How to handle Velo in an email

I wouldn't.

Don't talk about last year's because it's not relevant.

Don't talk about this year's velo because you don't know it yet.

I'd consider holding off on the email altogether until he knows how hard he's throwing, he gets back his ACT re-test, he has some junior year outings to talk about, and he knows something about his summer playing schedule. 

Best wishes,

I'll defer on the velo to those more familiar with pitchers. Whenever you send the e-mail, don't bury the 3.8 GPA, when you give his class and position.  That's a "plus tool" for him..best of luck on that recent ACT so that it will be "in the neighborhood" with the stellar GPA. Should probably list the APs he's taking too.

Swampboy posted:

I wouldn't.

Don't talk about last year's because it's not relevant.

Don't talk about this year's velo because you don't know it yet.

I'd consider holding off on the email altogether until he knows how hard he's throwing, he gets back his ACT re-test, he has some junior year outings to talk about, and he knows something about his summer playing schedule. 

Best wishes,

Excellent advice above. You need to let this year play out, then send info as to his summer schedule.

Make sure that he will be playing in venues he will be seen. This is his most important summer.

PS Kudos to your sons program for not putting a gun on the pitchers at this time.

TPM posted:

PS Kudos to your sons program for not putting a gun on the pitchers at this time.

When is the appropriate time for a pitcher to know how fast they are throwing so they can report it to the schools they are interested in being recruited by?

I completely agree with Swampboy.

Further, with 2 sons who played D1, I don't ever remember reporting or being asked about their velo.  They either measured it themselves or asked someone they trusted (HS coach, travel coach, others...).

Your son has some good things going for him that should garner interest...his grades, test scores and his size.  Let those things, along with getting him in front of coaches do the talking.

All, thanks for the info.  Agreed on getting in front of the coaches.  His program does a really nice job of getting the kids where they need to be.  We have had some good email exchanges with those who saw him play, either last year or during his programs "college camp" a couple of weeks back.  Between his program and feedback from coaches we have a very good idea of where he should be targeting.  Good thing is a lot of those schools see to be the type of school he wants to attend.  

Right now our email intention is to just get his name in front of some of the schools who have not seen him.  Figured if we try to open a dialog with some of those schools it would be helpful later in the  year when the recruiting picks up.

joe - We had the same desire and our sons did in fact send letters/emails to targeted schools.  Velocity was not part of those letters and emails.  Grades, test scores, size and HS & summer schedules for the year were part of those emails.

Good luck!

I agree with others however I would still initiate an intro letter to demonstrate interest, share schedule and known metrics.  Depending on the school and their timetable you may get some responses and interest.  Velo is important but so are other skills and accomplishments to get a foot in the door.  You can always come back to the velo question as a follow up communication as this changes with most high schoolers as they get stronger and develop mechanics.  JMO.

I agree with Fenway.  It is not too early to initiate contact, and waiting won't help and could hurt.

Contact doesn't have to be a multi-page biography.  A simple expression of interest suffices for now. 

The general rule is, accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.  So, your son should mention that he enters the year with varsity experience and that he's 6/4", 190 lbs.  That should do well to put him on the list of guys they want to follow.  Everyone likes a pitcher who's tall and fit -- 190 is heavy enough to sound strong but not so heavy as to sound flabby, so it's a major positive stat.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see where you mentioned whether your son is LHP or RHP.  If he were LHP, then I would absolutely mention that he was last measured at 82-83 8-10 months ago.  Tall, projectable lefties are in short enough supply that velo in that range would place him at the high end.

For a RHP, those MPH readings are still very solid indeed for a sophomore and any experienced college recruiter will recognize that.  So I don't know that you need to feel like you're hiding those numbers, but I do agree that mentioning them right now is not a big priority.

After the introduction e-mail, I would suggest he go to a private pitching instructor for a session and get himself gunned maybe in mid-March.  THEN, he could follow up by saying, "I was 82-83 as a sophomore and now, entering my junior year season, I am topping out at ____."

E-mail # 3 would then pass along the team's web page with schedule, especially if your son can point to a particular game in which he will pitch.  Or, he can supply his coach's cell number so that they can find that out directly if they wish.

I suspect your son will have plenty of success.  Indeed, if he's a VA kid, I hope he'll contact me about the Cardinals!

Maybe you can use "sound effects" from a bull pen session. With the fast ball "popping" in the catchers mitt. The Japan HS teams had a "special" mitt for bull pen catchers.

When the relief pitcher was warming up, his pitches made a loud sound in the special mitt. TRUE STORY!

During one of our Area Code tryouts at Notre Dame. The Chicago scout said "Bob I hear you can tell bat speed over the phone"? Yes, absolutely with a wood bat and a tee.

Bob

Midlo Dad posted:

I agree with Fenway.  It is not too early to initiate contact, and waiting won't help and could hurt.

Contact doesn't have to be a multi-page biography.  A simple expression of interest suffices for now. 

The general rule is, accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.  So, your son should mention that he enters the year with varsity experience and that he's 6/4", 190 lbs.  That should do well to put him on the list of guys they want to follow.  Everyone likes a pitcher who's tall and fit -- 190 is heavy enough to sound strong but not so heavy as to sound flabby, so it's a major positive stat.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see where you mentioned whether your son is LHP or RHP.  If he were LHP, then I would absolutely mention that he was last measured at 82-83 8-10 months ago.  Tall, projectable lefties are in short enough supply that velo in that range would place him at the high end.

For a RHP, those MPH readings are still very solid indeed for a sophomore and any experienced college recruiter will recognize that.  So I don't know that you need to feel like you're hiding those numbers, but I do agree that mentioning them right now is not a big priority.

After the introduction e-mail, I would suggest he go to a private pitching instructor for a session and get himself gunned maybe in mid-March.  THEN, he could follow up by saying, "I was 82-83 as a sophomore and now, entering my junior year season, I am topping out at ____."

E-mail # 3 would then pass along the team's web page with schedule, especially if your son can point to a particular game in which he will pitch.  Or, he can supply his coach's cell number so that they can find that out directly if they wish.

I suspect your son will have plenty of success.  Indeed, if he's a VA kid, I hope he'll contact me about the Cardinals!

sorry, did not mean to give the impression we were hiding it.  just was wondering if we should list it up front or wait until asked.

RHP.  

Not in VA.  In IL.  By the looks of it we are in a program similar to the Cards.  

This may or may not apply in your area, but I had one D1 coach tell me that they always want to know if the GPA is weighted or unweighted.   That's because most of the schools around here use a 5.0+ scale to account for all of the advanced placement credits.  

Bob, I used to have one of those mitts.  It was an early Akadema product (back when they were still Academy).  They called it a "thunderclap pocket" and it was.  Got lots of looks during warmups.  

In Japan they were made by SSK.

Many hitters moved to the back of the batter's box and erased the rear chalk line.

Bob