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HS kid goes 14 innings, 194 pitches

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by LongTimeListener, May 15, 2014.

  1. Morris816

    Morris816 Member

    Having been involved with Little League, I know in recent years they are allowing kids to throw more pitches than the limits first set, are a little more flexible for pitch counts vs. days of rest, and backed off a bit on a rule that said, if pitchers threw a certain number of pitches in a game, they could not play catcher.

    The biggest argument for not throwing the same pitcher all the time, particularly at younger ages, is that you can get more kids developed into pitchers, thus giving you more options come tournament time. And most coaches will tell you that pitching depth is a big advantage in Little League, middle school and high school tournaments.

    Back to the OP, though, the point that's being missed is the kid had never pitched before during the season and has no intention of becoming a major league pitcher. Therefore, don't treat him like you would the dominant pitcher who the coach keeps rolling out because said coach doesn't want to develop other pitchers.
     
  2. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    Almost every one I've ever been to. It's usually a little room above the storage/concession stand/restroom building right behind the backstop where the scoreboard operator, scorekeeper and PA operator (if they have a sound system) sits. Usually there's enough room for the local newspaper guy.

    Hell, most Little League/youth baseball fields I've been to have a "press box."
     
  3. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    My point was that nobody cares what the prevailing thought in the press box was. And, even if they did, it would have no impact whatsoever on the coach's decision.
     
  4. Bob Cook

    Bob Cook Active Member

    Pitching depth is more everything the younger you go. That's why you get 9-year-old pitching 300 innings a year. You have kids who have shown a knack for pitching and/or Dad spent big bucks on coaching, and you have kids that can't get the ball to the plate with Google Maps. It's the rare coach who steps up and takes a kid who hasn't pitched and tries to develop him. Of course, most youth baseball coaches (and I include myself) have no fucking clue what to do in developing a pitcher.

    The other issue at young ages is that you have kids who don't want any part of that pressure of being on the mound. The coach of my 8-year-old daughter's softball team has a standing offer to let every girl pitch at least one inning, but a lot of them (or their parents) don't want to do it.
     
  5. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    I was replying to Starman's snarky post.

    Which is no relation to Marky Post.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  6. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    This game was played at the home ballpark of a minor league baseball team, a modern facility that was built just a few years ago.

    That said, I agree with MC's overall point regarding the opinions in the press box.
     
  7. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    Completely understanding the point, still finding the offshoot interesting ...

    What I find around here is that most high school baseball fields have no press box -- if it's truly just the high school baseball field. If the high school team plays at a community field, most of them have press boxes.

    Now, about the real point.

    Anybody would be crazy to argue against the fact these pitchers are being overused. But just as surely, hardly anyone cares about it as much as sportswriters. Sportswriters get really morally outraged. Which is OK, just sayin'.
     
  8. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    If Superstud really does have college scholarship potential, I am surprised that Superstud Dad didn't walk out on the field with a loaded Glock, pointed straight at Bruno, when the pitch count hit about 120.
     
  9. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    I still think the high school baseball field tangent is funny because the game wasn't played at a high school field. Provident Bank Park is a minor league facility built that opened in 2011 and holds about 4,500 people.

    http://www.rocklandboulders.com/ballpark/overview/#.U45U_PldXQQ
     
  10. Bob Cook

    Bob Cook Active Member

    It's possible Dad would have been more pissed off had his boy been taken out. You can't assume Dad is savvy enough to know that 150 pitches a game will make his meal ticket into a noodle-arm.
     
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