9-year-old barred for pitching too well

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?"


Parents of some opposing players say Jericho Scott's 40 mph fastball is too intimidating. (Douglas Healey / Associated Press)
http://msn.foxsports.com/...>1=39002

do you work for MSN?

You know, my opinion on who was right and who was wrong changed practically sentence by sentence in this story. I have no idea which side of this to be on.

Efan said:

Let me help you: Be on the side of talent and hard work - instead of the side that wants to coddle mediocrity.

Efan said:

Let me help you: Be on the side of talent and hard work - instead of the side that wants to coddle mediocrity.

What a bunch of pussies.

RodeoSchro said:

And then there's that.

horatio said:

I get paid to post quirky news items on the org specifically.

You know, my opinion on who was right and who was wrong changed practically sentence by sentence in this story. I have no idea which side of this to be on.

Genesia said:

If any of those wimps had any sack, not only would they let the kid pitch but they would INSIST their kid get to bat against him as often as possible.

That's how you get good.

when i heard this on the radio, someones kid said that all the kids were scared to play with with this boy as the pitcher.
what it sounds like to me is that the parents are jealous that their kid isnt the star baseball player they want them to be, so they have taken down the other kids ability by instilling fear in everyone.
typical

horatio said:

scared that they would strike out.

We've been talking about this all week at work. It's sad that we live in a time where parents are so worried about making their kids feel like winners that when a kid comes along with a natural talent he's banned. What kind of message is that? I am so tired of this pc world and "everyone" is a winner mentality. We are making it so hard for kids to deal with the reality that, you DON'T always win. It's OK to lose. Learn from it and move on.


And that is MY two cents

We've been talking about this all week at work. It's sad that we live in a time where parents are so worried about making their kids feel like winners that when a kid comes along with a natural talent he's banned. What kind of message is that? I am so tired of this pc world and "everyone" is a winner mentality. We are making it so hard for kids to deal with the reality that, you DON'T always win. It's OK to lose. Learn from it and move on.


And that is MY two cents

Fuck those bitches. Their kids shouldn't suck.

Can't the boy move up a level or two? He would then be stretched and the mediocre children can play with themselves. Everyone's a winner.

Fuck those bitches. Their kids shouldn't suck.

mcmeekle said:

That didn't come out right....

mcmeekle said:

That didn't come out right....

horatio said:

I get paid to post quirky news items on the org specifically.