Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

The LPGA will require players to “speak English” beginning in 2009.

Why?

It’s about marketing.

Well let’s switch this argument to baseball.   There are plenty of players of all nationalities who don’t speak the King’s English.   Whether it’s Yogi Berra or El Duque – what does it matter?

The marketing comes down to charisma and winning.   People like Pedro Martinez.  I’m not sure he should teach high school English (but he would do better than I would at teaching high school Spanish) – but it doesn’t mean he isn’t charasmatic or marketable or a star.

Short sighted by the LPGA – and likely to create a firestorm of negative publicity that will wind up as the following:  Who cares about the LPGA?

In case you missed it, Jericho Scott is a 9 year old with a 40mph fastball.

There has been some controversy this week about him being “banned” from pitching in a local independent youth baseball league (not Little League nor Ripken).

The problem I have isn’t that he throws fast – we all faced that kid that threw “hard” or the scary lefty or “the big kid” – that’s all part of being a kid.  My problem was with his usage.

August 9th he pitched 5 innings.  The next day he pitched 3 more.  On the 13th five more.

That’s a lot.   That’s more than Joba could pitch and more than the Mets want Pelfrey to pitch.   I know that when we were kids you’d go out and throw a wiffle ball 300 times every single day all summer – but it’s different when you are in a game setting.  Too many coaches try to relive their World Seies fantasies (oh say even having a youth tournament televised on ESPN) through kids.   They are kids.