AGDAD19, very nice 1st try! I was cogitatin’ on it myself some yesterday, and had some difficulty in figuring out a way to represent what had taken place. The way I understand what you’re proposing is to use the REAL pitch count, then make additions and subtractions after each inning to get a number. That’s fine by me, but is that the way it’s really done as the game goes on? I’ve always gotten the feeling it was something that was a constant decision making process a pitch at a time rather than an inning by inning thing.
I do like the way you’d taken into account rest between innings, but what about when the pitcher bats, as very often happen is HS? It’s one thing if the pitcher just sits on the bench, but it’s another if he also has to bat, quite another if he becomes a base runner, and another still if he has to do a lot of running. It would seem to me that if the latter happens, rather than getting rest and acquiring “good” points, he’d actually be fatiguing himself even more, acquiring “bad” points.
What do you think about a “running” number as opposed to a number computed by inning?
Stats,
It does start with a given pitch count and based on per inning pitch loads and rest times between innings, pitches are added and subtracted. Ironically, with the exception of the multiple blow up innings, over the coarse of game, the additions and subtractions usually end up close to the prescribed overall pitch count. Some may ask, then why use them and they're too complicated. With the research and understanding of the bodies ability to recover, even in a limited period of time, from the damage that is being done on every max effort pitch. This could be way too insure you are giving a pitcher that necessary time even within the prescribed pitch count. If not, it needs to be adjusted. I'll give an example that I'm sure many on here have heard but just in case it's a simple way to understand the effects of loads. I have two athletes, Athlete A and athlete B. I want both to do 90 curls with a 45 lb dumbbell. Let's assume both athletes are physically equal. I have athlete A do 6 reps of 15 curls with 10 min. of rest between each rep. I have athlete B do 3 reps of 30 curls with 3 min. of rest between. Both did 90 reps but I believe athlete A could probably continue even beyond his prescribed reps (I'm not suggesting going beyond pitch counts) and he will recover quicker. Athlete B will have a greater fatigue factor plus be at a greater risk of injury do to the stress loads, be more sore and require a longer recovery time between workouts.
As far as difficulty to follow, it really is basic math. If you have more than one person charting pitches, it's a simple calculation. Son's team has always charted opposing teams pitches as well so it's easy to follow plus they're establishing a scouting report.
To answer the hitting and running question, I'm of the belief that the loads placed on hitting are different and not as stressful as the pitching loads. The arm starts it's recovery after walking off the mound and the limited stress place on it from hitting has little if any effect on its recover plus running for circulation is not a negative.
Thanks for the input and always appreciate a discussion about protecting arms.
Oops, almost forgot. There are always circumstances that will effect pitch counts other than rest. Physical fatigue from other factors, mental fatigue, poor mechanics or illness. That's where a good pitching coach or at least a coach who watches and understands these is important.