Top Of The 7th

At Braves request...

High school baseball....top of the 7th game tied 1-1; both pitchers have thrown 100 pitches.....

What do you do?

 

Who is in the bull pen? what's their experience? what games do you have coming up? Is it conf or non-conf?

How late in the season? What do they normally go?

 

early season...closer threw yesterday 1 inning...

give starter a chance or save his arm?

both pitchers are seniors, have given up 3 hits each, both have 10 Ks...both have matched inning for inning....this is a conference game...

anymore details gives too much away...

How important is the game?
You are the coach.....

 

Everyone will disagree with me BUT.....

I don't care whether its a freshman or a senior .... 100 pitches early on is about the max I would want to see.

The closer has a job, pitching 1 inning per game (even back-2-back days) ... he gets the ball in the 7th and you hope to win it .... if still playing in the 8th ... go to the pen (#3) guy.

It's a long season. Don't hurt someone who can eat innings effectively.

 

State play-offs only take 2 from your conference....

 

Can't help it, playme.....it's still HS baseball. It sounds as if both pitchers will be going beyond HS...will not jeopardize his arm or future..." Sorry kid, you pitched a heckuva game, but I need you down the road.....NEXT"

 

i agree guys...100 pitchs is max in my book.. i would look at the situation @ 90 pitchs... that shoulder and elbow can only take so much..." Great job guys, now get some ice."

 

I disagree, because I can remember when I played that I wanted to stay in regardless of the pitch count. Today I believe basebll teams are ran by the parents to an extent. I think in this certain situation the 2 pitchers knew that they were in a huge ballgame and both wanted to win. The only person that really knows if it is time to come out is the player himself. I believe that if either one of these players would have said "coach I'm finished, take me out" then any coach would have removed them. Obviously since that didn't happen, both coaches allowed their players to continue, closely monitoring their arm strength. Again I am wondering if this thread was started by a parent, and if so then that explains everything. Sometimes we claim to be different than other's, when deep down we are really alike.

 

Not real sure what this means...but the scenario described by playme is a no brainer. A coach that allowed his pitcher to continue after throwing 100 pitches so early in the season is not a coach that will last long in baseball at any level....and as a player, coach or parent, I would certainly question that coach's motivation for doing so.

And I agree 100% with you, ajax, that neither pitcher would want to come out. Players described in this case are competitive and never want to come out.

But you would hope that a coach has the experience, maturity and wisdom to make the right decision.

You know, if a ML manager won't allow his pitchers, who are older, better trained and paid professional, to throw 100 pitches early in the year, why would you expect some 17-18 year old kid to do that.

 

I fully agree with Braves ... Even in pro ball after the completion of spring training and well into the regular season, most professional pitchers are on a pitch count. To expect anything different from a 17-18 year old is inviting injury.

If a pitcher is at 100 pitches after 6 innings, regardless of what you may think, his control isn't that good. Allowing only 3 hits, but throwing 100 pitches (as described) means that he has been going deep into the count very frequently. When you get tired, particularly in the legs early in the season, you have a tendency to raise the release point fractionally. One inch higher at delivery is 7 inches higher (and potentially 380 feet further) at the plate.

Yank 'em.