9 year old banned by little league

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272622370.shtml

This totally sux. Everybody knows I dont give a rats ass about baseball, but to deny a kid his favorive sport because he is too GOOD at it is asssinine

It is bullshit, I admit... though I feel sorry for those little kids who just can't hit those fast-balls. I mean, if he's striking out every player on every team, where's the fun in that?

Perhaps he should be allowed to join a team with older kids...

Perfect example of the Pussification Of The Youth.

You cannot tell a kid he can't play because he sucks.

You can tell a kid he can't play because he's too good.

Bull and shit.

I played little league. You had to TRY OUT. Kids who didn't make it worked at it and tried to get better and make it the next year.

Now, because all these candy ass kids can hit a kid who has a rocket for an arm, he is banned? Terrible.

-HECK!

gaboman wrote:

It is bullshit, I admit... though I feel sorry for those little kids who just can't hit those fast-balls. I mean, if he's striking out every player on every team, where's the fun in that?

Perhaps he should be allowed to join a team with older kids...

The fun is for the talented kid who is fanning all the rest. The fun is for the team that wins the championship behind the all-star kid. The fun is the kids on the other team practicing, studying, getting better and trying to beat the best. The fun is the challenge for everyone involved.

Or we can just have every kid play tee ball through little league and up to high school so every one is equal and special and no feelings are hurt.

-HECK!

I'm surprised they find enough kids who can stand upright that want to be on these little league teams.

I adfmit I know nothing about how baseball is played but are there different teams for different ages e.g and under 9's team, under 10's team etc etc? if you have a system like that can't you just give the kid an exemtion and whack him into play with the older kids?

I say let him play with kids his own age. If the score gets out of hand the manager can move him to another position

lodgebo wrote:

I adfmit I know nothing about how baseball is played but are there different teams for different ages e.g and under 9's team, under 10's team etc etc? if you have a system like that can't you just give the kid an exemtion and whack him into play with the older kids?

There are different age groups in each league. If I remember correctly, Tee-Ball was for maybe 6 and under. Pony League was maybe 7-10. Little League was 11-13. Senior League was 14-15. Right around there.

People are bitching because this kid, in his own age group, is kicking all their asses.

-HECK!

See I just think if this kid is so good maybe iot's for his benefit to be moved up a level give him a bit more of a challenge.
I know it's not the same thing but there is a soccer player called bojan he is 17 and plays for his first team because he is so talented that the challenge is gone at his own age level I just think it miught be the same for this kid, part of playing sport is to challenge yourself and there is obviouly no challeneg for this kid in his current setting.

True, the kids not doing anyone (except the rest of his team, I guess) any favours by pitching fast-balls at folks who can't hit them. If he wants to get any better, and play in the Major Leagues later on, I reckon he's best off in a more challenging enivornment.

Though I'm sure the parents of the other kids didn't approach it like this, they were probably ready to string the kid up.

What about the other kids that WANT to hit against him? It is commonplace to have 3 or 4 kids in a league at that age hitting .500 or better. This ruling denies them an opportunity to advance their hitting further

I'd personally be more concerned about the kids that run off crying after being struck out over and over again. It's supposed to be a bit of fun, after all.

Mr. F wrote:

What about the other kids that WANT to hit against him? It is commonplace to have 3 or 4 kids in a league at that age hitting .500 or better. This ruling denies them an opportunity to advance their hitting further

Exactly. If it were me, I'd want every crack at him. Challenging the best makes you a better player.

-HECK!

gaboman wrote:

I'd personally be more concerned about the kids that run off crying after being struck out over and over again. It's supposed to be a bit of fun, after all.

Who is crying? I struck out plenty. It would make me practice more.

Losing is part of winning.

-HECK!

What about the lucky kid that actually does make contact. What a thrill it would be to get a hit off of the best pitcher in the country. Thats the kinda stuff you brag about for a whole lifetime ( I would anyways )

yeah but what use is that if the rest of your team has been struck it out and you are in the wrong end of a thumping?

Then your team lost. You practice, strive to do better, and try to beat the other team next time. It's competition.

Okay, so the New England Patriots didn't lose a regular season game last year. Does that mean they shouldn't play this year? They're too good, right? Not fair to all the other teams?

Bullshit.

I lost plenty in Little League. I was rarely on a good team. But when we were able to knock off a really great team, it made the victory even better.

-HECK!

So do you think while other teams are training this kid is going to go stale the fact is he is going to get better and they are going to get better his talents are wasted in that league it's the whole big fish small pond thing.

To be honest your arguements weak you can't compare a team of proffesionals to these kids. Firstly this is one kind taking out the opposition not a whole squad. The Patriots opposition can draft in new players look to thier youth teams, bring in better coaches spend millions in on new training regimes and camps they can double training these little leaguers can't do that and they shouldnt be expected to because it's meant to be fun but how anyone thinks that one kid being unchallenged and a whole lot of other kids being thumped is fun is beyond me.

apart from this guys team nobody else is benefitting from this guy being around and that includes him he's better than every one else in this league so got let him play with people who area bit older and should be closer to his ability.

Plus I don't think they're talking about this kid just being a little good at it; he sounds like some sort of baseball prodigy... if there is such a thing.

Banning him is bullshit.
It's not like the kids on the other teams never get to hit. This is one pitcher we are talking about here. There are more than two teams in the league. Kids have to learn how to lose, but they still have the oportunity to succeed.

Kids have to learn how to work hard, learn to lose, learn everything isn't handed to them. I'm tried of always hearing people praise mediocrity. What kind of message is that sending to the other kids?

Sounds like the problem is he pitches too fast. 40mph. True that's hella good for a 9 year old but what it sounds like to me is the other teams need to practice how to hit a fast ball.

Sure moving him up in age group may be soultion but banning him is absurd.

People wonder what's happening to the youth of America, wonder why kids are killing themselves and others. Look at the messages that get sent at an early age. When they hit the real with they don't know how to deal with it. Everyone's special. But then those who really are special or unique come along and they have to put an end to it, don't want to upset the other kids. Bullshit!!!

do the pro baseball teams have thier own kids teams that exceptional youngsters can join?

I don't even know how fast 40mph is, but if it's around 100 km like most cricket bowls are, I wouldn't count on any kids hitting them no matter how much they practice.

I like lodgebo's idea... like an organization attached to the pro teams for budding players. I don't know, it just seems so sensible. I certainly hope the parents of the other kids aren't just out to get the kid kicked out, 'cause that's definitely not on.

40 MPh roughly works out at 64 - 65 Kmh so he throwing that ball pretty fast

No, this kid is no where near major league material. He should be kept where he's at. He may be the best pitcher in the league but his stats are not unheard. He my be at the top, but to move him would just put him at the bottom of the next league up. Not to mention the fact that the debate is over his pitching speed. It says nothing about how good he is at batting or running. This just sounds like bullshit politics to me. Somebody with some pull is pissed cause there id keeps losing to his team, or he is better than his kid and so they want him kicked out. Sad as it is there is such bull in little league sports. I saw it when I played basketball in school. I'm seeing it with Jeffery playing flag football. It's shit and someone just don't want their baby to get their feelings hurt.

I looked up some stats and I found average pitching speeds by age groups:

	10U	11-12	13-14	High School	College/ Pro (MLB avg)
Fastball (2 seam, 4 seam, cutter, splitter) Split finger approx 5 mph slower than 2 seamer	40-50	50-60	55-75	75-85	80-95 (91) (85 for cutter/splitter)
Changeup (palm ball, circle change) 10 mph slower than fastball	30-40	40-50	45-65	65-75	70-85 (82)
Breaking Ball (slider) 5-10 mph slower than fastball	35-45	40-55	50-65	65-75	70-85 (84)
Breaking Ball (curve) 15 mph slower than fastball	25-35	35-45	40-60	60-70	65-80 (77)
Knuckleball (movement begins at 50 mph) 15 to 25 mph slower than fastball	25-35	30-40	30-50	50-60	55-70 (68)

Looks to me like the kid is right where he needs to be and this whole thing is, in the words of HECK, Bull and Shit!

You know, I read another article on this and been thinking. I wonder what kind of leagues they have in New Haven. If it's like it is around here, you basically have all thekids playing in one league if they play. I know other places that have more competitive leagues and developmental leagues. IF this league is of the latter maybe he should more to a more competitive league. It's not doing him or the other kids any good in developing skills if that's the type of league it's designed for. Now if it is a competitive league or one that has a mixed variety of skill in it I stand with my earlier position that this is bull. None of the articles mention the type of league, the skill level the other players are at or anything.