Nine year old Jericho Scott is a pitcher for a developmental baseball team in Connecticut. His coach was ordered by league officials to not pitch him because he throws too hard, but he never hit a batter.
Now, maybe Jericho could have been playing in a different league, but at 9 years old, all kids are still developing. Maybe he wanted to play on this team with his friends, and this league was the correct age group for him.
This is one thing that is going wrong with this country, parents getting too involved with their kids when they are playing a game. Kids need to learn how to win and lose. Parents should go watch their kids play and stay out of how the game is played.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=355347
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9-year-old boy told he's too good to pitch
Associated Press
Updated: August 26, 2008, 8:19 PM ET
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- 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."
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AP Photo/Douglas Healey
Officials with the Youth Baseball League of New Haven say they will disband Jericho Scott's team because his coach won't stop him from pitching.
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?"
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Wisconsin Temperature Conversion Chart
60 above
Floridians wear coats, gloves and woolly hats.
Wisconsin people sunbathe.
50 above
New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.
Wisconsin people plant gardens.
40 above
Italian cars won't start.
Wisconsin people drive with the windows down.
32 above
Distilled water freezes.
Lake Michigan's water gets thicker.
20 above
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
Wisconsin people have the last cookout before it gets cold.
15 above
New York landlords finally turn on the heat.
Wisconsin people throw on a sweatshirt.
0 -
Californians fly away to Mexico.
Wisconsin people lick a flagpole.
20 below
People in Miami cease to exist.
Wisconsin people get out their winter coats.
40 below
Hollywood disintegrates.
Wisconsin's Girl Scouts begin selling cookies door to door.
60 below
Polar bears begin to evacuate Antarctica.
Wisconsin's Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.
80 below
Mt. St. Helen's freezes.
Wisconsin people rent some videos.
100 below
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Wisconsin people get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.
297 below
Microbial life survives on dairy products.
Wisconsin cows complain of farmers with cold hands.
460 below
ALL atomic motion stops.
Wisconsin people start saying "Cold 'nuff for ya?"
500 below
Hell freezes over.
The Minnesota Vikings win the Super Bowl.
I think you'll enjoy this.
Whether you are a Billy Joel fan or not, you probably remember his great song "We Didn't Start the Fire." Here it is, set to pictures---! Turn up volume, sit back and enjoy a review of 50 years of history in less than 3 minutes!
Thanks to Billy Joel and some guy from the University of Chicago with too much time to Google!
Click here:
http://yeli.us/Flash/Fire.htmla>
Events of this fall might have one wonder what is being taught in Oak Creek high school.
1) An Oak Creek high school student is killed playing chicken with cars on
Howell Ave, about 100 feet from a crosswalk. One would think that by the time he got to high school, he would know to CROSS AT THE LIGHTS! You think kids would have learned from this tragedy? NO! One week after the accident, I saw more students running across Howell at the same spot - THERE ARE STILL FLOWERS AND SIGNS AT THAT SPOT!
2) An Oak Creek high school homecoming queen was arrested at the homecoming dance after it was determined that she had been drinking. She apparently had a drink on school property. Where were the chaperones? Why hadn't she learned that 17 is not old enough to drink?
3) Oak Creek teacher James Buss (46 from Cudahy), a former president of the teacher's union, praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School. "They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!" he wrote in a blog, adding they should be remembered as heroes. As of now, he has been suspended and arrested but not yet charged.
Why did things like item 1 and 2 occur? See item 3! Apparently, we have fool teachers that can't teach basics or simple rules of our society, and then they praise murderers! Oak Creek high school needs a shake-up! We need someone in charge that will not put up with the nonsense that is going on there.
In Florida, an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter and Passover holidays.. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.
The case was brought before a judge.
After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared, 'Case dismissed!'
The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah...yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!'
The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, 'Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own atheists' holiday!'
The lawyer pompously said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?'
The judge said, 'Well it comes every year on exactly the same date---April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as 'April Fools Day,' consider that Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by scripture, he is a fool, and April 1st is his holiday!
Now have a good day and get out of my courtroom!!
