Baseball Knowledge Base 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. Other ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 entitl ...

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 pitc ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 M ...

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 a ...

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 lookin ...

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 indica ...

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 ma ...

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. Accord ...

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 bas ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 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 wo ...

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. ...

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 be ...

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 ...

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 ...

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: ...

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 yo ...

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 s ...

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 ...

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 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 PRECI ...

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. Yo ...

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 ...

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 ye ...

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 b ...

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 a ...

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 a ...

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..... ...

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 p ...

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 ...

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 res ...

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, i ...

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 Pitc ...

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 pi ...

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, ...

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 p ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. Locat ...

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 ...

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 o ...

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 ...

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. ...

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, te ...

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 Pitch ...

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 t ...

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 follo ...

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 ...

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 u ...

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< ...

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 h ...

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' C ...

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 prac ...

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 t ...

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 y ...

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 gro ...

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 yo ...

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 ...

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 t ...

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 e ...

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 th ...

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 b ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, sometime ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 l ...

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 ...

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 s ...

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 ...

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/cond ...

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 ...

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 ar ...

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 45m ...

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 o ...

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 cou ...

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 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"

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. ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 fath ...

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 ...

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 har ...

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 t ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, bu ...

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) ...

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 ...

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 le ...

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 yea ...

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, wit ...

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, ...

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; thu ...

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, ...

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 rem ...

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 HAV ...

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 ...

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 an ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ar ...

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. Y ...

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 m ...

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 kee ...

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 ...

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 gam ...

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 discomfor ...

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 ...

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 Thu ...

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 par ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 S ...

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 o ...

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" ...

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 co ...

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 us ...

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) thi ...

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 fo ...

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. T ...

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 less ...

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 wee ...

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 i ...

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 ha ...

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 stumbl ...

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 get ...

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 ...

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 b ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 pitche ...

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 administrato ...

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 strat ...

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 ...

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 c ...

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 foun ...

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, h ...

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 ...

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 sup ...

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 ...

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 t ...

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- ...

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 n ...

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 pitch ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ar ...

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 ...

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 t ...

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 a ...

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 in ...

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 pro ...

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 SCRI ...

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 pitch ...

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 l ...

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. as ...

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 ...

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 stil ...

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, wil ...

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 c ...

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 ...

2 strikes... - Kathy (length=1146)
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 r ...

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 equat ...

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 docume ...

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 on ...

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 ...

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 e ...

BA s on Certain Pitch Counts - Colorado (length=1104)
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 ...

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 ...

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 t ...

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 ...

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 y ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 "peckin ...

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 dur ...

Curveballs, age and how often? - Scorekeeper (length=2904)
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 t ...

Cutter vs Curveball - Colorado (length=1455)
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 ye ...

Do we overcoach, pitch counts, etc.?? - Old Ag (length=3370)
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 mention ...

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 a ...

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 talk ...

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 anyon ...

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 th ...

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 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 ...

Help a 10 year old pitcher - synwave7 (length=2884)
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 ...

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 ...

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 t ...

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 th ...

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 ...

Is this common? - Scorekeeper (length=1545)
Haven't you heard Split? The first requirement for an outfielder is the bat! Oh ...

LL s position on the curve - lefty (length=1605)
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 ...

Looking for pitching drill - Sox_41 (length=1076)
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 pitc ...

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 M ...

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, ...

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 mi ...

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 ...

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. It ...

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. Rememb ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 play ...

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 ...

PC strikes again - legendary coach in trouble - lefty (length=1169)
Have you got it right. Racism is in the hands of the minorities. We have Black Entertainment Television, the NAACP, black expo, black organi ...

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 a ...

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 wor ...

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 l ...

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 o ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 encom ...

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 corr ...

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 ...

Problem not with the coaches - Scorekeeper (length=2020)
Sure could. Lots of coaches do it on their own. < ...

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. ...

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 ...

RH lifts lead leg - There is disagreement on this - Most call balk... - Jim J. (length=1084)
My comments below assume you are referring to a pitcher starting from the set position. OBR 8.01 includes: ... After assuming Set Po ...

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 pitch ...

Should have read the below posts earlier. Never mind. - Scorekeeper (length=2934)
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 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 ...

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 th ...

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. W ...

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 T ...

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 o ...

To curve or not to curve (long)... - Jim J. (length=4782)
...that is the question! To curve or not to curve, that is the question... Individual cases are different. In my humble opinion:

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 ...

What can we do?? - Rick (length=2003)
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 tha ...

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. Aft ...

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 ...

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 roun ...

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 look ...

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 i ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=4681)
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. Y ...

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 ...

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 telli ...

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 ...

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 w ...

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 ...

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 ...

pitch best pitcher first always? - Scorekeeper (length=4051)
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 tha ...

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 pla ...

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 pitchin ...

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 mechan ...

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 ...

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 ...

whats the deal with curveballs - tarheel (length=2464)
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 thei ...

you forgot one... - Jim J. (length=2551)
What is my point? Go to my original post in this thread and re-re ...

youth pitching and the use of a gun - Catching Coach (length=5484)
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 ...