Poor little babies ban a kid from pitching because he is too good!

jamesalan9

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Sep 22, 2006
256
0
9-year-old boy told he's too good to pitch

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.

"I think it's discouraging when you're telling a 9-year-old you're too good at something," said his mother, Nicole Scott. "The whole objective in life is to find something you're good at and stick with it. I'd rather he spend all his time on the baseball field than idolizing someone standing on the street corner."

League attorney Peter Noble says the only factor in banning Jericho from the mound is his pitches are just too fast.

"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."

Noble acknowledged that Jericho had not beaned any batters in the co-ed league of 8- to 10-year-olds, but say parents expressed safety concerns.

"Facing that kind of speed" is frightening for beginning players, Noble said.

League officials say they first told Vidro that the boy could not pitch after a game on Aug. 13. Jericho played second base the next game on Aug. 16. But when he took the mound Wednesday, the other team walked off and a forfeit was called.

League officials say Jericho's mother became irate, threatening them and vowing to get the league shut down.

"I have never seen behavior of a parent like the behavior Jericho's mother exhibited Wednesday night," Noble said.

Scott denies threatening any one, but said she did call the police.

League officials suggested that Jericho play other positions, or pitch against older players or in a different league.

Local attorney John Williams was planning to meet with Jericho's parents Monday to discuss legal options.

"You don't have to be learned in the law to know in your heart that it's wrong," he said. "Now you have to be punished because you excel at something?"


ESPN.com - 9-year-old boy told he's too good to pitch
 
You know, it's jackasses like these people who turned me off on playing football my entire life! I loved football! I wanted to play football as a third grader (9 years old). I showed up and signed up for the team with my parents. When the coaches checked me in, they said I could't play with my classmates and friends because I was too big! They said I needed to play with kids my own size. So I, a 9 year-old third grader was put in to the 6th grade 12-13 year old kids! (I was that big...not just "around" I was twice as tall as many 3rd greaders--I was about the same size as a small 6th grader). But you know what? I was still 9 years old with ZERO playing experience. NO real knowledge of the game and though I was large, I still hadn't hit puberty so my musculature was not anywhere near that of the team I was forced to join!

After having my ass kicked for 5 months, being ridiculed by my so-called teammates who were 3-4 years older than I, berrated by coaches for not knowing rules that were completely foreign to me since I was 9, not 12, and had never played the game other than in a back yard, and seeing no playing time in ANY game--not even scrimmages, I did something that would make Rudy from Notre Dame cry and gave up on playing the sport for ever!

I still love the game, but god damn these asses who ruin the experience for the children they are supposed to be supporting!

See ya
Tony
 
You know, it's jackasses like these people who turned me off on playing football my entire life! I loved football! I wanted to play football as a third grader (9 years old). I showed up and signed up for the team with my parents. When the coaches checked me in, they said I could't play with my classmates and friends because I was too big! They said I needed to play with kids my own size. So I, a 9 year-old third grader was put in to the 6th grade 12-13 year old kids! (I was that big...not just "around" I was twice as tall as many 3rd greaders--I was about the same size as a small 6th grader). But you know what? I was still 9 years old with ZERO playing experience. NO real knowledge of the game and though I was large, I still hadn't hit puberty so my musculature was not anywhere near that of the team I was forced to join!

After having my ass kicked for 5 months, being ridiculed by my so-called teammates who were 3-4 years older than I, berrated by coaches for not knowing rules that were completely foreign to me since I was 9, not 12, and had never played the game other than in a back yard, and seeing no playing time in ANY game--not even scrimmages, I did something that would make Rudy from Notre Dame cry and gave up on playing the sport for ever!

I still love the game, but god damn these asses who ruin the experience for the children they are supposed to be supporting!

See ya
Tony

How tall are you now?
 
I am "only" 6' 2" 300lbs. If I worked out I guess it would be more like 270, but no less.

I remember freshman year of high school, the football coach was begging me to join the team. I was 6' 220 lbs at 14. :) I played soccer... (nope, didn't ride the bench either) Biggest damned halfback in the league. :)

See ya
Tony
 
When I read this earlier today I wanted to barf! We are creating ever weaker & weaker generations of children that never learn to do better, have a sense of humor or have any self-pride or personal responsibility or any basic financial sense! It's sickening!
 
When I read this earlier today I wanted to barf! We are creating ever weaker & weaker generations of children that never learn to do better, have a sense of humor or have any self-pride or personal responsibility or any basic financial sense! It's sickening!

I agree 1000%! So NOW we punish kids for being TOO GOOD??!!:confused: I am sure that if ANY of those parents that had a child that was as good as this kid, they would be bitching up a storm also. I REALLY feel bad for this kid....NOT ONLY can he play with his friends/kids his age, fe feels it's HIS FAULT the team he is playing with is not playing.

Nice going New Haven.....:rolleyes:
 
Yeah, Mike & Mike were talking about this story this morning....

Similar thing (kinda) happened to me as a kid.

I used to be a pitcher in little leagues growing up and had a natural curve to my pitches. The opposing managers would often put up a big stink and complain to the umpires and my coach. I was often warned by the umpire that I cannot throw curve balls at such a young age and it was unfair to the opposing batters. When told this, I had no idea how "not" to throw the curve. My pitches I threw had natural movement to them. I wasn't trying to throw trick pitches, it just happened. Anyways, I grew tired of having to play "down" to the competition and quit the game before I got to High School.
 
This is just stupid. I also don't like the fact that they give trophies out to all the players instead of just the winners. This makes the kids never feel all the emotions of life and get coddled too much.
 
All this PC crap makes me puke. Parents - stop raising sissies! Things sure have changed since I was a kid. I'm raising my youngest son the "old school way".
 
This is kind of off topic, but I cant stand these sissy leagues that dont keep score becasue somebody might have their feelings hurt if they lose. These kids need to learn at a young age that life throws you more losses than wins and you need to learn to deal with it.
 
Although I do not agree with them banning the kid, I can kind of see their point especially considering the speed of some of the pitches this kid is throwing.

Kids at this age have helmets with full face masks on them. Getting hit with a 40 mph pitch will sting, but won't cause any serious injuries. I have been hit with 80-85 mph pitches and no injuries. This is sour grapes in the case of the parents of the team that wanted him and didn't get him. Just shows how much politics play in children's sports, even at the 9 year old level. Its a sad example of where our society is at.
 
All this PC crap makes me puke. Parents - stop raising sissies! Things sure have changed since I was a kid. I'm raising my youngest son the "old school way".

Paul...I think this has NOTHING to do with PC and all about jealousy and/or envy! IF you were to ask ANY KID in that league....they wouldn't care...they just wanna play...it's the parents that are afraid of the POSSIBILITY of someone getting hit.
 
Kids at this age have helmets with full face masks on them. Getting hit with a 40 mph pitch will sting, but won't cause any serious injuries. I have been hit with 80-85 mph pitches and no injuries. This is sour grapes in the case of the parents of the team that wanted him and didn't get him. Just shows how much politics play in children's sports, even at the 9 year old level. Its a sad example of where our society is at.

BINGO! WE have a a winner!!
 
if they don't want their kid hit by a pitch get them the fudge out of the league.. you always have a chance of getting hit.. that's why they where a helmet... get over it.. let the kid play.. stupid parents..
 
Paul...I think this has NOTHING to do with PC and all about jealousy and/or envy! IF you were to ask ANY KID in that league....they wouldn't care...they just wanna play...it's the parents that are afraid of the POSSIBILITY of someone getting hit.

Sissies. In this case PC stands for Parentally Correct. They are not doing their children any favors, but that's my opinion, obviously some people have different ideas about raising children. Keeping them away from any disappointment, a couple of bruises on the playing field, etc... Yeah, that will prepare them for adult life.:rolleyes:
 
That kind of crap is what drove me out of coaching. I don't know how you keep doing it Salsa.

Well.....the problems are different as the kids you coach/manage get older. AND if you coach private school....forget it. That is a set of problems that goes BEYOND PC and all about "MY KID" and "do you know who I am?" bull****. Not to mention the scumbags that wanna snag you kids to sign free agent contracts and coaches from universities with the wrong intentions as the lists goes on and on.
 

Schilling rips New York Fans

Bulgaria Loses 82-0 in Women's Hockey Game

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)