Here's something you might be interested in.
I read this in the sports pages last week. And, a few of the sports talk shows have talked about it.
A pitcher in the Youth Baseball League in New Haven, is told he can't pitch anymore.
You know why?
No, it didn't turn out he was really 19, like that one Cuban team years ago.
No, it's not steroids.
No, he didn't steal a pack of Big League Chew, or put Ben Gay in one of his teammates jockstraps.
He's too good. Yep, you read correctly.
He throws a 40 mile per hour fastball. Now, that doesn't sound fast. At the batting cages in Clairemont, I can knock those pitches silly. When it gets higher speeds, I have trouble.
And, the fastest pitchers in the major leagues, throw in the mid-90s. Imagine trying to hit a fastball from the 6'10" Randy Johnson.
But at 9, apparently that's fast. And none of the other players can hit his pitches (for those that don't know baseball, that's actually the object of the pitcher...to throw pitches that go over the plate, but are hard to hit).
When told that this kid couldn't play, the coach played him anyway. The opposing team walked off the field and forfeited the game (nice thing to teach your players coach...that if you aren't good enough, you just give up, instead of trying your hardest).
The boys parents say that he's being 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.
I dunno about that. That sounds far-fetched. It sounds to me like some people in the league just think it's not fair that none of the other players can hit his pitches. And, they think it's not going to be fun for that team. Which, it wouldn't be. But you know what? That's part of learning in sports. You learn that some players are better than you. And, imagine how proud some kid will be if he hits one of this kid.
Baseball seems to do things in a weird way. I never played in leagues growing up, but I heard from friends about all the drafting of players.
And, when I wrote a story for the Reader on coaches and parents that went nuts with their childrens athletics, I talked to a lawyer I had played basketball with (his quotes never made it into my story). He said his daughter played soccer, and was real good. She was asked to join a traveling team, which is common in youth sports. He said, "Why does she need to go to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and L.A. to play soccer games? We have enough 12-year-olds right here in San Diego." Other parents like that, because the kids can improve. And they talk openly about banking on college scholarships in the childs future.
Former NFL star, and SDSU QB Brian Sipe (now a coach in Solana Beach), told me he always hears parents talk about scholarships for their kids. And, he sometimes tells them how few actually get 'em.
Attorneys are involved in the case now. So, I assume the boy will be pitching again soon.
A good sign is that this child already seems smarter than most of the adults involved in this situation. Since this kids team is being disbanded (they were 8 -- 0, headed for the playoffs). And this kid said, "I just feel bad that because of me, other kids aren't being able to play."
I read this in the sports pages last week. And, a few of the sports talk shows have talked about it.
A pitcher in the Youth Baseball League in New Haven, is told he can't pitch anymore.
You know why?
No, it didn't turn out he was really 19, like that one Cuban team years ago.
No, it's not steroids.
No, he didn't steal a pack of Big League Chew, or put Ben Gay in one of his teammates jockstraps.
He's too good. Yep, you read correctly.
He throws a 40 mile per hour fastball. Now, that doesn't sound fast. At the batting cages in Clairemont, I can knock those pitches silly. When it gets higher speeds, I have trouble.
And, the fastest pitchers in the major leagues, throw in the mid-90s. Imagine trying to hit a fastball from the 6'10" Randy Johnson.
But at 9, apparently that's fast. And none of the other players can hit his pitches (for those that don't know baseball, that's actually the object of the pitcher...to throw pitches that go over the plate, but are hard to hit).
When told that this kid couldn't play, the coach played him anyway. The opposing team walked off the field and forfeited the game (nice thing to teach your players coach...that if you aren't good enough, you just give up, instead of trying your hardest).
The boys parents say that he's being 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.
I dunno about that. That sounds far-fetched. It sounds to me like some people in the league just think it's not fair that none of the other players can hit his pitches. And, they think it's not going to be fun for that team. Which, it wouldn't be. But you know what? That's part of learning in sports. You learn that some players are better than you. And, imagine how proud some kid will be if he hits one of this kid.
Baseball seems to do things in a weird way. I never played in leagues growing up, but I heard from friends about all the drafting of players.
And, when I wrote a story for the Reader on coaches and parents that went nuts with their childrens athletics, I talked to a lawyer I had played basketball with (his quotes never made it into my story). He said his daughter played soccer, and was real good. She was asked to join a traveling team, which is common in youth sports. He said, "Why does she need to go to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and L.A. to play soccer games? We have enough 12-year-olds right here in San Diego." Other parents like that, because the kids can improve. And they talk openly about banking on college scholarships in the childs future.
Former NFL star, and SDSU QB Brian Sipe (now a coach in Solana Beach), told me he always hears parents talk about scholarships for their kids. And, he sometimes tells them how few actually get 'em.
Attorneys are involved in the case now. So, I assume the boy will be pitching again soon.
A good sign is that this child already seems smarter than most of the adults involved in this situation. Since this kids team is being disbanded (they were 8 -- 0, headed for the playoffs). And this kid said, "I just feel bad that because of me, other kids aren't being able to play."