Posted on 08/25/2008 5:44:23 PM PDT by Teflonic
NEW HAVEN, Conn. —Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player— too good, it turns out.
The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said.
Officials for the three-year-old league, which has eight teams and about 100 players, said they will disband Jericho’s team, redistributing its players among other squads, and offered to refund $50 sign-up fees to anyone who asks for it. They say Jericho’s coach, Wilfred Vidro, has resigned.
But Vidro says he didn’t quit and the team refuses to disband. Players and parents held a protest at the league’s field on Saturday urging the league to let Jericho pitch.
“He’s never hurt any one,” Vidro said. “He’s on target all the time. How can you punish a kid for being too good?”
The controversy bothers Jericho, who says he misses pitching.
“I feel sad,” he said. “I feel like it’s all my fault nobody could play.”
Jericho’s coach and parents say the boy is being unfairly targeted because he turned down an invitation to join the defending league champion, which is sponsored by an employer of one of the league’s administrators.
Jericho instead joined a team sponsored by Will Power Fitness. The team was 8-0 and on its way to the playoffs when Jericho was banned from pitching.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
In Texas, every college in the state would be recruiting him, nine years old or not. We don’t penalize excellence.
Sounds like socialism - equality of results - has oozed its way into little league baseball.
Kid has potential - can’t he play on a team with older kids? A MLB scout should be alerted to this story, he won’t be nine forever.
Sheesh! Let the kid pitch!
(I played baseball for 14 years and coached for 14 years.)
Sometimes it is hard to tell if there are any adults involved in certain community organizations. I’d call it childish politics, but that would be an insult to children.
So mom peeved the league leaders. Big deal. I would hope mom goes back and gives them double.
So, the whole league needs to disband because this woman doesn’t get her way? If she cared about her kid, and really wanted him to excel in his sport, she would have sat down with the league and seen where the best place for him would be. Stupid moron mother.
So....a potentially great pitcher - who’s presence in the league would inspire others to be better - is not allowed to play.
Seems stupid to me.
In the little leagues around here a nine year old can only pitch 4 innings a game anyway.
After raising 4 boys and being involved in little league for years Id say this is the crux of the matter.
Pitchers at the wrong level for their ability are the biggest problem. Cheating is the second biggest problem.
There are no "no limits" nine year old leagues that I know of. Every nine year old team has rule modifications to deal with the widely varying abilities of nine year olds.
If this kid's birth certificate (his REAL one) says he's nine, and he pitches two perfect games in a row, he should move up and pitch to kids who can hit him.
That's not socialism - that's instructional level sports.
I know his coach will back him, but I sure the hell hope his parents make sure he knows in clear terms that it is not his fault that nobody else can play.
It’s the liberal crybabies who can’t handle it and think fairness is achieved by destroying and punishing excellence.
And for none of the other parents to step up and say not to do this, what a bunch of pu$$ies they are. Just wimpy, limpy little pu$$ies.
You know what? I gotta say, 40mph isn't even all that fast. When you go to batting cages, is it even possible to find a machine that pitches that slowly?
These are 9-year-olds and can't even face 40mph?
Just pathetic.
The whole league doesn't need to disband at all. They could, for example, let the kid and the kid's team play the damn baseball games as originally scheduled and stop being such ninnies.
It's also an intelligent, reasonable solution as opposed to the one actually implemented.
Put the league out of business.
Where have these people been for the last twenty years. It's called socialism and just look at how the politicians have punished success at every turn.
On the surface, I’d agree, but it seems this is retribution because the guy who runs the league (and has the defending champion team) asked him to switch teams and he turned it down. Doesn’t this sound an awful lot like union retribution, or thug protection scams? Disgusting.
Colonel, USAFR
They are nine year olds...the ball is being thrown TOO fast and I’m sure there are alot of parents who are worried about that. And on the other end, why play in a league you are far too good for. It’s like putting a 5th grader into a second grade class and expecting everyone to wait while he reads the 5th grade books. PUT HIM IN A LEAGUE HIS SKILLS BELONG IN..it’s good for him and it’s good for the other kids.
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