By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 25, 9:33 PM ET



NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player
too good, it turns out.

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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?"

This boggles my mind. More proof that "political correctness" is ruining this country. If the kid SUCKED would they kick him out? Nope.......they'd pat him on the back for trying and give him a "participation trophy". The kid is in the correct age group, he didn't break any rules, yet they want to ban him for being too good. What message does this send to kids today? Excell at something, and you will be punished for it. Mediocrity gets rewarded, and being good gets punished.
WAY TO GO!!!

i thought this was ABSOLUTELY ridiculous as well.
punish a kid, make him feel like it's ALL his fault...cuz he's GOOD?!?!?
insane!!!


on a side note...my 5 year old can throw a pitch 45mph - proud mommy moment!!!
this is great but wasn't so terrific when he threw the remote through the window a couple years ago!!!
lol.

That is totally insane.
Just to make the other kids feel better.
How does this kid feel?

"Packerchick"That is totally insane.
Just to make the other kids feel better.
How does this kid feel?

I would think devastated. Yeah, it would suck for other kids to have to face him, but so what? That teaches kids that not all are as good as some at something. Is that a BAD thing really? It's REALITY! It will teach kids what it's like in the REAL world. We all arn't good at everything. Most people are good at something, and just need to find out what that is. This kid can pitch. So punish him for it? Or make him play at the next level, where the BIG kids might destroy him? Yeah.......blow his confidence to the point where he quits and doesn't learn to develope his talent.
This damn political correctness ticks me off!!!! Really, what good does it EVER do? Give false sense of being important to kids that arn't. Teaches kids that you don't need to really try, just showing up is good enough. Yeah.....thats gonna prepare them for work and life in the real world.

"4PackGirl"i thought this was ABSOLUTELY ridiculous as well.
punish a kid, make him feel like it's ALL his fault...cuz he's GOOD?!?!?
insane!!!


on a side note...my 5 year old can throw a pitch 45mph - proud mommy moment!!!
this is great but wasn't so terrific when he threw the remote through the window a couple years ago!!!
lol.

Hopefully he will sign with the Brewers! (Not those awful CUBS!) :thumbright:

Did any of you see the movie "Major League"? Remember, Wild Thing? That was me in little league. I threw a very hard ball, but no control once so ever. One pitch it'd be perfect, the next I was targeting the ump's head. We had two of the better pitchers in the league so instead of working with me, they threw me in left outfield. Funny Cheesey mentions Cubs, because that was my little league team name hah... how shameful :(




I think its a shame they feel the kid is too good. Maybe bump him into Babe Ruth league then?
If the kid has talent, you can't let it go to waste. Personally, I think having a kid pitching 40mph is a good thing for the batters. It'll teach them how to hit a faster ball and make them focus on the ball with their eyes more.

Kids just want to play and for the right reasons. To have FUN. Let the boy have fun, punks.

I am absolutely against not letting the kid pitch.
They don't want to discourage the hitters, but they're not worried about discouraging the pitcher?
Ridiculous.
The way kids sports are being handled lately irritates me.
The fact that they don't keep score in t-ball bugs me to no end.
Since when does losing a game ruin a kid's life?
What's wrong with being competitive?
Let kids do what they are good at.
If a kid is above his league, move him up.
Don't just tell him he can't play because he's better than the other kids.
It's like I've heard said before...If everyone is special, then no one is.

My niece in Park Falls, Wisconsin was dealt the same type of band in a round about way in the fast pitch softball league.. other parents went to the league and stated if Danielle pitched they were going to pull their kids out. The league came an asked my Sister and her husband if they would be willing to move Danielle up a class in age group. They did and she had a very good season at that level.

While I agree with not letting the kid pitch, if he is dominate at that age level move him up.. happens all the time in sports.. if you are good they move you up in competition.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.. but if I am the kids parents, they have options to allow their kid to continue playing.

What a Crock of Crap! :xcensoredx: Next we will hear the National League wants to ban CC because he's too good.

Let him pitch...just maybe some of the batters may become better hitters. What do they think is going to happen when they reach Senior ball or Legion and High School ball???? :crybaby:

When I played Legion ball, I was a catcher, and I do say I had a rocket arm.
(At 12 years old I won the Milwaukee Braves Pitch-O-Meter contest by throwing a ball at 78 MPH)
One game we played the opposing coaches would be yelling at their base runners to not lead off far or I'd get them.
I got 3 pick-offs at first base and 2 at third. After the game their coach came up to me and told me I had a good arm....then added, "And I got a bunch of stupid base runners."

Well that's kind of ridiculous.

But I can understand a potential safety issue.

I once took on a State-level fast bowler (basically your lower college/NCAA level) in a game of cricket with friends. My skill is limited to a year or two in high school, so needless to say getting cricket balls pitched at around 90 mph isn't fun, especially when you don't have the skill level to confidently play them.

But still. Why not just let little Jericho learn to take some speed off?