In my youth, the 50's we played and played, threw and threw---BUT and this to me is a BIG BUT-- nobody stopped when the arm hurt-- we played thru it-- I also feel kids do not throw enought today, they are at the other extreme ---
I had both my shoulders operated on when I got into my late 40's/early 50/s due to wear and tear in my yourht which finally manifested itself
Today, pain and arm problems are diagnosed early and not allowed to manifest themselves---still too much pitching without enough throwing in between outings can cause problems with todays youngsters-- they do not have arms that are in shape to take the wear and tear of ptiching and/or catching
Mandated pitch counts are a step in the right direction as a preventative measure but the kids still need to throw more than do--not pitch or stressful throwing but merely playing catch