@TerribleBPthrower posted:For those of you who have a two-way HS player, what are your thoughts on pitch counts and then being moved to a defensive position in the field? I've seen some extremes so far this year. One coach will let a kid throw 80 pitches and then put him in the outfield and I've seen another coach that won't let a kid play a position after he pitches.
TBP, you can search things like pitch limits for position players here and find volumes upon volumes of posts and lots of different opinions. There is the "limit pitches and protect arms" camp, the "throwing more makes the arm stronger" camp and everywhere in between. Generally, the consensus is that C, SS, and 3B are the worst positions you can move to after a long outing due to the typical length, effort and frequency of those throws. Also, C has the added issue of a throwing mechanic that is quite different than traditional P mechanic teaches (very quick release vs length, smooth, rythm, etc.)
My experience in the area I coached definitely did not match what DanJ described. Most coaches in the area were college level or above players. Most would bring on an assistant with a decent P background if they didn't have that themselves. Most were concerned about the health of their kids, certainly to include P arms. That said, there are still many challenges. Most HS's don't have a plethora of depth on their roster. Strongest arms are generally needed at P, SS, C and 3B. So, if a player has one of the 4-5 strongest arms on the team, guess where they typically play. BTW, those 4 or 5 are also likely to be the better hitters on the team. Guess what happens if you remove them from the lineup when they get pulled from the mound? Weakens the lineup and gives the team a lesser chance to win. Many coaches would have a plan to rotate a P to a safer position. But guess what happens in crunch time in a big game... the coach feels pressure to put his best guy in to relieve and maybe move his starting P to the position he will most likely impact the defense (SS or C). This is not an excuse. This is just a glimpse of the reality coaches face when trying to balance the health of the players with the desire of the whole team, school, administration, parents and alumni to win. Many stand firm with their guidelines. Many have guidelines they generally follow but occasionally deviate. Many fall somewhere else on the spectrum.
Here is another problem - even if the HC uses a "sensible" approach and puts a starter into what is considered a less dangerous position (say OF or 1B), it can still have very bad results. I have seen more than once a starting P go deep and then move to another "safe" position, go easy with between-innings throws and then find himself in a competitive game moment where he suddenly must fire full effort and something gives. To make the decision more difficult, those top competitive players usually have the mentality that they want to stay in the game and will beg and/or lie about how there arm feels in order to stay in. "My arm is fine coach" is quite often all the open invite most coaches need. One needs to be able to see past the words and read the body.
If you have done your research, have guidelines in mind for your player and have reason to believe the coach won't make decisions that meet or come close to those guidelines, you may have to speak up for your son and it should be well in advance if possible.