Bullpen Sessions

Things I would consider before bullpens:
1- How long has it been since P has thrown a baseball last.

2- What type of condition is the player in physically.

3- With what frequency, duration, and effort have the throwing sessions been recently. (If at all, I know most havent picked up a ball since Aug. or Sept.

Dont just jump into throwing pens, build up balance and strength in the body with a quality throwing program. A throwing session should be accompanied with daily flexibilty training, core strength building, stabilitzation drills. Always run, this should be done daily, one mile is good with more after hard throwing.

Pens- Throw for accuracy not velocity:
1) 30 Pitches from 60'6"
Start at 45' and work on location and getting ball down in strike zone before moving to 60.
5 FB Strike Zone finders
5 FB Inside
5 FB Outside
5 FB Inside
5 FB Outside
5 FB Strike Zone finders

Great question, I have just started training some HS looking to make their teams.

Save the CB for short sleeves, work on your Change, its more effective anyway!

Hope that helps.

LTBB47 you have a PM

Boris,

Boris,

This is the bullpen format that is used by my both my son's pitching coach, Alec Zumwald. Alec is a triple AAA pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers and formerly with the Braves and the Marlins organization. My younger son throws four times a week which two are bullpen sessions. The bullpen sessions are about a 1/2 hour.

After stretching and getting the arm loosen up
he will throw 25 or so pitches at 45 feet and 35 to 40 pitches at 60'6". With the younger son, all the pitches up to two week ago
were fastball and changeups. Special attention to release point and the creation of proper ball movement. They have been throwing at about 80% for the most part. Alec will need to report to camp late next week so this will be our last week of lessons. I expect that they will be working to tweak the breaking stuff and continue to work on fastball and changeup movement expectations.

The same work out for the older son when he was on break or if home for the weekend, except my son directs what he needs to work on during the beginning of last part of the session.

Alex breaks up the throwing so to see if the ball is being held correctly, discuss hand location at release point or observation of foot land vs. arm location. The last 10/15 throws are simulated batting situations.

My older son has been working two bullpens a week for the last three weeks while at college.They throw six out of seven days. They started with 40 pitches per sessions at the beginning of practices and will be at 90 pitches by mid-March. They will begin working on the breaking stuff this week as well as throwing to hitters. All fastballs and changeups prior to this week. Hope that helps.

^^*one bullpen per week at college, not two* ^^

Infielders and outfielders throw every day why can't pitchers. Words from Leo Mazzone. Pitchers don't throw at max speed each day but they do throw bull-pen sessions at 60-70% effort working on grips, location, and various pitches. Obviously early in the season pitchers will only throw a couple of times and then eventually work more sessions in as their arm strengthens.

If you're speaking of throwing in terms of bullpens, if for no other reason, it's tough to throw every day due to the logistics of it. If you have 9 or 10 pitchers on the team, you're asking for a catcher to be pulled out of team drills or hitting for the whole practice, every day. If the pitchers play other positions, same thing.

What about elastic band work? When do you recommend doing those? Is there a schedule that your pitchers follow after game days. Great thread....Thanks for the info.

Once we get into a season our pitchers will throw three bull-pens a week besides their major day. In any case, a catcher gets their work during the bull-pen session; during pre-season or during the regular season. This is their craft and they get an excellent opportunity to work on framing, blocking and how each pitcher throws. We don't necessarily pull them out of their daily practice but we do ask them to stay later or come in early and get their work in

congrats, seems like you have a very dedicated and hardworking group of catchers.

To be a good catcher. You must be fierceless and be as tough as nails.