More NewMerica nonsense - little league pitcher banned for being too good

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Simply another astonishingly ridiculous sign of the times...

Long story short, a little league pitcher (9 y/o kid) has been banned from the sport for being too good. I guess in an effort to make sure that nobody's feelings get hurt and so everyone can be the same (no winners, no losers, only mediocrity will be tolerated) this kid is getting the heave-ho.

I love the message this sends. Simply amazing...

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/08/25/pitcher.toogood.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

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Nine-year-old told he's too good

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 frighteneing 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?"

[Jim727]

Change his name to Jose? Different rules, ya know.

[widgeon13]

Maybe the PGA should ban Tiger. I suppose this will just be the beginning of banning in other sports now. Crazy! If the kid wasn't throwing at batters, why ban him?

Wait until football season opens and some 12 yo comes on the field at 240lbs, what's to stop him from being banned.

[the]

There's not enough details there to really know what is going on.

There is some reference to it being a co-ed "developmental" league for beginners. Lots of sports have "developmental" leagues designed for beginners - once you are good enough, you move up to the regular league. My son's golf league is like that, for ex. Once you are good enough to move out of development league, they move you out, i.e., prohibit you from playing development league.

If that is the case, I could see the point. He would then be a "sandbagger," another thing you see in a lot of sports where there are different levels (novice/beginner, intermediate, expert, etc.).