I watched a game tonight where the pitcher threw 120 or so pitches.

 

How many is too many?

The same young man threw 120 odd pitches just a week or so ago also.

Here we go....

Here we go....

 

Where are we going, just wondering?

I watched a game tonight where the pitcher threw 120 or so pitches.

 

How many is too many?[/QUOTE]

 

Ask the coach at Campbellsville University...

I threw around 140 in a game my senior year. That's probably too much.

120 is pushing a bit too many and most Big Leaguers dont throw that many. I played with a kid who threw 179 at the age of 16 and this was at his dads discretion. So, I would think 120 is too many especially for a high school arm.

Edited May 20, 200917 yr by Ram
Rule 13

I would say 120 is the top end regardless of what you are throwing. If you throw fastball after fastball and not many breaking balls, then 120 is not abusive. If you throw 40+ breaking balls in those 120, then that is a problem. The low pitch count innings in the late innings makes it less of an issue also. It also depends on your future. If you are like the Campbellsville kid, you know your career is over and you're done pitching, then what's the harm?

I would say 120 is the top end regardless of what you are throwing. If you throw fastball after fastball and not many breaking balls, then 120 is not abusive. If you throw 40+ breaking balls in those 120, then that is a problem. The low pitch count innings in the late innings makes it less of an issue also. It also depends on your future. If you are like the Campbellsville kid, you know your career is over and you're done pitching, then what's the harm?

 

This kid threw quite a few curveballs.

My personal take on this is that sometimes you can extend a pitcher in certain situations.

Perhaps the kid is a senior, where he will be a bit more physically developed than say a sophomore or even a junior. Also, it was a warm day today and that helps keep a player's arm loose and won't allow it to tighten up as much as it would when you are younger. It also depends on the kid himself. If he has a history of recovering well and is honest with you about how his arm feels on a regular basis (it is possible to tell that a kid isn't honest with you), then sometimes I don't see the harm in extending him into the 120s on an occasion or two throughout the season, especially in situations like these.

 

Again, these are just my thoughts. I'm not in favor of getting a kid's arm hurt, but I believe that there are times you can stretch a pitcher out and it isn't that bad of a thing.

My personal take on this is that sometimes you can extend a pitcher in certain situations.

Perhaps the kid is a senior, where he will be a bit more physically developed than say a sophomore or even a junior. Also, it was a warm day today and that helps keep a player's arm loose and won't allow it to tighten up as much as it would when you are younger. It also depends on the kid himself. If he has a history of recovering well and is honest with you about how his arm feels on a regular basis (it is possible to tell that a kid isn't honest with you), then sometimes I don't see the harm in extending him into the 120s on an occasion or two throughout the season, especially in situations like these.

 

Again, these are just my thoughts. I'm not in favor of getting a kid's arm hurt, but I believe that there are times you can stretch a pitcher out and it isn't that bad of a thing.

 

Solid answer.

For a high school kid, I would say 110-115 is the limit.

IMO it has a lot to do with how many pitches "per inning". I would be worried with the 41 pitch first inning. If a kid can throw 18 pitches an inning and he is a Senior or a player who's body has "developed", then maybe 120 isn't too bad. I think a lot of kids get hurt when they are left in an inning and walks, errors and hits add up to a high pitch count without a little time to recover between an inning.:idunno:

Do you take out a Boone Co. runningback after 30 rushing attempts?

 

Do you take out a Villa shooting guard after 25 shot attempts?

 

In my opinion, the pitch count is only a number. Coaches should be in constant contact with their pitcher to be sure he feels okay between innings, but it everything is fine, send him back out there. I do agree with a previous poster who said it depends on the age of the kid, weather, etc. but I think the most important part of it all is communication.

Do you take out a Boone Co. runningback after 30 rushing attempts?

 

Do you take out a Villa shooting guard after 25 shot attempts?

 

In my opinion, the pitch count is only a number. Coaches should be in constant contact with their pitcher to be sure he feels okay between innings, but it everything is fine, send him back out there. I do agree with a previous poster who said it depends on the age of the kid, weather, etc. but I think the most important part of it all is communication.

 

Communication is always key, but to compare pitching to shooting a basketball is not even close to being the same thing.