Too many innings too early

• joebaseball

  

  This is the second season that I have not coached HS baseball in quite a few years and it seems that many pitchers are throwing a lot of innings very early in the season. Just looking at the box scores there are kids throwing into the 7th and 8th innings of games. This is opening week for God's sake develop more than one arm on your staff. These are non-league games, there is no need to ride a kid for 7 innings. I know there are quick innings but a state tourney run does not start until May, wouldn't you like to have your "ace" available in May or June?
• canofcorn

  Joe - excellent post. How do you develop the sophomore or junior pitcher by allowing your Ace or # 2 to eat up all of the innings in the non-league games? As a coach, don't you want those younger pitchers to have some experience heading into league or tourney play not to mention preparing them for the following season when they might be expected to be the Ace or #2.
• darbypitcher22

  

  You don't develop the kid and you don't develop the rest of your staff, especially when its chilly early on(I know it was earlier in the week here in Pennsylvania, got a report on a recruit who threw 94 pitches in his first outing last week in the cold and then ended up throwing a lot last night). keep them on a pitch count early, and as the temperatures start warming up, gradually stretch him out. You'll be a lot happier if you have the kid around districts time when you can let him go all day than now when you're still in the first week.
  
  Coaches just have to be smart
• Mr. 300

  

  Here I thought it was just the youth and travel ball coaches that were idiots.
• Hesston

  

  I think there are more managers out there that watch pitch count than don't
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^
  
  this is probably but true but for every one that does there's probably one or two that don't as well
• justcompete

  I have found that travel coaches for the elite teams have fogotten more about baseball than most H.S. coachesever knew. Their ego is their worst enemy. The record should not be the most important thing. Very few coaches in H.S. spend time going to clinics or even watching other coaches to see what might help their teams in the summer. I am all for trying to win your league, but the other games should be used to develop other players (especially pitchers) for the playoff run.
• dubnine

  this also depends though on how long and how many pitches the kids have been throwing inside during the winter. The high school season is a month and a half, so they can start throwing much earlier in the winter and log more pitches than professional players whose season just ended in october.
• darbypitcher22

  

  even when you're throwing inside in a controlled environment weather wise, pitch counts still need to be monitored when you step outside in the elements and cold. It completely changes things. I used to feel like I could go 100 or 110 coming out of the gym but once you get outside and start throwing you start getting tired. I never made it more than probably 85 my first 1 or 2 starts out
• bartsimpson

  Van Wert threw their starter 121 pitches last night against Ottawa Glandorf. It was close to 80 degrees, but to me that's WAY TOO MANY for the second week of the season.
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^^
  
  this. even though it was warm out virtually everywhere. At my college we'll be playing Games #22, 23, and 24 this weekend and still haven't had a pitcher touch 100 yet in a game
• dubnine

  good points darby...first start of my senior year against new albany, it was about 45 degrees out lol...arm felt dead by the 5th
• BlueDevil11

  

  Threw 101 in the cold Friday night. Felt great then, but the past two days my back has killed me. Arm was dead yesterday.
• darbypitcher22

  

  we finally had a kid go to 115 yesterday. we were out of bullpen help and needed to string a guy out a little bit, and it was his 9th start I believe...
• thePITman

  

  Last night we took out our ace after 5 innings. His line was 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 9 K, 2 BB, and was only at 72 pitches. We were up 8-2 and have a good bullpen, so we took him out. I just thought I'd give this as an exmaple of what is the RIGHT thing to do, IMO.
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^^
  
  exactly. There needs to be more coaches like you out there in HS. Most parents somehow fail to see that their kid doesn't need to go the distance or throw a crapload of pitches every night to impress a college coach or something like that.... In fact, tons of pitches like that can be something that potentially worries them as well
• thePITman

  

  Thanks, darby. If this had been at the end of the year in a league-championship deciding game, or especially in the tournament, we would have left the ace in there because 1) he was throwing exceptionally well, 2) it was a very important game where anything can happen, and 3) you want to save as many arms as you can late in the season, considering district semis and district finals are played only a day or two apart in many districts. But early in the season, this was a no-brainer.
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^
  
  of course the circumstances always come into place.... I've seen too many coaches abuse kids with too many pitches or throwing too many breaking balls and relying on pitches like that when they're being thrown with improper mechanics that have caused injuries down the line
• hasbeen

  

  Got in an argument with my roommate today. He coaches a freshmen team and he said his pitcher threw 120 pitches today.
  
  I told him he was an idiot. These were his responses/reasonings:
  "It was an important game to the kids."
  "He said it was okay."
  "His parents said it was okay."
  
  I don't care what they all say. He's 14, maybe 15 years old, he doesn't need to be throwing 120 pitches in a stupid freshmen game. Maybe they should save him for when his team may be going for a state championship. I'm sure they would really want his arm then.
  
  Idiots.
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^^
  
  your friend is totally a moron. I don't care how important he perceives a freshman game to be, its NEVER worth marching a kid out for 120, even if mom and dad say its ok.
  
  They won't be saying its ok if that happens a couple of times and they're marching him to the doctor for MRI's on shoulder/elbow
• hasbeen

  

  darbypitcher22 wrote: ^^^^^
  
  your friend is totally a moron. I don't care how important he perceives a freshman game to be, its NEVER worth marching a kid out for 120, even if mom and dad say its ok.
  
  They won't be saying its ok if that happens a couple of times and they're marching him to the doctor for MRI's on shoulder/elbow

  He's my roommate, not my friend.
  
  He's an idiot. I have no idea how he even got the job. Makes me feel good because I know I'm going to get a job.
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^
  
  Well that's good.
• bartsimpson

  Bluffton HS had a junior pitcher throw 141 pitches and 9 1/3 innings last night. Coach made a mistake and went to the mound twice in the 6th, forcing pitcher to leave for the last two batters....put him back in in the 7th and pitched thru the end of a 10 inning game. Based on the article it's the second time this kid has thrown 10 innings.
  
  http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2010/Apr/30/ar_sports_043010_story1.asp?d=043010_story1,2010,Apr,30&c=s
  
  Unreal, hopefully someone tells this kid's parents that 141 pitches for a HS kid is bordering on insanity.
• Jawbreaker

  bartsimpson wrote: Bluffton HS had a junior pitcher throw 141 pitches and 9 1/3 innings last night. Coach made a mistake and went to the mound twice in the 6th, forcing pitcher to leave for the last two batters....put him back in in the 7th and pitched thru the end of a 10 inning game. Based on the article it's the second time this kid has thrown 10 innings.
  
  http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2010/Apr/30/ar_sports_043010_story1.asp?d=043010_story1,2010,Apr,30&c=s
  
  Unreal, hopefully someone tells this kid's parents that 141 pitches for a HS kid is bordering on insanity.

  A couple things are wrong with that article. He threw 120 pitches and he is only a sophomore.
• darbypitcher22

  

  ^^^^
  
  first of all, I'm pretty sure you're allowed to visit 3 times in one game in HS.... one of my HS coaches said he did this one time before you have to take a kid out if you haven't made a visit before hand...
  
  2nd of all that's just absurd. No reason for a kid to throw 120 and for it ti be the 2nd time he's done that is clear the coach doesn't care about the youngster's future(if he's any good) or his well being or developing the rest of his staff