Ran into an interesting guy at the fields

DD guested with a team yesterday and the grandpa of one of the players came up to me after an uncharacteristic leadoff walk and said "don't worry she's the real deal, she's just nervous"....I knew it was just nerves and wasn't worried at all but I was impressed that he had this opinion after watching a just a few pitches. She settled in and struck out a couple and threw a weak grounder to end the inning. But we got to talking and he said he could tell by her warmups that she was a good pitcher because of her mechanics, turns out he was an old school mens FP pitcher and played against Bill Hillhouse way back when. He had a daughter that played DI and trained with Ernie Parker...etc. I run into so many people that just don't know anything about pitching it was refreshing to see a true FP old school Yoda type at the fields that looked for some of the same telltale mechanical signs of good pitching that we all look for when we are evaluating a pitcher.

That's way better than him giving you his business card after her first batter and saying, "Your daughter has real promise. I can get her to point that elbow at her target, and she will be throwing strikes in no time".

Beware the ones who come with their special grandpa radar gun.

BobInMadison said:

Beware the ones who come with their special grandpa radar gun.

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Bwahahahaha

JJS - something similar actually happened to my DD. One season in rec, my DD is on the side of the field warming up pitching before the game. An older gentleman was in his car watching her. After about 10 mins, he gets out of his car and comes over to me. He says, she is a pretty good pitcher but she needs to finish like this (shows the classic hello elbow finish with the back of the hand facing the catcher). Luckily I had found this site awhile earlier and knew that his advice was completely misguided (even though well-intentioned I suppose). I thanked him for the advice and had DD continue to warm up just like she always has.

I wonder how many parents of aspiring pitchers (or hitters) have had similar experiences that tried to derail all the good advice taught by their instructors. That is why it is vitally important that parents educate themselves on proper mechanics and share this information with their kids and other players so they can handle the situation if and when the parent is not there. I have had many discussions with DD that all kinds of people will try to give her differing advice on pitching/hitting mechanics and she needs to let them know (in a nice way) that she appreciates the advice, smile, and continue to perform the mechanics we are paying good money for. Rec leagues are notorious for giving bad advice such as "squish the bug", "hit down on the ball", "level swing", "keep you weight on the back foot", and one of my all time favorites "grab the candy bar off your pitching shoulder on the follow-thru", etc. It's amazing how rec coaches will pass down this wrong information, year after year. Even the coaching clinics were filled with misinformation and downright bad advice. But I digress.....

JJsqueeze said:

... it was refreshing to see a true FP old school Yoda type at the fields...

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Hmm... wonder if that means he'll be in the new Star Wars film this December...? (geek plug)

I attract grandpas.

Amy in AZ. said:

I attract grandpas.

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Is it the way you dress???

Lol, sparky!

Yep. Shorts, shirt, shin guards and face mask. Maybe it's my Ringors, that they like.