9 year-old pitcher Jericho Scott banned from Little League for 40 mph fastball - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Dion · 08-26-2008, 06:49 PM

A Connecticut youth baseball team with a phenomenal 9-year-old pitcher has been disqualified because its team is too good.

The team, Will Power Fitness, has an 8-0 record thanks in large part to pitcher Jericho Scott, the New Haven Register reports. His pitching is so fast and accurate, the Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven asked the team's coach, Wilfred Vidro, to replace him so he wouldn't frighten other players.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,410162,00.html

More here...

http://www.nhregister.com/site/news....d=635049&rfi=6

flip · 08-26-2008, 06:56 PM

He can still play but not pitch I'm assuming? If that is the case maybe he should find a more competitive league.

If he's scaring the other players that's a bit much and I usually hate crap like this.

OBCT · 08-26-2008, 06:59 PM

I saw this news piece on PTI this afternoon.

To me, the whole thing is a bit ridiculous. A nine year-old is so good that he frightens the other children!?! That hardly makes sense ... if he's that "good", he must be able to throw strikes. Or, does he just throw "hard"? I have a feeling the opposing teams' players and their parents cannot handle losing. Which, if ridiculous enough, might be understandable. But that's not what this article claims.

He should just be moved up to an older age bracket. Disallowing him to do something he's good at and likes is very unfair.

RW99 · 08-26-2008, 07:12 PM

I remember being in Little League and being 12. One team had this 13 year old that was 6 feet and threw faster than anyone else in the division. I was scared going up against him. That being said it sounds like there's more too it than just being too fast.

RougeUnderoos · 08-26-2008, 07:16 PM

“If you keep these kids on the field you keep them off the streets,” Leroy Scott told the paper. “I’d rather have him [Jericho] in the midst of this controversy on the field than dealing drugs on a street corner.”

Larf.

This is from his dad. If there is a risk that your 9-year-old is going to be selling drugs if he can't play baseball, you've got bigger fish to fry.

Why can't he just play against older kids? It might be fun for a 9-year-old to win every game and be the star, but the adults should know that he would be better off in an actual competition, instead of blowing heaters past kids who don't have a chance.

blankall · 08-26-2008, 07:16 PM

I can sort of see the problem here. Basically kids are getting discouraged from the game. Little league is supposed to be about getting kids interested in sports, not scaring them away. So my guess is several parents complained that their kids wanted to quit after playing this kid.

That being said, I really hope this kid finds a place to play in a league that truly is competitive.

Devils'Advocate · 08-26-2008, 07:18 PM

I'm doubting that this has anything to do with the kid and how good he is. This is stupid league politics that happens in all minor sports and the kids suffer for it.

My brother was a decent hockey player that played on the B team. When the A team (not the A-Team) ran into some injuries, they were not calling up the best players on the B team.... the coach was calling up whoever had a father willing to grease his palm. So I'll buy the claim that the other teams in the league conspired to have the star player of the 8-0 team thrown out. Wouldn't surprise me in the least. They don't have the best interest of all the kids in mind... only winning through their children.

But the kids father scares me nevertheless: "I'd rather have him [Jericho] in the midst of this controversy on the field than dealing drugs on a street corner".

There's nothing in between? If he doesn't play baseball he's going to be dealing drugs? Come on now.....

Dion · 08-27-2008, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flip

He can still play but not pitch I'm assuming? If that is the case maybe he should find a more competitive league.

If he's scaring the other players that's a bit much and I usually hate crap like this.

The league told the coach he had to play another position.

Then there's this......"The Scotts said the league — which is not affiliated with the Little League — wanted Jericho to play for a stronger team. The parents and the coach claim the reason is because that team is sponsored by a local barbershop where the league's president currently cuts hair, the paper reported"

Or this..... "
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?”

Table 5 · 08-27-2008, 06:21 AM

From what I heard on the CNN report of this story, the League President is the owner (or something like that) of another team....a team that has always been the one to beat.

pepper24 · 08-27-2008, 07:34 AM

Simple....move the kid up to an older league. That's what they did with Gretzky when all the parents complained that he was too good for his age group.

Jason14h · 08-27-2008, 07:41 AM

He is playing in a co-ed league that isn't exactly the most competitive. Is it unfair to the 9 year old? Absolutely.

However, I can see total justification from the other parents and teams why this kid should be playing at a higher level. Imagine if a 9 year old was in the calgary minor hockey system playing div 2 or 3 and scoring 9 goals a game, but refused to be moved up a division!

HOZ · 08-27-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason14h

He is playing in a co-ed league that isn't exactly the most competitive. Is it unfair to the 9 year old? Absolutely.

However, I can see total justification from the other parents and teams why this kid should be playing at a higher level. Imagine if a 9 year old was in the calgary minor hockey system playing div 2 or 3 and scoring 9 goals a game, but refused to be moved up a division!

I think this has been the most level headed post and the most fair. The kid is throwing 40K balls that should be looking at under handed pitches.

Three questions...

1. Why didn't the father or coaches recognize that this boy's development is above this league?
2. Like all house leagues there are try-outs to see who can play where so why wasn't this boy spotted and moved up?
3. What other issues are there here that prevent this boy playing with his peers?

JayP · 08-27-2008, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

From what I heard on the CNN report of this story, the League President is the owner (or something like that) of another team....a team that has always been the one to beat.

And a team that tried to get the kid in question to play for them before the season. He turned them down and decided to play for his current team instead.

MarchHare · 08-27-2008, 12:55 PM

While on the surface this looks like the big bad league is keeping a talented kid down for being "too good", how do you think the boys on the other teams feel having to face him? Minor sport is supposed to be about having fun and learning the game, not to get your ass handed to you by someone whose skills are far beyond those of his peers.

I gather from the article that the league told him to either play a position other than pitcher or move to a higher-level league where his skills wouldn't be so far ahead of everyone else. That seems completely fair to me; the league officials have to look out for the best interests of all the participants. Why are the parents refusing to put him in a league more suitable to his skill level? Maybe they just want to see their son dominate other kids.

As was pointed out earlier, Wayne Gretzky played minor hockey against older kids because he was far too talented to play against people his own age. Bumping this pitcher up to a higher-skill league seems like a perfectly acceptable solution.