One of youth baseball’s biggest spotlights drew considerable
attention this summer, more often than it normally does.
One of youth baseball’s biggest spotlights drew considerable attention this summer, more often than it normally does. Spanning over two weeks, the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Penn., had its share of controversy, leaving tournament officials scrambling to mop up the issues.
From a player that was six-foot-eight inches tall to a coach that slapped a player in the face in front of millions of TV viewers, directors of the annual event were left to find legible birth certificates and run interference for that coach who made a mockery of the Little League Pledge.
You also had the revelation that two pitchers from the 2005 event entered the finals with fractured arms because of overuse, a borderline sexual harassment statement directed toward the on-field reporter for ESPN and a coach saying in a national tabloid, “How many times is a guy like me going to get to the World Series? You send your number one pitcher out there against every tough team and hope for the best.”
Sad scenario and a black eye for this nationally-acclaimed tournament. Isn’t this game for the kids? Are you sure this wasn’t Major League Baseball’s World Series? With all this scandalous attention swirling around the youngsters, you could have sworn it was.
Saving grace, though, Little League Baseball made a major announcement saying that they were instituting a nationwide pitch count program in 2007. Well, it’s about time! I applaud this move as I’ve lobbied this for years. I’m hoping the other major organizations, including Pony Baseball, follow suit and adopt the same measure or formulate one of their own. It should be noted here the Morgan Hill Pony Baseball league has had a pitch count limit for years which put them ahead of the times. Now, the national office must follow.
As the series wore on more articles surfaced about overuse of youth arms, most notably in USA today, the San Jose Mercury News and other local and regional newspapers. Stories emerged that pitchers within a 10 day span of regional competition were throwing over 300 game pitches, many of which were curveballs, and throwing 18 innings.
If they were also throwing warm up pitches between innings (eight per inning times six innings), that translates to almost 150 more. Couple that with pre-game warm ups and you have over 500 pitches in a little more than a week. Not to mention these same kids are playing another position when they’re not on the mound.
A pitch count limit is a start. Other organizations and travel tournaments, however, aren’t forced to abide by the rules. That responsibility will fall more with the parents, coaches and tournament directors. The pilot results, though, showed that coaches had to develop more kids to pitch and most parents and coaches understood the positive medical implications as well.
Dr. James Andrews, founder of the American Sports Medical Institute, and an authority on pitching injuries, said, “This is one of the most important injury prevention steps ever initiated in youth baseball,” adding, “it should serve as a cornerstone for other youth organizations to follow.”
Under the pitch count program, players 11 and 12 years old will be limited to 85 pitches per game and 10-and-under players can throw no more than 75. Hurling over 60 pitches will require three days rest, between 41 and 60, two days rest and 21 to 40 pitches, one day of rest.
So despite the bad press it received during its finest hour, Little League took a positive stand on an issue that was reaching a negative crescendo in recent years. With this initiative we’re giving the game back to the kids, which is where it belongs in the first place.
Rich Taylor is the owner, head instructor and CEO of California Pitching Academy. He can by reached by e-mail at rj********@***oo.com.
