9-year old is too good?

[daflyboys]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

The politics of pee wee sports is insane. I would say, treat like the education public law.... if you're not going to keep a kid in a league b/c he's too good, then the league must find and sponsor for the kid to go to a more advanced league or the league can be sued. I'm sure with how much play that the LL assoc. gets from being on ESPN, they do not want a black eye anywhere that would smell of discrimination related to skill level.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

The problem is, the kid doesn't want to move up, he wants to play with his friends... and that's something I totally understand a nine year old would feel like.

[daflyboys]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

The problem is, the kid doesn't want to move up, he wants to play with his friends... and that's something I totally understand a nine year old would feel like.

I understand that having brought my son up through the LL system. But I moved him to a travel team one year b/c I knew he would be stuck behind the coach's slightly older, less talented son, so I did what I thought was best for him. It was a great experience for him: he learned that the baseball world was not limited to the teams immediately around him; he met new guys who he now runs into at games in high school; he got to play on a regulation size field at the age of 12. And ya know what? He's playing with his baseball buddies again and there was no harm/no foul.

If these parents want to foster a truly exceptional talent, then they need to have him challenged. He will get nothing blowing away batter after batter. In fact, that will do him more harm than good, since it probably won't stay that way for him as he ages. But, if it's more important to stay with his friends, then he gets what he gets. If he's more content that way, then fine.

[fishepa]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

Heaven forbid a little kid strike out against him. Do they even have strike outs anymore or does that hurt the little kid's feelings too much?

[Beantown]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

Heaven forbid a little kid strike out against him. Do they even have strike outs anymore or does that hurt the little kid's feelings too much?

I feel the same way, but I think their argument is a 40mph pitch that goes astray and hits a kid is a lawsuit waiting to happen, especially these days.

[dkgojackets]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

It isn't Little League. From what the guy said in the article it sounds like a beginning developmental league for kids who havent played baseball before. How are they going to have fun and learn the game by striking out every AB while scared that they are going to get knocked out?

Moving a really talented player up a division is incredibly common in youth sports. I don't see the big deal.

[ehh]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

Good job, New Haven. Stupid politics, this section from the article is all you need to know...

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.

[fishepa]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

I feel the same way, but I think their argument is a 40mph pitch that goes astray and hits a kid is a lawsuit waiting to happen, especially these days.

I'm sure parents have to sign waivers against that sort of thing. They are playing baseball correct. Isn't there an inherent danger in that in the first place?

[fishepa]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

It isn't Little League. From what the guy said in the article it sounds like a beginning developmental league for kids who havent played baseball before. How are they going to have fun and learn the game by striking out every AB while scared that they are going to get knocked out?

Moving a really talented player up a division is incredibly common in youth sports. I don't see the big deal.

And little kids should get better by batting against a good pitcher, it works both ways. Kids do get moved up all the time, but it's the kids choice, if he wants to stay with his friends then he should be able to do that. To force a kid to quit because he is too good at something is totally assinine, although I'm honestly not surprised this sort of thing has happened given today's society of "everybody has to be a winner".

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

There's already a thread for this in OS neighborhood..................

[Jackdog]

Re: 9-year old is too good?

40 MPH in a 11-13 league? That's kind of slow isn't it? He should stay where he is at and the other parents should deal with it

Your right. My son just turned 13 and he consistently hits 65-68 when he throws his fastball. When he was 9 his fastball was in the mid 40's and he wasn't alone. We had a 10 year old who's fastball topped out at 51 mph. I have been around a lot of youth baseball and this kids speed is nothing new. Something sounds fishy about this whole thing.

[CMH]

Re: Nine year old banned from pitching

There's already a thread for this in OS neighborhood..................

Why?

[CMH]

Re: 9-year old is too good?

Just move the kid up to the next age limit team. Come on, what is the problem.

The problem is the kid is 9 years old and wants to play with his friends.

Isn't that why most kids at the age of 9 play sports? To be with their friends?

You move him up, then you effectively make Little League about winning instead of having fun.

The real issue is how do you satisfy both sides of fun? The kid (pitcher) wants to have fun with his friends, and the competitors want to have fun by having a chance to hit against a pitcher.

Seeing that the kid would suffer in a more mature league, I'd side with the pitcher on this one.

You either choose that he struggles for an entire season with kids older than him or you choose that a team of kids has one tough game in a season when they face him.

[Brandwin]

Re: 9-year old is too good?

I agree with Jackdog and Yankeespride. Leave the kid where he is at, let him pitch and let the parents deal with it. You know it's the parents and not the kids.

[TCrouch]

Re: 9-year old is too good?

My "Jericho Scott" in little league was a kid named Steve Harvey. He was a monster. Looked like he already had a beard growing, but he had a birth certificate stating his age.

I don't think he ever gave up a run the entire season. He threw faster than I ever thought possible at that age.

We all dealt with it and played the game. This stinks of bureaucracy. Everybody has their own personal Jericho Scott, whether it's in little league or college or their place of employment. Teach the kids to deal with it, even at 9 years old.