Pitchers...day after a game

[justanotherguy]

*We should institute a pitch count*

YES YES YES, F'ING YES! Imagine that, HAVING to develop more pitchers and not rely on your one stud to win all the games? NOOoooooo!

That also brings up a solid part of the strategy game. Do you blow everyone out with your two studs only to get slaughtered in the semi-finals? Or do you play it safe hoping to make it to the semi's, then unleash the hell-fire? Seems like yesterday my DD was playing travel baseball and this was such a common theme.

 

[Powerof9]

I dont understand why pitch counts are not in place already especially for girls pre puberty. I really believe we should limit the amount of games these girls play in a day. In college its rare to play more than 2, 7 inning games in a day. So, why are we playing 5, 6 or 7 games on a Saturday in 10u. Even if the games average 4 innings that is still 20 to 28 innings in a day! Its unreal and then we wonder why the girls get burned out. Travel should start after the age of 13, meaning 14u and up OR limit the girls to a maximum of 3 games in a day. What if we dont have a trophy at every tournament? What if we limit each team to 3 games per day? What if we have a travel season not trophies every weekend?

 

[justanotherguy]

...OR limit the girls to a maximum of 3 games in a day...

Coming from a DD that played baseball up to 14u and was actually signed up for 18u rec this season (that got cancelled) the one thing that really got me was a comment she made just a few days ago. She's 16 now and going back and forth between does she want to do this in college or not. She said she doesn't really hate the game, she just hates giving up her ENTIRE weekend, morning, day and night, to the game. I reflected back to baseball where you, AT MOST, played 3 games in a day. 9 times outta 10, it was 2 games, always close together, then you're done. Your 2 games on Saturday determine the bracket you're in. Then your 2 games Sunday determine whether you advance and win that bracket, or lose then end up in the "consolation" bracket. When she made the move over to softball, the brackets confused the hell out of me! Yes, the games are longer in baseball, but you get them done. This isn't a discussion on which is better, simply maybe one side could learn from the other kinda thing. The innings are exactly the same. 3 strikes you're out, 3 outs, switch it up. Pitch counts should become a common standard. Yes, softball pitching is safer than baseball. However, it's still a constant, repetitive, high stress motion.