9-Year Old Pitcher Banned From League for Being Too Good

[Matt Wilson]

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (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. 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?”

9-year-old boy told he's too good to pitch - Yahoo! Sports

That's some fucked up fascist shit right there.

I coach a middle school team and we have one huge kid that absolutely rakes. Other teams can't wait till he goes to high school. But at the same time, 50% of my team never played baseball before, so these things work themselves out.

But it's just shitty to tell a 9-year old kid he's too damn good and he can't play anymore. Playing baseball means the world to little kids. Sucks for not only the pitcher, but his team. Fucking parents, man. They get so wrapped up in living vicariously through their kids, it just sucks the fun out of it for a lot of them.

[JJ]

The one kid who is too good for the league is a problem that causes turmoil in almost every league across the country.

Causes a ripple effect from the players to the coaches and to worst of all, the parents.

I played with Wade Boggs' son in Tampa, Brett Boggs (I'm pretty sure he plays for USF now) and he was better than kids his age and there was a ton of problems with that so they bumped him up to our league and it was just an all around shitty situation.

Making mock substitution rules, automatically taking the bat out of his hands, etc.

I wish overbearing parents would just stay the fuck out of the fun.

[Count Bass D]

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

I think we found America's dumbest mother.

[Fritz]

We had a kid in our level of little league that was by far the best player and he just fucking played. Everyone was terrified of him, but he was the shit. I hate how parents are so gay nowadays and are turning us into a bunch of pussies that can't lose and give everyone a trophy for participation.

[Hugg]

I'd rather face this kid who is "too good" then some of the assholes I faced who had no idea where the plate was. I played 1 season of little league ball, I think I was 11. I got hit 12 or 13 times. I fucking hated it. By the end of the season, I was so scared of getting hit that I never did anything at the plate.

[FishFF]

Yea, I take my little cousin to his games, he's in the "minors" I guess, he's 10. It's so fucking dumb that they let the kids run on passed balls, every run scores on a passed ball and the kids don't learn any fundamentals of the game. It's a breath of fresh air when a pitcher can throw strikes so all the kids can't just run the bases on wild pitch after wild pitch.

[markotsay7]

Originally Posted by Hugg I'd rather face this kid who is "too good" then some of the assholes I faced who had no idea where the plate was. I played 1 season of little league ball, I think I was 11. I got hit 12 or 13 times. I fucking hated it. By the end of the season, I was so scared of getting hit that I never did anything at the plate.

I played a year when I was 9, it was the first year of kid pitch. Being a lefty I got pelted all the time. And I'm not going to lie, I was a pussy. I cried. I was bad too, so I didn't get many at bats, but I'd say 90% of them were me being hit.

[Ramp]

What they do in little league now with the kids that can rake is just walk them every single time up. It's beyond lame. I saw a family friend's son play in the first and second round of the playoffs and one kid was walked 8 of 8 times.

Beyond lame

[!NICK!]

I played organized baseball for 12 years, and there's always a huge talent gap in players, that's just the nature of these leagues. These parents need to lighten up and let the kids play.

[Mainge]

First off. I want to know where these kids are playing where 40 miles per hour is too fast. In a league I coach in, 40 mph is pretty routine and the best achieve upwards of 48 and 49.

The University of Miami sent two scouts to watch a 10 year old throw 60+ a few years. Was he dominant? Absolutely. Was he unhittable? Absolutely not. And he was beat several times that year.

Second. Your taking valueble experience away from all of these kids. The pitcher is missing out on experience. He may be much better than everyone else but he could still use the experience to sharpen his mechanics and control. And then work on a changeup, etc. An the kids he's facing have a chance to face someone who is better than them. That might not sound all that great, but I guarantee you, no matter what level you play at, you will always face someone who is better than you. That experience is valuable. That is how you improve yourself.