Ranger Mom
08-26-2008, 01:19 PM
Parents of 9-year-old, 'too good' for league, taking legal action.
By Pamela McLoughlin, Register Staff
08/26/2008
NEW HAVEN — The fight between youth baseball league officials and one of its teams over a player whose pitching is said to be too good for batters is moving from the ball field to the legal field.
Leroy and Nicole Scott, whose fast-pitching son, Jericho, 9, is at the center of the dispute, met Monday, along with another player’s parents, with prominent attorney John Williams to see whether the season could be saved. Williams said Monday he will take legal action to try to get Jericho’s team into the upcoming playoffs, where they belong after an 8-0 season. He also will sue the league over the pain and suffering of Jericho and the other young players.
League officials offered to move the team’s 13 players to other squads after they tried to dissolve the team last week because the coach, Wilfred Vidro, refused to pull Jericho off the pitcher’s mound as requested by league officials.
Jericho’s pitches are so fast and accurate that league officials and some parents feared their kids weren’t able to play freely, league attorney Peter Noble said recently. All the players on Jericho’s team declined to move and are sticking together.
Williams says the league officials are out in left field.
“This is a terrible, terrible thing happening to these kids,” Williams said. “Not only does it spoil their summer and their childhood, but it tells them it’s more about winning than doing your best. Everything we value children in athletics for, this is the antithesis.”
Leroy Scott said Jericho remains sad about the situation, blaming himself for the team’s troubles, troubles that keep them from playing ball.
“He’s trying to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Leroy Scott said. “The kids are suffering because they were looking forward to the playoffs.”
Scott said no one from the team of 13 has sided with the league, and league officials have declined to answer their many questions, leaving no choice but to approach the situation legally.
Parents will hold a car wash and other fundraisers to offset the cost of hiring Williams, known for being willing to tackle out of the ordinary cases.
Noble had no comment Monday, but said over the weekend the league has only the best interest of kids in mind and it is intended to be fun.
Vidro, who couldn’t be reached for comment, has said he never resigned, even though Noble has said that he did. When Vidro refused to remove Jericho from a game Wednesday, the other team walked off the field as Jericho began his warm-up pitches.
Vidro has said Jericho’s expert pitching should be looked upon favorably by other teams and parents because it will only help make their kids stronger players.
But Noble said Jericho’s pitches are so good that some of other children feel getting a hit is hopeless and are discouraged from the start. Noble admits Jericho’s pitches are not haphazard or apt to hit people.
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.
Noble said league officials are trying to find a traveling or other advanced team for Jericho, a New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez fan. But Jericho’s mom, Nicole, said she wants him to feel good about using his talents on a team that could benefit most from his efforts.
Link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,410162,00.html)
By Pamela McLoughlin, Register Staff
08/26/2008
NEW HAVEN — The fight between youth baseball league officials and one of its teams over a player whose pitching is said to be too good for batters is moving from the ball field to the legal field.
Leroy and Nicole Scott, whose fast-pitching son, Jericho, 9, is at the center of the dispute, met Monday, along with another player’s parents, with prominent attorney John Williams to see whether the season could be saved. Williams said Monday he will take legal action to try to get Jericho’s team into the upcoming playoffs, where they belong after an 8-0 season. He also will sue the league over the pain and suffering of Jericho and the other young players.
League officials offered to move the team’s 13 players to other squads after they tried to dissolve the team last week because the coach, Wilfred Vidro, refused to pull Jericho off the pitcher’s mound as requested by league officials.
Jericho’s pitches are so fast and accurate that league officials and some parents feared their kids weren’t able to play freely, league attorney Peter Noble said recently. All the players on Jericho’s team declined to move and are sticking together.
Williams says the league officials are out in left field.
“This is a terrible, terrible thing happening to these kids,” Williams said. “Not only does it spoil their summer and their childhood, but it tells them it’s more about winning than doing your best. Everything we value children in athletics for, this is the antithesis.”
Leroy Scott said Jericho remains sad about the situation, blaming himself for the team’s troubles, troubles that keep them from playing ball.
“He’s trying to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Leroy Scott said. “The kids are suffering because they were looking forward to the playoffs.”
Scott said no one from the team of 13 has sided with the league, and league officials have declined to answer their many questions, leaving no choice but to approach the situation legally.
Parents will hold a car wash and other fundraisers to offset the cost of hiring Williams, known for being willing to tackle out of the ordinary cases.
Noble had no comment Monday, but said over the weekend the league has only the best interest of kids in mind and it is intended to be fun.
Vidro, who couldn’t be reached for comment, has said he never resigned, even though Noble has said that he did. When Vidro refused to remove Jericho from a game Wednesday, the other team walked off the field as Jericho began his warm-up pitches.
Vidro has said Jericho’s expert pitching should be looked upon favorably by other teams and parents because it will only help make their kids stronger players.
But Noble said Jericho’s pitches are so good that some of other children feel getting a hit is hopeless and are discouraged from the start. Noble admits Jericho’s pitches are not haphazard or apt to hit people.
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.
Noble said league officials are trying to find a traveling or other advanced team for Jericho, a New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez fan. But Jericho’s mom, Nicole, said she wants him to feel good about using his talents on a team that could benefit most from his efforts.
Link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,410162,00.html)