Travel Ball Realizations

[GunnerShotgun]

Let's not impose arbitrary limits on pitchers and dumb down the game because some coaches fail to attract and retain talent.

I am just saying there isn't enough talent in pitching to go around. It's not like baseball where I can get my SS to come in and give me an inning of relief in a blowout.

If you haven't pitched fastpitch before or had training, it isn't going to end well.

Just my anecdotal observations.

 

[sbmom19]

I am just saying there isn't enough talent in pitching to go around. It's not like baseball where I can get my SS to come in and give me an inning of relief in a blowout.

If you haven't pitched fastpitch before or had training, it isn't going to end well.

Just my anecdotal observations.

My DD (16U) is a catcher who also plays 3rd and 1st. In addition to that, she can pitch. Is she the best one out there? No. But she throws hard and she throws strikes. She has come in and closed games for pitchers that are in trouble or to rest a pitcher. Does she do it often? No. But she can. You'd be surprised how many there are out there like her...

 

[dbronstein]

I look forward to the day that all parents and coaches recognize that softball pitching puts similar strain and stress on the arm (and more on the back) as overhand pitching. That recognition leads to the development and use of a pitching STAFF.

I've wondered about this, especially now that my DD is pitching (not that she's pitching so much that it's a concern yet). Is throwing all these innings safe?

I definitely see your point. I think one of the things that helps on DD's team is that everyone plays even if they are not pitching. The team bats lineup every game and bench is rotated each inning so they all play every game regardless of whether they pitch.

Another question I've had. On TB teams, do pitchers play other positions or do they mostly sit when they aren't pitching?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I am just saying there isn't enough talent in pitching to go around. It's not like baseball where I can get my SS to come in and give me an inning of relief in a blowout.

If you haven't pitched fastpitch before or had training, it isn't going to end well.

Just my anecdotal observations.

I agree here, I've pitched a baseball for.........well..........a long time. You wouldn't want me pitching fastpitch. Funny thing is, I was my DD's only instructor ( except a few weeks at 9yo, instructor was an idiot ), but I can't pitch with that crazy "unfamiliar" motion.

I will go to my grave with the notion, if I had a "fat" credit card, I could put a bullpen together of very different pitchers.....a starter....a relief......maybe mid-relief......and a closer, to beat a single ( high level ) college stud pitcher over a season. The problem is, there are so many colleges desperate for pitchers that can out "offer" the competition over a bullpen........due to the difficulty of the pitching "art".

But, there are more fastpitch pitchers than we had 30 years ago, more than 20 years ago, more than 10 years ago. Maybe the evolution/revolution is on the horizon?? Real travel baseball, 25 years ago when I was playing, only had a few who could really "pitch". Now there are tens of 1000's who can hold their own. Is softball heading in that direction?

 

[Little Angels Softball]

I am just saying there isn't enough talent in pitching to go around.

Yes there is. There are just too many teams.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Yes, I know that "circle time" is necessary to improve. Live game experience is critical to improvement at any other position as well. However, the real improvement comes during practice (i.e., official team practice, private lessons, but more so independent practice), when mechanics are being learned and refined. If my sweet little DD doesn't have good pitching/throwing/hitting/fielding mechanics in practice, no amount of game time is going to make those mechanics any better. Frankly, the more game experience gained with poor mechanics, the longer the road becomes for correcting those faults and developing sound mechanics that can hold up under game conditions. If my DD were a pitcher, I'd be inclined to keep her out of the game circle until she had mastered the basics in practice.

IMO, today there aren't enough good pitchers because only the best pitchers get to pitch and the others stop developing/playing because they don't get a chance.

 

[riseball]

Ok, let's play. Hypothetically no more than X innings per pitcher per day. Actual number does not matter since it is a totally arbitrary number. Given that restriction which scenario is most plausible:

#1 The best pitchers will join forces on the best teams and those without pitching talent will fold and ride off into the sunset. Although fewer teams the level of play will be much higher.

OR

#2 The best pitchers will join forces on the best teams and those without pitching talent will remain, Coaches will still put their DD's and anyone who can fog a mirror in the circle and complain endlessly about how there is not enough pitching talent to go around. On the plus side the limited reintroduction of slingshot pitching will be interesting.

I am going to go out on a limb and suggest #2 is the most likely scenario.

 

[FP26]

Another question I've had. On TB teams, do pitchers play other positions or do they mostly sit when they aren't pitching?

We have four pitchers. Three that pitch most of the innings. The fourth will pitch in relief if one of the top three struggles. All four of them play different positions. This seems to be the case with most teams in our area, although I am familiar with a couple of pitchers that only pitch. In fact I know one team that has two pitchers that basically alternate games. They pitch one game and then sit on the bench for the next game. Neither ever hits.

 

[mike s]

As a pitcher's parent and now also a pitcher's (step-)grandparent here is my take on circle time, number of pitcher's on a team and inning limits for pitchers. So some quick back ground, first DD played rec and HS, would guest on occasion for a travel team, she is no longer playing. Second DD did rec until just before HS and now is 18u travel. DGD is playing 3rd year rec will be moving to travel soon, just not sure when. DGD is playing fall rec right now and not pitching, other girls are better than her but deep down I do wish she could get a little circle time. It’s more difficult to keep her motivated to practice when she knows she will not get any game time in the circle. My thoughts are what the @#$% this is rec but the coaches apparently view these games differently than I do.
DD2's team over the last summer season had 3 primary P and one who P in HS but did not want to P in the summer. DD2 was new to her team this year and the youngest of the 3. Coach would often have 2 girls P a game and on occasion would use all 3 to give the batters different looks. I personally like this strategy, but I can imagine that some are thinking that these must be weaker pitchers. I look at it this way, all three work hard at their craft, none of them will be in the CWS or play pro ball yet they keep working. I prefer my DD to be on a team where she is one of the Ps whether the top gun or not as long as she gets sometime in the circle. During the big game, whatever that may be, I would expect the coach to go with the hot hand whether that is my DD or one of the other Ps. Even the Ace can have an off day, a good HC knows who is hot and when let the P try to work her way out of a hole and when to pull the P before she is in over her head.
As far as inning limits I am not in favor of them, who would want to win a game/tournament just because the opponent ran out of pitching at the end of the game. It would feel like a hollow win. Sure the argument could be made one set of coaches did a better job of managing innings and recruiting but that’s not what the games are supposed to be about.
My final thought is that it is hard to get decent players in the other positions outside the circle if the team “has no pitching.” The HC knows that he will likely loss his best players if he pitches a lesser pitcher and the team is not getting wins because of poor pitching. Most coaches want to coach and keep good player, so they have a bias to pitch the better pitcher more often. My hope is more coaches learn how to take advantage of pitcher with different strengths and make even a weaker pitcher an asset to the team. I don’t see this debate ending any time soon. Although if history is a teacher, this may well be the last post in this thread. LOL

 

[dbronstein]

Ok, let's play. Hypothetically no more than X innings per pitcher per day. Actual number does not matter since it is a totally arbitrary number. Given that restriction which scenario is most plausible:

#1 The best pitchers will join forces on the best teams and those without pitching talent will fold and ride off into the sunset. Although fewer teams the level of play will be much higher.

OR

#2 The best pitchers will join forces on the best teams and those without pitching talent will remain, Coaches will still put their DD's and anyone who can fog a mirror in the circle and complain endlessly about how there is not enough pitching talent to go around. On the plus side the limited reintroduction of slingshot pitching will be interesting.

I am going to go out on a limb and suggest #2 is the most likely scenario.

Baseball already has this restriction, among others (depedning on the league or tourney), so we know how it will play out. And that is:

#3: coaches develop more pitchers.

As Greenmonsters said, how many girls give up on pitching because they know they aren't going to get a chance? I'd bet more would stick with it if they knew they were going to pitch even just a couple of innings every third or fourth game. And coaches would spend the time working with them because they'd need them to pitch.