Not having Pitchers is no Fun

[barlowjames]

If one team has no eligible pitchers, the other team gets to pitch to themselves.

-W

Our U10 league had rule that after 4 walks the coach for the batting team pitched. Only strikes counted at that point. Now we are at U12 and it just get's ugly sometimes. Our game last night we scored 13 runs on 4 hits. Lots of base running practice, which is good, but it's real frustrating for the girls when they don't get anything to hit.

 

[JAD]

I actually watched a 14U rec game the other day while we were waiting for my DD team to start practice. It was scary how bad the pitching was compared to TB......my DD wanted to put on a jersey and pitch a few innings for them! LOL

 

[starsnuffer]

Our U10 league had rule that after 4 walks the coach for the batting team pitched. Only strikes counted at that point. Now we are at U12 and it just get's ugly sometimes. Our game last night we scored 13 runs on 4 hits. Lots of base running practice, which is good, but it's real frustrating for the girls when they don't get anything to hit.

What we did in our rec league at 10u was change it so that after 3 walks, the pitcher gets 3 balls. If she racks up 3 balls the coach comes in and pitches all remaining strikes. Any pitch the coach throws is a strike (even if they hit the batter). The pitcher returns for the next batter with the same rule in effect. It's worked really well so far and they've had to use it a lot less then you think. The problem with the coach pitching completely after 4 walks is the coach will put their four worst hitters in the top 4 spots telling them not to swing, and then their best batters will be thrown meatballs and the girls never learn how to hit properly, and the league suffers.

-W

 

[Sweet Lou]

I actually watched a 14U rec game the other day while we were waiting for my DD team to start practice. It was scary how bad the pitching was compared to TB......my DD wanted to put on a jersey and pitch a few innings for them! LOL

Why is it scary? Most of the good pitchers in rec go on to TB full time by 12U and many in TB have full time pitching coaches. Most of the rec pitchers are just the best athlete on their team and few have any formal training or lessons. It's not surprising the difference in quality of pitching.

There are some exceptions in rec, the diamonds in the rough so to speak but usually those are the ones who are in rec either beacuse they play select soccer and don't have time for TB or because the family can't afford travel ball are out of rec and playing for the local high school team by age 14.

At least that is the way it is by us.

 

[PA SB Dad]

Quincy, I commend your altruism and that you understand the purpose of rec ball is to give everyone an opportunity to play. However, the other side of the coin is that if players know they get to pitch regardless of whether they practice, they have no incentive to improve. Sometimes in rec, I think we make it too easy for players not to "fail". We have run limits in our rec league, and I think it's the worst thing we ever did - there is no incentive for our pitchers to improve if they know they can only give up 5 runs at a time!

I think you have to make a distinction between equal and fair. Just because you divide up pitching time equally, it does not mean it is fair to do it that way. Fairness IMO is based on a combination of ability and desire - you reward a kids ability to pitch, and you reward a kid's desire to pitch - ie you reward the effort they have made to learn to pitch, even though they don't quite have the ability yet. To reward otherwise is unfair.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Quincy, what are the pitching restrictions per day and per week? Let's break this down.

In our rec days DD could pitch 10 innings a calendar week, 4 innings in a day she had to take the next/game day off.

This is not baseball, no need for 5 pitchers if you can work the system.

What I did was run my best 3 pitchers 2 innings a piece each game. That kept their inning count down and I could always pitch my best ( one ) every game.

Pitcher A - the best
B - second best
C- third best

Easy games. C, then B, then A 2 innings a piece ( I love a good closer )

Even matched games. B for 2 innings to start ( see what score is ) either leave her in one more to save my A from the 4 inning rule, or bring in A to pitch final 4 innings.

Of coarse you have to take into consideration your next opponent and game schedule dealing with pitching restrictions. But the 2x2x2 worked great for me in rec.

 

[redhotcoach]

Quincy, what are the pitching restrictions per day and per week? Let's break this down.

In our rec days DD could pitch 10 innings a calendar week, 4 innings in a day she had to take the next/game day off.

This is not baseball, no need for 5 pitchers if you can work the system.

What I did was run my best 3 pitchers 2 innings a piece each game. That kept their inning count down and I could always pitch my best ( one ) every game.

Pitcher A - the best
B - second best
C- third best

Easy games. C, then B, then A 2 innings a piece ( I love a good closer )

Even matched games. B for 2 innings to start ( see what score is ) either leave her in one more to save my A from the 4 inning rule, or bring in A to pitch final 4 innings.

Of coarse you have to take into consideration your next opponent and game schedule dealing with pitching restrictions. But the 2x2x2 worked great for me in rec.

This is my system:
Girl that can throw a pitch that goes forward and not behind you, you'll be pitcher every game, every pitch.

6 tb pitchers sort of 4 more girls that can throw a strike every 4 pitches, divide by 10 teams=not a lot of fun for a few of the teams.

 

[Momo'sDad]

That only leaves 2 or at the most 3 innings for the other players. If HC says we have 5 other pitchers the math does not add up to me.

The only 2 games we have been winning after the 1st inning was when we were winning after the 3rd inning with DD pitching the 1st 3 innings. We were losing after the 4th in both these games.

HC has the same thinking as you, just does not seem fair to me.

While I think it's terrific you have so many players interested in pitching, I don't believe it's beneficial to any of them to try to get as many pitchers into each game as possible. The pitcher should be pitching the most and the beginners should be sharing what's left. If that means 5 girls share the remaining 2-3 innings, then that's the deal. If your coach insists that they all must get in each game, then he needs to rotate them every 2 batters.

Last year, 6 girls got to pitch at some point on my team during the rec season. We had 2 main pitchers, plus 4 girls who wanted to try it who then earned the right to get out there after demonstrating that they'd been working on pitching outside of team practice. They got an inning or 2 here and there during the course of the season. We played everyone at multiple positions, everyone got infield time, about half the team got circle time, and we were competitive in most every game we played. We had a great season and all but 1 player returned to the league this year.

During the fall TB season, we had 2 pitchers and then 2 reserves who came in during mop-up time (I did give 1 a start, though). #1 and #2 earned and kept their positions all season, but there was open competition at all times.

This year, I had 3 pitchers and all could have started for any other team in our 9-team division. I had a #1 that was kept pretty much on ice the entire 1st half of the season, a great #2 workhorse who pulled most of the load, and then a terrific #3 who came through multiple times in tough spots for us. No one ever pitched an entire game by herself. I rotated the starts pretty evenly, and they generally pitched between 2-4 innings per game. I used 2 in most games, and pitched 3 a few times, mainly during that stretch when we played 5 games in 7 days.

Each of the pitchers got adequate circle time to foster their development as pitchers, and at the same time, our team was very competitive. All 3 made the All-star team (1 as a pitcher), and it's possible that #2 may also pitch some this summer.

It's possible to achieve a myriad of goals with a little common sense and patience.

 

[3sDad]

Sad, but the fact that most kids that CAN pitch, go to TB teams, but it is what it is...What % of kids take the time and effort to learn to pitch well?...

 

[David Carter]

This seems like a hard spot, this rec season I had one real pitcher, one OK pitcher and one get it over the plate pitcher. I pitched my ace most games and the other two saw limited action, when we had big leads or when ace could not make it (she plays travel Volleyball). I would work really hard with the couple pitcher you think have promise and focus of simple mechanics and throw strikes.

The biggest thing you really need to work on is hitting and fielding. Not throwing the ball around and getting all the outs you are supposed to and making solid contact at the plate can overcome a lot.