I applaud the coach that takes his tired ace out of the game and takes the risk of losing. That is the coach that knows how to win, in my book. Those coaches that ride their horse straight to the operating table, might be a winner, but he is very much a loser in my mind.
Then you would have loved my son's HS coach. Son's senior year the team is in the state quarterfinals, leading by 1 after 6 innings. Our ace* (throws 94/95) has gone the distance to this point - but his pitch count is high (~125) and his control has not been the best (too many walks). Coach has seen enough. Trots out a reliever for the 7th inning. All the team has to do is get three outs and its off to the final four. Reliever strikes out the 1st batter. One down. Next one draws a walk (though IMHO that last pitch looked like a strike). Next batter hits one to RF that is tailing towards the line but it will drop fair. Right fielder dives and misses by inches. Tying run crosses the plate - throw to the plate is just milliseconds too late. Next batter hits blooper over SS - game and season over.
*Our ace had just been drafted by the Rays that very afternoon.
There were some that immediately question the coaches decision to take out the ace. I know it was a tough decision, but I feel he did what he thought was the right thing to do. Would our ace have gotten the last three outs? Who knows? Maybe. Maybe not. But as the coach later said, "He (our ace) has bigger fish to fry." The implication was "We win as a team and we lose as a team."
Love this story.
I could see the pitcher throwing 125 P.C. toward the end of the season only if this was a rare occurrence.
If it was my kid, having being drafted already, I would have already talked to the coach about capping his P.C. at 105.