Once, every 100 years or so, comes a Ryan Nolan...the rest are human. The facts are we blow out way too many arms young live arms because they show potential (that means HS wins) but are still developing their mechanics, core strength, knowledge of their body, etc......theknowledge to say "when".
I set pitch counts in HS only because we typically have weak HS coaching here where I live....a former drug salesman who played HS ball.....but can sell you on anything.....a former plumber coach......talks like a coach....etc. None could even read, much less understand the info available from ASMI. Pitch counts are the simplest and only tangible limits we, as parents (and I'm medically trained) have to limit coaches and allow them to plan.....for relief. Develop a pitcher development program.
Sorry, but in HS, the Coach that causes the least amount of front office headaches gets the job....regardless of his baseball accumane. And HS baseball is a monopoly.....that is trashing a lot more kid's arms than building the next Ryan Nolan.
How about a coach that talks with the parents first....on what a rasonable pitch count is? The parents know what the kid's been doing...how much sleep he's had....what else is going on in his life......HS coaches are not "King" and they're driving kids nto "pay-to-play" programs where the coaches actually do have some intelligence and professional knowledge.
Harv
Posts: 40 | Location: Steamboat Springs, CO | Registered: March 06, 2009
I'm with Harv on this one. I've seen Nolan Ryan pitch and he is probably my favorite pitcher of all time...but there is only one Ryan Express. Pitch counts can be used TOO rigidly I think - many players can go beyond the pitch counts that are set because of a number of factors. However, pitch counts help (especially with inexperienced coaches) to give a guideline in order to protect young pitchers. Some of these summer coaches are CRIMINAL in the way they use young pitchers in order to pad their own resume....and THEY need pitch counts to protect the players. I use them as a guideline, but there are many other factors (velocity decrease, arm slot drop, leaving the ball up, etc.) that are bigger tell-tale signs to me that a kid needs to come out.
