Throwing ( don't over do it !!! )

Methinks you better go take a look at the record the Dodger's pitchers had from the mid 60's through 1980. That's when this guy was the PC. Koufax's arm was shot because of the tremendous stress he put on it during games. For 6 years, no one threw with more intensity than he did, and although Barry Zito is a good pitcher and may one day be considered great, don't even try to equate him with Koufax.

Steve Carlton did the same thing about not throwing the next day, as did Don Sutton and probably a lot more guys that are in the Hall. I'm not saying guys will get hurt if they do it, but why take the chance?

When he was here in Sacto, I never saw him throw after an outing. Of course I didn't see him that many times, but maybe I'm not remembering correctly. But then again, its my understanding that the pitchers in the minors are on pretty strict pitch counts too, so maybe that had something to do with it. Just out of curiosity, how do you know what's in his contract?

But all that doesn't matter anyway! You can't compare a ML ballplayer with a kid. That would be like comparing a 6th grade algebra whiz with Einstein. We can chat back and forth all day long and obviously nothing I will ever say will convince you that there is such a thing as too much throwing, even under optimum conditions, and you won't convince me that everyone should be like Barry Zito and throw the day after he pitches a game.

No biggie! Differences of opinions make the world go 'round! All I know for absolutely sure is, my son is 6 years farther down the road than yours, he had virtually the same experiences at the same age and more after that, and right now I couldn't be more happy with where he's at.

In truth, I hope your boy turns out to be the next Nolan Ryan, or whoever you'd like to see him be. The game needs those players, badly! Right now all I hope for mine is that he has a healthy fall and spring HS season and just doesn't go backwards. He's already proved that at 15 he can get out HS players, and under the conditions he's playing under that's a major victory.

And, I really shouldn't be talking anyway because this week he's gone what I think is a bit overboard and I let him do it. He goes to work in the morning, spends 8 hours with a weed eater in his hands or bending over pulling weeds in the 95+ heat. On Monday took his pitching lesson which was total full tilt, 20 minutes after getting off work.

He took a day off Tuesday, but yesterday dragged me up to the field so he could throw for a half hour. Today it was the same thing. Only this time I had to bring the gun because he wanted to know how he was doing. Then he hollers because he's only throwing 66 at the glove doing sit drills with the 7oz weighted ball! Then he really gets mad because he's only throwing the regular ball 72-76 at the glove. When we got home he took off for the gym because he thinks he's going backward!

In my mind, I think he's going overboard, but I know him very well. He'll work out and throw Saturday with a friend of ours who pitched in the Mink League this summer and now is hitting 94 on the gun. Before he goes back to Loyola for the fall session, my guess is they'll be throwing and I'll be catching and getting killed.

But what will happen is that this kid will talk to my boy, watch what he's doing and how he's throwing and tell him truthfully where he's at on the scale. After the initial, "mine's as big as yours" is over, my guess is he'll settle down and be a bit more realistic in his workouts.

You see, I know my kid like a book. I know him like no coach ever will, not because he's my son, but because I catch him! I know how his pitches move, I know his motion, I know almost exactly why something happened or didn't happen, I know his moods, his attitudes, when something's bothering him and even when he's had a bowel movement.

He doesn't have to tell me when his arm is tired. He knows I know, so he's quit giving me the BS about it and I quit trying to tell him whether or not he should do something on the mound. The only thing I do anymore is take his back when I know he's right or it comes down to a chance he could hurt himself.

If he decided he wanted to throw the day after he threw 7 innings, the only thing I'd do is remind him that he only has one arm. But, he's gonna be 16 in less than a month and has been doing this for 7 years. That's a far cry from being 10. At 10, he wouldn't pick up a ball the day after he pitched because I wouldn't let him because he couldn't make that decision safely.