Tagged With "13"
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Hitting Tips
I have been playing ball for over 13 years, but somehow I cannot get over the fear of the ball being so close to me, sometimes I jump back when in the box when really, i could have swung and it would have been a good hit. Do you guys have any tips for...
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Pop times/HS teams
Hey everyone I am 13 years old and I am a catcher. I am just wondering if at my level I have a chance to play JV baseball as a freshman. I can throw pop times down to second on 80 foot paths in the low 1.9's and hopefully 1.8's by the end of the season. I have good good blocking and receiving skills, and hit pretty well. I am batting like .500-.600 in JR's. I am only in 7th grade so I still have about a year and half till the season would start up but I am wondering if at my rate I have a...
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inner elbow pain 13 yr old
My son is 13 and is in the midst of an 8 week shut down due to little league elbow (medial epicondyle growth plate). This is the third time he has had to be shut down from throwing. The most recent shut down was about 2 years ago. We thought we had fully recovered from this the second time but apparently not. Who out here has dealt with this multiple times and when did it finally end and were there any lingering affects?
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
You're young yet. POP's look ok at 80 foot bases -- I'm thinking it would be just over 2.0 on 90 foot. So keep working. Most JV level catchers are in the 2's for pop. Work on your receiving skills -- get your pitchers strikes. And hit the snot out of the ball. You seem to be on the right track. Good luck.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
I don't see why not. And you can achieve a lot by working hard at it. Why not shoot for Varsity? I know is a rare thing in most cases, but it doesn't hurt to set the bar high and work to try and achieve it. And I know that at your age when you look at Varsity players they look large, strong and intimidating. And they are large and strong compared to your age group. But that doesn't mean you can compete at their level. Your body is just starting to mature that way, so just be aware that...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Hey Ben, sounds like everything is on track but it really depends who is above you. Don't just restrict yourself to the catcher spot, make sure the coach knows that is your primary but you are willing to play where ever the coach needs you to play. The number one thing my son's coach looks for in a catcher is the bat, the second is the speed in which he gets the ball AFTER it gets passed him. make sure you can scramble quickly, some of those HS backstops are beyond brutal!
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Study the game. I need a SMART catcher as much or more than I need a 2.0 pop time. I can handle a dumb 1st baseman, but I need intelligence, or savvy, behind the plate. You're in charge of the biggest decisions out there. Be a student of the game first and foremost.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Plus beware of the coach who will take a player who played a different position and "convert" to a catcher. Make sure you can adjust and hit.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
I think alot of this also depends on how good your high school baseball teams are. We have many freshman in our school district who play JV and also a few who play Varsity as a freshman. But that being said, our baseball program is not the best in the district. We have many talented players but for various other reasons, the program is not successful.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Maybe some of you can answer this question that I was thinking about as I was watching my son's team last week....why is the number of passed balls a catcher allows in a season not a statistic people seem to be interested in? Why is it all about pop time? The catcher on the team we were playing allowed many passed balls and every time our players moved up a base (even stole home one time). I was thinking that it did not matter what this catcher's pop time was if our team was getting so many...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Passed balls should be a rarity - the equivalent of an error by an infielder. More important would be the ability to corral a wild pitch (those pitches which are not controllable with ordinary effort). Once you get passed both of these (treat them as prerequisites) the catcher needs to be able to control the base paths and therefore must be able to throw out runners. I'm sure if that opposing catcher had a 1.7 pop time but had several passed balls, a coach may be able to coach him up on...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Ben, Sounds like you have a lot of talent. Keep working and you will end up playing a lot. Louise, You are right, the number one most important thing is receiving the ball. If you can't do that you won't get very far as a catcher. However, there are lots of catchers that are good at receiving the ball. Then they are separated by their other abilities, which throwing and release is a big difference maker.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Louise, Pop time to me is not that important as long as I throw out runners which I do. It is just a statistic to see where you are. Just like a 60 yard dash time most will probably not run that same speed but it shows if you need help or if when you out by a defending player he just has a good arm.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Passed balls for a catcher are like errors for a SS or wild pitches for a pitcher... not that important of a stat unless they're really bad. They can distinguish you on the negative side, but not so much on the positive side. I think the definition includes the phase "ordinary effort". Are you sure the opposing catcher was giving up passed balls, or was he just not very good at corralling wild pitches?
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
One other important thing about passed balls/wild pitches is if the pitcher does not throw the pitch that is called and crosses up the catcher. Most times those will be scored against the catcher as a passed ball because they often hit the tip or part of the catcher's mitt. But really that one should be on the pitcher, and many people watching a HS game with no replay have no idea the catcher was crossed up and blame him. I agree the catcher's fundamental job is to catch pitches. But the...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
And a pitcher who doesn't telegraph that he's throwing to the plate would help with those outs at second!
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Re: Hitting Tips
That can be a tough one. First, make sure that you're turning away from truly inside pitch, and not just lurching backwards. Second, get acclimated. Ask your coach if you can stand in the box while the pitchers throw their pens.
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Re: Hitting Tips
I'm going to be completely honest with you. If you've been playing 13 years, you must be at least 16. If you are still afraid of getting hit at this point, you are going to have to take a fairly drastic step to get over that or find another sport (and nothing wrong with that). You will need to take a full-on "embrace getting hit" approach. Have someone throw inside pitches at you as you stand behind a square screen. Practice turning in and taking the hit on your large muscles for pitches...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Good stuff in the posts above. Along with standing in during pens, which some pitchers actually like having (others don't of course)... Try standing in with a pitching machine dialed up to mid to upper 90s. Depending on the machine, you might dial up a curve/slider type pitch shape along with FBs... Random mix if possible. Just grab a bat and work on striding while tracking each pitch... No swinging. Get comfortable with the speed and natural ball movement... And work your way in toward the...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Learn to direct your focus away from getting hit and only focus on attacking the ball. Be aggressive at the plate.
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Re: Hitting Tips
The first thing to avoiding a HBP relates to vision. As a hitter are you seeing the ball well? Do you wear glasses? Have you had your vision checked. The key to hitting is seeing the ball well and the same with avoiding being hit by a ball. If you pick up the ball as early as possible you have more reaction time and this is the whole key to confident at bats. If you are sure vision is not an issue then you MUST practice getting out of the way of the ball to become empowered with the...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by Dadcoach: There is actually proper technique and it involves turning AWAY from the ball, (not into it!) Remember- Good hitters avoid HBP and are good at hitting because they are skilled at seeing the ball well. You mean turn into the pitch right? Also a hitter will take a HBP to get on base (except the head) it shows lack of fear of the ball.
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Re: Hitting Tips
Turn into the pitch? Must be a confusion of terms. Faced with a pitch off the plate inside, a right handed batter will tuck his left shoulder toward the catcher. Correct? I would call that turning away from the pitch. Reminds me of a kid I had in LL Minors. Big kid, bad attitude; had some potential, but was only there because his parents made him. I was showing him how to turn away from a pitch and wear it on his back so he wouldn't get hurt. He wouldn't hear of it. He said that if he was...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by JCG: Turn into the pitch? Must be a confusion of terms. Faced with a pitch off the plate inside, a right handed batter will tuck his left shoulder toward the catcher. Correct? I would call that turning away from the pitch. Reminds me of a kid I had in LL Minors. Big kid, bad attitude; had some potential, but was only there because his parents made him. I was showing him how to turn away from a pitch and wear it on his back so he wouldn't get hurt. He wouldn't hear of it.
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Re: Hitting Tips
Yup, I'm used to same terminology as Standball but just semantics. Dadcoach, everyone from at least HS JV up (if not younger) teaches and encourages players NOT to avoid HBP (unless at the head) but instead, how to get hit properly. Sorry, good hitters do not avoid HBP. OP is a teen and struggling with fear of HBP. The last thing he wants to be thinking about is to move to avoid being hit. You must be dad of a pitcher
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Re: Hitting Tips
Cabbagepatch, My son is actually a hitter, a sophomore who is leading his HS Varsity team in average and slugging so far this season. Scouts are fairly impressed with his approach and the training he has received. One of the keys to coaching is listening very careful to a player who is asking for help. You are right about HBP to the head. But this player has admitted he has true fear of the ball which is a special issue different than a regular hitter.It sounds like you have not coached a...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by cabbagedad: Originally Posted by Dadcoach: Cabbagepatch, My son is actually a hitter, a sophomore who is leading his HS Varsity team in average and slugging so far this season. Scouts are fairly impressed with his approach and the training he has received. One of the keys to coaching is listening very careful to a player who is asking for help. You are right about HBP to the head. But this player has admitted he has true fear of the ball which is a special issue...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Yes- we need to hear from RyyMann for his age and level of play- I am guessing around 16. There is a fascinating chapter in the book "Three Nights In August" by Buzz Bissinger where Tony LaRussa's view on the HBP and beanbballs are a factor. The chapter highlights how this can have a huge and permanent impact on the mental approach of a hitter. Until I read this book I never understood the "Self-Police" approach to paybacks and what it was about from a managers perspective. The book is a...
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Re: Hitting Tips
One of the things we did when I played was actually practicing getting hit by pitches. We would start out with a Juggs Lite Flight machine, just to get techniques down. Then we would then move on to an actual pitching machine set at about 65 with real balls. It helps you realize that it doesn't really hurt that much and it gets you over the fear.
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Re: Hitting Tips
Wow, cabbagedad has posted an impressive resume and his experience is still questioned and from movies. Ted Williams was HBP 39 times in his career. While that isn't a lot, he was dinged a few times. "Getting out of the way" means so many things to good hitters. For example, with my child, one drill we do is called "The Progression Drill." In that drill, I throw at her front hip, throw one down the middle and then throw one away. She protects herself or "gets out of the way" on the one to...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by Dadcoach: Yes- we need to hear from RyyMann for his age and level of play- I am guessing around 16. There is a fascinating chapter in the book "Three Nights In August" by Buzz Bissinger where Tony LaRussa's view on the HBP and beanbballs are a factor. The chapter highlights how this can have a huge and permanent impact on the mental approach of a hitter. Until I read this book I never understood the "Self-Police" approach to paybacks and what it was about from a managers...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
Son had it 7th grade off season and freshman year during season. First time shut down for two weeks second for one week. It wasn't as bad the second time but he was more conscious of it and noticed it sooner. Doctor said it could come back anytime until the growth plate closes. He's a junior now and hasn't had a problem since.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
A BIG problem I have seen over the years is kids throwing max effort to early after a shutdown period.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
Were the shorter shut down periods, as he got older, per the direction of the dr?
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
Our plan is to shut down all throwing for 8 weeks and if the dr. releases him, then we will start back with a planned throwing program.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
Same instruction both times. Son felt pain when he turned his hand so the instructions were to shut down till no pain. Then light throwing. If pain came back shut down 2 days and try again. If no pain work up to full throwing over a week. At anytime if pain shut back down. Both times after pain went away from being examined he threw without pain and worked up to full speed without incident. The second time was shorter because at the very first twinge of pain in that area my son recognized is...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
My son dealt with this at 12. We shut him down for a year and then limited him to 25-30 pitches for a year. He was fine for 2 years but last spring his coach had him throwing 80-90 pitches a week every week. Towards the end of tge season, elbow pain again. We shut down for 4 weeks. We now have a doctor's note for no more than 65 pitches a week. He also upped band work and hasn't had any trouble for the last 6-8 months.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
"shut him down for a year" that sounds like a long time. Was that the dr.'s recommendation or a conservative plan on your part?
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
He said if it was his son he wouldn't have him pitch until his growth plates closed, But he is 16 now and they are still open. He advised if we did let him, to be very conservative. It hasn't hurt him, he throws hard and like our doctor said...would you rather throw at 13-14 or in hs and college. Don't get me wrong, my son was devastated at the time.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
My son (now a HS sophomore, 16 yrs old) had the same elbow issue as a 12 yr old. We were told to shut him down at least 6-8 weeks, then start a throwing program when he could throw ~20 feet w/o pain (which was at 8 weeks, as I recall). He did some pitching that year after the throwing program, then had similar growth plate-related issues in his shoulder. That was near the end of the summer season, and he stopped baseball and didn't play at all that fall. The following spring, when my son was...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
2 other things that might help: My son's physical therapist (who has worked with a lot of pro and college pitchers, as well as young ones) told us that my son might just need to plan on being a closer until he finished growing quickly. That turned out to be good advice. He also told us that growth goes in fits and starts--a kid might grow an inch in a month and then not at all for a couple of months after that. So he actually recommended that I measure my son monthly and if he was in a...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
This is basically what we did with my son. He was a closer (usually no more than an inning and a half) until last year when the HS coach had him start every week and issues returned. He hadn't trained to throw 80-90 pitches and his body told him.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
He may very well have fully recovered until it happened again. Make sure he is seeing a sports ortho, they are generally better than a genetic ortho. They have seen this more and therefor have more experience. I saw the most arm issues in 12u-13u. It seemed like a kid a week was unable to pitch. I also saw several go down with growth plate issues because of how they were throwing compounded with how they were growing. Have you had his mechanics evaluated? Also, some kids are just stretchier...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
I don't think his throwing mechanics are flawed but I am no throwing expert. Not saying his mechanics can't be improved. In our baseball circle of friends/coaches, we are around a former high school coach, several former high level D1 players and a former minor league player. None of them have said anything to me about his throwing mechanics being flawed so I am assuming no issues there.
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
"I saw the most arm issues in 12u-13u" are you in the medical field....dr./PT?
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
I definitely agree re: seeing a sports orthopedist. My son and my daughter (soccer player, knee injury) each initially saw a pediatric orthopedic specialist. He is well-regarded; but for both my kids, being subsequently seen by an orthopod who specializes in athletic injuries was far more helpful. Mechanical flaws may not be apparent to someone watching your son throw. A good physical therapist will check the flexibility and strength of various muscles and joints for imbalances. I have no...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
Not to set off alarm bells, because I know "little league elbow" is not the end of the world. Back in the day, as an RHP, I threw with a sore elbow as a youngster and in HS all the time and then was 100% pain free all through college. But, these are different times. I would get an MRI ASAP. My RHP son (now a sophomore at a D1) had soreness in his inner elbow on and off from about 8th grade on. We rested it, would shut him down as needed and he then felt fine. I know at times he threw through...
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Re: inner elbow pain 13 yr old
You may want to call Randy Sullivan at the Florida Baseball Ranch. He is good at eliminating arm pain.