Would you take this girl?

[FrozenRope]

I'm OK with her not being able to slide right now because I really fear she would get hurt. She runs so slow if she tried to slide it would be more like just sitting down. She's just a big uncoordinated kid. She got with a great pitching coach and for some reason she took to it and is really good at pitching. I'd say her work ethic is top notch. She pitches 4 nights a week every week for about 18 months. She rides one hour each way to go to pitching practice every week year round. I think that shows she is willing to work. We will continue to work on the rest of her game.

Again it was just a question of would you want the best pitcher on your team or would you prefer an all around athlete. I know if I was coaching the team I would want the best pitcher. Obviously the coach of the team felt differently.

I'm going to be really critical here. Don't tell me that a kid that can't run, cant slide....basically cant move efficiently... is a really good pitcher. I don't buy it. She may be able to throw a strike with a goofy @ss motion in a younger age group so it makes her effective.... but don't try to sell me this kid as the future of my program as my ace if nobody is willing to teach her how to be an athlete. It will not happen. Period.

 

[dgh31]

I'm going to be really critical here. Don't tell me that a kid that can't run, cant slide....basically cant move efficiently... is a really good pitcher. I don't buy it. She may be able to throw a strike with a goofy @ss motion in a younger age group so it makes her effective.... but don't try to sell me this kid as the future of my program as my ace if nobody is willing to teach her how to be an athlete. It will not happen. Period.

You seem to be a little narrow minded. She is a really good pitcher. She doesn't have a goofy @ss motion. She's been taking lessons with Rich Balswick for over a year. He thinks she's a good pitcher. I think he's seen a few good pitchers in his day. I'm just saying she's not really an athlete.. but she can pitch really well. I don't know why that's hard to believe.

To everyone else who's mentioning the sliding. I get what you're saying.. but if you saw her run you might have a different opinion. In any case we should work more on other aspects of her game but she loves pitching and she's good at it so we end up doing that more.

 

[FrozenRope]

My point is this... you want her to be selected to a B level travel team. These coaches want athletes. They want pitchers....yes, but they also want them to be able to do SOMETHING else. Does a coach sit your dd in every game she doesn't pitch? If its a respectable team, he'll want at least 3 if not 4 pitchers. So then does he not use his other pitchers because he's got a pitcher that can't do anything else? She can become more athletic.... you just need to get her some help and put the time in. You not thinking she needs to slide is a red flag for me. I would not select your daughter as a coach.... just being honest. On a school team, only being able to pitch and only playing a game a day .... sure. But when you go to a tournament and play 6 or more games in a weekend, are you , and is she going to be happy sitting on the bench in 3, 4, or 5 of those six games?

Sorry about the goofy @$$ motion comment... I have a picture painted in my head based on how negatively you look at your daughter as an athlete... that it seems impossible to me that she can pitch well.... thinking to myself that pitching is an incredibly athletic activity.....

 

[grcsftbll]

The non-athletic pitcher on our team mostly sits when not pitching. If we're way up, way down, or playing a lower level team she plays 1B (she can catch well but it has to be a good throw or she won't get to the ball). She usually does hit though. She gets a LOT of RBIs. She's a big girl and very powerful. She is often out at 1B because she's not fast but will get the ball far enough out there that if there are base runners, they will usually score. If she is safe at 1B, he puts in a courtesy runner. She really is a good pitcher so it's not at all impossible that a girl can be a good pitcher but not an overall athlete. But yes, she is one that sits a good bit more than most of the other girls.

 

[BobInMadison]

Oddly enough, if the girl is a truly great pitcher, she may be more suited for an A team than a B team.

For example, DD 3's B team had 11 girls, 4 of whom pitch. DD 3 is one of 2 starters, also a main relief pitcher plus an emergency pitcher. Even the 3 and 4 pitchers used to start for C teams.
Every one of thosse pitchers can play other positions well. DD 3 is a true utility player, and can play all 9 positions. She is the emergency (#3) catcher. One or two of the other pitchers could catch if needed.

With 11 girls, every girl has to play in every game. In some tournaments only 9 girls will be available. In a few games, perhaps 8 girls. A team like that cannot afford to have a girl who only pitches.

An A team with 15 or so girls could.