Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Where have all the Pitchers gone?

[Buckeye_bomber00]

At 16U, there seems to be a never ending need for pitchers. Our team is one! But, lots of posts looking for pitchers. When my daughter started playing 8 years ago, everybody wanted to pitch and there were a lot of pitchers. Is it the fact that the game has been watered down with so many teams, and new organizations popping up? Or is there less interest because of fewer opportunities in college for pitchers....or a combination of issues? Thoughts?

 

[DougA10]

It has become a dangerous position to play, esp in college where some coaches will not let them wear that horrible mask.

 

[JoeA1010]

The topic of the post is one all of us college coaches have been asking all summer.

 

[phuncadelic]

My daughter is a pitcher in 14U and here in Virginia. I think part of it is the dedication it takes to be a pitcher. Some coaches say 70% of the game is pitching and unless you have 2-3 good ones it is hard to get through a 5 game tournament.
Pitching isn't part time, my daughter and I discuss pitching just about everyday. She has specific exercises she is doing, icing her shoulder etc ...... its a lot of work.

 

[coachjwb]

Great topic for discussion. As much as I support the mask issue, I doubt that is having much effect on the number or quality of pitchers.

Let me throw out a theory. This game used to be dominated by pitching. Pitchers were the players most willing to work the hardest and were rewarded for their work by being the "stars" of the game. With 40' pitching distances, they could blow batters away. But then hitters started working harder on their game ... lots of hitting coaches surfaced to meet that demand. The mound moved to 43' and the bats got hotter. The scoring of the game increased, and hitting the ball hard is more fun to most players and their parents than learning to throw balls that move to spots, and sometimes getting them pounded on by good hitters. Meanwhile, a lot of college pitchers don't get to hit much, if at all. And if you're not one of the top 2 pitchers on a team ... travel, high school or college ... you seldom get to pitch either.

Some of those top athletes who pitched in the past have decided to be hitters instead, and those who are still pitching are now facing those good top athletes. The pitching may not be any worse than it was, but it certainly looks worse.

Just a theory ...

 

[KillingMeSmalls]

I think the biggest reason for a shortage of 16U pitchers is the ever increasing number of teams and organizations. I know most 16U teams I'm familiar with all have 3 or more pitchers on their roster. There are only so many to pitchers to fill the demand. Basically we are too saturated with teams.

 

[Justamom]

I've met quite a few girls that said they used to pitch. When I asked why they gave it up the most common answer was they weren't given game time. The coach would always pitch the same girl. The second most common answer was all the extra time and money. My daughter was a pitcher for a minute, boy am I glad she gave that idea a pass. I don't have the heart for it. Too stressful!

 

[wannaplaysb]

I did not want a pitcher...Tried to convince her otherwise. Her older sister is not a pitcher. My best friend was a pitcher and I used to catch her in the streetlights after dark. Man it is a lot of work. Be a great hitter! Just field the balls and don't click your heels or step behind I said. I even took her out on a walking track and counted off 35 feet and told her if she overthrew she would have to go get it and I just turned around. It didn't matter to her. When she threw the ball through our balcony window I knew My words did not matter, She was going to be a pitcher. Now I just enjoy her ( in her facemask) pitching. She wants the rock and will pitch till her arm falls off on field and still go to pitching lessons on Monday. Guess the heart wants what the heart wants.

 

[Chad Strahler]

My daughter is a pitcher and she can hit the crap out of the ball. You can be both if your good enough and work on both...

 

[Pacerdad57]

I've seen coaches "ride the same horse" til she wears out, keep throwingg her and lose the game...ddon't get it myself
if ya got 3 pitchers use em all keep em fresh, and swap in and out to keep a different style going against the batters.
no circumstances let time definitely makes a girl either think about quitting other about moving teams....

 

[Fairman]

A top shelf pitcher takes a perfect storm of time, talent, dedication and opportunity.

A decade ago a girl could just throw the bejesus out of the ball and be successful and if she had a decent change up so much the better. Look at the scores in the WCWS games and there are no more 1-0 twelve inning games for proof.

Today throwing at 43' she needs breaking pitches. A college level pitcher may show her fastball off the plate but will seldom throw it for a strike. The batters are so much better and are looking for that machine like fastball. It takes years to develop those breaking pitches into weapons where they can be controlled. (IE: My 21 year old dd was finally able to throw her curve inside and have it move back into the strike zone for a bail-out and a called strike for the first time just last season. She has been working on it for at least 6 years and I thank the coaches that would let her throw it in a game when it wasn't under control.) ((And apologize to all those hit batters))

She has been pitching since she was 9. She has lost more than her share of games learning these skills. She has had coaches not throw her and coaches that over threw her. She has won and lost play-off games and meaningless games at 8:00AM on Saturdays; but though it all she has gone out and practiced and then took her shot in the games entrusted to her.

I think that the pitchers have actually improved both in speed and control in the region. A decade ago a High School Level pitching throwing in the low 50's with a change-up would be successful. We now expect them to be at least in the mid-upper 50's with a change-up and at least one breaking pitch. (don't flip out, I said a High School Pitcher; I am NOT talking about a stud D-1 recruit or the radar at the WCWS) No longer can your short-stop just throw for fun and be successful. Each serious travel team must find at least two and probably three quality pitchers. The days of riding one horse are rapidly fading into the sunset.

Sure there are more teams today and since the position is so much harder than at any time in the past that it takes a decade of continuous dedicated practice and performance to become that quality pitcher that you are looking for. The learning curve is so much longer and the hill is much steeper that girls do drop off but for those that stick it out, they are rewarded by be given the ball in college and taking the mound one more time.

 

[coachjwb]

Fairman ... I think we pretty much agree ... you just said it better than me though I think. My DD was also a pitcher in college, and she worked so hard at her craft over the years. She was not blessed with as many physical gifts as some others, and she certainly got knocked around pretty good sometimes, but I know she would never trade back all that time and effort, nor would I ... it was worth it for her. Fortunately at the D3 level, she was also able to hit and play some outfield, though she didn't have as much time to work on those skills as she would have liked due to the time spent on pitching. But the game continues to evolve, and I believe the points you and I presented are significant factors why there not only are less pitchers, but the quality of the pitching doesn't seem as strong.

I know coach Joe commented on this thread earlier ... I will be interested in his further takes on this, and I'd like to talk about this more with him and others on an upcoming radio show.

 

[Buckeye_bomber00]

My own daughter is also a pitcher who really does not want to pitch anymore. Years of lessons and bucket sessions have given way to wanting to be that offensive and defensive player. She has put equal time in her hitting. I don't argue you get recognized equally. Perhaps, more as a standout hitter. I think even as coaches, we fall into failing to praise those girls in the circle. It is expected that they do their job. I think a lot of teams give up hitting ability for a quality pitcher. The bottom line is they get in the circle because they love it! But, as a dad and a coach, ultimately we do what is best for our kids and players. We had a family follow us to the parking lot in Dayton. They told my DD that they have been around travel softball a long time, had watched a couple of our games, and had only ever seen a few players hit balls as far and as high as she did....they told her she just has an effortless, nice swing with a ton of power! They offered her to come and play her senior HS in Indiana! How much glory is in the circle and how do we as coaches bring back the art of pitching? I pitches all through HS and in college, and the extra work does not hold a lot of water with me. It is a lot of work, but so is being great at anything we do.

 

[Chad Strahler]

Not sure I agree with being a standout hitter gets more recognition than a standout pitcher. Even today, everyone knows the team goes as the pitcher goes. A standout hitter only hits once in a while, while the pitcher handles the ball all the time. But... I am a pitchers dad so I could be biased.

 

[Buckeye_bomber00]

Not sure I agree with being a standout hitter gets more recognition than a standout pitcher. Even today, everyone knows the team goes as the pitcher goes. A standout hitter only hits once in a while, while the pitcher handles the ball all the time. But... I am a pitchers dad so I could be biased.

I don't disagree with you, but perception has changed even for the girls!

 

[Coach E.]

The topic of the post is one all of us college coaches have been asking all summer.

Could also be that being recruited as a pitcher is extremely difficult. I have 2 very good pitchers on my team. One in particular can throw low 60's has a very good drop ball and an awesome change up and has been very effective against upper level teams we have played these past 2 seasons. We are a second year 14u team. She attended the Kent State camp this past winter. We have also played in 2 local PGF tournaments that were attended by a lot of college coaches at every division level. She has also attended camps. With that said she hasn't received much if any interest from colleges. Even from the camps she has attended. Seems most colleges are recruiting pitchers from out of state more than local.

 

[Buckeye_bomber00]

Could also be that being recruited as a pitcher is extremely difficult. I have 2 very good pitchers on my team. One in particular can throw low 60's has a very good drop ball and an awesome change up and has been very effective against upper level teams we have played these past 2 seasons. We are a second year 14u team. She attended the Kent State camp this past winter. We have also played in 2 local PGF tournaments that were attended by a lot of college coaches at every division level. She has also attended camps. With that said she hasn't received much if any interest from colleges. Even from the camps she has attended. Seems most colleges are recruiting pitchers from out of state more than local.

That makes a lot of sense....and most girls who watch the WCWS know that!

 

[Miller]

A second year 14u in the low 60s good drop and change and not being recruited? Is she sending emails and doing things to help herself? If all the info on speed etc.. Is accurate schools should be all over her. Very few girls are actually in the 60s

 

[Chad Strahler]

Could also be that being recruited as a pitcher is extremely difficult. I have 2 very good pitchers on my team. One in particular can throw low 60's has a very good drop ball and an awesome change up and has been very effective against upper level teams we have played these past 2 seasons. We are a second year 14u team. She attended the Kent State camp this past winter. We have also played in 2 local PGF tournaments that were attended by a lot of college coaches at every division level. She has also attended camps. With that said she hasn't received much if any interest from colleges. Even from the camps she has attended. Seems most colleges are recruiting pitchers from out of state more than local.

Are you sure your gun is calibrated?

 

[Coach E.]

@wildcatz, the pocket radar is mostly used when measuring her speed. 62 has been her highest reading of her drop ball on it. You can not calibrate it like you can a Juggs gun. It is suppose to be accurate +/- 1 mph.