What is Digg?286 Comments
- SullonOne, on 08/25/2008, -4/+262"I feel sad," Jericho said. "I feel like it's all my fault nobody could play."
Those league officials are pathetic. - inactive, on 08/25/2008, -4/+199"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."
So, an overzealous administrator can't stack the teams for his/her boss and gets revenge. Sad that a corporation is corrupting of all things little league baseball. We need to find out who's the employer. - Jpardue, on 08/26/2008, -5/+143I can't believe a 9 year is in little league political fiasco. What's next kids can play football because they run to fast, or basketball because they jump to high. Ludicrous!!
This is a municipally funded league.
Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven
City of New Haven
165 Church Street
New Haven, CT 06510
203-946-8200 - Spuy767, on 08/26/2008, -4/+97This is the softening of the american population that's been happening for decades. Not long after I was born, the plague started, parents trying to make their kids feel special, make their kids believe that they're just as good at everything as everyone else. Let's face it, some people just aren't going to be as good at some things as others, and we need to teach our children to expound on their own strength rather than loathing those who are better at some things. Trying to force someone who is exceptional at something out of his or her element to make the average feel better smacks of socialism.
"For the greater good." - krekc, on 08/26/2008, -2/+88The pussification of America continues.
- Korinthe, on 08/26/2008, -2/+69That is simply disgusting. It would be one thing if he was caught being over-age for his league. But this kid is verified to be the correct age. Punish a kid for being too good? Are you crazy? This is a quick way to take a potential STAR, to take the potential future of the sport itself, and flush his hopes and dreams down the drain, along with all he could add to the sport. Hopefully he will not get discouraged, will find another avenue to play his sport, and live his dreams. With that kind of talent, this kid could very well make it huge, and he deserves that chance, he deserves to live his dreams.
Disgusting.. - inactive, on 08/26/2008, -1/+67The lowest common denominator wins again.
Boo excellence!
Hurray forced equality! - Doubledown, on 08/26/2008, -2/+68The world is pathetic now... I remember back in the day when only the champions got tropheys....
- MerlinTW, on 08/26/2008, -3/+49This is what is wrong with our country these days. You knock down the people who excel and try to make people who don't win feel better about themselves.
Losing is a part of life and is more important than winning. You learn more from losing than winning but if you knock down people who are better than the rest then how are they going to excel?
Think if someone tried to kick Michael Phelps out of a swimming meet because he was too good? Where would he be now? - Ransack, on 08/26/2008, -1/+45The other team walked off when he took the mound? Yah thats great sportsmanship. "I think we will lose so im not gonna play".
- Embryodead, on 08/26/2008, -1/+43"I have never seen behavior of a parent like the behavior Jericho's mother exhibited Wednesday night," Noble said.
She had every right to, they basically ostracized this young boy because no one in the leagues stands a chance against him, and all those dads don't want their son's figuring out they may not be the best.
As the late George Carlin said our children are growing up and not finding out they are losers till it's too late because of things like this. - inactive, on 08/26/2008, -1/+30The worst part is that the kids end up really screwed up from an entire life of being told they can do anything.
Because in real life, people keep score. And if you want to be good at something, you have to work at it. And you'll lose, no matter how good you are, you will lose a lot of battles.
They hit adulthood and most of them realize they aren't actually special, just mediocre. Reality hits really hard.
Turns out guys who are 5'4 and weigh 130 lbs can't really play in the NFL. - LordSkywalker, on 08/26/2008, -1/+29Weird. This something similar happened to me I was 13. I ended up on a little league team that was supposed to be maximum age 12, but overcrowding caused a few to be shuffled around. I ended up pitching and we were winning alot of our games, but then the coach of an opposing team learned of my situation, reports it, and gets me benched for the rest of the season.
After arguing against that, they decided to "compromise" by allowing me to play left field. I didn't finish out that season. Good luck, Jericho. - cawpin, on 08/26/2008, -0/+24A-*****-men.
- kevingarnett, on 08/26/2008, -0/+23NJank - At no point in this article does it say the kid was offered a spot in on a higher level team, it just says that he was asked to play for the defending league champions. As in the team that won the championship from the previous year...in the same league. Basically asking the most feared pitcher in the league to play for the best team, stacking it even further.
I'd be willing to put down money that if he had accepted the offer, this wouldn't have happened to him. - BugsSport, on 08/26/2008, -3/+24i wish i had that problem when i was in little league.
- kmb1794, on 08/26/2008, -0/+21If this kid is the best then he should get the honor of playing at a higher level of competition. Afterall, age limits are rather arbitrary when you take into account the varying rates of physical maturity. Well, and mental maturity too - but they don't kick kids out of class because they read to fast...they just advance them.
- inigomntoya, on 08/26/2008, -0/+20We have been celebrating mediocrity for way too long. Doing so has escalated the idea of entitlement for the younger generation. So, no one wants to work for what they get. Everyone wants everything now - which often leads to higher consumer debt and more bankruptcies.
The "Barney" generation will soon be graduating from college. We'll see how the idea that "I love you and you love me" competes in the real world... - mistermaster, on 08/26/2008, -2/+22"No Child Left Behind", aka "No Child Allowed Ahead". Now in sports!
- cwgannon, on 08/25/2008, -6/+25What an absolute traveshamockery. Here's to hoping the family is able to exact a bit of legalese revenge.
- orlyfactor, on 08/26/2008, -2/+19I agreed with you up until the socialism bit, but yeah, if kids are coddled too much, then they will have no survival skills when they get older. They need to learn that not everyone is good at everything, learn to deal with the fact that some people are just better than others, and to find something that makes THEM feel happy on their own - not because the competition has been muffled.
- StatusWoe, on 08/26/2008, -0/+16And if he becomes a big league player all those kids can say they got struck out by a star. Except for the ones that forfeited, they can say they ran away.... not as good a story.
- inactive, on 08/26/2008, -0/+15Carlito's Barbershop.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20090822 ...
The Scotts and Vidro said they believe league officials wanted Jericho off the mound because those officials wanted another team to win; a team that was in first place prior to Jericho’s appearance and is sponsored by Carlito’s Barber Shop, where a league official has a haircutting chair. - duster, on 08/26/2008, -1/+16traveshamockery is the most awesome word I've seen in a long time
- Mr.Gone, on 08/26/2008, -9/+22Oh no! If only some one had told us about this sooner!
http://digg.com/baseball/9_year_old_boy_told_he_s_ ...
mean Christ it's right there on the most popular. - jameskong15, on 08/26/2008, -0/+13I have every right to voice my displeasure with their decision and as their contact information is within the public domain, I may utilize that method of contact insofar as I do not violate any laws pertaining to such cases (harassment, threats, etc).
- SwK386, on 08/26/2008, -0/+13Actually something similar happened to my 10yr old playing football... "He's Too BIG [to be in this league]" ... so we had to find an alternative... he ended up getting picked up by another league and is playing with kids 12 and 13 years old...
While this is total *****! (Sorry Penn & Teller) as he should be allowed to play with kids his own age, I ended up coming to terms with it... he's getting better experience... playing at an entire different level with kids and coaches that are finally challenging him... - theremixtrack, on 08/26/2008, -1/+13At least he isn't taking steroids.
- jameskong15, on 08/26/2008, -0/+11@njank
Even if he was offered a position on another team that doesn't mean he should be taken from his current team in the middle of their season. He was already allowed to play 8 games and obviously represents a major part of the team; so how could someone with any integrity say they are being fair to everyone on that team by doing this? I guess this is how they break winning streaks in the pussy leagues these days. - JFallon126, on 08/26/2008, -1/+11Vonnegut was right...this is so sad.
Read the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Vonnegut for a great dystopian vision of this type of mentality. - jameskong15, on 08/26/2008, -0/+10I agree that he should be bumped up, but I don't think that means he should now, in the middle of the current season, after playing 8 games, be kicked off the team or forced to change positions. If this was game one or two, maybe I could understand a position change, but 8 games in is too late to start complaining.
- Doubledown, on 08/26/2008, -1/+11You could move him back, but remember he is only 9... his mental state would be to throw even harder, potentially ruining an MLB caliber arm
- walshgopher, on 08/26/2008, -0/+9@duffy As an extreme example, when countries make bad decisions (ex Saudi Arabia sending women who have been raped to jail for sexual deviance) sometimes it takes criticism from a few dozen other countries to re-evaluate their decision.
- DickyT83, on 08/26/2008, -2/+11***** Little League Dad's.
- joebaloney, on 08/26/2008, -1/+10I bet you didn't get any spelling bee tropheys.
- gemlarin, on 08/26/2008, -2/+11I will tell you what happened here.
Parents on the opposing teams were mad because their own children were not on the wining team and they had to find a scapegoat. The parents complained that they felt their children were in danger to make their argument seem valid. The league commissioner caved under the pressure of parental threats and moved to ban the boy from pitching.
This is just another example of the overzealous parent taking the fun out of the game for their own gain. Not much different than the parents that get into fist fights with other parents over the winnings of their children. What does this teach the children? It teaches them that when when you are not on top in life, cry hard enough and make enough threats, someone will give in and give you what you want. Parents should be teaching their children to do their best and acknowledge the fact that your not always going to be on top, yet the pride is in knowing you gave it your all.
I played little league for many years and this league just makes me sick. I hope mom sues the pants off the commissioner. I am glad SI picked this up and brought it to the public forum.
TL:DR I hate overzealous parents, they are the bane of today's youth. - Slizzo, on 08/26/2008, -0/+9There ARE other people who live in Connecticut that visit Digg you know Duffy.
I for one, AM one of those people. And I used to live in a suburb of New Haven. Honestly, I do find this appalling, but it being in New Haven, it really doesn't surprise me. The city has been on a downhill slide for quite some time now. - hiPpymIck, on 08/26/2008, -0/+9i think it might be all a bit too small time for the mighty Digg hordes..
"They said that team is sponsored by Carlito’s barber shop and that league president Reynaldo Reyes owns it. Noble said Reyes does have a chair at the barber shop temporarily while his own beauty shop is restored after a fire."
http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=200 ... - SwK386, on 08/26/2008, -0/+8There you go... handy cap the kid cause he's too good... I dunno about you but when I was in LittleLeague, you wore a helmet and if you got beaned (its baseball it happens all the time) Coach would say "Rub some dirt on it and walk if off you'll be fine" (no i never figured out what rubbing dirt on it was supposed to do)
- cawpin, on 08/26/2008, -2/+10"40 mph for a 9 yr old playing pitcher is about average from what I've seen,"
***** it is. 40 is about 10-15 faster than average for that age. And when you're talking 30 average and this kid is throwing 40, that's a 30+ percent increase. That's a big jump. - jamesdew, on 08/26/2008, -1/+8Not that I am defending this action but is a 40mph baseball dangerous? I live in the UK and have no idea.
- exformation, on 08/26/2008, -2/+9OH WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN. But just the ones who suck at baseball.
- tehnico, on 08/26/2008, -1/+8It's like self moderated communism.
- danielf30, on 08/26/2008, -0/+7Maybe not, if he is not allowed to play now he may not develop the skill he needs to succeed in the majors.
- MisterRik, on 08/26/2008, -0/+7"Seriously though you have to have a limit, what if a kid could throw at 200mph? I wouldn;t want my 9 year olds having 200mph balls thrown at him it would be too dangerous."
Wouldn't really be a problem - you'd just have to bring kryptonite to the game.
200mph...... - ptsuk, on 08/26/2008, -0/+7ImNotFunny It sounds like the boy in question isn't having any fun. ...
justs saying.......
frankly i'm sick of "participation" trophies and ***** like that. All you're doing is making everyone the "least common denominator" there is nothing to strive for no goal, no point.
You can still have a good time and strive to be no 1. Its the parents and coaches who typically ruin it by indicated that not coming in first is a bad thing. What they should be teaching is how even though they played a good game and didn't place or get a trophy what did they learn and how can they improve.
There is nothing better than playing a game against someone who beats you and gives you a "run for your money" so to speak, then to come back after learning from the defeat to beat them.
You only get better by playing people with a higher skill level.
When i was in 3rd grade i joined a basketball league. We won 1st place that year. That trophy didn't mean a thing to me as i was just learning and the team i played with was the top team.
The next three years i played on a different team and were the best only one of those years did i win a 2nd place trophy(but we beat my old team) which means a lot more to me since i had been playing longer then and understood the game much more and had fun coming back and seeing the same guys again and having been coached by the same gentlemen. Coach Ulman you were inspriational! - norman619, on 08/26/2008, -0/+7If they don't break his spirit.
- Grym11, on 08/26/2008, -0/+7@jamesdew
If you don't want your kids to have fast baseballs thrown at them by emerging athletes then why not keep your kids at home? Why is it that this kid has to be taken out of the league as a result of his own gifted abilities? Because it's easier? Because it doesn't affect your kid or--God forbid--his precious ego?
I'm with the others when I say that this is an injustice and an indicator of a systemic problem where mediocrity is allowed to trump excellence. - unowen, on 08/26/2008, -2/+9This is what happens when panzy ass men who can't get their way run things. I hope he grows up to become to the best pitcher the world has ever seen while those running that league have to watch him and his hall of fame career. And if any of your from that league read this, get a life you little bitches and quit taking out your frustrations on a child just because he can do something better than you could or your own kid. Losers.
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