Pitching Adivice Needed:

[Gbucz]

I agree with pulling. Multiple walks are easier to understand being pulled but a few hits or fielding errors are tougher to swallow. If you have pitchers with different styles it becomes easier to explain as some hitters are always effective against certain styles. Once batters 'catch on' to one girl then a new look is guaranteed for a few outs. A good pitcher will understand while a poor pitcher will collapse. Parents at 12U also need the explanation too. Once they reach 14U everybody should be on the same page.

 

[glf0845]

This is one of the biggest differences from boys and girls. Boys grow up watching major league games and one of the things they learn is pitchers get pulled almost every game. No big deal. Some days you have it and some days you don't. We don't have to coddle pitchers. When we do "circle princesses" are made.

 

[starsnuffer]

Most of the circle princess are boy baseball pitchers. Talk about drama queens!

-W

 

[chinamigarden]

I have coached boys and girls. Treat them the same, if you aren't getting the job done you get pulled. Its as simple as that. Never had anyone give me a problem about it either.

 

[joeman39]

ok question.... let say your pitcher is getting pop ups and ground balls and your infield is making error after error... Do you pull your pitcher or those players making errors? I don't think many have pulled a infield player for making three errrors in one inning??? I've seen many pitchers pitch very good and the catcher or infield make error so they pull the pitcher and not the players who make the errors. Why is that? (oops I should also include outfield as well) Why do coaches not pull players on the field? just a thought...

 

[chinamigarden]

ok question.... let say your pitcher is getting pop ups and ground balls and your infield is making error after error... Do you pull your pitcher or those players making errors? I don't think many have pulled a infield player for making three errrors in one inning??? I've seen many pitchers pitch very good and the catcher or infield make error so they pull the pitcher and not the players who make the errors. Why is that? (oops I should also include outfield as well) Why do coaches not pull players on the field? just a thought...

the only time I have ever pulled a pitcher after errors by fielders is when it has made her change what she is doing. If she starts pressing and begins to over throw the ball trying for more strike outs. I have pulled her, basically because she is now throwing balls instead of strikes.

I have not had a player commit enough errors in one inning to cause them to need to be pulled. I don't know what I would have done if someone had 3 errors in a row.

 

[starsnuffer]

ok question.... let say your pitcher is getting pop ups and ground balls and your infield is making error after error... Do you pull your pitcher or those players making errors? I don't think many have pulled a infield player for making three errrors in one inning??? I've seen many pitchers pitch very good and the catcher or infield make error so they pull the pitcher and not the players who make the errors. Why is that? (oops I should also include outfield as well) Why do coaches not pull players on the field? just a thought...

Infield and outfield get 2 errors and then they are pulled. There IS a difference between an error made while hustling and a mental error, however.

The pitchers job in this situation is to lead and motivate the infielders. If the SS kicks the ball, the pitcher should get their back, something like, "Shake it off, Sally, this one's coming right back to you, you got this".

Last game my DD pitched of the summer season, she gave up 4 hits and one ER. Her team lost 11-5. She pitched the entire 7 innings. Stuff happens. She was left in (I'm not her coach) because her attitude and demeanor in the circle was consistent. If she started to get grumpy or emotional, I'm sure she would have been pulled.

-W

 

[Phathead]

Sometimes I think you have to look at whole sitiuation. Are errors being committed because they are hitting BB's due to pitcher serving it up or pitcher doing good job of throwing getting grounders and not getting support with what should be routine outs.

 

[Perfect Circle]

I was talking about walks, balls that catcher can't catch or block & they steal a base, and HBP. That is the only fair thing to do , and it should be across the board for everyone 1-9. If they can't, then they ain't a pitcher, to quote another like minded poster.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Here's the thing:

The coach puts the pitcher in the circle because he believes the pitcher can get the job done. This means that the pitcher has proven that she can pitch successfully either at a tryout, in practice, or previous games.

Now, if all of a sudden the pitcher in the game ceases to be able to pitch, and she is uninjured, then she must be suffering from a case of pitcher brain damage. Pitcher brain damage is what happens when the pitcher lets themselves get in the way of their pitching. For whatever reason, they start thinking about pitching, the brain becomes damaged, and their ability to pitch goes downhill rapidly.

A coach will go out to the circle to try to "settle" the pitcher. This is generally an attempt to cure brain damage within the span of 30 seconds or so. The coach tries this by either distracting the pitcher from whatever is on her mind, or employing a wide array of emotional treatments that range from compassion, encouragement, belittlement, and downright infuriating (some pitchers just pitch better pissed off).

If the attempt to cure the brain damage fails and the pitcher continues to struggle with the symptoms in the circle, it is the coaches job to remove the pitcher from the game so she can seek treatment.

My best advice to a pitcher is to leave whatever thoughts you have in the car and stand in the circle clear-headed and focused. You already know how to pitch. Let yourself pitch. No amount of "trying to fix it" is going to help. That was what practice was for and the time for that has passed. The second you start worrying about how to pitch is the second your ability to pitch will suffer. Don't let outside influences get to you. It isn't the dirt, the sun, your parents, your teammates, the bruise on your shin, the umpire, the coach, school, or whatever. It's just you. Now stop thinking and pitch.

-W

An experienced catcher can do the same and doesn't have a mound visit limit