9 year old to good for little league?

Question

they told a 9 year old boy he was to good and couldn't play little league baseball because his fast ball is 40 mile per hour. is this crazy by the league or are they right in their decision?

Answer 1

That is a slap on the face of baseball in any level of skill.  The kid is not a "ringer", because he's within his own age group and he is not breaking any rules of baseball to warrant his getting disqualified from play.

Just because he's probably a pitching prodigy, it scares the parents and opposing coaches do death having someone that is capable of striking out his opponents at will with his devastating fast ball.

It's typical that whatever is not "normal" will scare people and fearful of his skill at such a young age.  It's just a matter of the opposition eliminating someone that can truly play the sport.  He should be reinstated to play.

Answer 2

i love how the other team forfieted the game, packed its bags and left after the kid took the mound.  wonderful, the pussification of America.  we are teaching our children that when facing high odds to pack their bags and quit.  i remember one team i was on in little league where we had by far the best pitcher in the league, and we went 18-0.  none of the other teams parents cried and demanded our pitcher be banned from pitching.  kids today are too soft, and this story is just another example of it.

Answer 3

This is the problem with society according to these parents he shouldn't play because their kids aren't good enough to hit him.

What a load of POO!!

Life has winners and losers!  Not everyone gets a trophy.

Besides isn't it find something you are good at in life and keep trying to be the best what kind of message are you sending this 9 year old pitcher!

Answer 4

If he really is that good, then they should let him play up a division. If hes really good he'll have no problem, and probably dominate up there. In my town, if your 9 or 10 you can try out for the 11-12 league, and if you don't make it, you can go back down, but they will never not let someone play. It's embarassing for the program, because it will not help a kid to sit out a year, and if he is allowed to play and keep devolping, their high school team will be better, and the program will get more money, to benefit the next generation of kids. A good player in your league, should never make your league look bad, as this is the case

Answer 5

40 mph is slow.  40-50 mph is average range for 9 and 10 year old players.  60 would be intimidating.

Must be more to this story.  I bet crazy parents.

Answer 6

there totally wrong.  Its ptiching the one complaing.  

Answer 7

I heard the story but not all of it. The town I live in has two leagues, one competitive and one recreational. If the kid is throwing to fast for the recreational league he should move to the competitive league. If this town only has a recreational league than the player should go find a competitive league.  

Answer 8

To not allow a 9 year old to play a sport because he is too good is rather foolish thinking on the adults.

I am curious, what are his options?

Hey, on a lighter note, the Texas Rangers are looking for pitchers...maybe he can move to Arlington and play during the September call ups?

Is there a safety issue...sure,  there always has been when it comes to baseball.  These young kids have very little consistant control.  So have the batters where a helmet with a cage on it...this should minimize the risk of head or face injuries.

As for getting hit in other parts of the body...it's baseball, this could happen and in little league is where players learn to take the hit.

Some have mentioned competitive leagues, or playing up...if the kid can handle it, then let him play...if not, then he is obviously not too good and should be allowed to play with the 9 year olds.

Is it a money issue, this is where a league can step in and scholarship a young player.

Again,  from what I have read on this thread...it appears as though the kid is NOT getting to play at all...that is a tragedy and the parents of these other teams should be ashamed of themselves.

It seems as though we have one or two bad apples as parents who ruin sports for other kids...usually I gripe about the parents living through thier kids and who think they have the next Josh Hamilton, Tony Romo, Marty Turco or Dirk Nowitski...but in this case, it appears as though the talented kid is getting screwed...

It's like these adults have been effected by the David Stern diseas and fixing their league to only work in a certain way, with the outcomes pre-determined.

Answer 9

I think this is really dumb!! They said that he never beaned anyone with the 40 mph fastball so whats so bad about this? Is it safety or is it like everyone is scared to play that team. Even though kids may get scared of his pitches or mad when they cant hit it. but when i played and i was 9 kids threw like 45mph and i got beaned it hurt but this kid isn't hitting anyone. whats so bad. he only pitches every 5 days?

Answer 10

They are wrong.  They should let the kid play.

Answer 11

I believe the league was correct in their decision.  At that age group these young kids are just getting started in baseball and one nine year old kid with that kind of talent can turn the other kids off to the point where they don't want to play the game.  In Little League the very best in that age group can be moved up to play with the 10 and 11 year old players in Little League Minor or even with the 10, 11, and 12 year old players in the Little League Major division.  I believe he would have had much more fun playing up with kids that are equal in skills and it would have allowed him to improve his game as well with qualified coaches that would help train and guide him.  He should not have been allowed to participate in a league where his skills were so far superior to others his age that it made it bad for everyone else.  It is no different than real young people in college because their intellectual level is so high.  In Little League baseball you make decisions that are in the best interest of all that are playing and not just one individual.

Answer 12

They are wrong. They should let him play but in a older league so he can play

Answer 13

WOW the 14th time this question has been asked...the one before was only 5 questions earlier. just keeping tally!!

it is total BS, maybe the other kids need to practice harder, or maybe the parents need to quit complaining and let their kids try and play up to his level

Answer 14

Yeah. Seems the parents are afraid of his "fast ball". They seem to think someone could ber injured if he hit them. I understand he  hasn't hit anyone or even come close. Another case of parents acting the fool and butting in where they don't belong. If he intentionally aimed at someone I could understand it, but he doesn't play that sort of ball.