Tuesday, August 26, 2008
I think I can't, I think I can't ...
As long as America continues to be dominated by "powers that be" who are guided by emotion more than reason and common sense, stories like this will continue to be the rule rather than an exception:
"A Connecticut youth baseball team with a phenomenal 9-year-old pitcher has been disqualified because its team is too good.
"The team, Will Power Fitness, has an 8-0 record thanks in large part to pitcher Jericho Scott, the New Haven Register reports. His pitching is so fast and accurate, the Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven asked the team's coach, Wilfred Vidro, to replace him so he wouldn't frighten other players."
When I played pee-wee football, the league had a rule that prohibited larger kids from carrying the ball ("double-stripers" we called 'em due to the fact that they had two stripes on their helmet instead of one). The rule was put in place because some 11-year-olds were already pushing 200 lbs, and they had an unfair physical advantage over opponents who'd yet to pass the 100 lb mark. A skinny kid who tried to tackle a rolling tub of goo might've ended up with two broken arms, and the league just wasn't going to let that happen.
That said, the nine-year-old from Connecticut has no physical advantage over his opponents, other than the sling-shot of a right arm that was gifted from God. An important lesson can be taught to kids who have to face this pint-sized Nolan Ryan:
You're gonna have to deal with people in this world who may have more talent than you. The trick is to use your gifts and abilities to counter that person's gifts and abilities. If you practice, if you learn to keep your eye on the ball, you can get a hit against this kid. You may not hit it out of the park, but you can put the ball in play. The important thing is to try ... and not expect special favors. 'Cause their are no special favors in the game of life. The quicker you learn that, the better off you'll be.
"A Connecticut youth baseball team with a phenomenal 9-year-old pitcher has been disqualified because its team is too good.
"The team, Will Power Fitness, has an 8-0 record thanks in large part to pitcher Jericho Scott, the New Haven Register reports. His pitching is so fast and accurate, the Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven asked the team's coach, Wilfred Vidro, to replace him so he wouldn't frighten other players."
When I played pee-wee football, the league had a rule that prohibited larger kids from carrying the ball ("double-stripers" we called 'em due to the fact that they had two stripes on their helmet instead of one). The rule was put in place because some 11-year-olds were already pushing 200 lbs, and they had an unfair physical advantage over opponents who'd yet to pass the 100 lb mark. A skinny kid who tried to tackle a rolling tub of goo might've ended up with two broken arms, and the league just wasn't going to let that happen.
That said, the nine-year-old from Connecticut has no physical advantage over his opponents, other than the sling-shot of a right arm that was gifted from God. An important lesson can be taught to kids who have to face this pint-sized Nolan Ryan:
You're gonna have to deal with people in this world who may have more talent than you. The trick is to use your gifts and abilities to counter that person's gifts and abilities. If you practice, if you learn to keep your eye on the ball, you can get a hit against this kid. You may not hit it out of the park, but you can put the ball in play. The important thing is to try ... and not expect special favors. 'Cause their are no special favors in the game of life. The quicker you learn that, the better off you'll be.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, August 26, 2008 
