Baseball Pitching Information - Baseball Article Summaries

Arm Strength, Pitch Counts, and Injury - Coach Bob (length=3012)
Arm Strength, Pitch Counts, and Injury Several posters have noted that they had no problems when playing pickup games as youngsters. Others noted, correctly, the clear overuse of young arms pitching i ...

HELP !!!!! Teams running on us - seadog (length=1844)
Darrell, It sounds to me that your pitchers are not holding runners and your catcher must have a very weak arm. First your pitchers need to work on varying their routine before going to the plate.To m ...

How to throw a cut fastball and a sinker - Single L (length=2809)
CV, A sinker as it is thrown in the higher levels is usually a two-seam fastball (index and middle fingers along and over the narrow seams, thumb underneath on the horseshoe seam). To get good sink, y ...

Pitcher needs another pitch - Splitter (length=3183)
If he is in Little League, he should not be throwing a curve ball at all. He should work on his fast ball. Like Bean said in a post entitled "Write this on your hand"....Bean is so subtle....accuracy ...

Pitching - 1coach (length=1361)
Hi Jake, Let's see if I can give you a few ideas. First, and foremost, THROW STRIKES & WORK FAST! Nothing hurts a defense more than a pitcher that nibbles at the corners, continually goes to full coun ...

What should a runner look for while leading off and preparing to steal? - 1Coach (length=1197)
In the windup position, the first movement by the pitcher with his non-pivot foot commits him to pitch. The only pickoff move he can attempt from the windup is to step off with the pivot foot first, t ...

What should a runner look for while leading off and preparing to steal? - Splitter (length=2046)
What to look for depends on the pitcher and his motion. Yes, the pitcher must step off with his pivot foot first if in the windup. For a right hander with a runner on first, the runner usually looks ...

strike zone? what do YOU think? - Kenneth Bean (length=2152)
Hi guys In Major League Baseball, the owners have decided that it is entertainment rather than a competitive sport. It is sort of like our lowest common denominator politicians who act only upon polls ...

11 YO Pitching - Jon Toner (length=1418)
I agree with what everyone has said so far, especially regarding pitch count being based on the individual. First and foremost, the kid MUST have good mechanics. If his mechanics are weak, he will pr ...

Choice of Pitches - Splitter (length=4922)
With regard to the curve...first I must say that the curve presents some danger's to your arm. Not as bad as the slider in my opinion, but an increase in risk over the fastball and change-up. As long ...

HELP !!!!! Teams running on us - 1coach (length=779)
Darrell, I coach high school in San Diego. Make sure your pitchers are not getting into a pettern when holding runners on, ie: only looking over once each time, only throwing over once each time, etc. ...

HELP--Wild high - Chip (length=1535)
Going along with Coach Sam -- The three things I check for vertical wildness are the stride, the fingers, and the landing leg. You indicate you've already examined the stride, and Coach Sam has cover ...

How to improve pitchers control? "Dick Money Mills" - Randy Dykstra (length=2129)
RP You said everything I wanted to say but thought I should be a little more polite! Thanks. In case, you're interested I actually made it into one of Dicks newsletters a couple years back. He sent ...

Kids Throwing Curve Balls - Randy Dykstra (length=2111)
Tom House Ph.D (ex Texas Rangers pitching coach) has written several books and works with a motion analysis firm in Orange County CA. According to their analysis throwing the curve ball puts no more s ...

Major League Pitchers - Kenneth Bean (length=1764)
Hi Guys Doesn't it just frost your bottoms to see multimillionaire Major League Pitchers, especially in the National League where real baseball is still played, swing at a ball like an ole' lady? Wors ...

Notes for Practice Holding Runners for Pitchers - TJ (length=1475)
Four Bear Notes for RHP & LHP Pitchers: RHP Note 1. Work Fast Note 2. Throw Strikes early in count Note 3. Disrupt the timing of each hitter Note 4. Disrupt the timing of each baserunner LHP Add Note ...

PITCHING A SLIP PITCH AT 10-12 YEARS OLD - Randy Dykstra (length=1333)
See "Kids Throwing Curve Balls" for my comments about curveballs. Basically location and speed are the keys to pitching and if a player can "spot" his fastball and change speeds, he is going to be a s ...

Pitch Count - Splitter (length=2815)
Craig, I think you are right about some aspects of pitch counts and arm strength. Several "old school" pitchers threw enormous numbers of innings. There are records of guys going 14 or 15 innings in o ...

Pitching - Change Up - Randy Dykstra (length=893)
I agree with most of everything said.... especially that smaller hands have a difficult time with the circle change. the only thing I would like to add is .... You want the hitter to HIT your change ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Jon Toner (length=1601)
Neill, I am only 32 (today, in fact), and baseball was king in my neighborhood growing up also. We too, knew nothing of pitching limits. In fact, every day (regardless of rain) we'd be at the basebal ...

Pitching Strategies - Randy Dykstra (length=1298)
Jon( as you probably already know) and anyone else.. A lot depends on the age group and skills of the pitcher. Basically I do not ever believe in "WASTING" one, but that doesn't mean I want my pitche ...

Request advice on developing a young pitcher... - Jeff T (length=1375)
I have a son who'll soon be 11. Although he's only pitched to batters for the past 2 1/2 years, he's been on the mound for about 4 (backyard). My take is that even if a kid doesn't become a pitcher be ...

Sliders and 12 y.o. - Chip (length=1924)
This question is a practical what should I do? problerm along the Bob Feller/curveball query. We're getting ready for all-stars, and my job is to prepare the pitchers. IMHO most of the coaches in our ...

Splitters, Fork balls and Pitch Counts - Splitter (length=4264)
Good discussion here! A couple points. All the major leaguers that have been talked about during this discussion share one common trait: they throw nearly every day. Major league pitchers put an enorm ...

Teaching a young ballplayer to pitch (warning LONG)... - Randy Dykstra (length=3527)
Whew... what was that about "Don't throw (no pun intended) it at them all at once." ... ;^) MEN to THAT! A lot depends on how much time you have to work with a pitcher. With my own sons I have a lot o ...

Two Stories - Single L (length=7015)
I don't have any new arguments to add to these thoughtful, articulate posts. But I do have a couple of stories, for those who will indulge such things. They are true stories, accurate in every detail ...

Write this on your hand - Kenneth Bean (length=1256)
Hi Guys Please let me rephrase "1" in my earlier post. Having coached 12 and under ball for 14 seasons, (we have two seasons a year down here in Houston), and having taught hundreds of coaching clinic ...

changeup - TJ (length=1946)
Yes, Justin. You heard correctly. A well known 'pitching talk show host' preaches throwing the circle change almost this way. However I don't recall any 'twisting' of the arm but only 'inverting' his ...

I did It when I was nine years old - Kenneth Bean (length=1303)
Hi Guys Shame on all of you for even IMPLYING THAT FOR ANY REASON ONE OF OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN SHOULD THROW A BALL AT SOMEONE ELSE'S PRECIOUS CHILD. What a terrible thing to even suggest on this board ...

I need to know how to throw a sinker - Splitter (length=2239)
Rick, First, let me put out the manmdatory cautions: youngsters should not throw breaking pitches, their arms are not ready for them. You throw the sinker pretty much like a fast ball. It is mostly a ...

Intentional Walks - Coach Scott (B) (length=1219)
Intentional walks have no place in the younger youth leagues. Smart baseball is smart baseball. LL rules state that the catcher must be in the box before the pitcher delivers the pitch. I believe tha ...

Icing Arms - Coach Bob (length=1346)
Paul: I have read many of your posts here, and have a lot of respect for you. I would caution you about one thing. I think 100 games a year is WAY too much for a 12 year old - regardless of talent, a ...

Icing Arms - Coach Bob (length=382)
When I read about any child playing THREE games in one day (in ANY postion), I am agast! Quite frankly, when I first read this, I couldn't believe it! I was in total shock! These are KIDS we're talkin ...

Single L's question regarding the term, - Jim Porter (length=6094)
Single L asked about the derivation of the term wind-up in the history of pitching rules. I thought it was so interesting a question, with an equally interesting answer, that I felt it would be benefi ...

knuckleball - Single L (length=848)
The knuckleball pitchers I've seen grip the ball with their nails and the very tips of their fingers and, yes, they push the ball so as to avoid imparting spin. This year, I coached a young pitcher wh ...

stretch vs. windup - Randy Dykstra (length=1425)
"... risk of seeming stupid..." You sound pretty knowledgable to me! In fact, your post probably qualifies you for top 10 % in my LL..... Basically your are correct on everything, except most BB peopl ...

Using the wrist in pitching? - Kenneth Bean (length=1434)
Hi Rusty I am sorry to hear your son hurt himself. One thought: The terms you used, "using his wrist" worries me. Without an extremely precise definition of those terms, we will have a hard time helpi ...

ABUSING A PLAYER'S ARM - Gordon (length=614)
Hi Joe, I'm curiuos to know how is this coach in the position to coach your son in 2 games in one day? Is he the little league coach and the competative team coach as well, or is he playing double-hea ...

Condoning Curve Balls - DRP (length=1362)
You asked for an "Official" source: Tom House is one knowledgeable source (agree or disagree, he certainly has devoted a lot of time and research to the issue) who condones teaching kids as young as 9 ...

Dear Jeff, Advice for you & your Son Learning to throw - Bear (length=1496)
Dear Jeff, Simple advice for you & your son. Learn how to pitch from 60'6". Period. And since you implied your son at 14, it's my understanding that there exist onlyh a few places left in the coun ...

Dragging Pivot Toe - Walter Kiriaka (length=1131)
I would think that dragging the pivot toe would be a quick fix for throwing a changeup at playoff time..... But, it's not good for a Pitchers Mechanics! I've had a few kids who dragged the foot to thr ...

How many is too many pitches? Need Advice for son. - Joe (length=1130)
My 10 yr old son is playing tournament ball now. He pitched 6 good innings on Saturday (most he's done before was 3). He pitched about 90 pitches. Sun he pitch 3 innings and another 40 pitches. He see ...

Opinions, Feedback, 4 or 5 man Pitching Rotation - TJ (length=3560)
Dear Splinter, Good luck to you & your coaching and parenting your children. Please enjoy, and to the fullest, those times spent together, in and around the baseball fields. I have frequently reminded ...

Opinions, Feedback, 4 or 5 man Pitching Rotation - TJ (length=2289)
Long Toss is a part of all Baseball Players Arm Strength Development and Arm Strength Maintenance Program. Whether or NOT a starting pitcher utilizes LONG TOSS on game day is of individual taste. Pri ...

Pitch location Vs. Speed - Gordon (length=506)
Tom, sounds like you son got a good game. Develope proper mechanics and the speed will come. Use strength training to keep your son in shape, stay loose & flexiable. Location is the key. It does no go ...

Pitchers Mound - Gordon (length=433)
Hi Randy, pitching mounds vary in size according to the ages of the players also their leagues. for example L.L. Majors & Minors mounds are the same, their age groups range from 7-12 . PONY is differe ...

Pitching With Confidence - Jeff T (length=2032)
I coach a 12-U (2000 age) team going into our 4th year. We learned fast (as 9-U) that several things are key to pitching success: 1. Location, location, location (as RAD said). 2. Great off-speed pitc ...

Pitching e.g. Teddy Ballgame - The Happy Zone, & Ok Buddy, I can Hit You With My Eyes Shut - TJ (length=5911)
"To the young baseball players of American, who dream, as I did, or becoming great hitters. May this help them on their way." Ted Williams 1970 Hi Greg, I think I heard your message and point of view ...

Pitching rules for players playing both AAU & Town League - Don C. (length=609)
The League I'm involved in has a new dilemma, and I was wondering if anyone has suggestions. A new 12 yr.old AAU team is starting up in our area and some of our players will probably be playing both ...

Question for Bear & friends - Randy Dykstra (length=4341)
I'm going to preface this post with.. I do not recommend OVER-USE nor abusing an athlete. And while I do not ban the "dreaded" CB.. I do not recommend its exclusive use.. (or more than 10-15% for that ...

Short Arming the ball - Gordon (length=661)
Paul, your right you've really got your work cut out for you. Break each of his movements down step by step. A camcorder is great for this. what your looking for are the timing in his movements . His ...

Sidearm vs overarm - Coach Scott (length=1072)
In my pre-teen years living in rural Indiana, I was always picking up rocks, dirt clods, etc. to throw at everything and anything (trees, tele-poles) for self-amusement. I naturally threw sidearm...p ...

Understanding and Teaching Pitches - TJ (length=6814)
Wow, lot's of good opinions, lot's of misinformation. Summary: 1. I prefer to teach How and When it is a good time to Teach a Pitcher to Develop Pitches. 2. To become a successul pitcher at all 90 ft ...

Youth pitching - Gordon (length=739)
Smitty, I think that rest is as important as work. When my kid does long toss we do about 10-15 of those then if he feels up to it no more than 20 4-seam fastballs. The type of pitch or throw a kid do ...

counting pitches - Coach E (length=1206)
There are many variables to consider for your question. Experience, arm strength, and conditioning habits are just a few. The method I follow has worked for my son and my teams. 13/14 year olds: 1. ...

gaining velocity - Seadog (length=1014)
Pat, To try and tell you how to increase your fastball on a message board is darn near impossible. Trying to teach mechanics on a message board is nearly impossible.but here is a few other suggestio ...

pitching lessons - Gordon (length=491)
Hi Mike, Remember that there's more to pitching than the battery, Rest is 5o% of all training. For the Sake of arguement, IF his arm holds up he'll probably BURN-OUT, then he might not like playing an ...

pitching lessons - WRB (length=465)
MICHAEL, IF YOU MUST HAVE YOUR SON HAVE PITCHING LESSONS MORE THAN 30-45 DAYS PRIOR TO HIS SEASON BEGINNING, THEN I SUGGEST WORKING ON THE FLAT AND ONLY ON MECHANICS. MAKE SURE HE IS PROPERLY WARMED ...

pitching - Jon Toner (length=1102)
My own observations and thought process on sidearm is that it using the shoulder in a motion that it was not necessarily designed for. I have heard several doctors advise against sidearm, as well as B ...

split finger fast ball.... - Randy Dykstra (length=1529)
The Split finger FB started out as a change-up and "a pitch designed to keep youngsters from throwing breaking balls too early." (see Bob' Cluck's "Play better Baseball" pg 29) Bob Cluck and Roger Cra ...

weekly pitching routine for 11U - wreck coach (length=168)
Does anyone have a recommendation on a weekly routine for 11U pitchers? If they have one or two outings per week, when and what type of practice should come in between? ...

Catcher's Pitching-Situaton - Paul Faubert (length=1133)
You not only warmed his arm up, you burned it out for that weekend. Remember, now that they're 13 they are playing on a bigger diamond and the strain of throwing is a little bit greater. You really ne ...

11 YO Pitching - Jeff Taylor (length=896)
Although I coach 10-U, I have a basic philosophy for all the 12-U guys. I have my son throw at least 5-6 days per week. I believe that the young arm (the elbow growth plates are among the last to clos ...

11 YO Pitching - Jeff Taylor (length=416)
Roger, I would be interested, from the Sports medicine standpoint, what the specific injury was? In my post above I talk about the elbow growth plates among the last to close. I am wondering how much ...

11 YO Pitching - Jeff Taylor (length=370)
Thanks for the information. I think this is a lesson we all can learn from. I heard a saying, once, that, "effectiveness is learning from your mistakes, but efficiency is learning from other's mistake ...

11 YO Pitching - Jon Toner (length=369)
I couldn't agree more. I think the best way to avoid these tragedies is to focus on prevention, via attitudes and training. This kid sounds like the victim of adults WHO KNOW BETTER, but chose to igno ...

11 YO Pitching - Paul Faubert (length=1152)
When you say throw everyday, do you mean pitch everyday? We use a 6 inning/week standard as I imagine most leagues do. My son is 11 and he throws 7 days/week. On off days from pitching he'll still pla ...

11 YO Pitching - Rick G. (length=352)
Craig - No, it was Todd Noel. Todd came into spring training '97 healthy and, I assume, the growth plates closed by then. The Cubs took it easy with him, keeping him in Extended Spring Training until ...

11 YO Pitching - Rick G. (length=645)
Notice how everybody is referring to the growth plates? Just to underscore the point: the Chicago Cubs drafted a 19 year-old pitcher with their first pick in '96. They shut him down in rookie ball whe ...

11 YO Pitching - Rick G. (length=618)
Robert - For youth pitchers, there's a lot more at issue than 'how much throwing'. You're dealing with the kid's growth plates, developing bones, and developing muscles. It is IMPERATIVE that the kid ...

11 YO Pitching - Roger (length=1175)
Jeff, I watched this kid walk off the mound many times holding his arm and actually crying with pain. I and many other concerned parents and coaches pleaded with both the coach and the parents to get ...

11 YO Pitching - Roger (length=876)
We just had a 12 yr. old have surgery on his elbow. Diagnosis: Overuse. He never threw more than the maximum of 6 innings in a week but did throw several 6 inning games. The most hits off of him in on ...

11 YO Pitching - Steve Martin (length=391)
That story is certainly an eye-opener. Do you know if this player exhibited any signs of arm fatigue before surgery became necessary? Did he ever complain of arm soreness? If he did, did his coach car ...

A Reply - Paul Faubert (length=2081)
Once again, I am replying to no one in particular. I DO NOT teach the curve although I did have my son try both bear's and Coach Bob's, but he had no success. Bear's had no twisting or torque, just a ...

Additional Relief Sign - Coach Bob (length=446)
There is another important sign of pitching quality deterioration that I inadvertantly omitted below. And it is an important one. You should note the PACE of the pitching - i.e., the time between the ...

Any suggestions on drills to correct short arming problems with a pitcher. - Pete Hebner (length=876)
I have used something similar to what Ray is saying only I get the players to get down on one knee (same as their throwing arm)that way you can concentrate on the throw and the follow through. When I ...

Bear's Motivational Checklist for Year Round & Sound Pitching Mechanics - Bear (length=2780)
Not sure why the overwhelming email the last few weeks, however, all coaches must pride themselves toward open communications with pitching staff to continue supporting the fragile confidence. IMHO ' ...

Calling pitches - Jeff T (length=499)
As in my response above, I signal the catcher. It forces him to be in the game, and certainly it helps to know what is coming. Yes, sometimes the signals get crossed, especially if the catcher gives o ...

Comments & Thoughts - Bear (length=2162)
Yes, we try to teach the kids to have a plan. Many plans, Many ideas. Many on-going replanning efforts. Heres a few to consider Yes, we preach the plan they develop should try to include: a) Out of S ...

Curve balls - Randy Dykstra (length=885)
This whole arguement boils down to one thing ... Competent coaches... ( or lack thereof ) That's one other thing I like about Youth soccer (I hate soccer) they require their coaches to become certifie ...

Flailing - Bear (length=860)
Balance sounds fine (or he would not be able to 'rotate'.) The kid may be overkilling the ol' term 'pitchers show pocket'. A lil' less adjustment to lower half twist after lift may support the appar ...

HELP--Wild high - Coach Sam (length=543)
Sounds like maybe he's not getting his arm high enough in the cocked position. He must have the sensation of throwing downhill. The throwing elbow has to be above the shoulder in order to do this. Rus ...

How to improve pitchers control? "Dick Money Mills" - Roger (length=633)
Craig, I read the comments on Dick's website from you and he was way out of line. He may have been right but he didn't have to be such a smart___!!! As far as the New York attitude is concerned, I don ...

How to improve pitchers control? - Eric Muir (length=818)
There are several good sorces on this subject..The best Ihave experienced is a Dick Mills video series.He is a former MLB pitcher and has a son @ Arizona State. He has drills and more drills that deal ...

How to improve pitchers control? - Tony (length=940)
I really can't think of much you can do to improve accuracy in that limited amount of space, but you can improve mechanics and strength/conditioning. Outside of your basement, I really believe that so ...

Icing Arms - Bear (length=952)
Dan, Come on Jeff and Jon, What Dan wants to know is recovery times. To have the kid play 3 games in one day and in each game have him pitch one game, play OF in one game, and then catch another o ...

Icing Arms - Dan T. (length=432)
I'd like to throw out a question about icing the pitchers/catchers (and anybody else who is throwing alot) arms, when multiple(3-4) games are played in one day. If a kid is going to pitch one game, p ...

Icing Arms - Dan T. (length=694)
Thank you Jeff. The details are 13yr. olds, playing on an 80' diamond, with a pitching distance of 55'. The games are 7 innings or 1h 45mins. Usually in these cases, 27 outs per tournament is what so ...

Icing Arms - Dan T. (length=468)
What a can of worms. What we're looking at at most 50 pitches as a pitcher (no matter how many innings) 3-4 innings as a catcher, the rest on the bench or outfield. If these 13yr. olds need to throw m ...

Icing Arms - Jeff Taylor (length=789)
1. I would hope that if, as a pitcher, he throws 115 pitches, that he would be done for the day, except 1B/DH. If he is that high on the count, he's probably getting rocked and shouldn't even last tha ...

Icing Arms - Jeff Taylor (length=684)
First, I would like to know what age group, distances, and pitching limts you are speaking of?? Generally speaking, and IMProfessionalO, icing is over-rated unless there is actual or the possibility ...

Icing Arms - Jon Toner (length=501)
In my humble NON-professional opinion, I will quote Bill Thurston on icing arms: "If you don't do it too much, it probably won't hurt you" This is hardly a ringing endorsement of the practice. I've h ...

Icing Arms - Paul Faubert (length=1067)
Bob, I couldn't agree with you more. Everyone has the assumption that I push my son into doing these things. Quite the opposite is true. Well, I do push some, but 9 times out of 10, he begs me to go ...

Icing Arms - Paul Faubert (length=1631)
Jeff, I need some profesional advice. Here's the way my son's (11) schedule seems to be shaping up for this season. The details may be off, but you get the idea. House team 1- 2 games/wk. 4-6 IP/wk ...

Icing Arms - Paul Faubert (length=1440)
Ron, Thanks for the concern. If we have to drop anything, it will be house 2 rather than the Travel League. We signed him up for house 2, so that he could just play ball and have fun. Let me qualify ...

Icing Arms - Ron Bing (length=841)
I played catch with my dad maybe three times, and I don't ever remember him coming to a game I was in. I'm 46, and I know that a lot of fathers didn't do those things when I was young. Like you howeve ...

Icing Arms - Ron Bing (length=1050)
Paul, I would rather my son use a wooden bat than play the number of games you are suggesting!!! My son told me that he didn't need to go to school anymore, but I had to make the decision for him that ...

Icing Arms - Wayne (length=965)
Dan, You are missing the point. Pitchers develop power with thier legs. Catchers do deep knee bends all game long. Outfielders make long hard throws from with no warmup except at the start of an innin ...

Icing Arms - Woody (length=4269)
Paul, Every time I open my mouth on this board I usaully get fried, however, it's been a while so I'm up to it. All I can figure is that different areas vary vastly in their approach to the game an ...

JT, Suggest you put the chart down. - bear (length=764)
There you go again, JT. Doing it the hard way, again. I suggest your pitching & catching staff be responsible for theses duties. Yes you may provide input from time to time (instead of all the time) ...

Jeff T, Bear, Kathy and any others opinion wanted - Jeff T (length=670)
Now that I've finally gotten around to reading the original post, I think that you are going much to slow with them (for # of pitches--your warm-up is great!) I've had my 11-U AAU pitchers throwing si ...

Just a pre-draft thought - Jeff T (length=758)
I'm in the opposite situation this year because I'll have great pitching with my 2 main starters. I had dominant pitching last year, too, but no hitting after 1-3. We finished under .500, but lack of ...

Kids Throwing Curve Balls - Cutter (length=931)
The name of the book is "The Pitching Edge" published 1994 by Human Kinetics Publishers. 1-800-747-4457. In it Alan Blizblau (Biomechanist) says "No one pitch, thrown properly, puts any more stress on ...

Kids Throwing Curve Balls - SteveM (length=1015)
First of all, I'm neither a proponent or opponent of kids younger than, let's say...14, throwing curve balls. I like to make decisions based on the best data available at the time, but I have yet to s ...

Kids Throwing Curves / My Dilemma - Jeff T (length=439)
Great points, RAD. Biomechanically, a properly thrown curve ball should not damage the arm. My theory is based on the fact that once they learn the curve, the kids rely on it too much (especially at a ...

Kids Throwing Curves / My Dilemma - Randy Dykstra (length=1418)
I tend to blame over-use much more than curveballs for the majority of the arm problems.... I studied a lot of information for several years and have yet seen anything of a scientific nature that give ...

Need a Pitching Drill - Jeff T (length=703)
Here's a "trick" I use when starting to teach someone to throw properly. I hold the ball behind the player, and force him to reach back, with his palm facing backwards, and take the ball from my hand, ...

Need a Pitching Drill - Paul Faubert (length=708)
One of the boys I work with over the winter has a serious flaw in his delivery. He short arms the ball constantly, despite my best efforts, and pushes the ball rather than snap his wrist on release. T ...

PITCH COUNT - Jeff T (length=744)
I guess I am one of the "liberals" when it comes to this issue. For me. it is simply knowing my pitchers, whether at house of AAU level; thus, it varies with the kid. Anyhow, here is what I look for: ...

PITCH COUNT - Jeff T (length=946)
I signal the catcher, and call both pitch and location (location on fastball only). I started this in March with my 10 (now 11-U) AAU team, and continued it through our 9/10 yr old Little League seaso ...

PITCH COUNT - Tony Lindsey (length=495)
I read your response and decided to jump in. I use signals for the type of pitch as well as glove placement. I have had no problems with remembering signals and I even use the method with the 9-10 all ...

PITCHING A SLIP PITCH AT 10-12 YEARS OLD - KEVIN SHAHAN (length=916)
I KNOW THAT IT IS BEST FOR A BOY NOT TO THROW A SNAPPING CURVE BALL UNTIL HE IS SHAVING OR CLOSE TO IT. SOME OF THE COACHES I COACH WITH HAVE OR 10 YEAR OLD BOYS THROWING WHAT WE CALL A SLIP PITCH WHI ...

PITCHING A SLIP PITCH AT 10-12 YEARS OLD - Michael Newlin (length=994)
I have coached little league baseball for the past 6 years, I will enter my third season as a major manager/coach. The slip pitch is a pitch that can work well if the child has a GREAT fast ball. If t ...

Pichers Landing - Jon Toner (length=469)
I advocate a slightly closed position (ie: the toe is not pointing to the plate), however pitchers who use this are not necessarily doing anything wrong. The biggest thing to watch for is that the pi ...

Pitch Count Chart & Days Rests Between Outings - Bear (length=1886)
Happy Holidays & a Healthy New Year, For those that are interested, you may want to consider the following guidelines for ages and pitches and days rests. Max Pitches # of Days Rest Btw Games Age ...

Pitching - Arm Conditioning - Randy Dykstra (length=833)
You open up a can of worms with this question. My best advice would be to purchase a book on pitching, Tom House has a couple books which are very good on conditioning. It is my experience that, an el ...

Pitching - Change Up - Coach Thorn (length=915)
Arm speed changes will signal to a hitter that the pitch is not a fastball, its either a straight change or a breaking ball. Inconsistent arm speed will cause unwanted variations in the amount of move ...

Pitching - Change Up - Jim Orr (length=1664)
Rod, There are more ways to throw a change-up then you can shake a stick at. But it is NOT done by slowing your pitching arm or motion. You may be able to get away with that in the lower divisions of ...

Pitching - Change Up - Jon Toner (length=852)
The true change-up requires no alteration in delivery mechanics, and gets its smaller velocity from being held deeper in the hand. I teach my kids the "palm ball", but it is essentially the same thing ...

Pitching Chart/ who's got a good format..... - Jeff T (length=564)
I have one that we use that does all the above. We chart pitch, location, and where hit. Add the numbers gives me the pitch count that I keep a running total on. I have found it useful to see how to p ...

Pitching Grips - Erik (length=1415)
Although I have played a lot of years of youth baseball, I never had one coach that showed us various grips to use when pitching. So please excuse my ignorance here. I am in my second year of coaching ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Darrell (length=2422)
>>As I read the Dick Mills chart, a kid would only be able to appear once in a tournament. Do you actually do this?....Let's see, in a 3 game round robbin with a 3 inning per game limit for pitchers, ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Darrell (length=1782)
>>Kids when they are tired will want to keep pitching, but I don't believe that any kid will want to keep throwing if he feels any discomfort unless he is being sold some macho line of bull by a dad o ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Darrell (length=978)
In my community (New berlin WI GO PACKERS) players on the tournament teams are not allowed to play in the house league. Those teams play in a select league called the Wisconsin State Youth Baseball le ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Jeff T. (length=1247)
Good point. I coach a 10-U (that includes a couple of 9's). A lot would be based on what day the player pitched. Certainly, if it were a Thursday, he'd probably be done for the weekend, or, at the mos ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Jeff T. (length=525)
I coach a travel team that consists of players from about 7 different leagues. When we go to a tournament, I check with all my pitcher's parents to find out what they threw the previous week and when ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Jon Toner (length=367)
Good for you, Paul! When you have a kid who is a talented pitcher, I know how hard it must be to hold him back for his own good. I agree with you 110% that you need to be selective how often he works ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Neill Riddell (length=2145)
Darrell - As I read the Dick Mills chart, a kid would only be able to appear once in a tournament. Do you actually do this? Let's see, in a 3 game round robbin with a 3 inning per game limit for pitc ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Neill Riddell (length=2104)
Jon's posts in the pitching rotation thread got me thinking. I am interested in knowing what type of limits and rules you all may employ for kids who pitch both in house and in weekend tournaments for ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Neill Riddell (length=1784)
Kids when they are tired will want to keep pitching, but I don't believe that any kid will want to keep throwing if he feels any discomfort unless he is being sold some macho line of bull by a dad or ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Paul Faubert (length=1272)
We have a similar problem here in that each township has a team made up of players from various house leagues and they play in a league on Sundays. Like you stated in your post, most of thes kids are ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Steve Martin (length=537)
I commend you for limiting your son's pitching, but I wonder how his managers react to your decision? I have read many times on this board of managers who do not appreciate "meddling parents." One man ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Steve Martin (length=1487)
One of the reasons I love to read this board is to see how other leagues do business. Within a league/team, a certain "conventional wisdom" develops over many issues. It's fascinating for me to read h ...

Pitching House and Tournaments - Steve Martin (length=3192)
Pitchers in our league that are capable of being effective at 100 pitches are usually 12, though I have seen some 11 year olds and even a couple 10 year olds do it. I agree that 100 pitches are a lot ...

Pitching Rotation - John Saunders (length=661)
Paul, It depends on the strength of the teams we're playing that particular week. If we're playing two teams of about the same ability, I ususally set it up to go 3 and 3 with my number 1 and 2 pitche ...

Pitching Rotation - Jon Toner (length=495)
If all goes right for me, yes, #1 and #2 get 3 or 4 innings a week. Bear in mind, however, that I coach in the minors, which means : (A) things RARELY go right (B) My #1 and #2 guys still need a fair ...

Pitching Rotation - Jon Toner (length=938)
My #1 guy usually gets the start and gets 3 innings. After that, rotation is heavily impacted by game. If we're up big, I'll throw 3 guys for an inning each. At least one of these guys will be a "proj ...

Pitching Rotation - Neill Riddell (length=989)
I don't know, Steve. I've always liked the idea of having my stronger defense on the field when one of my weaker pitchers is on the mound. That is one of the reasons I'd rather start my #2, "bridge" w ...

Pitching Rotation - Neill Riddell (length=335)
Jon - Does that mean that if things go right for you, your #1 and #2 get to the mound only once a week? While I'm all for developing lesser arms, even #1 and #2 need the opportunity to develop, unles ...

Pitching Rotation - Neill Riddell (length=896)
Our association rules for the 12 and under divisions force us to adopt an approach much like you use. We limit a kid to 6 innings per week in house. We play seven inning games. So, you automatically ...

Pitching Rotation - Paul Faubert (length=736)
I imagine most of your leagues have rules regarding the number of innings/wk. a player can pitch, along with required rest periods. I also imagine that your house leagues are similar to ours in that y ...

Pitching Rotation - Roger (length=1277)
This really depends on the kind of staff you have and the quality of the team you're playing and what you're standing in the league is. I have a very deep staff this year. 1 that is essentially untouc ...

Pitching Rotation - Steve C. (length=594)
With the same scenario I prefer to go 3 and 3 with two guys, and 3 and 3 with one of them and the third pitcher. That way if somebody stumbles you have one of your top 3 ready to go. You want to give ...

Pitching Rotation - Steve Martin (length=1058)
All things being equal, I put my strongest lineup on the field at first, including the pitcher. This will give me the greatest chance of getting a lead, which will then allow me to give other kids a c ...

Pitching Safety - Patricia (length=725)
I recently read an article (which I now cannot find) about pitching, safety, and preventive maintenance for the pitcher's arm, in particular. I want to know how many pitches are considered "enough" fo ...

Pitching Strategies - Bear (length=4871)
JT Asks +"What do you see as many a pitcher's weakness + coming into the pros?? + Probably the "fear" of pitching inside. What + becomes a broken bat or "K" in the pros, may + well become at 350 ft HR ...

Pitching Strategies - Bear (length=1990)
JT Strategy on When to Pitch Inside or Outside Of course, it depends. Variables include: a. The spot in the line-up the hitter is hitting. b. The performance of the hitter for that day if known. c. T ...

Pitching Strategies - Frank Trucchio (length=888)
Why waste a pitch? That is what was taught back in the olden days before detailed stats were kept on every situation possible. Look at it this way. As a batter, would you rather hit with 0 or 1 strik ...

Pitching Strategies - Jeff T. (length=1441)
Bear, sorry to have gotten you off your original thought. Certainly, the "nibbling" is a habit I see in our youth leaguers and my AAU pitchers. This, in my opinion, is from watching the big control pi ...

Pitching Strategies - Jeff T. (length=1549)
Hey, Bear, great debate topic. In addition to being an AAU coach I serve as an 11-12 y-o VP in our Little League. Certainly, as administrators (or as coaches or parents), we must not allow ourselves t ...

Pitching Strategies - Jeff T (length=874)
Good to "talk" to you again. Hope you were able to read my response to you regarding elitism. Great discussions! As far as pitching strategies, I try to emphasize to both my AAU and league pitchers t ...

Pitching Style - Who's Right? - Mike Evans (length=894)
I coached 9/10's for 3 years. Most of the kids were totally new to pitching, since our 7/8's play coach-pitch. Since the emphasis I had was developing proper throwing mechanics - getting their pivot f ...

Pitching Style - Who's Right? - Ray Harrington, Basic Allstar Training System (BATS) (length=985)
I have been teaching pitching for several years to young ball players. We use a six step system, the key is teaching a system that you the coach, player, and parent can reinforce. I belive in teaching ...

Pitching Style - Who's Right? - Steve W. (length=1259)
As a coach for almost 20 years I have seen thousands of ways to teach pitchers different aspects of the "mechanice of pitching". I have found that anything I am told I will try or at least consider if ...

Pitching Substitutions - Chet (length=971)
Jim, This season I put together a pitching chart on an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is pretty basic (i.e., balls, strikes, bb, k, hbp, etc). Before each game, I give the charts to a parent and ...

Pitching Windup - Coach Ray Harrington, Basic Allstar Training System, BATS (length=1786)
I teach a six (6) step system to beginning pitching. The first step is 45 degree transfer. You start if right handed with your toes pointing at third base line, if left handed toes point to the first ...

Pitching speed of 12 year olds. - Randy Dykstra (length=1423)
One thing about speed guns... and you've probably heard in MLB television games ...There's a fast gun and a slow gun.... Now If they are supposed to be accurate to within 1 MPH how can that be? so we ...

Potentially "Sore" (as in arm) subject - Jeff T (length=1069)
Great link--a real improvement to Mills' site. I love the recovery addition. Anyhow, Jim, you give some great advice. I look at one other aspect (in terms of the effectivenss you mention), and that is ...

Pre-game Pitchers Warm-up - Rick Raguse (length=1290)
Before your pitchers begin their warm-up tosses, have them stretch the forearm muscules in their throwing arms by having them extend their throwing arm and point their fingers skyward (Like a police o ...

Radar guns - Randy Dykstra (length=1187)
I use a device called the Speed Chek machine.... It has two 5" lighted digits and is accurate within +- 1MPH but only has range of about 25-30 feet.... You set the device next to the catcher or pitche ...

Several late inning losses--Ideas on relievers for 10/11-U - Chip (length=357)
On your specific question of reserving one kid for a closer role in AAU, I've dealt with something like that in PONY (7 innings, mandatory next day rest required after 3+ innings). We used athree pitc ...

Several late inning losses--Ideas on relievers for 10/11-U - Chip (length=668)
Unsure of your tournament pitching & rest rules, & about the pitchers available. In this area, we have one-inning restriction (i.e., a pitcher who throws one inning or less can pitch the next day). Su ...

Sliders and 12 y.o. - Coach Sam (length=477)
Chip the slider and curveball are two different animals. Because of the inherent inward rotation of the elbow required to throw the pitch is is not advised even to most high school pitchers. The slide ...

Sorry boys......But... - Bear (length=576)
I am not in agreement with your approach calling all the pitches. Maybe one or two to set up a hitter in a game. I think it's best to teach the pitcher how to understand his best stuff, and then with ...

Teaching a young ballplayer to pitch (warning LONG)... - Jim J. (length=9738)
I recently posted the following info on the teamdiscovery board. I'm looking for honest feedback, good and bad. I'm not looking to win an argument or anything similar, just to get opinion (hopefully s ...

What is your favorite pitch and how do you grip and throw it? - Roger (length=1156)
Surely this one will get alot of different opinions. I love the change-up if you have a good fastball to "sell" it. The one I like the best and the one my son has become very dominating with is a mod ...

What is your favorite pitch and how do you grip and throw it? - Tony Lindsey (length=464)
My favorite pitch is a strike! No number of sliders, change-ups, knuckles, or fastballs will be of any service if the pitcher cannot throw the pitch where he wants it. That said, I really like the sli ...

Youth Pitching at Practice - Daniel (length=1042)
I'm looking for ideas on how you incorporate pitching practice into a typical youth league (10-12) practice. I like to close practice with an intersquad game (3 teams of 4), but also don't like my pit ...

Youth Pitching at Practice - Joe Zander (length=2511)
Right now, I am also coaching kids at this level, 10-12. After warm-ups are completed, I usually organize practice by breaking players into groups of 4. Sometimes, I will vary this and use groups of ...

Youth Pitching at Practice - Jon Toner (length=1249)
I break out my kids into 3 or 4 groups, one of which is pitching and EVERYONE rotates through, so I can give them a look and watch their progress. Once the season starts, I practice almost every day, ...

Youth Pitching at Practice - Keith Gadd (length=1007)
DANIEL BEFORE YOU START YOUR SCRIMMAGE AT THE END OF PRACTICE, I WOULD HAVE ONE PITCHER THROW HALF OF YOUR NORMAL BULLPEN BEFORE THE SCRIMMAGE STARTS. WHEN YOUR READY TO SCRIMMAGE, BRING THAT LOOSE P ...

ball movement - scott (length=1127)
Can any of you pitching coaches out there tell me exactly how to get movement on a fastball. I have a 12yo who is the fastest pitcher in this league, clocked mostly in the 58-63mph range. Although I r ...

curve, smurve ..here is what you do - Will (length=2193)
Certainly, everyone agrees that the ability to hit well from both sides of the plate is a big advantage. Also, the quickest way to the big leagues is to be a good catcher who can hit. Ted Simmons was ...

pitches - Randy Dykstra (length=3086)
The problem however is that these kids will experiment on their own! and throw the pitch. This post is a great example... Here's a 12 yo. asking how to throw a slider... and I bet he went out and trie ...

stretch vs. windup - Kathy (length=954)
Hi Jim, For first year pitchers I would keep them pitching from the stretch. There may be a rare few who can master the windup at that age but they are the exception. The most important thing to t ...

stretch vs. windup - seadog (length=636)
Jim IMHO you are correct on all accounts.There is no advantage to the windup except possibly rythym. Both my boys 13/14 and they still only pitch from the stretch as a matter of habit.It is simpler t ...

Sore Arms - Coach O'Neal (length=662)
The two most common causes of a sore arm (little league elbow) is overuse & improper warm up.The following recommendations, if followed, will prolong & prevent even minor symtoms from occuring. 1. Wa ...

while your at it . . . a quick question - Jeff T (length=1261)
My turn to add my spin to this thread. Arm position is of some importance, but not an absolute key (IMHO). Very rarely will you see anyone come straight over the top (12:00). Usually, the "slot" as it ...

1st Game at Williamsport - Scorekeeper (length=4878)
This was another very, very good game to watch for excitement and kids displaying superior skills! These two pitchers were very different from the other two I watch this close and contrasted very much ...

2 strikes... - Kathy (length=1145)
Dealing with having 2 strikes on you at the plate is a stressful situation that just makes some kids freeze up. Sometimes all the positive reinforcement in the world won't get them over that... in a w ...

7/8 year pitching - Scorekeeper (length=2110)
If a parent can truly say his child is having fun, I don't care if he's only two, organized ball is ok with me. But having fun doesn't equate to learning baseball skills. It can, but one doesn't neces ...

7/8 year pitching - Scorekeeper (length=2060)
Last point first. I always keep Word open with a throwaway document. When I want to respond to a post, I copy the post, put it in the document and then do that voodoo. That gives me not only a spellch ...

7/8 year pitching - Scorekeeper (length=2102)
Man! I couldn't agree more with anything! Until a kid can get the ball "around" the plate the majority of the time and the batters will only swing at balls "around" the plate the majority of the time, ...

A fun test for non believer - Scorekeeper (length=2580)
I find it totally baffling how anyone can keep ignoring articles and findings like this. Fortunately, there are many enlightened folks like those on this BB and the number is constantly growing! But, ...

Adding MPH to Fastball - Colorado (length=1631)
Out of curiosity, what area are you in? What is the Jaeger method that is referred to in the other post if you know? My boy is 15 and not quite 6". I started this post so long ago, I actually have a n ...

Adding MPH to Fastball - GaryNJH (length=2165)
Hi Lee, Allow me to first say that I am by no means an authority or the final word on pitching. I have been a pitcher all my life and was very fortunate to have a couple of excellent pitching coaches ...

Advice on pitching breakdown - Scorekeeper (length=2235)
You guys gave excellent reasoning and advice, but there's one thing none of us talk about very much, and this given scenario could just as easily be attributed to it. LUCK! Sometimes people like us w ...

BA s on Certain Pitch Counts - Colorado (length=1096)
I've read a couple articles about MLB stars having higher than usual averages when they swing on the first pitch. The explanation given is that pitchers are encouraged to get ahead on the count and te ...

Beanball - Scorekeeper (length=1352)
You write a letter to your AD, copy your principal, the other AD, the other principal and the director of your state association. Since I don't know where you are, its possible that my son might be th ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=3272)
I figgered that was probably the reason, and I think an indication of a good "leader" is that he trusts his "gut", but isn't so foolish as to trust it totally and without reservation! When you mention ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=2024)
I may be off base here, but it seems to me that you're mixing two different applications. Perhaps I didn't understand correctly or leaped to a conclusion, but I thought you'd be keeping score with thi ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=1732)
Just a curious question from a non coach. What do you find so valuable about up to the second strike to ball ratio? If your answer is you use it to help judge whether or not the pitcher is "losing hi ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=3413)
Put on your safety goggles, here comes one of those fingers! Its not that I'm pro or con on this, but almost every rule book I know of has something in it about not being allowed to talk to people out ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=9303)
Tell ya what I'm gonna do! My program already does nearly all that and ton's more to boot, except that I won't convert it to palm pilot. I've used those things and to me, they are a large pain in the ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=3332)
The problem is, you gave programmers too much credit! I learned very quickly that there was a real difference in the data processing "pecking order" between a programmer and an analyst, and as soon as ...

Counting pitches and more on PDA - Scorekeeper (length=2437)
To be frank, until you start talking about "serious" baseball, notice I'm not saying what that is, getting too carried away with minutia during games seems silly to me. I'm not saying that is doesn't ...

Curveballs and warnings on them - lefty (length=1287)
The way you are describing the way your son throws the ball is exactly the way any type of rotating ball should not be thrown by anyone under the age of 18. It's very unlikely it is more of a hand rot ...

Curveballs, age and how often? - Scorekeeper (length=2903)
If I had to make a guess, I'd say that coach either threw it that way or knew someone who did. If it was him who did it, I'd further guess that he's not remembering everything else he did that made it ...

Cutter vs Curveball - Colorado (length=1452)
Just a war story: I hate to see any kid throw the curveball no matter how much success it brings at a young age. My cousin's boy is a few years older than mine and loved baseball. He was a local all s ...

Do we overcoach, pitch counts, etc.?? - Old Ag (length=3368)
I readily acknowledge to be the board dinosaur on this one. But I will stand by my club. To discuss the three positive reasons you mentioned. Reason 1: Kids can have fun. Yep, maybe. Or maybe not, whe ...

Does any one know how to throw a knuckle change?responce to scorekeeper - Scorekeeper (length=2277)
There are pitchers who throw lots of pitches different ways and the CU is no exception. A CU is nothing more than a pitch that comes in at a slower speed than a FB. Moving the ball away from the fing ...

Does any one know how to throw a knuckle change? - Scorekeeper (length=2222)
All I was trying to do was explain what a changeup was, why its effective and what shouldn't be done to make it slower. I assumed I was talking to a kid, not a 40 YO who's been around baseball his who ...

Does any one know how to throw a knuckle change? - Scorekeeper (length=2088)
I hear that one during the pre game for the LLWS today and was more than a little surprised. Not that there is such a pitch, but why anyone, even a big 12YO would want to mess with it. Any time you t ...

Elbow Injury - Scorekeeper (length=1477)
The dangerous thing about stories like that is that people tend to push that envelope until it splits open! Its seldom the one game where the kid throws the 145 pitches. More likely its the sum of clo ...

Good grief! Some things never change. - lefty (length=1032)
Here again, and I believe Dague is hitting on this, who says a properly thrown 12-6 curveball will not injure an arm? That's a story people who want their kid to throw curves, or coaches who want to t ...

Good grief! Some things never change. - lefty (length=1065)
I am not a professional in the sense that I can prove anything about the different styles of pitching. I just know from a vast amount of experience that young pitchers who I know have more problems wi ...

Good grief! Some things never change. - lefty (length=1482)
One last comment about the curve. Since I am getting balled all over the place I realize my opinion is in the minority so to continue it would be of no value. Coaches, parents pitching coaches etc. ar ...

Guess who said "The good rising fastball is the best pitch in baseball."? - Bear (length=3748)
'Woody' Guess who said "The good rising fastball is the best pitch in baseball."? Yes, both Kerry Wood and Bert Blyleven were special at age 16. Kerry, as you know, entered the big leagues in 1998 (a ...

HBO, Curve Balls and Pitch Counts - Rick (length=1802)
At our LL district President's meeting the tape of the HBO show on arm abuse was shown. Our DA said that pitch limits were coming. We are in Florida and there is a lot of kids playing year round. Two ...

Help a 10 year old pitcher - synwave7 (length=2858)
I'm no pitching coach, I'm not a professional and I only played little league baseball and 1 season of over 30 league baseball. I've played and coached 12' all my life with the exception of the last 3 ...

Hey Splitter - SK, jump in here. - Scorekeeper (length=5622)
The thing to keep in mind is why the pitch is called what it is, a CU, which is short for “change of speed”. Never lose sight of that! For most, but not all pitchers, given the same arm speed, the 4SF ...

How fast is fast - Scorekeeper (length=3568)
Paul, I wonder if the problem isn't that folks like you and I who spend a great deal of time looking at "older" kids are seeing the same thing these other folks see, but are interpreting it differentl ...

Intentional Walk - grammyjo (length=1759)
At the final game of a double-elimination youth baseball tournament, the home team was up 2 runs. In the top of the 6th, the away team had one out with runners at 2nd and 3rd and the last of their exp ...

Is it unhealthy for an 8 year old to be pitching sidearmed?? - Scorekeeper (length=4722)
Here's opinion for what its worth, and remember how much its costing you. There is no right or wrong way to pitch a ball! If it gets to the target, its met the criteria for being a good pitch. The pro ...

Is it unhealthy for an 8 year old to be pitching sidearmed?? - Scorekeeper (length=7001)
S'OK! I must admit, at 1st blush I took the post as shall we say, "a backhanded compliment", but, I wasn't trying to gain any "one ups-man-ship". I have just heard this same topic discussed over and o ...

Is this common? - Scorekeeper (length=1545)
Haven't you heard Split? The first requirement for an outfielder is the bat! Oh, I get it. You meant you lost games in the outfield because they couldn't hit! Nice point about the leftys ...

LL s position on the curve - lefty (length=1604)
I believe that no matter how much you try to rationalize, there is absolutely no good that can come from allowing players under at least 14 to throw any kind of pitch that requires a twisting movement ...

Looking for pitching drill - Sox_41 (length=1075)
Having trouble? I am a 12 year old. You probably won't listen to me, but I have a friend that his dad is a former major league baseball pitcher. He gives us alot of drills to work on such as quick pic ...

MIKE MARSHALL IS A CHARLATAN - THE COACH (length=3755)
"I want to make it very clear. I disagree with every major aspect of the pitching motion that these gentleman (Tom House, Vern Ruhle, Dick Mills, and Nyman)recommend. I not only do not agree with 85 p ...

Major Leage Equivalent Pitch Speed during LLWS?? - Scorekeeper (length=2207)
No I haven't. Its not that I don't think its an important thing, its just that I never dug up the equation to factor it in. If you have it, I'll gladly incorporate it, That way I could have a column f ...

Managing w/Pitch Count - ctsooner (length=1239)
Our local LL has implemented the new LL pitch count rule this year. Basically it dictates the number of days rest required based upon the number of pitches, with kids in our league being able to throw ...

Movement on ball-- - Scorekeeper (length=2148)
Better get ready for trouble DAd! What you said sounds exactly what I've heard for years about my boy, and you may as well make up your mind that it won't be if you'e gonna get pissed for that, but wh ...

Movement on ball-- - Scorekeeper (length=2773)
Jeffrey. I think you might have misunderstood what was being said. I'm gonna risk speaking for DAd and say that when he said "over the top" he was only referring to what a lot of people who are uneduc ...

Movement on ball-- - Scorekeeper (length=2031)
You made some fantastic points! I don't think you were implying that leaning left was bad anymore than I was trying to say it was good. Its just one way to do something. If you think having his head m ...

Movement on ball-- - Scorekeeper (length=1320)
You might love this one. My ML friend showed us this one when my son was getting a lot of grief from his JV coach about the arm slot. Remember, my son's right handed. He took a regular dining room cha ...

My 10-year-old throws a killer Curve Ball - Franklin (length=1530)
Tom House is the president of the National Pitching Association which has numerous doctors/surgeons on the board, as well as current/former players and coaches. He's been a pitching coach for Randy Jo ...

Need help getting the ball down - cd (length=1811)
I think when you said he "lets up and aims" you might have hit on the problem. Realize that diagnosing any flaw with any player is very difficult with just a post to go on. When the first father gave ...

Nose High Nightmare - BBN (length=3474)
This is correct....9 guys walk on the field, and somebody is going to be the star!!!!If you play the game kid, your chance for stardom will occur.......often, and repeatedley. Kid a 6 inning game last ...

Not defending the excessive throwing of curves... - Scorekeeper (length=2283)
I can't let this one go unchallenged! We've talked about it before that there is no such rule in LL that prevents Jrs from leagues from playing on 80' bases. In fact, 1.04 says its optional, but only ...

Not defending the excessive throwing of curves... - Scorekeeper (length=4292)
When my boy went into his final year on the 46/60, I cheated! We still did his 1 on 1's with dad, but we did it on the big field. He was a 3rd baseman/pitcher so I'd pound him balls on the big field ...

Not the same old Pitch Count discussion... - ateamwife (length=1267)
We do keep pitch counts on pitchers for both teams. Our coach pretty well knows how many pitches our pitches can pitch before they start getting tired. He only uses a pitch count to figure out how lon ...

PC strikes again - legendary coach in trouble - lefty (length=1165)
Have you got it right. Racism is in the hands of the minorities. We have Black Entertainment Television, the NAACP, black expo, black organizations for governors and mayors, etc. What would happen if ...

PITCH COUNTS Production - THE COACH (length=2697)
This is an excerpt from my newest video production, Little League Baseball- TIPS FROM THE COACH-Pitching Throwing a ball overhand is an unnatural motion for the human body. Pitching comes with inhere ...

Pitches for 9 & 10 year olds - Old Ag (length=2736)
If you are talking a true split finger, drop that now. Too much stress on the tendons in the elbow for that age. Start having the kids work on the modified circle change and the three finger change. T ...

Pitching Burnout in Baseball - Marty Schupak (length=2564)
At one time or another, a pitcher can have a tired or stale arm. This can happen on the youth level just as it happens on the professional level. In youth baseball, pitchers are even more susceptible, ...

Pitching Confidence and Control - Scorekeeper (length=1565)
I hate to break it to you, but although every kid can throw a ball, not every kid can pitch. That's the bad news. The good news is, he's only 10 and has lots of years to go until he has to completely ...

Pitching Rotation Help - Sophomore (length=1255)
Well, it's TOC time and looking for advice on pitching rotation. Our tournament this year is single elimination, with 5 games played over 6 days. We are using regular season LL pitching rules (no pitc ...

Pitching Rotation Suggestions - roddnet (length=1037)
our LL playeed their AS tourney this last weekend and our coaches decided to go with our ace in the first game and as it turned out the #4 or #5 pitcher from the other team. we still lost 2-0. I think ...

Pitching Side arm and sub-marine - Scorekeeper (length=1962)
When I've heard the term "slinger " used, its referenced the way a pitcher's arm looks as it comes through. Randy Johnson could be described as a slinger because with his long arms, it looks like a bu ...

Pitching workouts for the off season - Scorekeeper (length=1919)
Even without the "formal" things like throwing from a mound and long toss, keeping pitching muscles in relatively good shape over the winter can be done by simply throwing a ball into the sofa, doing ...

Power of a breaking ball - Scorekeeper (length=2033)
Four years ago, a local LL team from here went all the way to Williamsport. They absolutely crushed every team they played all year long and in the finals except for two games. As it happens, my son t ...

Power of a breaking ball - Scorekeeper (length=5130)
I'll go this far in agreeing that in today's game the slider is the pitch doing the most damage to pitchers. Its by far the pitch that encompasses so many other pitches and can be thrown in so many di ...

Power of a breaking ball - Scorekeeper (length=6989)
Let's start with something you put in your 1st sentence. "CORRECTLY". If a player wants to make a ball curve and it does, it was thrown correctly. No two people throw a curve, or any other pitch for t ...

Power of a change-up - Scorekeeper (length=1500)
Score 1 for the AgMan! Change up is really short for change of speed. So, it really doesn't matter what velocity the FB is thrown as long as there are 3 very important things present. 1) The change is ...

Problem not with the coaches - Scorekeeper (length=2019)
Sure could. Lots of coaches do it on their own. There's an official scorer at ever game. If they can be trusted to give the ump a count when he loses track, ...

Problem not with the coaches - Scorekeeper (length=1041)
With all due respect Paul, the people who are trying to "protect" the kids are going about it all wrong, and we all pretty much agree on it. Limiting the innings never has been the correct way to pro ...

Pushing off the rubber - Chip (length=4841)
Coach Vin and others: I think the "pushing off rubber" post is one of the most interesting technical/teaching questions we face as coaches. The post certainly has provoked an array of well thought out ...

RH lifts lead leg - There is disagreement on this - Most call balk... - Jim J. (length=1082)
My comments below assume you are referring to a pitcher starting from the set position. OBR 8.01 includes: ... After assuming Set Position, any natural motion associated with his delivery of the ball ...

Real counts - Scorekeeper (length=2253)
Actually, that's the kind of idea that brings some great! Don't laugh at it, give it some thought, I will. I was just talking with a pitching coach and a couple of his students about how coaches do th ...

Should have read the below posts earlier. Never mind. - Scorekeeper (length=2933)
I never advocated landing heel first. What I think I said was that a whacky coach insists there is no other way than to land but toe first and that he tried to say my son was doing that by producing a ...

Tell me about teh change-up..... - Scorekeeper (length=4713)
Not much to tell about the 3 finger that I'm sure you already know. The farther out on the end of the fingers the ball is, the longer the arc and the higher the speed in relation to how much force th ...

Tell me about teh change-up..... - Scorekeeper (length=3347)
That's interesting about the fingers hovering over the ball. My wise old friend has told us about the evolution of the splitter. During that evolution, Bruce Sutter somehow managed to do something sim ...

The Pitching Motion - Jim (length=2833)
Ive been coming to this sight often in the past week or so. I have read and reread many helpful posts that have been generously displayed. When we are talking proper motion for pitching mechanics i th ...

The Reasons For Elbow Injuries - THE COACH (length=1665)
I recently watched ESPN's Outside The Lines that featured a discussion with Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe, the creator of the now infamous Tommy John elbow surgery. They opined about the reasons for a ...

The best thing a PC can offer a pitcher. - David Emerling (length=1318)
[SNIP] This has nothing to with style, mechanics, or anything having to do with actually throwing the ball better. I remember one of the 1st things we learned when we my boy started taking lessons was ...

To curve or not to curve (long)... - Jim J. (length=4733)
...that is the question! To curve or not to curve, that is the question... Individual cases are different. In my humble opinion: If you don't have the resources available to properly teach how to thr ...

Update - Scorekeeper (length=1806)
I don't know if that really comes as a surprise to anyone who's been hangin' 'round youth baseball for very long. I used to get all upset when a pitch obviously out of the strike zone was called a st ...

What can we do?? - Rick (length=2002)
Bashing or reality. In the eye of the beholder. If you believe that LL doesn't need some changes then go with it. Perhaps you believe that all changes should originate with LL and be accepted by those ...

Where'd that come from? - Scorekeeper (length=3678)
Its funny how much our little hard heads really do retain. This week my son dragged (I loved it!) me up to the field to throw a bullpen. After going through all of the rituals and throwing for a bit, ...

Which Pitch? - Scorekeeper (length=1051)
Let me answer your question this way. last week in a poll of Major League players, the pitch overwhelmingly voted the most devastating pitch in the NL was Trevor Hoffman's CU, and in the AL, Pedro Mar ...

change up for 8 year olds - Scorekeeper (length=2465)
You win round 1 for winning your argument with the ML pitcher! You win round 2 by getting the kids to think before doing. Now comes round 3 and as a judge my having to decide whether or not your use o ...

curve ball technique, is there a way to minimize stress or is the - Scorekeeper (length=1478)
Before you get too far into it, ask yourself this question. Are the coaches teaching my son competent to teach pitching? If you've been looking at this forum for any length of time, you should underst ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=2587)
Extremely well, but with a caveat. That's in my eyes! What his PC and I both see is that when he uses the glide, everything is much more intense and focused. He and I have been kicking around two diff ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=4680)
I can't believe I could be far off in evaluating you as a very good coach based on your resume and interview which is what your posts are. You aren't quite as opinionated as I am, but you express your ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=2884)
I honestly wasn't trying to offend you! I thought you were asking if the coach's pitching decisions caused your team to be 1-2 rather than 2-1 so they could advance. If I misunderstood, I apologize. A ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=1431)
I just watched a show on ESPN Classics that everyone should watch, It was on Mark Fidyrck. (Sorry about the spelling Mark) Beside it telling the story of one of the most spectacular overall sports fre ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=1900)
I'll try to say this as gently as possible and I hope you won't take it personally. Second guessers are right 100% of the time, but their guess doesn't count! From the sounds of it, your "stud" was du ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=4752)
I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, but when I hear this, "In a sense he brings it on his own self by being a competitive individual who wants to be all he can.", I know there's more to the stor ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=6481)
Let me preface this with something to make sure people don't misunderstand what might come later. When I relate something that I did for my son, I don't necessarily endorse it as being the right thing ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=1340)
Since I have a huge distrust of scorekeepers in general for youth ball, I only put as much stock in ERA as I do the scorekeeper. But, there are other ways to get to what Ag is doing even with a rotten ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=4050)
Whoa Jim! didn't say you said any such thing and didn't mean to imply it. I was just making a statement, and thought I had made it clear that much of what I believe comes from the fact that kids don't ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=4015)
You're absolutely right! Its no so much of a disagreement issues, but more one of expression. If we were only talking about some kids playing a pickup, sandlot game, I doubt I'd have much to say othe ...

pitching pressure - Ron Peltier (length=2693)
Moose, My son, Reggie, who is 11 emerged as perhaps the best pitcher in his Division last season after not being considered good pitching material by the manager of his team at the beginning. Some ki ...

pitching too high - Scorekeeper (length=4506)
CJ hit on the most common reasons, but there are others that are more subtle that should be dismissed before you go messing with your mechanics. It could just be as simple as having developed a "bad h ...

pitching - Scorekeeper (length=1985)
If you have to ask those questions, you are far behind where you should be and have a heck of a lot of catching up to do! 1. Don't assume how good you are. That's a relative term. And you won't be abl ...

side arm pitcher - Whose got PlayStation 2? - Bear (length=2183)
Final Answer: There is very little documented 'Pitching Mechanics 101' for the sidewinder at 20-25 (and absolutely none for the 11 y/o). But here's my opinions (& observations) 1. I don't endorse 'dr ...

whats the deal with curveballs - tarheel (length=2458)
The simple fact that there is controversy about it should be enough for any coach or parent to err on the side of caution and make sure their kids DO NOT throw the curveball. Just because your kid has ...

you forgot one... - Jim J. (length=2523)
What is my point? Go to my original post in this thread and re-read it. That any player that stumbles onto the field should and can be taught to pitch? No, not sh ...

youth pitching and the use of a gun - Catching Coach (length=5483)
My take is it is a great tool in measuring the improvement of mechanics in a catchers throw from his crouch. To follow is an article on how I evaluate a catchers release time. Included in that is the ...