Pitching and Pitchers Discussion #1 Pitcher Needed

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Good tip.

I think what I meant was that coaches may be looking for something that doesn't exist in great supply, and might be better off looking at the pitchers they have to see how they can be coached up. Does that make sense?

 

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I disagree with that, unless I am totally misundertanding what you mean by dedicated pitcher.

 

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I don't think they are looking for "dedicated pitcher" unless by dedicated you mean somebody who is throwing 55 plus.

 

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ded?i?cat?ed

   /ˈdɛd

ɪˌkeɪ

tɪd/ Show Spelled[ded-i-key-tid] Show IPA
–adjective 1. wholly committed to something, as to an ideal, political cause, or personal goal: a dedicated artist.

2. set apart or reserved for a specific use or purpose: We don't need a computer but a dedicated word processor.

3. (of machine parts, electrical components, hardware, etc.) made or designed to interconnect exclusively with one model or a limited range of models in a manufacturer's line: The new tractors use only high-priced dedicated accessories.

 

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If you want to be an elite pitcher (whether baseball or softball) you must first posess some natural ability. Natural ability, however, is not enough- you must put in a lot of time working your craft so that you have multiple pitches and control them. Utlimately it takes a lot of work on your own time so that you can throw the proper pitch and place it in then proper location; you can't just play games and practice once or twice a week and expect to be an elite pitcher...YOU MUST BE DEDICATED and put in a lot of time on your own.

The problem is there are only a handful of peopel who do this. I coached baseball and softball for a long time and can tell you the further you go along the more the DEDICATED athlete separates from the rest. The coaches know (and the girls that have pitched know) at higher levels you need better control, a variety of pitches, and some speed to be successful. If have not been dedicated to the craft you know you will not succeeed against elite level teams that have no automatic outs. Hence the teams are looking for those few people who have put in the time to make themselves that good.

I also have knowledge of a number of these teams out their posting that they are looking for pitchers- they have 1 or 2 girls who have pitched and probably been successful at lower levels. However, if you aksed these girls "are you mad your coach hads posted that they are looking for a #1 pitcher" they would tell you "No, if we want to win we need a really good pitcher and I know I am not at that level."

 

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Good tip.

I think what I meant was that coaches may be looking for something that doesn't exist in great supply, and might be better off looking at the pitchers they have to see how they can be coached up. Does that make sense?

Yes but the people who they can coach up must be willing to put in a tremendous amount of time. It is not so much speed as we have all seen fireballers who have no control; it is much more than that.

 

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Well, all I know, is that once my dd decided she wanted to be a pitcher about 18 months ago at 12, she's barely taken more than a week or two off, aside from injury since. I would think that would be called dedicated.

 

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ded?i?cat?ed

Coming home 12 hrs in the car from a week of vacation on the beach, 8 hrs sleep, tryout with a top team in the state. At the end of the 2 1/2 hr + tryout you look at your dad and say "I need to go to the barn now". Drive straight to dale's and spend 1 hour working out the lack of pitching from the previous week. All so she was ready for the tryout the next morning with the team she thought she wanted to be on.

ded?i?cat?ed

2 days = maintain, 3-4 = normal progress, 5-6 = bonus; minimum 1/2 hr practice.

 

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If my pitching DD was looking for a team, she would want to know whether a team needed someone to be a #1, be part of the rotation, or just needed an innings killer. As someone else said, most dedicated pitchers want the ball in the circle and want the chance to show what they can do, so they want to know what a prospective team needs. As a coach, if I ever needed another pitcher, I would post that I needed someone to be part of the rotation or an innings killer. I would not post that I was looking for a #1 ... ultimately, pitching time is going to be determined by performance. I agree that there is too much emphasis on speed ... its much more about hitting spots and giving the batter different looks.

 

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Why not say you are looking for a strong pitcher to round out the pitching staff. You need pitchers with different strengths. Most of the teams looking for pitchers seem to be 12u and how many 12u players out there actually throw 50+ consistently and accurately? Don?t get me wrong speed is needed, but if you can?t hit your spots and throw different pitches your speed can only take you so far. If you have a good batter in the box you better be able to move your pitches around to keep the off balance.

 

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Several observations from "Teams needing Players" postings.

#1 pitcher needed. To me, this shows a lack of respect for your current pitchers. You will probably be looking for several more after posting this because the other pitchers on your team read the posting and now they are mad and are leaving.

Back-up Catcher needed. Pal, I'm not going to try-out to be a back-up player. If I come to try-out, I'm coming to be the stud. To me, this shows that the coach is closed-minded about putting the best players in positions.

10U team looking for a (insert a position). I will agree that it takes a special kid to be a catcher but at 10U? The 10U kids are still trying to figure out why Mom and Dad have dragged them out onto a ballfield let alone know what position they are even capable of playing. That is what makes 10U so fun. You get a bunch of girls and you, the coach, have to actually teach and mold these kids. It is a lot of work for a 10U coach.

Just what I've seen and thought so far.

 

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10U team looking for a (insert a position). I will agree that it takes a special kid to be a catcher but at 10U? The 10U kids are still trying to figure out why Mom and Dad have dragged them out onto a ballfield let alone know what position they are even capable of playing.

I remember 3 years ago at 10u during an indoor training session in Janurary we had 3 girls working at the catcher position. They were catching while hitters hit in the cage off of the Jugs... 2 of the 3 quit in the first 5 minutes, scared and slightly bruised ... I recall thinking that we have 3 months to make a catcher out of one of them - if we can get them back into the gear. And we did, but it took a ton of practice and hard work but she got it and went on to be a very good catcher for us.. I will never forget seeing them come out of the cage that 'first' time catching behind a live hitter - eyes wide as plates..

 

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You people recruit all wrong. I recruit players based on parent's occupation.

My current needs are for a #1 Masseuse, #1 Chiropractor.

Could use a decent Lawyer, and a back-up accountant or HVAC guy. Plenty of playing time for the Masseuse's kid.

I'm good on police officers, mechanics, engineers and photographers.

 

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You people recruit all wrong. I recruit players based on parent's occupation.

My current needs are for a #1 Masseuse, #1 Chiropractor.

Could use a decent Lawyer, and a back-up accountant or HVAC guy. Plenty of playing time for the Masseuse's kid.

I'm good on police officers, mechanics, engineers and photographers.

lol---love ya Ringer

 

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here you go

 

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here you go

*groan....* #1 pitcher

gotta love the sight gags, lol

 

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Ringer, I don't know about picking players whose parents are in healthcare. When I was coaching my oldest dd's team, a girl got hurt, not seriously thankfully at a play at 3b. I turned to the line of moms sitting in the lawn chairs along the 3b foul line looking for a helping hand since just about all our moms were RNs or nursing students. You never saw so many head swivel in the opposite way so they wouldn't see me look at any of them in the eye. It looked like a Rockette dance move.

 

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That's because they can get thier tails sued off. The good samaritan laws don't cover those trained in the health care industry.

Ringer, I don't know about picking players whose parents are in healthcare. When I was coaching my oldest dd's team, a girl got hurt, not seriously thankfully at a play at 3b. I turned to the line of moms sitting in the lawn chairs along the 3b foul line looking for a helping hand since just about all our moms were RNs or nursing students. You never saw so many head swivel in the opposite way so they wouldn't see me look at any of them in the eye. It looked like a Rockette dance move.

 

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Yeah, I know, But it was funny, just the same.