9-year-old boy told he’s too good to pitch
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press Writer
(AP)—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
( My son Jack just turned 10, throws 44 mph... 40 isnt a big deal....)
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 frighteneing 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?”
This is bullshit.... If the kid was reckless, I see the point. Otherwise its crybaby parents of kids who cant hit.
This is just another example of the directon of the USA. Punish anyone who can do well, to make the those who cant do anything feel better.....
Thats Bullshit!
I'm getting involved in this one.... stay posted.
American is Friggin Doomed.....
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JBaze
That's just great! This country is just breeding more and more lazy ass mofo's who start whining the minute they have to actually let me repeat, actually WORK for something. So by doing this they punish the ones who will really go outside and do the push-up's and try to be good at something, just so the other ones can try it for 5 minutes and give up and start crying because they have put all of 5 minutes into it and they aren't automaticaly a pro. They should ban the coaches and the players from the teams that "refuse" to face that kid! If I can help let me know! That really pisses me off.
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quantum500
- Posts: 193
- Joined: April 21st, 2008, 9:44 pm
"the game of life of is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well"
This story made ESPN news and the Mike and Mike show, It seems everybody agrees that this is a bunch of crap. The organizers of the league should be thrown out on their asses and the kid should be allowed to pitch and If the other kids can't hit off him....well, now you have the slightest feeling of what the stars of major league baseball deal with every day. Pratice,practice,practice.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.
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NightBiker07
- Posts: 1942
- Joined: April 16th, 2008, 8:59 pm
- Location: USA
Reminds me of the metallica song: NO LEAF CLOVER........
"then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel.....is just a freight train coming your way"..........
"then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel.....is just a freight train coming your way"..........
2000 CR250, pipe, filter, Vforce
1980 XL80s
1969 Broncco TX-6
Natural selection favors Smart people, so nature selects morons to be slow and dumb for tigers and stuff too eat. But in our modern world there just aren't enough tigers.
1980 XL80s
1969 Broncco TX-6
Natural selection favors Smart people, so nature selects morons to be slow and dumb for tigers and stuff too eat. But in our modern world there just aren't enough tigers.
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iggys-amsoil
- Posts: 3602
- Joined: June 1st, 2007, 6:09 pm
- Location: Just North of March Airfield CA
That is by far my favorite song by them.-
dannygraves
- Posts: 8020
- Joined: June 1st, 2007, 2:03 pm
- Location: Las Vegas, NV
