9 year old pitcher banned because he's too good
edmundfitzgerald
Posts: 4,306 ✭✭
in Sports Talk
They won't let him pitch in this instructional league because other parents and kids are either afraid or just can't hit him.
Why don't they just move him up with the older kids when he pitches ?
Why don't they just move him up with the older kids when he pitches ?
0
Comments
If I was a kid, I'd be pissed that I couldn't play just because the other team had a kid that was "too good"....I'd rather play and lose, than not play at all.
Look at the story from another LLWS that ESPN aired this past weekend. Eight years ago, this 10 year old kid playing in the LLWS was completely overmatched by Danny Almonte, who was 14. The kid was the smallest player in the game, and struck out 3 times, the last one ending his team's season. The kid was obviously devastated, by he dedicated himself to baseball, started lifting weights, and became a 4th round pick by the Cubs. Almonte is now floating around in junior college, and still hasn't been drafted yet.
<< <i>I know the feeling. When I auditioned to be a porn star, they wouldn't hire me because they said I was too good and would make all the other guys look bad. >>
+1 for you, unless it was gay porn
I could be wrong but that was the way I read the article in todays paper.
Steve
<< <i>The way I read it was a team would not play against him NOT that the league banned him.
I could be wrong but that was the way I read the article in todays paper.
Steve >>
I didn't read the article but seems to me this would be a poor lesson for the coach to teach the kids, IE: "give up and quit" whenever there is a great competitor. I would tell the kids "Let's go out and try to beat this pitcher and if we lose we lose, but let's give it our best effort"
The way the story reads (in the NY POST) is that the other teams refused to play when he pitches.
last week a rival team walked off the field and took a forfiet rather then face him.
No where in the article did it state that he was banned from the league.
It says parents and other coaches won't allow there kids to play if he pitches.
The parents are thinking of suing. I assume the league that has not banned him.
Of course this is my impression from what I read in the NY POST.
Steve
The story ends with:
the league refused requests to comment.
<< <i>I know the feeling. When I auditioned to be a porn star, they wouldn't hire me because they said I was too good and would make all the other guys look bad. >>
I used to be a porn star till my parts kept getting to small.
<< <i>
I didn't read the article but seems to me this would be a poor lesson for the coach to teach the kids, IE: "give up and quit" whenever there is a great competitor. I would tell the kids "Let's go out and try to beat this pitcher and if we lose we lose, but let's give it our best effort" >>
Good point Steve, and you're absolutely correct IMO. However, there is this "entitlement" mentality in certain parts of America
that says we should all be able to get what we want without any hard work. And when we lose, we'll change the rules to get
what we want (see previous presidential elections).
If I was the coach, I'd put this great pitcher against these teams all the time, just so they can walk off the field. While they're walking off the field, I'd point out to them that they're teaching their kids to quit when life is tough. I'd get a kick out of that.
their kids to play if he pitches. The league was not mentioned.
I don't mean to be a stickler but I think the league itself is not taking a side in this issue
for obvious reasons.
Unless a pitcher is illegal a league can't ban him from pitching.
If it did it would open itself up to law suits.
I had a softball league 'ban' me from pitching for a few years but insisted I could play any other pos.
They claimed I was 'illegal'
Of course when i was on crappy teams they did not care, when one of the top teams picked me up is
when the crying began. Funny thing is I wound up with the team that cried the most.
Steve
The league banned him from pitching.
That is the same qoute I read from Yahoo sports.
If that is the case, the league (if part of the LL) may be in trouble.
If it is a local league with its own rules it may get away with it.
Even so the parents can still sue.
FWIW just because yahoo or the NY Post write something chances are they can have it wrong.
Steve
(which should have it right!)
NEW HAVEN — Parents are angry. There are lawyers involved. Conflicting and wild accusations are flying. The adults are fighting over the kids.
Sounds like a nasty divorce, but it’s actually a fight between a youth baseball league, one of its coaches and some parents.
“The spirit of the league was community, family, well being, nurturing. It’s an extended family and it’s been disrupted,” said attorney Peter Noble, who represents Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven, Spanish for Youth Baseball League of New Haven. The league is not affiliated with Little League baseball.
The fighting started this week when Coach Wilfred Vidro refused a directive by league officials to replace 9-year-old pitcher Jericho Scott, whose pitching they say is so hard, fast and accurate that it might frighten or discourage other players.
Despite being told by league officials that there would be no game Saturday morning at Criscuolo Park, Vidro, who refuses to leave the league and his team, which refuses to disband, showed up ready to play.
Parents posted brightly-colored signs and many wore handpainted T-shirts with sayings such as, “Let’s be fair, it’s all about the kids,” “They’re only kids,” and “Let Jericho Pitch.”
Jericho’s parents, Leroy and Nicole Scott, said Saturday they just want their son and his team to be given the right to continue their winning season, 8-0 so far, and go to the playoffs.
And they are already talking with a prominent New Haven lawyer to help get the team there.
Attorney John Williams will meet with the Scotts Monday, but had already heard enough from them by Saturday to proclaim, “Holy smoke!”
“You don’t have to be learned in the law to know in your heart that it’s wrong (removing Jericho as pitcher),” Williams said. “Now you have to be punished because you excel at something?”
Jericho, who said Saturday he was “sad” because there was no baseball game, practiced with his teammates, his drive to throw hard and fast apparently unaffected by the controversy.
Noble said they cancelled the game for fear the adults bickering would create an “unhealthy environment.”
“We didn’t want an escalation of the kind of tumultuous behavior caused by the coaching staff,” he said.
Nicole Scott said Jericho feels it’s his fault the team can’t play.
“I told him things like this happen in life and the message is, ‘Don’t give up, stay focused and be positive,’” she said.
She said league officials came to their house about five months ago to recruit Jericho, who also plays in another league.
Officials wanted him for a stronger team because of his pitching talent, but the Scotts wanted him to stay grounded and help a less experienced team succeed, she said.
“I said, ‘This is not always going to happen in life — you’re not always going to be number one,’” she said.
Leroy Scott said he threw the ball a lot with Jericho since he was young, but that Jericho is a talented natural athlete and shouldn’t be penalized because he applies himself.
“If you keep these kids on the field you keep them off the streets,” Leroy Scott said. “I’d rather have him (Jericho) in the midst of this controversy on the field than dealing drugs on a street corner.”
Coach Vidro and the Scotts claim the real reason league authorities want Jericho on a team other than Vidro’s Wilpower Fitness is because they have a vested interested in another team that is second in the standings and can’t get to number one past Jericho’s winning arm.
They said that team is sponsored by Carlito’s barber shop and that league president Reynaldo Reyes owns it. Noble said Reyes does have a chair at the barber shop temporarily while his own beauty shop is restored after a fire.
Valerie Tanner, mother of Kaymar Tanner, 10, an outfielder on Jericho’s team, said she believes league officials are upset because there is so much attention on Jericho’s team within the league.
“It’s really sad because it’s the children who are going to suffer,” Tanner said.
Noble said sanctions have been imposed by the league on Vidro and that his “resignation” was accepted — even though Vidro said Saturday he never resigned.
He was blamed for not switching Jericho, who was throwing warmup pitches Wednesday when the other team walked off the field.
The game was ruled a forfeit, but Vidro claimed his team was expelled.
Jericho walked away from the mound in tears.
Vidro said Saturday, “There’s no such thing as any kid pitching too hard. ... Let him play and your kid is going to get better,” he said.
“A lot of these kids don’t have father figures and we don’t want them to end up on the streets,” Vidro, a personal trainer, said.
Noble said all the kids were offered a spot on another team — it’s not known yet how many will take that offer.
Those who leave the league will get a full refund of fees paid.
He said parents and coaches, not players, expressed a fear of Jericho’s pitches.
Noble said he’s also researching options like travel teams that could be a good fit for the talented Jericho.
“We are mindful of his talent,” Noble said. “We want to be a resource for the family and find a place where he’ll be challenged and his talent can develop.”
On Saturday, with no other youth teams in sight, Jericho’s team took on the parents instead. And their winning streak continued, 7-5.
========================================================================================
The league is not part of the LL (Not patched)
The reason I wanted to make sure it was true before I accepted it as such is I have run various LL's and I would never contemplate such an action.
Steve
<< <i>ESPN showed this kid pitching, nothing special. 40 mph is good for a 9 year old but other leagues have chirped in and they have kids tossing it in the 60's. He also hasn't hit an opposing kid this year. To the parents who want this kid banned, I say BOOHOO, Johnny has to grow up and take risks sometime in his life. Who hasn't played little league and been over matched and had the beejeesus scared out of him. Only in New England or some other cream puff area could this happen. >>
This is BS -- that league must not be sanctioned by Little League Baseball. In our town, there are a handful of 9 year olds in the minors that can throw 40+ mph -- they are good, but not dominating. If a 9 yr old happened to dominate every game they would just bump him up to the majors.
Also, in defense of New England, the LL talent pool here is pretty deep, which is why they get to send one of the 8 teams to the LLWS (even thought the population of NE is only 13 million, out of 300+ million for the entire US). A lot of NE Little Leaguers play hockey in the fall/winter, which is a good complement to baseball.
An example...I play softball...tournament softball...there are many levels of softball play...tournaments even leagues are based on abilities of the team (team strength)...a top notch "A" team does not play "C's"...and visa versa...someplaces players are judged the same way...an "A" ball player may not be allowed to play on a "C" team...
I think this is how this situation with the Kid should be handled...
Collector
Topps 58,59,60,61,62,63,64 Sets
Fleer 60, 61-62 Sets
40 mph for a 9 year old is not fast. Our boy is 10 and threw in the mid 40's this past season against 11-12 year olds.
The parents whining about this are pathetic.
The coaches for the other teams need to tell their players to try their best to get a hit and get over it.