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roothog66 posted:
CaCO3Girl posted:
roothog66 posted:

Uggh. Season starts Saturday. My 2018 will be sidelined (from the mound, at least, for maybe 2-3 weeks) with some back pain while he goes through traction therapy for a very slight bulging disc. Just found out yesterday that my #2 pitcher - and 2-hole hitter/3B - is academically ineligible and, because Spring Break starts Monday - won't be able to do anything about it for three weeks. 

Ugh indeed!  What does it take in your district to be academically ineligible? 

Failing two courses. Grades can be evaluated on a weekly or semester basis (school has to pick one).

Same in GA. When I was a kid I could have sworn it was "passing ALL courses".

My son was ineligible to play his Sophomore year.  Was a shame, because he was the one piece they needed to win.  The team made it to the North 2 Group 2 sectional final here in NJ in 2015 and lost.  The next year his Junior year he broke the single season record for homeruns at his school (10) and finished 2nd in the state and also was in the top 5 in RBIs (37) in the state while also batting .455.  This is his Senior year now.

Metsman79 posted:

My son was ineligible to play his Sophomore year.  Was a shame, because he was the one piece they needed to win.  The team made it to the North 2 Group 2 sectional final here in NJ in 2015 and lost.  The next year his Junior year he broke the single season record for homeruns at his school (10) and finished 2nd in the state and also was in the top 5 in RBIs (37) in the state while also batting .455.  This is his Senior year now.

Curious... was he ineligible due to grades or behavior?  If so, was being ineligible a "light bulb" moment for him?

roothog66 posted:

Colorado - 19 games. Upped from 18 in the past. Funny thing is that even as late as the playoffs, we can be dodging snow and attending games in full coats.

Ouch!

Our state c'ship series is a doubleheader on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and the if game on Memorial Day. By then, it will be 90+ degrees here. 

My 2017 picked up his first "official" varsity win last night.

Since the beginning, he has always been the team's closer - so opportunities for a win aren't common.

Since the pitching staff is a little rough this season, the closer role has expanded to a "couple innings if it is a close game" role.

Last night he came in with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 5th in a tie game, because the starter had hit the pitch limit.  He got a pop up to get out of that, then struck out the side in the 6th. The infield tried to give away the game with 3 straight ground ball errors to load the bases with no outs in the top of the 7th.  Finally managed to get it right on the next ground ball and turned a double play. Followed that with a strikeout to get out with only giving up one run. Offense came through with 2 runs in the bottom, and so he picks up the W.

Rob T posted:

My 2017 picked up his first "official" varsity win last night.

Since the beginning, he has always been the team's closer - so opportunities for a win aren't common.

Since the pitching staff is a little rough this season, the closer role has expanded to a "couple innings if it is a close game" role.

Last night he came in with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 5th in a tie game, because the starter had hit the pitch limit.  He got a pop up to get out of that, then struck out the side in the 6th. The infield tried to give away the game with 3 straight ground ball errors to load the bases with no outs in the top of the 7th.  Finally managed to get it right on the next ground ball and turned a double play. Followed that with a strikeout to get out with only giving up one run. Offense came through with 2 runs in the bottom, and so he picks up the W.

Nice - congrats!

hshuler posted:

We have gotten 11 games in and region play started this week. 

In Georgia, you're allowed 30 regular season games. How many regular seasons games are allowed in your states?

In our section of California, it's 20 but with many loopholes regarding tourneys and double headers.  The result is usually 28-30 plus playoffs.

Metsman79 posted:

He was ineligible due to grades.  He's a good kid, just not very motivated in school.  He gets by now, but I still get on his case about grades.  Would be great if he gets drafted but if not he's committed to playing with a nationally ranked JUCO team next year. 

That's awesome.  Don't give up on pushing the importance of grades and other non-baseball interests.  The baseball thing can end in a flash... and usually does.  Then what?  

Say he's good enough to get drafted (elite company), spends a few years in the minors and doesn't quite make it over that last hump.  Then what?

Welcome to the site.

Our schedule has 29 games right now plus whatever tournament runs, districts, and state.  I think we have to have 25 before districts.  I know there is a minimum but not sure what that number is.  We start next Thursday assuming this snow isn't terrible.  The forecast is upper 50s so that will be fine provided we don't have a bunch of snow making the field soggy. 

They had a scrimmage tonight but my son didn't play due to rolling his ankle in gym class this morning.  Had it been a real game they would have taped him up and played.  Super excited about the team.  Pitching depth looks really good.  Lots of young talent.  Coach says the current crop of juniors could be his best group ever.  Can't wait to get going.

Having this debate with some friends...would appreciate others weighing in.  Saw a game last night where a JV pitcher, in 10th grade, was throwing 85+mph.  At the end of the 4th inning he had thrown 78 pitches....they brought him back for the 5th inning, and he ended that with 90 pitches and he didn't start the 6th inning.  Final stats on him were 90 pitches, 53 strikes, 20 batters faced.  7 strikeouts, 4 walks.

Is 90 pitches too much for JV in your opinion?

Question really isn't whether he is JV or not or 10th grade or 12th.

How long has he been training? I'm in PA and we haven't had a game yet. I know my son tells me when he's catching pitchers and I was surprised they weren't doing more to prep pitchers. So for us I would say it's a lot cause I know the limited throwing they have been doing.

There's schools in GA that are apparently 7-8 + games into it. Warmer climate states get started a ton earlier than us.

At face value it can seem like a lot early but details really do matter.

IMO.

No, not too many. Hell, I have seen kids who are ranked in the top 10 players in the 2019 class go 120 pitches back when they were 12 years old (their own Dad coaching them) before. All depends on the kid. Now that we have the pitch count limits in HS you will see your teams try to get as many batters out as possible while throwing 90 pitches (max for Frosh and JV in San Diego Section). A lot of these kids are cruising when they hit the 90 pitch mark and get pulled. Kid we went up against yesterday (2020 playing JV) was sitting in mid 80s and had lost nothing on his FB or control when he got pulled due to pitch count in the 6th. Big kid, 6'2" 175. Our guy went all 7 innings on 87 pitches and the opponent was just starting to hit him in the 7th inning.

Kevin A posted:
Question really isn't whether he is JV or not or 10th grade or 12th.

How long has he been training? I'm in PA and we haven't had a game yet. I know my son tells me when he's catching pitchers and I was surprised they weren't doing more to prep pitchers. So for us I would say it's a lot cause I know the limited throwing they have been doing.

There's schools in GA that are apparently 7-8 + games into it. Warmer climate states get started a ton earlier than us.

At face value it can seem like a lot early but details really do matter.

IMO.

Tryouts here were mid January.  This was their 10th game, season is over on 3/31.  No idea how much the kid has pitched prior to last night.

Agree with the last two posts that it is case by case - lots of variables to be considered.  Here's one that hasn't been brought up... JV teams are supposed to be developmental.  Most JV teams have at least seven or eight kids who have potential as P's (our current JV squad has ten we would like to look at).  It's always a challenge to find game innings to let them develop and get comfortable against live opponents when you only play two or three games a week.  That's much harder to do when you stretch your starters out six innings.

 

Kevin A posted:
Question really isn't whether he is JV or not or 10th grade or 12th.

How long has he been training? I'm in PA and we haven't had a game yet. I know my son tells me when he's catching pitchers and I was surprised they weren't doing more to prep pitchers. So for us I would say it's a lot cause I know the limited throwing they have been doing.

There's schools in GA that are apparently 7-8 + games into it. Warmer climate states get started a ton earlier than us.

At face value it can seem like a lot early but details really do matter.

IMO.

Yeah, with high school pitchers this is not a one-size-fits-all. With pros, they've spent the off-season working out and almost always enter spring training coming off of a break from pitching, so it makes a lot of sense to slowly ramp up the pitch counts. With a high school kid, he could have been gearing up for two months to be prepared to throw 90 pitches. Now, some kids enter the season coming off of another sport or with no throwing at all right before official practices. Those kids need to be babied along.

Here in Colorado, official practices - where you can mandate players show up - only started February 27, yet the season started yesterday. Additionally, basketball playoffs are still going on. You will literally have kids step on a field for the first time three games into the season. However, most of my pitching staff has been gearing up since the day after Christmas so they can be ready to step on the mound and go a max number of pitches. Our season is only 19 games. If I had to baby the arms - pitch count wise - ten games into the season, we'd be half way through the schedule.

As to JV, I'll agree that I don't see a lot of need in a kid going 90 pitches in what should be development for varsity. If I've got a kid that's a burgeoning stud pitching on JV, then I'm probably thinking more along the lines of holding his pitch count down so I have a good fresh arm for the varsity down the stretch if I need it.

Last edited by roothog66

In agreement with roothog, if a kid isn't getting themselves prepared prior to the season to be able to step on the mound in game #1 and go the distance then in my opinion their off season regimine needs to change (roothog didn't exactly say that, to be fair). If a kid is a multi-sport athlete or coming off an injury, all bets are off. But a dedicated 1-sport baseball athlete has no excuse to not be in shape for the start of the season.

Last edited by SanDiegoRealist
cabbagedad posted:

Agree with the last two posts that it is case by case - lots of variables to be considered.  Here's one that hasn't been brought up... JV teams are supposed to be developmental.  Most JV teams have at least seven or eight kids who have potential as P's (our current JV squad has ten we would like to look at).  It's always a challenge to find game innings to let them develop and get comfortable against live opponents when you only play two or three games a week.  That's much harder to do when you stretch your starters out six innings.

 

But part of development is pushing the endurance, no?  Under most states rules he'll be down for the next 3-4 days.  So assuming another game or two in that period (we will average 4-5 games per week) there are innings for the others.  

So given that it's the end of their season, relatively warm, I'd say 90 is ok.  

Golfman25 posted:
cabbagedad posted:

Agree with the last two posts that it is case by case - lots of variables to be considered.  Here's one that hasn't been brought up... JV teams are supposed to be developmental.  Most JV teams have at least seven or eight kids who have potential as P's (our current JV squad has ten we would like to look at).  It's always a challenge to find game innings to let them develop and get comfortable against live opponents when you only play two or three games a week.  That's much harder to do when you stretch your starters out six innings.

 

But part of development is pushing the endurance, no?  Under most states rules he'll be down for the next 3-4 days.  So assuming another game or two in that period (we will average 4-5 games per week) there are innings for the others.  

So given that it's the end of their season, relatively warm, I'd say 90 is ok.  

If we averaged 4-5 games per week, it would be an entirely different story.  But, like I said, we only play two or three (two more often than three).  A couple times a year, we will have a non-league DH added in.  So for those few weeks, we play 4 and it isn't a problem getting guys innings.  But those are exceptions.  With ten guys we want to keep throwing, it becomes a difficult and delicate balance, particularly with the 2 game weeks.

With inevitable attrition, I'm usually more inclined to have my JV coach keep more guys throwing (thus fewer innings per) and arms plenty healthy and fresh rather than focus on just a few of the best only to lose them later to transfers, grades, girls, other sports, etc., and be stuck with under-developed guys.  We've been experimenting with a rotation that includes some intersquad work but it's tough to stick to regularly when there are always so many aspects of the game that need reviewed and practiced and some nights are game nights. 

Here in VA (60 miles south of DC) the forecast is iffy.  Right now projected to get 1-3", but if the storm shifts east it could be more snow or if west it would be less snow and more rain.  Either way any games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday will probably be postponed or cancelled.

South of us western NC is calling for 5-8" of snow.  North of DC on up through the NE will get walloped.  Typical Nor'easter.

MomLW posted:

Three games in, one rain out (last night), and headed out of state for four games Thursday and Friday.  Anyone here from Midlothian, Midway, Bryan or Stony Point schools in TX?

My 2019 plays for Stony Point - I take it you are from Bryant?  We're scuffling right now...we have the guys to have one of our top offenses in a long time but just can't seem to get the hits at the right time and have the arms but keep losing close games. District play starts this week against Round Rock so they better figure it out. I spoke briefly with the head coach yesterday and he feels we have a chance to win the district or go 0-12.  Nothing like knowing what you have...

Kevin A posted:

They just upgraded us to 18-24 + inches.

 

i mean...COME ON PEOPLE!!!!!!

We in the south don't appreciate you sending down your cold air either!  Last week we were in t-shirts when it touched 80, this week we aren't getting into the 50's, and the night games it might be 40's!  That is sub-arctic for us Georgia folks!

CaCO3Girl posted:
Kevin A posted:

They just upgraded us to 18-24 + inches.

 

i mean...COME ON PEOPLE!!!!!!

We in the south don't appreciate you sending down your cold air either!  Last week we were in t-shirts when it touched 80, this week we aren't getting into the 50's, and the night games it might be 40's!  That is sub-arctic for us Georgia folks!

Well, not sure how well you all will take this one, but our district rivalry game on Friday night had to be suspended in the 3rd inning because the plate umpire was suffering from heat stroke.

Heat stroke. In a night game. In March.

Rob T posted:
CaCO3Girl posted:
Kevin A posted:

They just upgraded us to 18-24 + inches.

 

i mean...COME ON PEOPLE!!!!!!

We in the south don't appreciate you sending down your cold air either!  Last week we were in t-shirts when it touched 80, this week we aren't getting into the 50's, and the night games it might be 40's!  That is sub-arctic for us Georgia folks!

Well, not sure how well you all will take this one, but our district rivalry game on Friday night had to be suspended in the 3rd inning because the plate umpire was suffering from heat stroke.

Heat stroke. In a night game. In March.

Is he okay?

CaCO3Girl posted:
Kevin A posted:

They just upgraded us to 18-24 + inches.

 

i mean...COME ON PEOPLE!!!!!!

We in the south don't appreciate you sending down your cold air either!  Last week we were in t-shirts when it touched 80, this week we aren't getting into the 50's, and the night games it might be 40's!  That is sub-arctic for us Georgia folks!

We had a game canceled down your way once. You should remember March 13, 1993. Over a foot of snow in Atlanta shut down the season for a couple of weeks.

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