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Reply to "Pitchers"

Our HS varsity team used 8 different guys over the course of our 23 regular season and post-season games. We had a 9th guy who used to pitch but is no longer used. We had two more guys who pitched some on JV last year but weren't used on varsity this year; one of them now focuses on catching, the other was out with a broken foot for a good part of the season or he probably would've gotten a shot at some point. So depending on how you look at it, there were between 8 and 11 guys on the roster who could lay claim to being pitchers.

127 out of 148 innings were thrown by 4 guys, though. The other 4 guys threw 9, 7, 4 and 1 innings, respectively. Two of them top out at 82-83 and the other two around 78.

And that was my point above -- our "average" pitcher never really gets to pitch at all. So if someone tells you an "average" pitcher throws 78, that may be true but it's also irrelevant. You don't get to see 78 mph fastballs in many game situations, unless you pay a visit to a JV game.

At least not around here. I don't know what the rest of you guys get to see. Maybe up north where it's cold all spring, you don't loosen up as well? Or maybe all that checking in your hockey games isn't so good for shoulder health?

Of the 4 guys who did most of the work, we have three RHP's, one tops out at 92, one at 85 and one at 81. The lefty tops out at 83.

There are seven teams in our district. The top team has a guy 87-89, senior on his way to a D-I scholarship slot at VMI. We finished second. Third place team has a RHP also 87-89, junior precommitted to UVA; also had a senior RHP 82-83. Fourth place team has a LHP 88-90, junior precommitted to UVA; also another junior RHP 82-83. Fifth place team has a LHP, 85-87, junior not yet committed, plus twin sophomore RHP's 82-83. Sixth and last place teams finished at the bottom precisely because they don't really have much pitching.

The kids throwing 80-84 need spot control and good off-speed stuff to succeed. And don't get me wrong, there are kids who do that and do it well. In fact, some of them could teach a thing or two to some of the harder throwers. But there's no throwing it by anyone at that speed around here.
Last edited by Midlo Dad
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