Limit number of pitches for a pitcher?

Hal....

I don't think the risk of injury is as high in underhand pitching compared to overhand pitching.

Why couldn't you limit the number of innings to 14 per day? Teams would have to carry (and use) three pitchers.

JC heir said:

I’ve heard that Little League has limited baseball and fast-pitch to 1,000 pitches a season

I have read a lot of pitch limitations in the LL rule book & have never seen that- unless it is new for 2010.

Click to expand...

I think from what I've been told that it is new for 2010. I haven't seen it myself only someone advised me that is the case. If I'm wrong I am sorry for the error.

Our biggest youth baseball organizations in KC are not LL, and they do keep a pitch count, limiting the number of pitches a boy can throw in games aver a specific time period. In the 3&2 organization they can not throw more than 60 pitches in 24 hr. for league ball (9 yr. open division). In many tournaments, I believe it is not more than 60 in a game of 90 in a 48 hr. period. My husband coaches both our sons, and this is the case.

Our 14 yr. old neighbor boy plays on a highly competitive travel team. They also have a maximum pitch count for tournaments. Eight of their 13 players are pitchers (who obviously play secondary positions, or vice versa).

My nephews in Florida have always had pitch limits whether in league of travel
ball - not just the little guys but 16's as well. I believe they have weekly limits.

The umpires do not keep the pitch count. The score keepers log the counts (for the other team as well) and there are penalties for going over.

Our 14 yr. dd, is a 14A pitcher for a tournament/travel team. They carry 3 pitchers who share pitching time - although we have played tourneys with just 2. Her team played 100 games last year - I'd hate to think what would happen if most of that fell on one girl.

I did some research last year when she was in PT last Spring for her back (L4). I found that there are studies and do not remember them off the top of my head...a quick search brought up these articles:
Tulane Studies Pitching Injuries
Analysis Of Windmill Pitching Shows Risk Of Injury To Biceps In Softball Players

The thought I believe is that the most stress is on the bicep and that overuse can lead to injury. My question is how much is too much?

Our dd throws way more in practice than her friends that are baseball pitchers. In the winter she does 1 & 1/2 hr. workouts and throws about 100 (oops I've been corrected, 150) pitches after a COMPLETE warm up, 3xweek, along with lessons and or clinics. During the playing season the workouts are a little shorter and more often, in addition to games, lessons etc. Right now she is alternating pitching workouts with core and strength conditioning (the doctor who specilaizes in back injuries & sports med., the PT, and her coach stress core strength). I read about posts mentioning 30 min, or 45 min. workouts. Is our daughter's workout too long? She likes to spend a good 20-30 warming up properly.

We are lucky that her coach is very mindful of overuse and the possibility of injury. However, there are going to be the occasions due to sickness, or injuries that you can be down to one. My daughter,s thought is to not complain ..she says you just have to suck it up and deal...most girls are going to do the same. They work hard and they wouldn't be to this point if they didn't want it, so they don't complain.

As a parent in the stands, I sometimes see girls pulled from the field to pitch w/o warming up - except for the few pitches the ump gives them (ones who didn't appear to have warmed up before the game). I know this has happened to my daughter once or twice (but her team generally warms up all 3 pitchers). Common sense tells me girls must be warmed up properly (coaches don't always give them enough time and sometimes catchers like to stop the warm up a little early). We've talked to our dd about speaking up and making sure she is really ready.

I'm just a Mom, not an expert. But many youth baseball organizations DO keep pitch counts. If they can I'm sure softball could handle it. I'm not weighing in for one side or the other, really. I feel that at the end of the day I am responsible for my children's heath and safety.

Atagame,

Many leagues will put restrictions on the # of innings for two reasons;

1. To protect the pitchers from overuse by coaches who want to win at all costs.

2. To force coaches to develop more pitchers and not use one or two until their arms fall off.

I am reasonably sure reason #2 supercedes reason #1 in their opinion.

Several years ago I was contacted by the league officials from two different leagues in the next county over. They begged me to come out of retirement and take on young beginners because nobody else wanted to. So I did and I was up to my eyeballs in 8-10 year olds. They had the 3 inning restrictions and could not field enough pitchers.

Fielding enough pitches would be a problem in lengthy tournaments, we played in a couple tournaments where teams were limited to four games. The finishing order was determined by runs scored and runs allowed. I see problems with that format too, but it could reduce pitch count.

In our area there are more teams than good pitchers, lessons are expensive and travel time to lessons are expensive and time consuming. There has to be some type of a working format for pitchers that would protect our kids from overuse injury.

I think most would agree that the wellbeing of our kids is more important that a trophy.