I can't believe this is a real story. A 9 year old is banned from pitching? Really? 40 mph is not even that quick. I'm glad his coach stood up for him at least.
I don't think Ed read the post. Therefore, people who did just out-pitched Ed. By the logic of this little league organization, we should all be banned for the sake of Ed' self esteem.
There ya go, Ed. Now you've got the correct synopsis, even if you have the wrong "show".
Captain, as you know, I am just a bit of a baseball fan - *wink* - so when I saw this story the other day, I was offended to the core.
I equate it to the "Tiger Woods dilemma". You know, how when he takes himself out for a season to have surgery, the commentators start talking about winners as a relation to whether they should have an asterisk on the trophy saying that Tiger didn't play? When too much of a sport centers on a single individual, too much is made about that individuals impact - both good and bad.
Yes, there is some impact: somewhere along the line, a coach thought it was entirely appropriate to take his team off the field and forfeit a game rather than do their best to compete whether they thought they could beat the pitcher or not!!! Exactly WHAT are we trying to teach these kids? a) this kid will eventually age out of the league he's in and move up to next level b) baseball is one of those games that even the underrated teams can win on any given day using more skills than just pitching c) anon is right that safety is just an excuse since all admit that he has never hit a batter - he has speed AND location dog gone. He really IS too good. *snort*
Not only are we training average kids to be wussies, think of the message this excellent child just received - Don't use your talents because you might stand out as being too much better than the rest. Think about what THAT will do to his ability to contribute to GDP as an adult. We just told the next Mozart or Bill Gates that doing what they are good at makes other people look bad.. so he shouldn't. *snort*
40 years ago when I was 12 years old, I was also a pitcher with an overwhelming fastball. I went from a traveling team that pitched at 60'6" to the 45' league. Save 2-3 kids a team, no one could really hit me. There was one game where I was working through the 5th inning of my 3rd no hitter of the season when the son of the league's president was on deck jumping up and down and being a total ass. Well, we he got up, I drilled him in the ribs. He began crying right there in the batters box. All the infielders on my team started calling him a pussy. Anyway, his dad came running out of the stands towards my coach yelling that he needed to take me out of the game because I was wild (1st hit batter of the game). My coach objected at first, but then relented. I was pissed. It sounds like the kid I drilled may be the same bloodline as the the people who had Jericho banned.
We shall all go easy on Ed as Ed is one of the few lefties that actually makes the occasional intelligent observation instead of just repeating the lines he was fed at the Obama rally. I say this not as some means to seem "open minded" but when somebody with a differing opinion makes a point AND makes it with logic and thought, I tend to insist their voice be given an audience. If anything it ensures we audit our own thinking.
that is one of the BIGGEST differences between a leftist and us (anti-socialist/fiscal conservative), we listen to their arguments if logical and well thought out. They on the other hand are just to damn hysterical to even read anything from the right.
Nice recovery Ed. I'm glad you are a good sport about making a mistake. I, too, thought he was talking about the television show until I read the post.
But Ed, capitalism doesn't cause families to starve. Families not working to earn money to buy food, starve.
Throughout human evolution, we have hunted, gathered, and migrated toward the food sources. If a person or a tribe got lazy or unlucky, they starved.
Capitalism has produced the most fertile hunting grounds in the history of mankind, largely reducing the risk of failing or getting killed in the process of acquiring food. By no means does capitalism rule out charity or social insurance which helps the unfortunate.
But when laziness is rewarded, charity is demanded and social insurance becomes a crutch, its obvious there are unacceptable disincentives at work.
Back to the 40mph fastball, I too was initially scoffing at this decision, but after reading the article it seems it would defeat the purpose of learning to play in little league if one pitcher dominated the game.
Here's how it plays out: - He plays - He strikes out almost every batter - He hits a few kids by accident and injures them badly - The players quit - The league folds
The reality is, this kid really is too good for his peers. He's in the fourth standard deviation in the upper tail of the distribution.
Imagine if a 4th grade math class turned into a Calculus class because one kid was capable of it and a brainy teacher indulged his abilities in class at everyone else's expense.
The solution there isn't to teach every other fourth grader Calculus. The solution is to move the smart kid to a more challenging class and teach the others at their level.
Education and Little League are public goods (club goods to be exact). Provision of these goods is not like the provision of private goods. Creative Destruction, survival of the fittest, whatever you want to call it, is not a socially optimal condition.
Love your quote "The best cannot play. Equality over excellence".
ReplyDeleteImagine a bumper sticker - "Equality over excellence sucks"
I'm thinking safety is an excuse - the reality is the parents are protecting their precious little pansies from failing.
A generation of wusses training the next generation of wusses.
So markets are good except when markets end TV shows you like?
ReplyDeletePeople on the left would say that markets are good except for when they cause families to starve.
Take your pick.
Spock....I...cannotunderstand...what....it
ReplyDeleteis...you'retryingtotellme.
Connect the dots for me, Ed. You just completely lost me.
I can't believe this is a real story. A 9 year old is banned from pitching? Really? 40 mph is not even that quick. I'm glad his coach stood up for him at least.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Ed read the post. Therefore, people who did just out-pitched Ed. By the logic of this little league organization, we should all be banned for the sake of Ed' self esteem.
ReplyDeleteThere ya go, Ed. Now you've got the correct synopsis, even if you have the wrong "show".
LOL, looks like I had too many tabs open and responded based on something in a different tab. Yep, it makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteCaptain, as you know, I am just a bit of a baseball fan - *wink* - so when I saw this story the other day, I was offended to the core.
ReplyDeleteI equate it to the "Tiger Woods dilemma". You know, how when he takes himself out for a season to have surgery, the commentators start talking about winners as a relation to whether they should have an asterisk on the trophy saying that Tiger didn't play? When too much of a sport centers on a single individual, too much is made about that individuals impact - both good and bad.
Yes, there is some impact: somewhere along the line, a coach thought it was entirely appropriate to take his team off the field and forfeit a game rather than do their best to compete whether they thought they could beat the pitcher or not!!! Exactly WHAT are we trying to teach these kids?
a) this kid will eventually age out of the league he's in and move up to next level
b) baseball is one of those games that even the underrated teams can win on any given day using more skills than just pitching
c) anon is right that safety is just an excuse since all admit that he has never hit a batter - he has speed AND location dog gone. He really IS too good. *snort*
Not only are we training average kids to be wussies, think of the message this excellent child just received - Don't use your talents because you might stand out as being too much better than the rest. Think about what THAT will do to his ability to contribute to GDP as an adult. We just told the next Mozart or Bill Gates that doing what they are good at makes other people look bad.. so he shouldn't. *snort*
40 years ago when I was 12 years old, I was also a pitcher with an overwhelming fastball. I went from a traveling team that pitched at 60'6" to the 45' league. Save 2-3 kids a team, no one could really hit me. There was one game where I was working through the 5th inning of my 3rd no hitter of the season when the son of the league's president was on deck jumping up and down and being a total ass. Well, we he got up, I drilled him in the ribs. He began crying right there in the batters box. All the infielders on my team started calling him a pussy. Anyway, his dad came running out of the stands towards my coach yelling that he needed to take me out of the game because I was wild (1st hit batter of the game). My coach objected at first, but then relented. I was pissed. It sounds like the kid I drilled may be the same bloodline as the the people who had Jericho banned.
ReplyDeleteI think Ed saw your post and assumed that you were referring to the TV show Jericho that has been canceled (twice).
ReplyDeleteSadly, Ed gives us another sign the end of America is nearing us.
We shall all go easy on Ed as Ed is one of the few lefties that actually makes the occasional intelligent observation instead of just repeating the lines he was fed at the Obama rally. I say this not as some means to seem "open minded" but when somebody with a differing opinion makes a point AND makes it with logic and thought, I tend to insist their voice be given an audience. If anything it ensures we audit our own thinking.
ReplyDeleteI'll outsource my blog commenting proof reading to India.
ReplyDeletethat is one of the BIGGEST differences between a leftist and us (anti-socialist/fiscal conservative), we listen to their arguments if logical and well thought out. They on the other hand are just to damn hysterical to even read anything from the right.
ReplyDeletecan they not just move the kid up to the next higher league?
ReplyDeleteseems like a pretty simple solution.
Nice recovery Ed. I'm glad you are a good sport about making a mistake. I, too, thought he was talking about the television show until I read the post.
ReplyDeleteBut Ed, capitalism doesn't cause families to starve. Families not working to earn money to buy food, starve.
Throughout human evolution, we have hunted, gathered, and migrated toward the food sources. If a person or a tribe got lazy or unlucky, they starved.
Capitalism has produced the most fertile hunting grounds in the history of mankind, largely reducing the risk of failing or getting killed in the process of acquiring food. By no means does capitalism rule out charity or social insurance which helps the unfortunate.
But when laziness is rewarded, charity is demanded and social insurance becomes a crutch, its obvious there are unacceptable disincentives at work.
Back to the 40mph fastball, I too was initially scoffing at this decision, but after reading the article it seems it would defeat the purpose of learning to play in little league if one pitcher dominated the game.
Here's how it plays out:
- He plays
- He strikes out almost every batter
- He hits a few kids by accident and injures them badly
- The players quit
- The league folds
The reality is, this kid really is too good for his peers. He's in the fourth standard deviation in the upper tail of the distribution.
Imagine if a 4th grade math class turned into a Calculus class because one kid was capable of it and a brainy teacher indulged his abilities in class at everyone else's expense.
The solution there isn't to teach every other fourth grader Calculus. The solution is to move the smart kid to a more challenging class and teach the others at their level.
Education and Little League are public goods (club goods to be exact). Provision of these goods is not like the provision of private goods. Creative Destruction, survival of the fittest, whatever you want to call it, is not a socially optimal condition.