Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Tall pitchers

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So it's settled then. A 6' tall, one-legged gal with gas and a liver condition would be an elite pitcher!

WOW! Did this thread drift off topic!

 

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I can see the new fall tv show for ABC "We can build her.." then the theme song from "six Million Dollar Man" or should I say, "Six Million Dollar Softball Pitcher", we see a montage of an accident, doctors wearing softball-embroided scrubs,a one-legged girl pitching from the mound, awestruck batters, travel coaches lining up outside the dugout, etc, etc...all shown at slow motion with a 70's style wakka-wakka beat...
That would make a hit show.

 

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Isn't the fastest fastpitch pitcher( say that 3 times!) in the world from Japan? I watched her pitch against team USA where she was able to hit low 70's. I can't remember her name.

 

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epthunter that is what they said during the softball world cup games. she was from japan and was supposed to be the fastest fastpitch pitcher in the world. she was supposed to be able to throw in the low 70's but did not in that game and got knocked out of the game i watched. i think she was under 6' and i believe had two legs with feet.

 

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Part of the original question was "do the tall girls play other sports?". I can only speak for our situation, but I imagine the same decisions are being made elsewhere. My daughter WAS a pitcher, but at over 6' tall and excelling at volleyball, she decided her Freshman year to give up pitching to concentrate on volleyball. She knew that in order to become the starting pitcher (there were 3 other very good pitchers in her class) that she would have to concentrate on pitching year 'round like the other girls did that didn't play basketball or volleyball; and therefore could not concentrate on her new found love.....volleyball. Oh well.....worked out well for the coach to have a 6' 1st baseman. So to answer the question.........yes some of the elite athletes that are pitchers are being lost to other sports, in large part due to the dedication required that prohibits many girls that want to play multiple sports.

We are also getting to the point where elite college bound athletes are concentrating on one sport. This is sad, but the fact is, it is ultra competitive at this level. Another factor is the way scholarships are granted for different sports. Volleyball is a "head count sport" and as such all 12 scholarships are all full rides at the division I level, unlike softball which is an "equivalency sport" and as such the 12 scholarships can be split into partials for division I. Basketball is also a "head count" that offers 15 full ride scholarships for div-I. Facts that most parents don't know or understand, and if they did you may lose more 6' girls to volleyball or basketball.

 

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The Japanese pitcher from the World Cup and Olympic games is Risa Uno. I tried searching for biographical information on her but was not able to find a listed height. She certainly doesn't look to be a six-footer!

 

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ueno from Japan does bring the heat, but I also believe she is over six foot

 

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Quote from LakeFP:

We are also getting to the point where elite college bound athletes are concentrating on one sport. ?This is sad, but the fact is, it is ultra competitive at this level. ?Another factor is the way scholarships are granted for different sports. ?Volleyball is a "head count sport" and as such all 12 scholarships are all full rides at the division I level, unlike softball which is an "equivalency sport" and as such the 12 scholarships can be split into partials for division I. ?Basketball is also a "head count" that offers 15 full ride scholarships for div-I. ?Facts that most parents don't know or understand, and if they did you may lose more 6' girls to volleyball or basketball.

Might be too late for my 5'4" pitching munchkin (she?s a h.s. jr.), but anyone else want to contribute to a national advertising campaign to make sure all the giants out there know they should be concentrating on basketball or volleyball and leaving what money there is out there to play softball to the munchkins.

 

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as a short pitcher i would have to say that it doesnt matter the size it depends on(work ethic, athletisism, coaching, etc) but larger pitchers are more intimidating

 

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Oopps! I had the wrong Japanese pitcher. There was a Risa Uno on their roster last summer, but the pitcher I was thinking of was Yukiko Ueno. Thanks to Dobie XX for jogging my memory.

Now that I have her name right, I was able to find some stats on her. She is listed as 5 feet 8 inches tall. (Actually, she is listed as 173 centimeters- I had to do the math!)

Ueno's typical game speeds are in between 70-75 mph (and I'm not figuring out how many kilometers per hour that would be!). She also pitched the first ever perfect game in Olympic history

 

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Which brings us back to weighting results more toward work ethic than height. But I'll add in my two-cents.

Another obvious factor is genetics, which can be cruel - or it can be a gift - depending on how you look at it. Greg Oden (OSU Basketball) is touted as possibly one of the best "big men" in 20 years, but I'll bet he'd never get into the navy's Top Guns flight academy. And don't forget Michael Jordan's short lived baseball career.

The type of muscle fibers you inherit, for instance, has a LOT to do with your plateu pitch speed point and jumping ability. A person with a lot of fast-twitch muscle fibers will ultimately be able to generate more explosive power than someone who does not. That's just a fact of life.

IMO, athleticism, another genetically inherited trait, is way more important than physical stature. Pitching SPEED is about arm speed, leg drive, timing and endurance - all related to athletic ability. BALL MOVEMENT (spin), LOCATION and ACCURACY are more about correct mechanics, which can be learned by any pitcher, regardless of athletic ability. Thus, the "power" pitcher vs. the "junk" pitcher. Both are effective in their own right.

Inherited physical traits (which you have no control over) and work ethic (which you CAN control) are the ultimate determining factors.

 

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Right you are sammy. For all you munchgin softball players out their; just remember BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES. Just ask your mom.