by Roy Exum
posted August 27, 2008
 Roy Exum |
Oh, his mom was right there on TV every time they played the National Anthem, but nothing much was ever said about his father. Only towards the end of the Games did I learn there had been a terrible rift at some point between the star swimmer and his father, a retired Maryland state trooper.
His dad, graciously but firmly denying any interview requests, silently cheered his son from his sofa somewhere outside of Baltimore and - for once - let's credit TV and the rest of the slathering hounds
for giving Michael Phelps and his family their privacy.
Still, it chopped me to pieces and all of those medals together won't compare to the day those guys make their peace. As a matter of fact, I thought it was the saddest story of the summer until I heard about Jericho Scott. He, too, is a good athlete.
The biggest difference in Phelps, who is the most famous athlete in the world right now, and Scott, who is a pitcher in New Haven, Conn., is that Michael, polished at age 23, is capable of making his own decisions
while Jericho, at age 9, is not.
That maybe best explains why the Youth Baseball League of New Haven has decided to disband his team, all because of him, and assign his teammates to other teams. The reason? According to the league lawyer, a smooth-talker named Peter Noble, Jericho Scott is his own worst enemy; he's too good.
"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," the lawyer told the Associated Press in an interview that was aired by WCBS Newsradio. And while the 9-year-old does indeed have a 40-mile-an-hour fastball, Noble admits Jericho has never hit anyone.
"Facing that kind of speed is frightening to beginner players," the lawyer explained. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."
Meanwhile his coach, Wilfred Vidro, shakes his head in dismay.
"He's never hurt anyone. He's on target all the time. How can you punish a kid for being too good?"
At the time the league banned the nine-year-old pitcher, his team -
Will Power Fitness - was 8-0 and appeared headed for the playoffs. So, in somewhat predictable fashion, it wasn't until last week - this late
in the season - when things started getting very murky.
You need to know that before the season started in New Haven, Jericho Scott was invited to play for another team, the defending champs, a team that ironically happens to be sponsored by the employer of one of the league's top administrators.
But Jericho opted to play for Wilfred Vidro's team and, with such obvious success, there are some who sit in the bleachers who have - um, different thoughts on why the league suddenly disbanded Will Power Fitness and told its parents the league officials were willing to refund the $50 signup fees to anyone who asked.
Jericho's mother, for example, went ballistic. The lawyer, Noble, said he'd never seen behavior of a parent like the behavior of Jericho's mother when her child was banned from pitching any more. When the opposing team that night forfeited rather than play WillPower Fitness, Nichole Scott even called the police.
"I think it is discouraging when you're telling a 9-year-old you're too good at something," said Mrs. Scott. "The whole objective in life is to find something you are good at and stick with it. I'd rather he spend all his time on the baseball field than idolizing someone standing on a street corner."
But the bloody dagger doesn't really reveal itself until we hear what 9-year-old Jericho has to say for himself. "I feel sad. I feel like it is all my fault nobody could play."
What could possibly be worse than that for any 9-year-old to carry to bed when he turns his light out every night?
royexum@aol.com
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