batting last because of his bad attitude.  Well, that set all the balls in motion and the tirade started.  I warned him that there would be no tears on my bench, but he ignored me so I removed him and put him back by the trees so he could cry it out there.  That darned little rascal got up and returned to my bench and then was making a scene, crying and tantruming....so I told him he was out of the game completely.  Oh Lordy!  That really set him off and he went on and on, crying and whining and pleading.  I had to take him aside and give him a stern talking to...which helped not at all.  This whole episode probably took only five minutes, but it felt like an hour to me and I knew I was being judged, probably harshly, by the other parents, but I firmly believe that if you have said you will or will not do something, you have to follow through.  After several minutes of continued tantrums, I laid down the law....not only would he not play tonight, but he would not be allowed to come tomorrow morning to our game with our friend and her son, who had offered to bring him since my husband and I would be out of town.  That really put him over the top!  Thankfully, the rain started, the thunder boomed and we all grabbed our gear and headed for the cars.  I heard alot of pleas on the ride home, as well as alot of "I'm sorry" and "I wish I had been good", but by the time I had run his bath and plopped him in, he knew his fate was sealed and he had admitted defeat.  My hope from all this is that he thinks it through and the next time he is faced with making a wise choice instead of a bad one, he'll do the right thing and we won't go through this again.  Live and learn.  There really isn't any other way.