9 yr old Jericho Scott told he's too good to pitch

[bullox]

link

 

From the article:

 

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.

 

I think this is ridiculous. Let the kid play.

[And That]

I'd like to hear Jack Zdurencik's thoughts on the kid.

[hammytime]

I just read this article myself, and was going to ask my husband how to post it. What does it say to kids about trying your hardest? Effort no longer matters? Ability no longer matters? I just told my students the other day that effort means more to me than good grades--is that wrong?

[trwi7]

I just told my students the other day that effort means more to me than good grades--is that wrong?

Well I wish you would've been my teacher and talked to my parents. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[kuffdaddy]

Is anyone else thinking 40mph is not that big of a deal for a kid that age??? Parents throw that hard when they pitch in some leagues for kids just so they can get a ball to reach the plate

[lcbj68c]

I disagree with it completely. However, this is a "membership club" that can selectively choose who they want to be playing baseball, coaching, etc. Again, it's not right, but unfortunately the family doesn't have much of a leg to stand on in fighting them.

[mothershipconnection]

I'm pretty sure there have been little leaguers who can top 70. I'm sure plenty of kids I played with threw over 40, this kid must just have really good control.

[Houlie24x]

I'm pretty sure that when I was 7-8 the pitching machines we used for games was set at 35mph. When I turned 9 and played in the 9-10 age group it was a noticeable difference and I wouldn't be surprised if there were kids throwing 50+.

 

This sounds more like this kid is in a bad co-ed league than he is good. His parents and coaches would be doing him a favor by moving him to a better league or moving him up an age group if he is really that good of a pitcher.

[berniebrewer4life]

My question is why not just let the kid pitch at a higher level?

[Brian the Automator]

When I was in pee-wee league (8 years old), there was a kid who was definitely throwing 40+. Yeah, it was intimidating, but you just dealt with it.

 

Yeah, if he's really that good, I'm sure whatever team's at the next level would gladly have him on board.

[fondybrewfan]

Even if he is playing in a poor league this was a monumentally stupid decision by the league administrators, especially now that this has made it to the national stage. They come out of this looking like baffoons. If none of the kids in the league can hit 40 MPH maybe they should actually get some coaches to teach these kids how to hit. The article says the kid isn't wild, so a little coaching might help the kids out. And how about the opposing coach who just told his team to leave rather than play a game they love. Most kids that age don't even care if they win they just want to play. This is just incredibly dumb if you ask me. Punishing a kid because he is either to good or because everyone else sucks. Real cool.

[Patrick425]

The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph

This has to be a typo or mistake of some kind. 40mph....even for an 8year old, is not that uncommon. I never had a gun on my son when he was 8, but I'm sure he threw at least 40. He threw mid-40's when he was 9 and in the upper 40's last year (10 years old). He was by no means considered overpowering. He was not the fastest pitcher on the team and not really that close to being the fastest pitcher in the league.

[pitchleague]

they had video of the kid up on Sportscenter this morning. He wasn't wild but he wasn't blazingly fast, either. I can understand that some of the players might be a bit intimidated by his "heat" but I didn't think it was all that bad. I would assume many parents complained that their kid might get plunked by this kid and they didn't want their kid to get hurt.

 

Honestly, I thought he was fine.

 

The opposing coach should have played and had the team work on bunts or something. The way 9-year old kids play defense at least half of the bunts they got down would have been hits anyways.

[zzzmanwitz]

I love the second survey. "Will he ever pitch in the major leagues?" Nearly 70% say yes. I love how we can now project nine year olds to the majors...

[dlk9s]

At the very least, they should at least have the kid play a different position. At the very least.

[burniebrewer]

I think we all probably had "that guy" in our little league. Seemed there was always one pitcher that everyone feared. We had a wild lefty in our league who threw gas--that was scary, because you never knew where the ball was going.

[datrain711]

just another disgrace in how we handle things in this country. It is now more important for our kids to all feel good about themselves then engage in fair competition. The parents on other teams, coaches, and league officials should be embarassed. Do they really think they are helping out their kids by basically telling them that if something is too challenging than they will remove that obstacle so the kids don't have to experience failure

 

I may be a bit jaded, but it is unfathomable to me that they made this decision.

[TheCrew07]

just another disgrace in how we handle things in this country. It is now more important for our kids to all feel good about themselves then engage in fair competition. The parents on other teams, coaches, and league officials should be embarassed. Do they really think they are helping out their kids by basically telling them that if something is too challenging than they will remove that obstacle so the kids don't have to experience failure

 

I may be a bit jaded, but it is unfathomable to me that they made this decision.

This was said much better than I would have been able to, bravo. When this topic comes up people usually seem to the think the pendelum (sp?) will swing back the other way soon. I just don't see it unfortunately.. every year the kids I deal with are more pampered, less aggressive, and less motivated than the year before. Our kids just don't go out and play anymore, they stay inside and play video games or text on the cell phone... while I have 2 cell phones(1 is a work BB) and I love my xbox, the difference is that these kids don't really get to accomplish anything in real life, most of their accomplishments take place in video games where there's usually a shortcut or cheat to help you win. I was sitting with some of our Seniors at the LockIn earlier this month and I asked them what the deal with the cell phones was. Instead of having a conversation with someone they text because it's less personal (their words, not mine). It's easier to say no, or ask someone for something with a text message than it is to speak them to directly. Basically the gist of conversation was that they can have a conversation devoid of emotional attachment or commitment.... If you've never accomplished anything meaningful how do you have any confidence in yourself? If have no attachment to anyone other than yourself, how do you grow as a person?

 

In many ways I think we were lucky in that we didn't have consoles games as they are now (I'm only 33), and didn't have cell phones. We had to get on our bikes and hook up with our friends and interact socially on a daily basis to keep ourselves entertained. Even growing up on the farm like I did, we'd ride our bikes 3,4, sometimes 6 miles to see our friends and entertain each other. I think the guys I grew up with had much stronger bonds to each other than the children now do. It didn't really matter what we were doing, it just mattered that we were doing it together.

[TSack27]

Disappointing on many levels. Have things changed that much since I played little league? Our league was for 9-12 year olds, so to be a 9-year old facing a 12-year old pitcher could be intimidating... but like another mentioned, good opportunity to work on your bunting skills. Every team had an above average 11 or 12-year old pitcher that could easily throw into the 50's (mph)... the All-stars are getting into the 60's. So I'm a little dismayed with the issue of facing a 40mph pitcher (with reportedly no control issues).

 

Now, this was an 8-10 age league, so a little different, but what is this kid gonna do for another year (can't risk a Chinese gymnastic controversy and have him move up a league too young http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Fatter than Joey]

If none of the kids in the league can hit 40 MPH maybe they should actually get some coaches to teach these kids how to hit.

 

Having coached a lot of 9 year olds, I can tell you it is not as simple as that -- There are kids that have 0 athletic skill and are legitimately afraid of any sort of contact. It would be easier for me to just cut these kids, and not deal with them, but I don't think that is the right thing to do. Maybe their parents suck for letting their kids grow up to be wimps, but as a coach that is not my job to figure out. I think the kids that are scared, are showing sac by trying, and it is my job as a coach (of beginning level kids) to ensure that the kids are not over their heads, or beyond their comfort level. All I can ask of the kids is that they try hard, it is my job as a coach to make sure they are in the best position to succeed.

 

Punishing a kid because he is either to good or because everyone else sucks. Real cool.

 

I'm not sure he "had" to pitch -- couldn't he have played SS for a game?

 

I'm pretty sure that when I was 7-8 the pitching machines we used for games was set at 35mph.

 

Just a point of clarification -- when you go to the cages -- the 35 mph arm, and the 70 mph arm are generally the same distance away from the batter -- this kid is throwing 40mph from 46 feet, which makes the ball seem a lot faster. Just about any 9 year old could hit 40mph from 60'6". Hitting 40 mph at the cage and 40 from 46 ft can be 2 different things.

 

It is now more important for our kids to all feel good about themselves then engage in fair competition.

 

I agree. That said, in our city we have an A,B & C team. We sort the kids out by skill, so they will face "fair" competition. No one on either side of the diamond benefits from a 24-0 game (at the 9 year old level). We have a coach in our league that will drop players from the A team to the B team, and the B team to the C team to win games -- and it pisses all the other coaches off.

 

I know I save my good pitchers for the good teams, and let my other pitchers play against the worse teams -- I don't do it to maximize my chances of winning, but I do it so my good players get challenged a bit, and the worse players are having a positive experience and gaining confidence. Most coaches have a gentleman's agreement to keep the games competitive at the beginning level.

 

I think Jericho Scott's manager is the prime dipwad in this for going against the league's wishes. Right or wrong, he should have respected them. He could have started Scott at SS, and the kids could have played.

[eanelson4]

I just told my students the other day that effort means more to me than good grades--is that wrong?

Towards that article, thats pathetic on the part of the coach to disband the team like that. So the kid is good. Who cares? Let your guys get some experience against a really good pitcher. Maybe this kid is the next Nolan Ryan, nobody knows. I don't see this as a reason to disband.

 

Hammytime, I go back and forth with statements like this. Yes, it is good to reward effort, but I also think that is a problem with my generation at least. I think along the way, too many have been told they are "special" and things like this. I understand that we want people to feel good, and at the 9 year old level, maybe this is a good thing, but eventually we have to teach them reality. If you stink at something and you want to be good, work harder. I love the competitive nature of our country, I think it's what makes us great. What if it is apparent that your students were giving minimal effort? Would you then tell them the same thing? I think the only time I am okay with a statement like that is if 100% effort was given. Sorry to go off topic.

[Fatter than Joey]

Let your guys get some experience against a really good pitcher.

 

Sure... why not bring in CC Sabathia? -- that would be a great experience. Seriously though, there is a point where these kids are overmatched, and it serves no purpose for the batter or the pitcher (again at the beginner 9 year old level).

 

That said, my boys could mash Dave Bush.

[eanelson4]

I guess the flipside of all of that is: what good will it do teaching them to quit when things are too difficult?

[Patrick425]

Again, this is really a non-story. There are probably 1000's of 9 year olds that can throw 40 mph. Next summer go to a game in the Wisconsin State Youth Baseball League.

www.wsybl.com

If a kid is not throwing at least 40 (from 46 feet) in that league in the 9 year old division, he's probably going to get hit pretty good.

The league that this kid in Connecticut is in must be some sort of rec ball league or something.

[datrain711]

I can't believe that the manager of the other team saw Jericho on the mound, and then refused to let his team play against him.

 

I guess I also have to wonder whether this was an issue of genuine fear for the kids that had to face him, or instead more that the parents saw the children disappointed because they had no chance of success, and didn't like their kids facing iminent failure.