CIRCLE CHANGE REQUIRED?

Why not learn to throw an effective change and add it to the arsenal?  If they are hammering it in HS it likely doesn't have the movement of an effective pitch.  This may be due to it not being thrown with conviction.  

Your initial instincts are correct.  You should say nothing.

You can, however, give your son fatherly advice about how to handle these things.

The first thing young men need to learn is how to have a man-to-man, respectful discussion, as opposed to coming off like a whiner who just doesn't respect the coach's authority.

The second thing is, there are differences between a splitter and a circle change, so I don't see how your son would suffer from working on the change and having that in his arsenal.  So, suggest to him that he has nothing to lose and everything to gain from working on this new pitch.

Using the circle change and not using the splitter are two different things.  It's possible he can use the circle change and yet, still have the splitter in his arsenal.  He should ask the coach to let him use it in scrimmages so that the coach can see for himself how effective your son can be with it.  Some good old ugly swings might bring the coach around. 

With that said, I recognize it is possible that he's in a situation where the head coach has strong opinions and/or a Napoleon complex.  My own son had this exact situation (son's secondary pitch of choice was a nasty splitter, coach wanted curve balls) his freshman and sophomore years and was fortunate enough to benefit from a coaching change after that.  But for those first two years, the reality was, if you want to pitch in games you have to play by the coach's rules. 

He may as well learn now that while he can try to get things his way, he won't always get things his way.  Many times we have to do what higher authorities tell us whether we like it or not. 

Happily your travel ball experience will result in your son not losing out on long term opportunities over this.  In the meantime, he should hope that he can keep his HS coach as someone who would speak favorably of his attitude if anyone should ever ask.

As a P.S., I would add that there are some who believe young pitchers should not throw the splitter, for arm health reasons.  I do not believe these people are correct, but as you think about the HS coach, keep in mind that he may be motivated not by malevolence, but rather, by an honest concern (whether or not justified) for your son's health.  Give him the benefit of the doubt and think kindly of him at least until you are sure otherwise.  It may color how you and your son think of the whole relationship and experience going forward.

IMO, I don't think a circle change is a must, but nice if one is comfortable throwing it.  the first summer before freshman year, my sons first V coach tired and tried to get him to throw one, problem was his and just wasn't big enough yet.  I showed him the split change, and when he went to  and we worked on it over the winter break and he threw it well with good movement.  Come spring try outs, coach saw him throw the split change and told him not to bother with the circle any more, stick with what was working.  He now throws both just for different looks.

I think maybe your son should/could just work on the circle to appease the HS coaches, if it gets torn up at the plate, they own it for calling the pitch.  Then keep doing what he does for the summer team.

You made the best decision to just stay out of it and let him work it out with the HS coaches, after all, they're always right when it comes to their program

It sounds like your son is an incredible ball player.  And that his change up may just be a work in progress.  You make it sound like his splitter is a dominant pitch.  And if so, I seriously doubt it was that way when he first started throwing it.

Tell your son to take this as a challenge and learn to throw the change up until it is as good as his fastball and splitter.

Ditto all the above. However, if he really is resistant to use it in games, work on it whith the coach in practice and when he calls it in a game, nod, "yes, Coach," throw the splitter, and swera it was a circle change if asked.

On my son's HS team this would be a recipe for getting benched.

If this is really an issue (and to be honest, for a 15 year old, the description of this kids abilities raises at least a small warning flag), player needs to talk to coach about what he can/can't throw, and needs to approach it from the POV that he'd like to learn to throw a better change, but he also has splitter that works and maybe he can use that as a substitute.  Then he needs to enthusiastically embrace coach's plan, whatever it is, while he's playing for him.

Not being as successful on the HS field relative to travel/summer ball, especially due to things beyond his control, probably isn't going to stop him from getting recruited if he's good enough.  Not being able to work with a coach without dad getting involved might.

Do what the high school coach says. Don't get labeled uncoachable. It won't affect his summer ball where he will most likely be recruited. Learning the circle change could end up being plus. If a scout or college coach mentions he pitches differently on high school than travel just have him say he's following coaches orders.

I guess the tongue-in-cheek wasn't obvious enough.

I'll be honest and say that it wasn't obvious but really glad that you don't feel that way.  Stick around long enough for us to get to know you and we will catch onto it.

I have a story that sorta fits....ish but there is a moral to it.  I had a kid drafted a few years ago and in rookie / complex / instructional ball he had several outings where he was only allowed to throw change ups - about 70% of the pitches were changes.  He said after the first two or three hitters they realized what he was doing and sat on it.  They were crushing him left and right but the goal was to learn how to throw a change.  In HS he cruised 88 but could top at 91-92 but his change was around 80 so it became a hittable HS speed so he rarely threw it since his curve was really good.  They limited him to around 65 - 70 pitches per outing (assuming he wasn't laboring) and if he gave 20 runs or 2 runs they left him in to learn how to throw a change.  It's now one of his better pitches - still has some work but he trusts to throw it now.

The moral is give it time and work on it.  Maybe he will come around in HS and maybe he won't.  At the next level I will almost guarantee they will at least want to experiment with it to see what happens.  If he has a good basis for the pitch then it will be easier to learn whereas if he closes his mind to it now and leaves with a bad taste.  

Where the difference in the story is that my guy can handle getting hammered like he was because that level is more about seeing if they can learn and what the results of what they learned.  At your sons level it is about winning and it's hard to win while trying to learn to throw a new pitch.  That is why it's so important to focus on the learning while throwing a 'pen that way it's not as foreign in a game when having to throw it.  Another big aspect, and this goes back to the killer instinct thread, that if he buys in to trying to learn it instead of becoming frustrated in doing something he doesn't want then it will help execute the pitch when called on in the game.  I would rather my guys call their own game but when I call a pitch then they will throw that pitch.  The thing is they have to trust me in that I'm calling it for a reason to help them succeed and not get hammered.  That trust helps to lead to confidence in executing the pitch.  I tell my guys if I call something and they aren't comfortable with it to step off and gather their thoughts.  If your son is resisting the teaching then he won't be comfortable throwing it and it will get hit.

As someone said the reason it is probably getting hit is due to lack of movement.  I agree with that and will it that it may also be the difference in the speed of his fastball is not that great.  It's one of those or both of those.  The thing with the change is getting a comfortable grip and if he has smaller hands a circle change will be harder to throw.  Maybe going to a different grip for a change may be what the doctor ordered.  But until you work on it you will never know.

One problem is that many catchers only use 3 signs - FB, breaking pitch, and changeup.

Son used a splitter in HS, and coach/catcher didn't call it often.

I would learn some type of change.  Son couldn't throw a circle very well, but the 3 finger and palm ball were effective.  Like coach said above, he needs to learn how/when/where to throw his change.

Our older son, who debuted in MLB this past season, throws a circle change.  Its his 'out/strikeout pitch.'  When he first started throwing it, I thought it was not good…got hit a lot compared to his FB.  He stuck with it, believed in it…and to be honest, its probably the one pitch that got him to MLB.

Circle change is a very good pitch if you've got a good one.  I surely would not write it off as a HS pitcher.  In hindsight, I'd encourage my son to develop it rather than chucking it.

Interesting side note, he recently got hold of another MLB team's scouting report on him (believe it or not, they accidentally left it in the dugout after a game).  It said that his change was a splitter.  They were 100% wrong and it was amusing to all of us.  

+1

That's funny.  

My son, who is much younger then yours, has his change up move down and away from a right-handed hitter.  Some have mistaken it as a slider.

Nothing scientific about this so TIFWIW...  Nearly all high school pitchers we see that would be considered among the best... DO NOT throw any split fingered pitches. And the few that do, seem to have a very high rate of injury.

That said, I know several that never threw the split that now do throw a split in professional baseball or college baseball.

Please don't get caught in that trap of thinking your son has never experienced pain.  There have been many who thought their son was blessed with a rubber arm, only to find out differently.  

That mid 80s fast ball at age 15 is what would interest me the most.  The coach might have reasons hy he wants younger kids to throw the change up.  How about... Maybe he wants to see if they can develop a good one.  That said we see quite a few that have good change ups and don't throw the circle.  But to be honest it seems like most all the kids that have a change up that would grade out high are throwing the circle.

I personally have never worked with a young pitcher that I didn't try to teach or improve the circle change up.  If your son develops a real good one, you should go thank that coach, because he made your son a better pitcher.  And if the circle never develops, what have you lost?  Oh yea, gave up a few hits at age 15 in order to give up fewer hits at age 17.

Wonder how dumb this coach will seem to be when and if your son goes to college or pro ball and the first thing they do is try to work on throwing a circle change?

There are coaches out there that do stupid things, mostly pertaining to risk of injury.  I see no problem at all with a high school coach wanting his pitchers to develop a change up. Some would say that is a good thing and in the best interest of the young pitcher. And always remember this... What works great against 15 year olds doesn't mean it will work well as the level of play gets better.

Oh, that is so true.  If it wasn't, MLB would be full of guys throwing nothing but 55mph curves.

On the flip side, if you're 61mph curve is good enough (or paired with a 90+ fastball)...

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs...out-pitches-of-2013/

Originally posted by PGStaff:

Please don't get caught in that trap of thinking your son has never experienced pain.  There have been many who thought their son was blessed with a rubber arm, only to find out differently.  

I used to have a rubber arm. I could throw and throw and throw and it would never bother me at all. Then, one day, it did. Now, I have a scar on my elbow.

This is a very good thread, with lots of solid advice.

Not to over simplify things however IMO if a player wants to play at the higher levels a good fastball is the qualifier...a good changeup can separate you from the pack.  Something that may seem small now can make all the difference in the world 2 to 3 years down the road.

My advice is for your boy to say to the coach... "yes sir, that's a great idea".