Have YOU ever protested over a 9-year old pitcher?
This question I have posed does seem a little extreme. What reason would you have to be against some 9-year old kid pitching against 8-10-year old kids?
Well, in New Haven Connecticut parents and their kids protested over a young boy named Jericho Scott. Scott is/was a right-handed pitcher who threw about 40 mph and has been so good in the New Haven Youth Baseball League that opposing players and parents urged league officials to ban him from pitching. To add to this story, Scott apparently has pinpoint control and has yet to hit any player in the league this season.
Back on point, are we kidding? You ask the league to stop a great pitcher from pitching? That would be like every country protesting that Michael Phelps shouldn’t be allowed to swim because he’s too good. Not only is this league wrong for preventing Scott from pitching, they have violated his rights. His parents paid for him to play in this league and he deserves the opportunity to pitch, hit, play the field and more importantly, play baseball.
For those people who opposed Scott from pitching in this league should not only be ashamed of themselves but they are what’s wrong with sports.
This is far worse than showing up a player on the field or breaking an unwritten rule, these people have done what they could to break the spirit of a 9-year old boy who loves to pitch. Are you proud of yourselves? Have you accomplished something positive? No, you have brought unnecessary attention to yourselves for all the wrong reasons. This boy should have been given proper respect for his good play, and instead I have to read about how parents and a Youth Baseball League have ripped this kid’s heart out. Great work people! Are you going to make the best hitter in the league swing with wood while the rest hit with aluminum bats?
Why don’t we punish the kids who get straight A’s in school because they are simply too smart in class.
Why don’t we punish the salesperson who has 100 clients and makes $100, 000 from each of them because he’s simply too good for his company.
In fact let’s punish Tiger Woods when he gets back from injury because he should let other golfers win major championships.
This is one of the worst stories to hear when you have lived, breathed and sweat baseball for nearly 20 years. These people should appreciate what Jericho Scott does on the mound and hope that he succeeds later on in life. To take something away from him because of something he didn’t do is one of the worst things you can do to a child. Heinous actually.
These are the same people who are allowed to have kids and teach them terrible life lessons like this story. These are also the same people who formulate terrible opinions about sports and are allow to vote in presidential elections. It is scary to think about how responsible parents like these are to a country, let alone their own family. It also paints a terrible picture of how their kids will perceive this situation and feel this is right. It isn’t right. It is wrong in the worst way.
Developmental league or not, Jericho Scott’s love for pitching was taken away because he happened to develop faster than other kids. Instead of the league being proud of that, they have taken a step backward as to say, "we don’t want THAT kind of development". That is a slap in the face to him, his family, his team and his coaches. Shame on you.
Jericho’s mother Nicole will meet with a lawyer, and that’s the right play. Don’t allow shallow, self-centered and naive parents to allow control over your son. And lots of people would have blown their top over this, myself included (probably), if I found out a league banned my son or daughter from pitching because they are too good. What should also be pointed out is he turned down playing for the defending champions of the league who happens to be sponsored by an employer of one of the league’s administrators. Does someone have an AXE to grind on this kid? Or do they really want to repeat this year and banning Scott is the way to go.
This is a sad story for kids who participate in sports. But I’m not sure what’s worse; pushing for Scott to never pitch in the league or going to bed at night thinking what you did was right.
I hate that we had to learn about a dominant 9-year old pitcher this way. Jericho Scott has earned and deserved better than this.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Let the kid play, so what if nobody can hit him. WTF do they want, somebody to pitch underhanded to little Timmy so he can hit the ball?
When I played in little league there were always guys like that, 6th graders with full beards that could smoke a ball by you. I remember one guy would regularly have 9 pitch innings. 9 strikes and his team was back up to bat.
Nobody bitched, we just tried harder to hit him. I think I got a couple of lucky bunts down on him, but that was a long time ago……..well shit it must have been a couple of home runs then.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Exactly. We’ve always had guys who would throw smoke. Who cares if it’s a developmental league?
August 27th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Big D, it’s just another example (in a seemingly unending line of examples) of the pussification of society. When something gets too tough or the competition gets too stiff, just quit. As a parent of an 8 year old, I want her to face the best pitcher. Hell, I got her taking batting practice with baseball coming in at 45 mph. You never get better facing weak opponents and you never improve without making mistakes. Anyone involved in this fiasco should be neutered and forced to sniff the jock straps of the Polish Women’s Bukaki team.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Thing is, I was throwing over 40 at age 10 (41 baby!). I was not all that fast and I was playing rec back then. I did not play elite ball until a couple years later. But I was not the quickest guy and nobody complained when we stepped in against 11 year olds tossing over 50+. Or 12-13 year olds touching 70.
It’s just brutal.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
The coach who pulled the opposing team off the field when Scott took the mound needs to be castrated. He doesn’t deserve a pair.
The word hasn’t been invented that describes how ludicrous this is, but I’m sure that if you had written this script and tried to sell it, you would have gotten thrown out on your ear.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Ridiculous behavior, but at least it’s a great opportunity for everyone to insert extreme tales of their own youth. In Little League we faced a guy that not only had a mustache and a fastball from hell, but smoked Lucky Strikes and owed child support. (excuse the exaggeration, the memory ain’t what she used to be)
I can’t even imagine why they need radar guns in Little League. Back in 1802, we had to use those crappy speed sensor baseballs where you had to push the button before throwing & calculate the MPH yourself. And since I was no math whiz, I learned that I was either throwing 17 MPH…or 234 MPH. Give or take.
The only other option was to head out to the carnival, and fire away at the Speed Pitch booth. I won me a plastic Pirates helmet, but never did get that stuffed beaver. Damn you carnies!
August 28th, 2008 at 7:32 am
“Small hands smell like cabbage”
Here’s how I remember that kid:
Went by the name of Homer. Seven feet tall he was, with arms like tree trunks. His eyes were like steel, cold, hard. Had a shock of hair, red like the fires of Hell.
August 28th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Thanks for the comments boys. I think we’ve beaten this into the ground. You pay to play if you reach the requirements. That is all.
August 29th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Yes, I have protested over a nine year old pitcher. Of course, I was 8 at the time. I wish I had faced pitchers with control back in little league. I seem to remember every friggin left-hander drilling me.
This is one of those PC BS examples. Give every kid a trophy. Don’t keep score, and let the parents ruin the capitalistic competitive drive at a young age.
Goddamn, Sahid is over there catching rocks off his melon. Walk it off.