Cussed and discussed

[DonnieS]

>> and your other starting pitcher gets hurt warming up. Coach comes up and asks if she is ready to pitch one more game, really needs her to get into the Sunday Bracket.......what do you say to the coach? <<

Been there - done that. I will sure get the wrath on my head but this is what I did. I went and talked to her - told her that we could use her but we can not get her hurt. Its happened a couple of times - once she said 'Dad, its tight - really tight - ' . I went to one of the other pitchers - put her in - 1st pitch she took a line drive straight into the knee. I had to pull her, though I almost had to hit her with a shovel, she kept gimping around saying 'Im ok - Im ok ' that kid is hellacious tough but she couldnt walk. My kid - said 'Dad - maybe if you mix them real good' and another of my pitchers who had been hit in the thumb said 'Coach - I can go in as long as you dont call a screw.' We did and that one went well. Another time, dd said 'I feel great - I'm pumped - no tightness - no soreness .' And I mixed up the pitches to the max probably 2-3 changeups or offspeeds for every 5-6 pitches - we dh'ed for her - she warm wrapped her shoulder between each inning - went well.

But if she were in pain even on the 1st pitch, she would come out.

[FPdaddy]

MY BAD!!!!

I re-read my post! HOLY COW...I said 100 pitches/day! I MEANT 100 pitches per game and two games per day for a total of 200 pitches in one day!!!!!! SORRY.

My DD can pitch three games/day IF she is well below the 200 pitch count.

We played one of those games where DD only pitched 3 innings because our team hit the snot out of the ball. She threw 36 pitches in that game.

As to your question about pitching above the 200 pitch limit because of injury.

Ask yourself this: What's more important, a meaningless tournament at 12U OR your DD's future??

Keith

[Tucson]

Just a side bar, it is M.O.O. that Donnie has a phenomenal kid. A well conditioned kid can, of course, push herself further than the normal pre-teen. IF your DD is a 3 or 4 sport athlete and a state champ in track, the numbers change a little.

Personally, I would have played if I would have had to get out of the wheel chair to do it. My shoulders didn't freeze up until I was 42, anyway. (truthfully)

My own DD developed a ganglian cyst and had to have surgery to remove it from her glove wrist. (too many shots back to the mound) Also, she threw too many games and finally the ortho doc said "no more." She was 16. I truly didn't know any better. Underhand motion is natural. Right?

Since that time I have taken it upon myself to read everything I can about overuse injuries. Sometimes the injury is apparent immediately. But, normally it doesn't show up for years later.

I am glad FP came back and edited his pitch count. I also thought "Holy Cow" and started doubting my numbers. Amy

[FPdaddy]

Spaz,

Yea, my DD averages 13 pitches per inning as well. Most games go 5 innings...so we're talking 65 pitches per game. So we rarely reach the 200 mark. However, IF you add the pre-game warm up and the 7-8 warm up pitches before each inning...now you're talking 60+ pitches added to the count! Almost as many as in the game!

Keith

[DonnieS]

We have over a pretty long time, an average of 3.86 at bats per inning pitched - that sounds like it might be not quite as good as the 13 pitches per inning - but in the neighborhood anyway.

[FPdaddy]

13 pitches is her average. My DD is not a strike out pitcher. She has great control and a good defense. Believe me, we occasionally have a 25 pitch inning! But, will also throw in a 5 pitch inning once in a while.

I have never though to track the # of batters she faces per inning...I might start keeping that stat as well!

Keith

[DonnieS]

>> My DD is not a strike out pitcher. She has great control and a good defense. <<

Neither is mine. She pitches like the Cowboys play football, or used to play football. She does enough to keep the team in the game.

[DonnieS]

>> I think it is right in there. Our 3 pitchers are at 3.8, 4, and 4.3 batters per inning. <<

I didnt count the 14u tournaments , 40% of what that stat came from were teams listed as gold. For kids that move back and forth between 18a and gold, its probably good to keep separate stats though I dont think we will move back and forth this season. And she has a really good defense behind her - she doesnt get that many strikeouts, 22% of her at bats are Ks, so that tells you what is behind her.