dad's throwing BP

Try another field !!!1

Most LL dads do well pitching BP

Most of the little league dads I have seen can throw an ok batting practice...

On the other hand, I notice

as my son has gotten older so have I ....

as his need for faster fastballs grows, my fastball is getting slower...

and worst of all, the curve that used to confuse him and was the sure strikeout pitch - is now off the right field wall...

IT's funny you mention this because I threw a few buckets to my son yesterday. I was never a pitcher but can usually throw strikes. BUT, now that he's getting old enough to do some serious damage if I don't get out of the way quick enough, I think it seriously affects the way I throw. If I'm just throwing to a catcher, that's one thing. But having him in the box with no L screen to protect me? That's a whole different situation.

Started using the "L" screen when he was 11. Now that he is 15, "L" screen scares me a little. He laughs at my fastball and thinks my curve is a joke.

I may plunk him this week.

Beezer:

You're a brave soul...the closest I ever get to throwing BP is watching from the parking lot with an "L" screen pulled up beside the car!

Wouldn't want one of those errant hits to knock the binoculars out of my hands.

I just ordered an L-screen. Don't leave home without it. I had to, my reflexes haven't kept up with his strength and development, I'm on dangerous ground out there, particularly since I can't throw good hard strikes consistently from the full 60'6". Funny, though, in a tunnel with an L-screen he still hits me everytime, it'll carom off the side and nail me at least once every session. It's kind of a running joke now, BP isn't over until he's hit me at least once. I figure now that it's nice out I can take the L-screen to a field and put an end to that.

Back to the topic though, most guys can throw LL BP. But I've seen more than one guy be clueless out there, I think usually it is more a matter of he's throwing BP as if the kids are 6 years old, when in fact they're 9 or 10 and he's lobbing in these ridiculous lob balls all over the place. And then there is the occasional dad who gets pressed into service and can't hit the side of a barn. So yeah, those guys do exist, I've seen it. In those cases I politely took over the BP and had him grab a catchers mitt and warm up the staff fireballer. But most dads do ok BP at the LL level.

At about thirty feet I throw BP to both my 17yr and my 11yr olds. I cower behind a rickety HS L screen in either case . If I'm any further back the older one complains about my pitching being too slow .
I pitch without a L screen to the younger one at about 40' but not without trepidation. He hits hard!!!
(He hit a line drive home run in his last game )
Rollerman

By the way - check those L-sceens carefully - I have been hit with balls that went through the netting on the l screen more than once...

I know I know - more than once

t-bird:

I usually knock him down ala Matt Morris when he laughs at my curveball... (Just kidding)

08DAD,
Nothing's got thru....YET!!!
I've had several close calls though. I'm considering wearing catchers gear just in case.
About the bravest (read stupidest) thing I did was to throww BP to my older son when he was 7 and my youngest was in a Backpack on my back.
Could not get down for those low line drives and ended up with several welts below my knees .

08Dad,

I had a ball shoot through a gap in the bottom of the net and riquochet (sp?) into my shin, and I screamed, "Oh shin!"

I haven't plunked him many times over the years and I assure you they have all been accidental, but I still may run one a little inside if he continues to laugh at my pitching.

quote:

Originally posted by 08Dad:
By the way - check those L-sceens carefully - I have been hit with balls that went through the netting on the l screen more than once...

I know I know - more than once

One of the places we worked out at over the winter had a bad L screen.....my son nailed his coach.

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
Beezer:

You're a brave soul...

"Brave" or flat out "Stupid"??? I don't have a choice since I don't have an L screen....yet. I guarantee you, the day I get nailed is the day I whip out the Baseball Express catalog and place an order.

Beezer:

If you're worried about your safety don't bother ordering the "O" screen...it's got too big of a sweet spot for your son to really nail you!

when a trip to the field is out of the question, I throw tennis balls to Jr in the back yard. I think this is worse, since:
a) to throw a decent tennis ball, you have to be pretty close
b) if you are pretty close, you are more likely to get drilled
c) 'b' happens A LOT!!

Last year I took one in the face, breaking my 'real' Oakleys, fat lip, and a heavily bruised ego as Jr fell on his a$$ laughing at me.

Drilling him with a tennis ball only makes him laugh harder.

Throwing tennis balls from behind our new L screen makes him laugh harder yet.

I think backyard BP has become counterproductive!!

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
Beezer:

If you're worried about your safety don't bother ordering the "O" screen...it's got too big of a sweet spot for your son to really nail you!

Woodrow - Should I get the fastpitch screen to see if he can fit it through that opening?

Windmill - sorry but the progression there made me laugh out loud!

Beez - glad I could provide you with a chuckle - BTW: how come I'm the only one not laughing??

quote:

Originally posted by windmill:
Beez - glad I could provide you with a chuckle - BTW: how come I'm the only one not laughing??

Maybe because last year you took one in the face, breaking your 'real' Oakleys, got a fat lip, and a heavily bruised ego as Jr fell on his a$$ laughing at you?

Glad to hear that I am not the only one throwing tennis balls from behind an L screen... those things can really hurt if they hit you right.(or is that wrong?)

Yes he laughs - but then again, I am not the one who has to go get the tennis balls and the family Golden Retriever won't get them either....

Beez - good point, but besides, that...

Pitching to my son last summer behind an L-screen 30ft away (can’t bring it like I use to) He hits a screaming line drive straight back at me, (hate those metal bats). Hits me square in the stomach (thankfully I have a little extra padding in that region). So that night at the game when I’m trying to get a lineup done and get 15, 13 year olds focused on the game. My son yells Hey Dad show everyone the stitch marks on your stomach!

Threw some BP last night. Probably didn't break 65 mph. He needed to see about 75 mph (special circumstance, normally soft stuff is fine for BP). Snapped off a few curves at the end, they break a lot when they are that slow. Today and for a few days to come my shoulder and elbow will be paying the price.

Has anyone tried the wiffle golf balls? During my sons LL and even HS years I found this a great pre-game bp tool where you can stand 15-20 feet away and quickly flip them. The ball is small, has good movement, and it is a great hand-eye tool. I would sit on my knees and have 4-5 guys behind me shagging balls and waiting their turn. Being so close to the batter negated and velocity issues, I wore safety glasses, and with a little practice you can learn to control the movement. It was an efficient way to get 25 swings real quick with a small amount of space needed. Besides improved bp accuracy, it saves on an 'ol mans arm, and if you get hit it only stings a little.

I've found the golf wiffle balls to be harder on the arm.

Me too on the wiffle balls - not enough weight I suppose - but my shoulder hurts after throwing a session of those far more than a session of tennis balls or baseballs.

We use the wiffle golf balls in a sort of stickball soft toss using an old broom handle. Small ball, small 'bat' barrel, it's a good drill.

quote:

I've found the golf wiffle balls to be harder on the arm.

You are right, throwing a golf wiffle ball would do wonders on the arm in a short amount of time. I was thinking from your knees at a 15 ft distance where you are not throwing the ball but rather "flicking" it.

We have a small backyard. But somehow my husband rigged a batting cage with an L Screen. He's throwing from about 30 feet away to my 07 son! Brave man! But having those extra 75-100 swings per day has paid off in many ways.

quote:

Originally posted by Newcomer:
We have a small backyard. But somehow my husband rigged a batting cage with an L Screen. He's throwing from about 30 feet away to my 07 son! Brave man!

Hide his L screen and see if he STILL does it. If he does then that's a brave man!!!

Good point...even the dog and cat stay out of the backyard when my son is hitting away!!

Our dog has a habit of wandering between my son and I when he's pitching in the backyard on her way to "take car of business", as if we're not even there. Drives my son up the wall.

Beezer,

Watch out for the sinkerballs in the dirt.

LOL....luckily the dog has a designated area and sticks pretty much to her routine. I think it's just the fact that she stops to watch....directly between us...and it frustrates him.

As a side note; remember the clip of Randy Johnson pitching and a bird flew in the path of the ball, then POOF? That happened to me too!

Really?! With a bird or the dog?

It was a bird. Son and I were throwing and as I was throwing back to him, a bird flew through the back yard....and right up to heaven. It didn't have quite the POOF affect Johnson's 95 mph fastball had but some feathers flew.