Can college players or high school pitchers pitch for money?

[Strike2]

T-work, machine, and front toss is pretty good practice. Yes, if you can pay a pitcher, that's no problem. A dozen ABs in a weekend tournament isn't bad.

Do not allow your kid to throw any more team BP. Not only is she not getting swings, she is doing herself no good as a pitcher in more than one way. The only time I might have one of my own pitchers throwing live during practice is for a bunting drill.

 

[Hillhouse]

For a long time, I would do 1/2 pitching lessons and half BP where I threw live to hitters. Obviously I didn't try to blow it past them but, I would throw harder than they would see on weekends with more movement. We'd also work on learning how to pick pitchers, identifying grips from the backswing that 99% of pitchers do, etc. I did this weekly with an Ohio 12U team for about 4 years, 9 of 10 players went on to play D1, P5 schools and mid majors. Cause of me? No, but it absolutely helped.

As for paying the pitchers, why would you or they report that? Pay them cash and then it's "don't ask, don't tell".

 

[Hillhouse]

T-work, machine, and front toss is pretty good practice. Yes, if you can pay a pitcher, that's no problem. A dozen ABs in a weekend tournament isn't bad.

Do not allow your kid to throw any more team BP. Not only is she not getting swings, she is doing herself no good as a pitcher in more than one way. The only time I might have one of my own pitchers throwing live during practice is for a bunting drill.

Personally, I threw BP all the time when I was young to my team. And as I got older, I found it was the best way to work through mechanical problems I may have been experiencing.

I don't understand why everyone thinks it's so bad.

 

[texasheat]

Personally, I threw BP all the time when I was young to my team. And as I got older, I found it was the best way to work through mechanical problems I may have been experiencing.

I don't understand why everyone thinks it's so bad.

If done correctly (key word there is correctly) it can be extremely beneficial. The issue is, 95% of the travel ball and high school coaches have no clue as to how to do it correctly. Then it becomes detrimental.

1. You don't put someone out there without employing a pitch count. 30 pitches max before a break. 120 pitches max for the session.
2. You don't put someone out there and tell them to only throw strikes.
3. You don't put someone out there and tell them to only throw fastballs.
4. You don't put someone out there without employing a pitch count.
5. Did I mention that you absolutely must employ a pitch count?

 

[Strike2]

Personally, I threw BP all the time when I was young to my team. And as I got older, I found it was the best way to work through mechanical problems I may have been experiencing.

I don't understand why everyone thinks it's so bad.

There's a big difference between throwing "BP" and throwing the way an active pitcher should. I'd think that you'd understand that before anyone. Pitching in a scrimmage situation where the pitcher is trying to strike people out is one thing, but "BP" is about throwing pitches that hitters can put a bat on. Not only is that personally very dangerous to a pitcher (likely working without a screen), she's not working on her game. She's using up her arm not for pitching practice, but deliberately throwing an unknown number of pitches intended to be hit.

 

[Strike2]

If done correctly (key word there is correctly) it can be extremely beneficial. The issue is, 95% of the travel bill and high school coaches have no clue as to how to do it correctly. Then it becomes detrimental.

1. You don't put someone out there without employing a pitch count. 30 pitches max before a break. 120 pitches max for the session.
2. You don't put someone out there and tell them to only throw strikes.
3. You don't put someone out there and tell them to only throw fastballs.
4. You don't put someone out there without employing a pitch count.
5. Did I mention that you absolutely must employ a pitch count?

Yes, both ends can benefit when doing it this way, but what you've described is the foundation for a "practice at-bat with live pitching", not "batting practice".

 

[Lobster Birch]

Personally, I threw BP all the time when I was young to my team. And as I got older, I found it was the best way to work through mechanical problems I may have been experiencing.

I don't understand why everyone thinks it's so bad.

If I understand right, players are required to keep track of money they earn giving lessons, probably linked to the fact that they are only supposed to charge the "going rate" for such services, not supposed to use their likeness to promote clinics etc. However, that's on them, not you.

 

[texasheat]

Yes, both ends can benefit when doing it this way, but what you've described is the foundation for a "practice at-bat with live pitching", not "batting practice".

Yeah it's semantics. I'm certain that Bill knows how to run one properly. He may have called it BP but I knew what he was talking about.

 

[black17]

what does it cost you for each?

I have paid up to $50 total for 20 to 30 minutes. Typical is $40ish. Sometimes I just pay the pitcher the entire amount. Other times I split it depending on who is pitching. I have gotten away with just a pizza and a couple sodas though too. If they want more, I just remind them its easy $ and if they want to make more $ we can do more days.

That's for one hitter with the ability to work on what we want to see. Your best bet is college kids hands down. If you are lucky like we have been, the college catchers have given us fantastic feedback on what they see about my DD. Some can get a hitter figured out pretty quick. Amazing really.

 

[Hillhouse]

There's a big difference between throwing "BP" and throwing the way an active pitcher should. I'd think that you'd understand that before anyone. Pitching in a scrimmage situation where the pitcher is trying to strike people out is one thing, but "BP" is about throwing pitches that hitters can put a bat on. Not only is that personally very dangerous to a pitcher (likely working without a screen), she's not working on her game. She's using up her arm not for pitching practice, but deliberately throwing an unknown number of pitches intended to be hit.

and your hitter can get hit somewhere during BP or scrimmage. There's risk in everything. For a pitcher, especially one who is struggling with something mechanically, NOTHING beats repetitive BP... yes just letting them hit it. Of course there's benefits to the "live pitching" or "simulated games".

I always had a rule during BP, YOU hit me, I hit YOU. When a pitcher is serving it up and throwing pitches for hitters, there's NO Reason someone should hit the ball up the middle at them. Pull the inside, take the outside pitches to opposite field. If your hitters cannot do that, use a pitching screen. The pitcher can still get his/her work done with one of those.

I spent my teenage years pitching as much BP as I could to the men's teams. This would be like your 13 yr old daughter throwing BP to Oklahoma or UCLA. It's also how I pitched in leagues, against grown men. And it was "chuck and duck" (throw it and duck for cover) as a kid playing against adults. But, it made me better.