I'm just curious to see how many of the dads still pitch extra BP to your sons? We are on our way to the HS to get in some extra hitting before all the NCAA games come on TV today. My son's HS team starts scrimmages this week and he wants to be ready. Luckly I have enough arm left in me to make our sessions worth while.

I find it funny that in the hundreds of times that we have done this, very seldom do we see other fathers and son's doing this. I think it is a shame that more fathers and sons dont' do this as it is such a great way to bond with your son and know what he is feeling and thinking? I know I will miss doing this next year when my son goes off to college but I also feel that if we hadn't done this he wouldn't have gotten the great opportunity that he has to play college baseball next year?

It seems like in todays sports world the only time most players practice is when the team or the coach calls a practice. Outside of that you have very few that work on their own. But I think if you polled the best players and ask them what they do on their own they will tell you that they do more than practice just with the team.

I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks or does with their son's?

Count me in. We'll go up to the field on some Sundays and I'll throw for a couple hours to my son and some of his teammates.

My son is in college...and I still throw to him when I can...in H.S. it was 3-4 times aweek...now it is only when he can make it home...but no matter what...he still wants the BP from me...and I agree...great way to bond and communicate. Those last a life time

I still do on occasion but my shoulder pretty much died a couple of years ago. So now it's mostly my paying for time in the batting cages. With my son and my daughter.

I think throwing to your son is a sacred experience. When I was young, I could throw fairly hard but ended up harming my shoulder. It has been arthritic for many years and I have not been able to throw. If I could, I would still find someone out there to throw to

Well I'm really hurting after throwing 5 drywall buckets of 60 ball each! But my son is ready to go! It is scary sometimes to stand there behind the L screen and see how hard they can hit a ball!

Last summer I had one of my sons line drives end up nailing me in the right side. The ball just missed the corner of the L screen and I hadn't followed through enough to get out of the way. It knocked the wind out of me and left me black and blue for 2 weeks!

I have never been hit so hard in my life. It couldn't have hurt any worse than being shot by a gun? The funniest thing about it was when I rolled over to get my breath my son came running up and he was laughing his head off! He told me he didn't know what to do but laugh and that he was scared to death that he killed me! Needless to say I feel like I used one of my nine lives that evening?

That for sure was one of those bonding moments.

Let's Play Ball! I can't believe that we have a winter storm watch out for tomorrow night here in SW Ohio! We had better weather than this in January? Sometimes Mother Nature just isn't fair?

It can be a b-t-h getting older when it comes to sports. This thread reminds me of the start of my retirement from baseball, that is, playing the game.

First of all, when it comes to my 2007, no L screen, no pitches, except maybe backyard tennis balls.

I wish I had the L screen a few years ago. My 39 over Hobbs team had a game against the best hitting team in Akron. I was scheduled to pitch that morning. I also was host to my mothers 70th birthday picnic that afternoon.

Having all the prep done for the party, my wife suggested to go play, and have fun, get to the picnic after the game as soon as I can.

So, with guilt, I went to play. Keep in mind, I am 43 at the time, but my arm and mind was 22 that morning. I was mowing em down, good velocity(84-88), and fooling them with offspeeds. I felt great.

Now the reality. I get there #8 guy at 0-2 in the count. He was a smaller fella so I figure just blow the ball past him. Instead, I listened to a lawyer, FIRST BIG MISTAKE, sorry CD, and that lawyer was my catcher. He called for a changeup.

Lets just say the ball does get bigger as it gets closer to your head. This guy hit a 100 mph liner directly at my head. Thankfully, I followed through properly to be in the best defensive position possible, got my glove up, but flinched somehow at the last millisecond as the ball struck my left wrist and exploded it.

You should have seen this thing swell in a matter of seconds. I am out there hopping around in pain, thinking this is my punishment for missing a tad of the birthday picnic, and the catcher and manager come out, and the first thing they say is, " can you still pitch?"

Needless to say, NO was the answer, and the post game tallboy rode home between my legs between gulps, while the wrist occupied the cooler. Instead of going right to the ER, I first stopped at home to celebrate with my mother. She understood my love of baseball.

For my 8 year old, I don't need the L screen just yet, but that day is arriving.

I have been pitching BP since he was 5 years old......He is now nearing 20 and the only difference is the L screen keeps getting closer and closer to the plate.....

I just dont have the velocity that is needed for a college baseball player.....but I do have the one thing that he cant find anywhere.......availability........I am available anytime he wants to go.....and he gets all the swings.....so although I am deficient in velocity, I make up for it in convenience.........

PIAA- same with me. When I started coaching HS 10 years ago I could throw all day. 8 years ago I put up a cage in the yard and have thrown hundreds/thousands of pitches to my 2 boys. Now I feel I still have pretty good velocity from 30'.
With the cage in the yard they will still ask me to come out and throw even though they can easily throw to each other. I have never refused or made up an excuse not to. It is scary though. The thought that they're getting bigger and stronger, hit the ball harder and I have to move closer.

I guess this counts as parental involvement. I wouldn't give it up for anything. Those hours spent in the side yard together; Priceless;

I pitch to my 12yr old pretty much all year. (12 months) My best pitch is my changeup, actually that's my only pitch. I probably max out at about 65 and thats on a good day. I've torn my shoulders up playing softball diving into bases, diving catches, crashing into fences and fun things like that. 65 is about the right speed for 12 yr old travel but as he gets older I'll need to move closer. I don't use the L screen yet, he only weighs 105 and his best shots travel about 270'. He's hit me a few times but I always try to finish up with my glove close to my face, don't wanna get hit there! I always tell him to hit line drives up the middle and he really keeps me on my toes. We use a bucket with around 55 balls and switch back and forth hitting about 15 from each side. I prefer hitting on a field because that way he can see the flight of the ball and then he gets a longer break when we gather the balls. When we're pressed for time the cage is much faster though. Going out to a field and taking bp with your son, hitting ground balls, fly balls, throw downs to 2nd, getting hit by a line drive etc... What could be better that? Life is good!

This was a rare weekend off from games and practice for my son....so he came home friday night......on Saturday, I had a HS game to umpire...... waiting for me at the door after my game, was my son with the ball bag and fungo bat.......could I hit some infield for him......so off to the HS football field (field turf) we went.......300 ground balls later....I then had the honor of buying him dinner and doing his laundry....

wouldnt have it any other way.......

quote:

Originally posted by BuckeyeCat:
It is scary sometimes to stand there behind the L screen and see how hard they can hit a ball!

I can't even fathom pitching to my son when he's in HS or (hopefully) college. It's scary enough NOW and he's only 13!

Beezer... I think I'm down to 3 or 4 lives left out of my 9?

I must say that I still love it and will enjoy doing it as long as I can.

How about those Kentucky Wildcats! They are 20-5 and are ranked #20 today! The last two weekends they took 2 out of 3 from LSU and Tennessee! Looks like the son will be joining a top 20 team in the fall!

I see 2 problems with you pitching to your son beez, HE hits the ball too dang hard and you're too flippin tall! Its hard to get all those body parts behind the L screen! Might wanna dig a hole to stand in...

Buckeye - That's great!!! I know my son would love to play for a program of that caliber. You're a lucky dad.

IB - I have had several clips but nothing TOO bad. I have a bad habit of keeping my head out there to watch his feet, hips, etc.....next thing you know there's a ball screaming back at ya. A couple weeks ago, he nailed his coach though. The L screen he was using had a hole and the ball found it!!! Luckily it was with a wooden bat on it's last leg.