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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 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?”

Imo, the boy got jobbed, and that's wack.

They're kicking him out because he's too good? That's a waste.

Thats sooo stupid.

He's good pitcher.

Kicking someone out because he's tooooooooooo good is pure facist.

That's fucking lame.

Jericho and his mother need to fight the fucking power!

“I feel sad,” he said. “I feel like it’s all my fault nobody could play.”

Dont blame yourself kid.

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.

Pure facist. Call the FTP team!!!

This happen because some kid don't want to join some defending champ team and decide to stick with his pals.

I like this kid. Looking out for his homies.

thats awesome and bad at the same time. i wish when i was playing little league somone told me i was to good to play. i would go around saying "hey, i could play with you guys but thered be no point, you arent at my level." and if he really wants to play either just tone down the fastballs or change your position until you get a little older

When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said.


That's horrible. No wonder everyone seems like they're fucking little sissy vaginas today. When faced against competent competition they fucking cry and quit like little bitches. It's pussies like that who deserve to be punished. Not the team that fucking plays and excels.

And the poor little human puppy saying he feels bad for being too good and shit makes me sad. How could anyone do that to the little guy is beyond me. POWER NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT! FACES NEED TO BE BROKEN! FOR JUSTICE! GOOD LUCK ON YOUR BATTLE AGAINST THE FASCIST, COWARDLY SCUM, GREAT DEFENDERS OF LIBERTY! /SALUTE

does the kid's fault having a great talent... screw them...

but it kinda isnt fun for the other teams, and at that age its about fun not about throwing shutout games every time he pitches. no it isnt his fault thathe can throw fast at his age but you do have to be considerate of all the other kids. i wouldnt like it if i was the parent on another team and no tuns are scored because noone can get any hits. like i said i would move him for a different position for the time being, probably in the outfield or shortstop.

Can't they just bump him up to a higher level league for bigger kids or something?

In my little league, there was this huge as fuck 12 year old who could easily put pitches over the small junior league fence. All the coaches recommended him and his parents to be put in a higher league (forget what it was called, farther fence, bigger kids, etc), but the parents refused because they wanted their kid to dominate.

but it kinda isnt fun for the other teams, and at that age its about fun not about throwing shutout games every time he pitches. no it isnt his fault thathe can throw fast at his age but you do have to be considerate of all the other kids. i wouldnt like it if i was the parent on another team and no tuns are scored because noone can get any hits. like i said i would move him for a different position for the time being, probably in the outfield or shortstop.

Uh, that's retarded, dude. By that logic, playing any team that is good/undefeated isn't fun if you're on a scrub team. They shouldn't go "lololol lyke ur 2 gud, GTFO" just because some people are better than others. That's how fucking sports work. If you're not having fun unless you're winning, then get better or some shit. Don't cry because people are better, that's dumb.

You're suppose to try and excel at the position you play. To punish a little kid (and his entire team) because he excels is pretty lame. Plain and simple.

@48-He's 9 in a 8-10 year league. I dunno if they can bump him up to another league or not. Even if he can be bumped though, he shouldn't be forced to. No matter what they shouldn't be punishing him for being too good. That's definitely wrong.

i know thats how sports are played but theyre 9 years old. they arent adults playing real baseball. i mean it is good to win but you play for fun at that age. and noone has fun on both teams when every inning your pitcher strikes kids out. and how can you just tell 10 yo kids to get better, do you expect them to do a training montage and just get better at baseball

Wtf, he's getting kicked because he kicks fucking ass??

It said it's "scary" for new batters to face his pitches, and that he got kicked for
so the other bitches playing don't whine to there mom's that they got their ass kicked.
GTFO, with that bullshit.

"Listen mam, your son is pwning everybody on these teams,
parents are now complaining to me that their kids FAIL. I'm sorry, but I'm kicking him off
the team."

I mean really, their kicking him cuz he kicks ass?
Because nobody's a match for him?
Because little pussy ass kids want it to be a fair skilled game?

This kid is gunna be a kick ass player and that couch'll regret kicking him...

i know thats how sports are played but theyre 9 years old. they arent adults playing real baseball. i mean it is good to win but you play for fun at that age. and noone has fun on both teams when every inning your pitcher strikes kids out. and how can you just tell 10 yo kids to get better, do you expect them to do a training montage and just get better at baseball

What about the kids that win? I guess their enjoyment of the sport isn't important, right? Only the scrub kids count?

There always has to be a winner and a loser every time there is a game. If you're not having fun just playing, and winning or being competitive with every team is important to you, then you need to get better. The other kids who are playing and winning shouldn't have to dumb down their game for scrubs, nor should they be punished in any way because they're better than everyone else.

I wouldn't tell ten year old kids to get better. I'd tell them to do their best, and just have fun. I wouldn't worry about them winning or losing at that age. If they get shut out, then so be it. That shit happens. No biggie. Nothing to complain about.

all im saying is that i takes away from the game if you sit in the field for 9 innings and you dont get anything. im also not sure why this is a big deal. ive played little league and unless my coaches were dying to win a game they wouldnt put the kid that is lights out because they would want to get other kids in the game. and again im not saying dont let him play, im just saying change his position

i know thats how sports are played but theyre 9 years old. they arent adults playing real baseball. i mean it is good to win but you play for fun at that age. and noone has fun on both teams when every inning your pitcher strikes kids out. and how can you just tell 10 yo kids to get better, do you expect them to do a training montage and just get better at baseball

Yeah but the kids only on 1 team. =/

If a kid was joining baseball just for fun then this problem wouldn't be
going on right now. Clearly a lot of the kids who are losing wanna win badly.
I mean, a solution would be for them to just understand that they can't win
all the time, or quit. I mean really. If you don't like something, get away from it. Maybe even join another league of something. Join the kid's team that was
kicking ass. Idk, it's just wrong to say "no" to somebody who wants to play because their too good. It's wasted talent. How do you think he feels? People this kid beats have a chance at winning other games, them kicking him off the team doesn't even allow him to play anymore. Kinda harsh douncha think?

He's 9 in a 8-10 year league. I dunno if they can bump him up to another league or not. Even if he can be bumped though, he shouldn't be forced to. No matter what they shouldn't be punishing him for being too good. That's definitely wrong.
You're right that he shouldn't be forced, but if there is some sort of higher league that's available to him, it'd be rude of him to stay in his current league. I mean, playing in a league you know you can rape instead a league that you're suited for, just because the latter option is more difficult, is a selfish thing to do.

all im saying is that i takes away from the game if you sit in the field for 9 innings and you dont get anything. im also not sure why this is a big deal. ive played little league and unless my coaches were dying to win a game they wouldnt put the kid that is lights out because they would want to get other kids in the game. and again im not saying dont let him play, im just saying change his position

Why change his position though? What if he just likes pitching? Besides, it's fucking baseball. It's not like the other team never gets to take the field, and the kid never has to bat, or anything like that. So it's not like you "don't get anything" out of it.

And they never said he plays the entire game, every game.

You're right that he shouldn't be forced, but if there is some sort of higher league that's available to him, it'd be rude of him to stay in his current league. I mean, playing in a league you know you can rape instead a league that you're suited for, just because the latter option is more difficult, is a selfish thing to do.

It's not really rude. He's nine, he's right there in the middle of the age group. That is where he belongs. I never played baseball, but in wrestling there are kids who can absolutely rape their divisions without breaking a sweat. No one would EVER suggest that they should move up to a higher age group just because they're good. Even saying something like that would get you fucking lol'd at.

The only time anyone gets shit is if they LIE and say they're not as good as they are to get into novice division tournaments. He's not deceiving anyone, so I don't see the big deal.

In the end, it's not hurting anyone. I mean, how many times does a team play the same other team in baseball? Once or twice, right? So worst case scenario is you lose those two games. Big deal.

Also:

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.

Him being good didn't seem like an issue when one of the league's administrators offered him a position on his company's team. In fact, I'm sure they invited him BECAUSE he was really good. Then all of a sudden it becomes an issue after he turns them down? Oh, yeah, I'm sure the league's admins have nothing but the best interest of the players in mind. Definitely no alterer motives thar. = /

What bullshit.

That's horrible. He's nine, an impressionable age, he shouldn't be told those kinds of things or he'll end up one of those homeless geniuses. And as Mibs said, it's not winning or losing, it's playing the game.

Why change his position though? What if he just likes pitching? Besides, it's fucking baseball. It's not like the other team never gets to take the field, and the kid never has to bat, or anything like that. So it's not like you "don't get anything" out of it.

And they never said he plays the entire game, every game.



It's not really rude. He's nine, he's right there in the middle of the age group. That is where he belongs. I never played baseball, but in wrestling there are kids who can absolutely rape their divisions without breaking a sweat. No one would EVER suggest that they should move up to a higher age group just because they're good. Even saying something like that would get you fucking lol'd at.

The only time anyone gets shit is if they LIE and say they're not as good as they are to get into novice division tournaments. He's not deceiving anyone, so I don't see the big deal.

In the end, it's not hurting anyone. I mean, how many times does a team play the same other team in baseball? Once or twice, right? So worst case scenario is you lose those two games. Big deal.

Also:



Him being good didn't seem like an issue when one of the league's administrators offered him a position on his company's team. In fact, I'm sure they invited him BECAUSE he was really good. Then all of a sudden it becomes an issue after he turns them down? Oh, yeah, I'm sure the league's admins have nothing but the best interest of the players in mind. Definitely no alterer motives thar. = /

What bullshit.


well to answer your question im not sure how many teams are in his league. if its a small league you you could play 1 team 4 times, and then you would see them in the playoffs. but in a fairly big league they might play a team 2 times and then theres the playoffs. and it actually is possible for a kid to pitch alot more often in ll because games arent played every day

That sucks. Poor kid feels like shit cause he's too good?
My god the administrators must be real assholes.

If you lose to someone that's better than you just SUCK IT UP. Don't make a big whiney mess of things. =/

sorry your to smart for mensa wtf?