The New Haven Youth Baseball League had a problem: nine-year-old Jericho Scott was too good of a pitcher for the other kids. Their solution? Ban him from pitching. And when his coach sent him to the mound anyway, the league decided to disband his team. Parents protested, demanding that they let the little the junior Kelly Leak play, and as the AP reports, the whole thing has turned into a giant, litigious mess.
Parents of opposing teams say that Scott’s pitches are too dangerous for their kids, even though he hasn’t beaned anyone this season. I can feel his pain - I was told that I was “too dangerous” and asked to not play in my Little League anymore, but I vaguely remember something like “danger to myself and others” and “lack of motor skills” being used.
In their defense, the league has said that they have presented Scott’s family with several other options, including pitching against older players in a different league. But Scott’s mom tells a different tale: She says he is being punished because he turned down a chance to play for the defending league champions, who also happen to be sponsored by one of the employers of a league organizer.
This could be an example of parents taking a kids game too seriously, or trying to do the right thing and turning it into a fiasco. But I think the most likely answer is that the people of Connecticut hate baseball in all forms, starting with Wiffleball. Which explains why the UConn baseball team is forced to play all of their games barefoot on a field littered with broken glass and rusty nails.
The league lawyer (Little Leagues have lawyers now?) said that they took action because they run a “developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport.” And I say that’s exactly why they should let Scott pitch. Little League baseball is nothing but preparation for the rest of your life, and there’s no lesson in humility more powerful than hopelessly flailing at pitches after they’ve already hit the catcher’s mitt.
All things being equal, it could be worse: Hank Steinbrenner could be his manager. The poor kid’s arm likely would have fallen off, Joba Chamberlain-style, by halfway through the season.
8:05 pm on August 25th, 2008
It’s actually not Little League, it’s some independant league. Little League would not allow this to happen.
11:25 pm on August 25th, 2008
People are bringing up their kids to be wusses nowadays.
6:05 pm on August 26th, 2008
Let the kids play. Take all of the adults out of the league and just let them play. Little League teaches a kid how to lose ans well as win. There is nothing wrong with losing as long as you tried your best. I played and coached baseball. The kids played because they loved the game. There is always going to be someone who is better then the rest.
8:04 am on August 27th, 2008
Sad that we have now hit the point in society that challenges are seen as insurmountable obstacles. This is a terrible lesson to tell your child - that someone is better than you and you’ll never succeed when the truth is you always have to try - reality is that the only opportunities you miss are those you don’t even attempt. I guess these parent’s were those kids that took their ball and went home when things got tough…
3:27 pm on August 27th, 2008
At first blush I was angry at the league for their actions. But, what if parents who want their kids to learn how to play ball and have never played before wanted to start a league to achieve these things, what’s wrong with that. Then another kids parents or coach say’s hey, lets put our star player on this team in that league and watch him mow everyone down. I don’t want to keep hearing “just because Jericho is to good”, he’s that good because he is in the wrong league. He should play for team that he was originally “recruited” for to really test himself. Oh, that won’t work because then his parents and coach can’t brag about how many eight year olds picking up a bat for the first time in their lives he struck out that day. It’s actually ironic, Jericho’s parents don’t want him playing in a league commensurte with his talent because he won’t dominate, but yet they are upset when the other kid’s parents don’t want their kids feeling the same way when facing Jericho. His parents should repeat to themselves all the reasons they didnt want their son in the higher league and say to themselves “hey, maybe that’s the point the other teams are trying to make.”
5:30 pm on August 27th, 2008
I wish all the facts here were presented. IF in fact as John says this is NOT Little League, but a independent development league, I can see the clamor over having ONE pitcher that is overly dominant. In some leagues this problem, especially in development leagues, is handled by using pitching machines so everyone hits the same “pitcher”. I agree with the consensus that it’s a shame all these adults are ruining it for the kids. I don’t for one second believe the kids coach wasn’t ending his message putting him back on the mound. Penalize him !!! Not the 12 kids he coaches. The opposing manager that pulled his team off the field, shame on you. I coach REAL Little League, and have had kids get hit, guess what, it is baseball, it happens, LIVE with it. At 40 mph I seriously doubt anyone is going to get hurt. One team loses every game, assuming they even count the runs, but if your kids learn something from it, it sometimes is more valuable than a “mark” in your teams win column. Is walking away from diversity what that coach really wanted to teach? Was winning at all cost what Jericho’s coach wanted to teach his players? IF so shame on All of you.
9:26 pm on August 27th, 2008
Baseball sucks anyway!
9:03 pm on August 28th, 2008
I coach Little League baseball, I always tell my kids that baseball has lessons in life itself and that is the ultimate lesson in baseball, life. It is also a game of failures and successes. The top Major League players fail 70% of the time, but they never give up. Never giving up is the in the face of adverse conditions. If I’m not mistaken this Wonder Kid should only be allowed to pitch three innings not the whole game, based on league rules, and each team play each other twice during the regular season, usually. So , put into perspective, each kid in the league will face this pitcher twice a season, at best four times if they happen to be bombing this kid, NOT! Solely based on the reactions of these parents of this kids ability. Part of instructional baseball is to instruct the players to face an exceptional player and to do your best even if they fail. Don’t penalize this Wonder-Kid just because he posses more ability than the rest. He obviously doesn’t have a control problem. It would be the same if a kid hit a home-run almost every time he got up-what, you won’t pitch to him? Everyone has lessons to learn in this gentlemens’ game. Let the kids - PLAY BALL!!!
11:44 pm on August 31st, 2008
it was funny what adult swim had said about this story
6:17 am on September 9th, 2008
This is so amazing that the idioits that run this league think they are right and should get away with this… 1st off if you dont want to compete with the best there is at ur age then dont even worry about learning the game quit now pick up a book or something cuz scott is a baseball player seems like everyone else in that league signed up for something different… when i played little league i couldn’t wait to go agaisnt the best pitcher in the league it made the game 10 times better…. i think the coach and all the players on the team that walked off should be banned from little league.. i think that its not fair that C.C sabathia is doing that good in the NL we should ban him… like get a life teach your kids some morals..