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 ...
My oldest daughter played softball in an area that switched from slow pitch to fast pitch. Naturally, all of the “competitive” team coaches promptly went out and recruited an experienced fast pitch pitcher or two. My daughter was on the leftover team that had no experienced pitchers. The got creamed almost every game and nobody had any fun or learned anything about the game. Most of the kids weere completely overmatched by the pitchers they played against (some went 0 for the season), but they got up there and tried anyway. My daughter hates fast pitch softball to this day (but enjoys playing slow pitch).
My younger daughter played coach pitch ball against a girl who grew up early - she was twice the size of the other kids on the field and could hit the ball much harder than most. We didn’t take our softball and go home - we pulled everyone back and told the kids to get out of the way if they couldn’t handle a hot one. A couple years later the other kids caught up to her and she was just one of the players.
Something about this article is not quite right. 40 MPH is not overly fast for a 9 year old pitcher - I know I played against kids that could throw that hard at that age, and that was a long time ago. One of them plunked me in the ribs - I survived and got a hit off him the next time up. It sounds to me like a case of the adults acting like children and spoiling the kids’ game. Chances are this kid will regress toward the mean in a year or two and the problem would be solved - but instead they’ve ruined it for everyone.
“They say his hard throws may frighten other players in the baseball league for beginners”
There it is...may frighten other players. Wussy parents, imo.
I hope Jericho gets the last laugh, in about 10 years, when he signs a big-league contract.
I played against a kid around that age who threw very hard (he’s now in the NFL as a journeyman QB for Jacksonville) and we all struck out except I hit the ball back to him. The weird thing is all of my teammates and I didn’t care, we had fun, were amazed at his skill and as we got older we caught up to him. We always viewed playing him as a challange and made us better...but who thinks of that angle anymore. Nowadays it’s if someone’s better than you, quit, blame them for your shortcomings and expect to be given something to compensate for being less skilled...
Absolutely pathetic in my view. Let the boy play, dominate the other kids this year and see if the other kids can raise their skill level to catch up with him next year. When they do catch up to him and beat him the victory would be even that much sweeter...
ugh, I just can’t stand modern society!!
Seems I recall a case (also CT ?) where a guy took the entrance exam, and was refused admittance because he scored too high — to go to the Police Academy! “They didn’t want him to become bored.”
Seems I recall a case (also CT ?) where a guy took the entrance exam, and was refused admittance because he scored too high — to go to the Police Academy! “They didn’t want him to become bored.”
Whole damn state is corrupt!
Not only did this actually happen, but it happened in Massachusetts!
I know what you mean. Shouldn’t we be encouraging excellence in all things?
I played basketball, baseball and football for school teams all the way up through high school and I probably got 3 or 4 trophies (letters, yes)my entire sporting career.
My kids come back from tennis and soccer with trophies for finishing fourth. The world has changed.
This is, on the surface, a case of sour-sport losers who cannot stand getting beat....
But I think it goes deeper - notice near the end of the posted story - the kids was recruited by the defending champions who are sponsored by one of the league administrators....
I agree, and I would worry about the little guy blowing out his arm at a young age.
His coach should let him pitch a few innings, then put him in another position.
Little kids who are throwing heat at a young age can screw themselves up. Heck, Sandy Koufax screwed himself up because he threw too much heat too early.
It sounds like they have a diamond in the rough. If they place too much emphasis on this guy winning now, they may jeopardize his future.
I have to agree with you. We took my son out of rec. baseball at 8 and went to travel. There were few kids in the league with his skill level and it did not challenge him. We put him in a league where he is a small fish in a big pond and over the years he has developed enormously.
Some parents don’t know that travel baseball exists or they don’t want to put the time into it, I can promise you it’s not for everybody. Others like their kids to be the stud.
My son will be 12 in Dec., he is not overly outgoing but he is not shy either. In the 4 yrs. he has played “elite” ball his world has expanded beyond what most of his friends has. Through baseball he has made friends with boys from all over. Every year we ask him, you sure you want to do this? He always looks at me like I’m crazy for asking.
This fall he went to a team where he knew only 1 player and I have to admit I was curious to see how he would adjust. He did great, by the end of the 1st inning they were high fiving, giving thumbs up and were very supportive of one another. By Sunday, they all like best buddies. In the long run I believe it will help him as an adult to be able to go into a situation where he has to stand alone and be himself and not be attached to who he knows to be comfortable.
Because they want the accolades of having a son that is a stud.
Put him up a level or put him in travel and then see how good his is when all of the kids can pitch 40 and the hitters are used to seeing that kind of pitching and launch the ball.
In Georgia we have the Texas mentality as well. I guess thats why Texas and Georgia rank in the top 5 in the country with kids going on to college and the MLB.
That or the warm weather.
My grandson called me about this last night. He could not believe it! How can anyone be ‘too good’? I hope this gets resolved and the boy is allowed to pitch.
That does factor into it but when we play sports we play to win. Full contact football at 4 although most wait until their kids are 6, kid pitch at 7. Every sport my sons have played they keep score, even in t-ball.
Sounds like Affirmative Action to me.
I’m glad he was ready and is shining! I see too many who get to a certain age and then get frozen out - not selected - because they haven’t developed as quickly as their peers. It devastates many of them and they feel like losers, and at 14, boys and girls have enough self-esteem issues anyway...I’m a firm believer in merit selection, but I see it done so poorly.
Colonel, USAFR
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.