“Pitching Drought”

[BT3100]

22 of the last 26 threads posted on the local board are requests for pitchers. Some of these teams outright post that they are looking for a #1 pitcher. I can't imagine what the pitchers currently on the team think about that?

 

[Sparky Guy]

22 of the last 26 threads posted on the local board are requests for pitchers. Some of these teams outright post that they are looking for a #1 pitcher. I can't imagine what the pitchers currently on the team think about that?

It's nuts!!!! Even after all the teams have returned from nationals the local board by me is littered with private tryout ads looking for pitching. Many of them have dropped the words stud, strong and dominate from the ads. I think they'd settle for a warm body that poses as a pitcher at this point.

If this trend keeps up I think we'll see a contraction of the sport at the higher levels due to the shortage of pitchers. I do believe there will still be kids who pitch, but they're not pitchers. Kinda like Goalies in hockey.

 

[justanotherguy]

Honestly, I think there's a big lack of anything from high level to whatever the next level is. My DD has been playing for a fairly good A level team this past season. She filled in for a "regular" team this past weekend, and the difference in EVERYTHING was highly noticeable. Fielding at every position and batting was almost night and day. HOWEVER, several of the pitchers from these teams would have been very beneficial to our own team. Her team has lived by their defense and bats. Throw strikes with some movement and let your defense do the work.

One team sticks out in particular. They had one girl that was throwing low 60's with a good changeup, 16u but most teams were 14u. For 2 innings she was lights out. However, in the third inning she started losing control. The other team (first year 14u) just started waiting to get walked and fouling off anything close. The 14u team, much to my surprise, eventually won by 1 run. That one pitcher would make a MASSIVE difference to our team, being an ace finisher. Yet, she languished on a team that had no real talent beyond her. It baffles me honestly.

 

[BT3100]

It's nuts!!!! Even after all the teams have returned from nationals the local board by me is littered with private tryout ads looking for pitching. Many of them have dropped the words stud, strong and dominate from the ads. I think they'd settle for a warm body that poses as a pitcher at this point.

If this trend keeps up I think we'll see a contraction of the sport at the higher levels due to the shortage of pitchers. I do believe there will still be kids who pitch, but they're not pitchers. Kinda like Goalies in hockey.

Totally calculated.
Girl goes to Nationals with her family and maybe the team didn't play well behind her, or she didn't get the innnings she expected.
These teams play on the emotions.