View Full Version : Top Of The 7th
At Braves request...
High school baseball....top of the 7th game tied 1-1; both pitchers have thrown 100 pitches.....
What do you do?
NCBBallFan
03-22-03, 10:43 PM
Who is in the bull pen? what's their experience? what games do you have coming up? Is it conf or non-conf?
How late in the season? What do they normally go?
early season...closer threw yesterday 1 inning...
give starter a chance or save his arm?
both pitchers are seniors, have given up 3 hits each, both have 10 Ks...both have matched inning for inning....this is a conference game...
anymore details gives too much away...
How important is the game?
You are the coach.....
NCBBallFan
03-22-03, 11:21 PM
Everyone will disagree with me BUT.....
I don't care whether its a freshman or a senior .... 100 pitches early on is about the max I would want to see.
The closer has a job, pitching 1 inning per game (even back-2-back days) ... he gets the ball in the 7th and you hope to win it .... if still playing in the 8th ... go to the pen (#3) guy.
It's a long season. Don't hurt someone who can eat innings effectively.
State play-offs only take 2 from your conference....
Can't help it, playme.....it's still HS baseball. It sounds as if both pitchers will be going beyond HS...will not jeopardize his arm or future..." Sorry kid, you pitched a heckuva game, but I need you down the road.....NEXT"
i agree guys...100 pitchs is max in my book.. i would look at the situation @ 90 pitchs... that shoulder and elbow can only take so much..." Great job guys, now get some ice."
I disagree, because I can remember when I played that I wanted to stay in regardless of the pitch count. Today I believe basebll teams are ran by the parents to an extent. I think in this certain situation the 2 pitchers knew that they were in a huge ballgame and both wanted to win. The only person that really knows if it is time to come out is the player himself. I believe that if either one of these players would have said "coach I'm finished, take me out" then any coach would have removed them. Obviously since that didn't happen, both coaches allowed their players to continue, closely monitoring their arm strength. Again I am wondering if this thread was started by a parent, and if so then that explains everything. Sometimes we claim to be different than other's, when deep down we are really alike.
Originally posted by ajax
Sometimes we claim to be different than other's, when deep down we are really alike.
Not real sure what this means...but the scenario described by playme is a no brainer. A coach that allowed his pitcher to continue after throwing 100 pitches so early in the season is not a coach that will last long in baseball at any level....and as a player, coach or parent, I would certainly question that coach's motivation for doing so.
And I agree 100% with you, ajax, that neither pitcher would want to come out. Players described in this case are competitive and never want to come out.
But you would hope that a coach has the experience, maturity and wisdom to make the right decision.
You know, if a ML manager won't allow his pitchers, who are older, better trained and paid professional, to throw 100 pitches early in the year, why would you expect some 17-18 year old kid to do that.
NCBBallFan
03-23-03, 03:44 PM
I fully agree with Braves ... Even in pro ball after the completion of spring training and well into the regular season, most professional pitchers are on a pitch count. To expect anything different from a 17-18 year old is inviting injury.
If a pitcher is at 100 pitches after 6 innings, regardless of what you may think, his control isn't that good. Allowing only 3 hits, but throwing 100 pitches (as described) means that he has been going deep into the count very frequently. When you get tired, particularly in the legs early in the season, you have a tendency to raise the release point fractionally. One inch higher at delivery is 7 inches higher (and potentially 380 feet further) at the plate.
Yank 'em.
Guys, what playme made a mistake in saying was that at least one of the pitchers started the inning around 90 or so pitches. He didnt start the 7th already at 100 pitches, and I disagree with you guys because when you have a pitcher who doesnt throw high 80's or 90 and is well conditioned (probably enough to run cross country) can throw 100 pitches when he has been throwing year round. But, after speaking to that coach he assured me that chenges will be made for that player in his pitching schedule. And yes in the last inning after he was close to 100 pitched he did get his fastball up and a kid hit it a long way. Everyone will blame that coach for that homer, but thats baseball.
NCBBallFan
03-23-03, 05:36 PM
I hear what you are saying Ajax. Regardless of age, I like for pitchers to be on a 75 pitch count limit until the weather gets warm. Early in the season, even if they are in great condition, there is just too much risk. It's still a game.
ajax...
i know what you are saying, the pitcher involved, and the situation....what we are talking about here is a hypothetical situation...
when i was a high school kid playing baseball, i never heard of a pitch count, icing down, heating up, icing down...you took a "goodies powder", tossed next day, and was ready to pitch in 3 days.. times have changed, treatment has changed, more kids play more organized baseball... many "church" teams only had t-shirts and jeans as uniforms...balls were often lop-sided by the 5th inning...when we did get uniforms they never fit and were really hot and scratchy, sanitary socks under stirups...spikes only cost aroud $10..bats were made of wood...and cost about $15 for a Mickey Mantle model...
the parent of that kid had no problem with the count because the kid is in better shape than most hs players...i have heard more than 1 college coach say had some of the best mechanics they had seen in some time...and his dad told me he works out with resistance cords year round...that kid is in shape...i think he finished at 105 and was given a chance for the win.. given the magnitude of that game and the situation i would not hold it against the coach....by the way folks, this kid gave up 3 hits and Kd 10 but lost because of errors..
please remember these situations are hypothetical...we are not trying to criticize anyone's decisions on any ball field...You are the coach..
one great thing about baseball is that there is more than 1 solution to each situation...many principles in the game of baseball can also be applied to the game of life...
i love this game...
vBulletin® v3.8.1, Copyright ©2000-2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.