Rising 9th grader (Lefty)

Guys,

Great, great advise. I appreciate it all and will take action as y'all have mentioned. This is why I (and many more) enjoy this kind of format, a lot of different ideas, thoughts and information. And yes, the grades are the most important thing that he can work on. Believe me, he and I have had that conversation more than once. As gatorfan said, I do not want him on my couch at age thirty eating my Doritos. His mechanics are something he has been working on for years, and will continue too as long as he still has the desire to play. Which at this time, he still has. After all, he still is only 14. I haven't forgot that!! The pitch count is sometime I insist on that is watched closely. Thanks again y'all.

 

Just keep playing the game and quit worrying about what "might" be. College guys like baseball players. Make sure he becomes adept at another position besides the mound. Teach him to respect the game and his coaches. Guess who the college coach calls first? And no, it's not the guy from one of these showcase or legion things, it's his HS coach, because he has lived with him for 3+ years. I have coached many recruited players and the questions are asked are: What are his grades like? What are his parents like? How do I get in touch with his HS coach? Does he get along with his teammates? Has he been in any trouble?
What you must understand is the college guys are gonna judge talent for themselves. There are a lot of talented players out there. It's the extra's that determine if they are gonna expend the scholarship dollars on a student athlete. They don't have many dollars to spend and academic monies go a long way. Feel free to send a PM.
I see so many kids pass up opportunites to play D-2, NAIA, or JC and set on the bench for 2-3 years at a D-1 and are miserable because they are used to playing.

Let me add this. Pitch counts are an arbrituary thing, If a kid never throws more than 100 pitches, guess what, he never will. I read a couple af articles on this. The 1st was from the trainer of the Boston Red Sox that stated that a 17-18 yr old should be able to throw 105 pitches twice a week. The second was from the trainer of the Chicago Cubs that stated, that the reason so many young pitchers in the majors had so many arm problems was pitch counts. He was blaming not only HS and college coaches but his own minor league system. Guess what they have to do when they hit the majors? Throw 9 innings with 4 days rest. THROW THROW THROW. Most of you old timers like me can remember before the day of pitch counts and arm problems.

 

yeah, i was a freshman this past year as a lefty pitcher. im about 5'10 and 160 lbs. what ive really tried working on is my flexibility and conditioning because if he has these things then mechanics, velocity, control, etc will come easier. i play travel ball at a high level and it does help alot because i play against very good competition. most teams dont start showcase baseball until they get to be 16 and sometimes 15. if your son is only 14, just let him develop by playing against good competition and becoming a true pitcher before you start worrying about scouts. from what ive heard, a lot of college scouts don't become interested in players until they are at least a sophmore unless the player is a phenom. if your son wants to play at a high level, then id say go for it. it has helped me a lot and i can already feel myself becoming a better "pitcher" and this is only my 2nd season playing travel ball. as far as school ball is concerned, just focus on working hard and doing your best.

 

Hey STLCardsfan,

Thanks for all the info, you sound like your an adult. Your parents have taught you well. Congrats and keep up the good work. He does play travel ball at a high level, and you are right, work hard in school, have fun, and do your best. Well said young man.

 

This was a good thread

 

be sure to spend all of your money on baseball

 

That is absolutely not correct for kids under 18. USA Baseball and some others have done medical studies that definitively show greatly increased risk of serious arm injury when pitchers under the age of 18 throw more than 100 pitches an outing, with greater risk the younger you go. No 17-18 year old should EVER be throwing 105+ pitches two times every week.

Now obviously 90 pitches with 20 curveballs is going to be worse for a kid's arm than 110 with 90 fastballs and 20 changeups, but pitch counts are not just a fad. They're scientifically proven to be beneficial at younger ages, whatever you think of them at the college and minor league level. The part I will agree with you about in regards to "THROW THROW THROW" is long toss, which you can do to strengthen the arm without stressing it the way that high effort pitching does.

This link should give you some more information on the subject: http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/usabaseball.htm

 

i bet the % would be even better under 80 pitches.

 

Philly Dave

I agree with the majority of responses that quite honestly most outstanding players his age are going to be put on the back burner by college scouts until later in his high school career.

Be selective in what camps if any you send him to. Some I considered very well run and highly instructional and some others not of much value. 9th and 10th grade focus on camps that will help him improve. 11th grade attend camps at schools he's interested in, this will help him get a better feel for the coaching staff and the school . As Eterres said the HS website is a good read.