When does the coach tell pitchers when they are going to pitch?

[CLM265]

My DD had her first 10 tourney recently and on the first day she was told she wasn't going to pitch but to warm up just in case the pitcher needed to be pulled. Found out the next day that she was going to pitch against a much better team that day. Nothing like pitching against a really good 2nd year team for your first outing in 10U. She did just fine and pitched the whole game. What is the usual process at 10U of when one knows the pitching assignment?

 

[FrozenRope]

My DD had her first 10 tourney recently and on the first day she was told she wasn't going to pitch but to warm up just in case the pitcher needed to be pulled. Found out the next day that she was going to pitch against a much better team that day. Nothing like pitching against a really good 2nd year team for your first outing in 10U. She did just fine and pitched the whole game. What is the usual process at 10U of when one knows the pitching assignment?

This is an awefully hard question to answer. As a coach, I know my pitching staff...and their strengths. It depends on if I get to see a team before we play them. Did the team we're playing light up a fireballer? If so, I throw my junk pitcher. If they were all over a slower pitcher.... I throw my fireballer. If you're a part of a well coached team....you likely will not know until game time who is in the circle. They may know teams from prior tourneys.... whose strong and whose not. They may throw the 2 or 3 pitcher if team they are playing is weak and the bracket looks like they'll line up against a really tough team if they win.

The scenarios are countless. Going into a tournament with a set pitching schedule tells me that either you have X number of pitchers that are clones of each other (highly unlikeley).....or you really are clueless, or you're all about fair play...not caring about winning tournament. A coach that makes his decisions based on the information he has available at the moment....like a chess match.... is the one I want my DD playing for.

 

[chinamigarden]

My DD had her first 10 tourney recently and on the first day she was told she wasn't going to pitch but to warm up just in case the pitcher needed to be pulled. Found out the next day that she was going to pitch against a much better team that day. Nothing like pitching against a really good 2nd year team for your first outing in 10U. She did just fine and pitched the whole game. What is the usual process at 10U of when one knows the pitching assignment?

I'm curious what you think would have been better. To tell her the day before that she would be pitching against this much better and more experienced team? And how would that have been a benefit.

If you are a pitcher you should be ready to pitch every day with only enough notice to warm up.

 

[cuzmail]

with only enough notice to warm up.

And there is the key.
If your HC isn't familiar with pitchers, then I hope someone on the coaching staff is. If not, then it can be frustrating.

 

[DOG310]

The scenarios are countless. Going into a tournament with a set pitching schedule tells me that either you have X number of pitchers that are clones of each other (highly unlikeley).....or you really are clueless, or you're all about fair play...not caring about winning tournament. A coach that makes his decisions based on the information he has available at the moment....like a chess match.... is the one I want my DD playing for.

^^^^ This

 

[James Smith]

This is one of my pet peeves.

For the most part DD pitches a lot. She doesn’t care if it is against a good opponent or not. She has pitched good games and has absolutely been pounded. Last game she didn’t make it out of the first inning and ended up back in the game in the second with no outs, longest game ever.

In 10U her coach decided that they needed to find another pitcher and shut DD for a month. (Of course their DD still pitched in every game) Her being shut down for a month is fine if it was communicated to her, we could have used that time to work on some things. It still annoys me a couple years later. Not that they shut her down but that they did not communicate it to her, we could have used that time to make her a better pitcher.

I think any circle time is good circle time, you need to find out what their plans are for your DD and plan accordingly. If DD is going to pitch over the weekend we will not pitch on Friday, if she is not going to pitch over the weekend she will pitch on Friday. It is OK if the coaches change their mind and throw her into a game or not but at least we have a schedule.

(Sorry for the rant)

 

[canyonjoe]

I think that coached even at 10U don't give the kids enough credit. I think that on Saturday at least you should tell them who is going to pitch what game. You can say be ready. I may be from a baseball world where pitch count is a bigger issue, but I hate seeing a pitcher warm up for 20-30 minute 3 times in a day when they only plan to pitch them in the third game.

The other thing I think is missing is that coaches fail sometimes to communicate when they are just giving someone a change to plays somewhere. It doesn't hurt to tell your number 2 catcher of 3rd baseman that you are letting number 3 play because it's a weaker team versus saying nothing and make them wonder how they lost their spot.

 

[CLM265]

Thanks for the input everyone. I know there are countless scenarios and there isn't a definitive answer. They are a young new team, with great organized coaches that are seeing pitching wise what they have during games. DD will get plenty of innings in so it's not a knock against them just wondering what the norm is. She'll adjust to what ever is asked of her. I'm just used to knowing in advance.

 

[CoachFP]

Tell them when it's time to warm up.

 

[WaSpeed02]

Our coaches don't tell the girls who is pitching until it's time to send them out to the circle. Point being they all need to be in the frame of mind of being the starting pitcher when they warm up. It also makes them focus on taking warm-ups seriously since how they warm up often determines who will start.