Long Toss Milestone

Have you considered pneumatic tubes?

They're costly...a bit unsightly...and tougher than you can imagine to install properly...but talk about performance!

One bit of caution...if you try to send a 12 0z. bottle of Gatorade through the tube...make sure the lid is on really tight...otherwise it's a sticky, yellow jacket haven!

A bag of balls and a back stop, priceless. All you have to do is try to catch 'em. When the bag is empty he sprints in to get the bag and sprints to the next distance. To maintain a good relationship you have to be somewhat generous and use more than 1 ball

I agree totally with rz1. When I long toss and have my little brothers or dad catch me, I just carry a bag out with me. I started doing this after my dad had to ice his arm after we'd toss.

gotwood, Does having the tubes implanted give better results than having Tommy John surgery?

JDsDad:

It's like those tubes at the drive-thru window at the bank where you send your documents to the teller inside.

I suppose if you go about it all wrong it could result in Tommy John surgery...that'd be tough to do, but it's not inconceivable!

I think rz1 and thegame2003 have worked out a better solution. Not as much fun...but certainly more workable.

I pictured something like they have for launching t-shirts at ball games. Sorry for the confusion.

Its only a matter of time till you reach the next milestone...
Dad, you throw like a girl.

Backdash, I do throw like a girl.He let me know about that 3 or 4 yrs. ago.

My husband is going blind due to an eye disease. However a couple of years ago my youngest son came home griping that dad kept missing the ball. A moment later my husband came through with his pants leg up to his knee and a huge red/purple knot on his shin bone. The next day we told our sons about their dads eye disease. The following weekend my sons took Dad to the cages and showed pops their new way to practice. My oldest put a large board behind the net. He threw to the spot on the board. Long toss was between him and his older brother. Helped that he was a catcher. Dad still goes with the boys to work out but now he is a watcher and an advice sharer.

JDsDad - I'm feeling ya! Not sure how old your son is but mine is 13 but when we long toss, I'm good until he gets to about the depth of a HS outfielder and he can 1 or 2 hop it to home (I rainbow them back). Then he gets even deeper. If I try to throw them out to him, he has to run in and fetch the ball, run it back out and then throw it back in. At some point the light goes on and then I just start hitting them out to him.....much easier on the arm!

Woodrow - what's the tube thing? I'm picturing one of those spud guns.

BackDash:

quote:

Originally posted by BackDash:
Its only a matter of time till you reach the next milestone...
Dad, you throw like a girl.

I wish I could just get back to those glory days of throwing like a girl...anymore it's "Dad...don't strain yourself...just roll it my way."

allabout baseball:

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's condition...it is great that he stays involved...give him a big thumbs up!

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
allabout baseball:

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's condition...it is great that he stays involved...give him a big thumbs up!

Thanks Wood....I meant to include that in my previous post but had to take a call and forgot when I submitted it. That's awesome he is still involved!!!

Beezer:

quote:

Originally posted by Beezer:
Woodrow - what's the tube thing? I'm picturing one of those spud guns.

The tube thing? Like at the bank drive-thru window...put your documents in the cylinder...place the cylinder in the tray...the door closes...WHOOSH!...voila!...your documents have been sent pneumatically to the teller! Of course it works in reverse also...that's how you get your cash or documents back! Amazing huh?

And if you show up to the drive-thru window at the bank with a spud gun then they'll haul you to the pokey...and it won't be a smooth, pleasant pneumatic ride either!

It's always best to be careful with potatoes... In a hurry one morning I was trying to finish up breakfast while at the drive-thru window at the bank. I was stuffing the last fistful of hash browns in my mouth as I leaned out the window to place the cylinder in the tray...judging by the astonished look on her face, an antsy teller apparently thought my potatoes may have been a weapon of some sort.

Just as she was whirling around to sound the alarm, the cylinder containing my documents arrived at her station, luckily for me she spotted some greasy, shredded potatoes in the cylinder. She immediately calmed down once she realized that the imagined weapon was merely a portion of my messy breakfast. She wished me a "good morning" and I was soon on my way.

Everytime I see her we have a good laugh about that morning. When she sees that I have either of my daughters in the car with me at the drive-thru window she always sends out a lollipop for my daughter and a stale french fry for me!

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
Beezer:
I was stuffing the last fistful of hash browns in my mouth as I leaned out the window to place the cylinder in the tray...judging by the astonished look on her face, an antsy teller apparently thought my potatoes may have been a weapon of some sort.

Apparently somebody else held up the bank previously while holding a light golden brown gun in their mouth???

Getting back to the tube......do you know somebody that actually has something along these lines? OR was that just a Woodrow-ism?

quote:

Originally posted by Beezer:
Apparently somebody else held up the bank previously while holding a light golden brown gun in their mouth???

Perhaps so. That is the only logical explanation for that teller's response to my breakfast. On second thought...she may have been whirling for the phone instead of the alarm...she may have thought that fistful of hash browns was more than this hungry Irishman could handle in one bite and she was poised to call 911 for medical help. She hasn't come clean with me...

quote:

Getting back to the tube......do you know somebody that actually has something along these lines? OR was that just a Woodrow-ism?

We talking tube or tuber?

Woodrow-ism? Hard to tell...phact phrom phiction!

Beezer, My son is 14 he throws almost 80 yds on the fly. I can't even consistently hit a fungo that far. I've been watching Ebay for one of those breakfast launchers though.

You're not gonna' find this one on eBay...

The best breakfast launcher that I can remember was a very late night, luke warm, six pack of Blitz poured down quickly right before that final stop of the night at Denny's for a greasy platter of eggs, sausage, and those beloved hash browns!

I tried a really big sling shot but if you don't pull back evenly on both sides when you lay back it can really bruise your leg and cause you to run around screaming like a banshee. Also if you forget to let go it can drag you for about thirty feet. I'm usually about that much short anyway when I just throw it, so that does work out pretty good if I throw it from the closer point.

JDsDad:

Being from Oregon you will understand this term...folks in the Midwest are unfamiliar with it...

In order to get the ball there with the slingshot you have to really reef on it!

You know what I mean, right?

Yea if you reef to hard the rubberband will break and then you're running around screaming again.

My dad gave up playing catch with me a long time ago. I'm at a point now where I can get the ball there in the air at about 140 feet from my knees. Therefore, if I stand up and throw it, I'm over 215 or so, but I can't seem to find a partner who can get it to me at that point.

While my son has given up on me long ago, reading this thread has given me an idea - what about those things they make for throwing a tennis ball for your dog. They are about 2 feet long and would give you a little extra flip...

Bulldog, My son gets frustrated when his team "long tosses" at practice. His teammates are stretched out throwing with a crow hop and an arc max effort and he's still taking one step and throwing it on a line. With all but one of his teammates he'd be throwing 30 or 40 ft. past them if he was throwing with an arc. It would be better if he could throw with the one with the strong arm every time but they're supposed to throw with a new partner every practice.

08Dad I was actually wondering the same thing.

Gotwood you've had some other ideas. Have you ever watched American Inventor?

rz1, you suggested using a bag of balls. That does'nt work in Oregon it rains A LOT here. We would have a lot of really heavy baseballs. But then I guess we would'nt have to buy any of those weighted baseballs they sell on the internet for increased velocity. If anybody wants to buy any for cheaper I can get as many as you want for a real discount.

Where do I need to go to get this great thread I started nominated as a Golden Thread? MN-MOM?

JDsDad:

quote:

Originally posted by JDsDad:
Yea if you reef to hard the rubberband will break and then you're running around screaming again.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...someone understands.

Upon moving to the Chicago area over twenty years ago I discovered that every time I used my Pacific Northwest vernacular all I would get from the locals is a puzzled and perturbed look. I especially recall that look when using the term reef.

I necessarily had to lose most all of that vernacular or become callous to all of those puzzled and perturbed looks. I was too young to be callous so it was bye-bye Pacific Northwest vernacular and hello Sout Side Chicaga vernacular.

Have I ever watched American Inventor? If it's on cable, then no.

I'm pretty certain that I'm not the first person to discover the luke warm six pack breakfast launcher...I have vivid memories of seeing those being used at Denny's when I was a youngster.

08Dad:

quote:

Originally posted by 08Dad:
While my son has given up on me long ago, reading this thread has given me an idea - what about those things they make for throwing a tennis ball for your dog. They are about 2 feet long and would give you a little extra flip...

Oh you guys on the peninsula...doing everything for your animals...can't your dog throw his own tennis ball? Did 44 teach you that one?

Given that I have the world's only golden retriever that won't retrieve, I really don't have to worry about that!!!!

He basically views a thrown ball as something to watch rather than something to go get -

But perhaps you are right - I should try letting him throw and I'll go get it...

I do have a question for you more experienced midwestern types - after a session with the dog throwing and you retrieving, does your dog ice?

08Dad:

quote:

Originally posted by 08Dad:


Given that I have the world's only golden retriever that won't retrieve, I really don't have to worry about that!!!!

The only one? Imagine how valuable his...ahem...services will be when non-retrievers become all the rage! It doesn't hurt that he's Golden...California surfer dude!

quote:

He basically views a thrown ball as something to watch rather than something to go get -

At least he has good 'eye-tossed ball' coordination. He probably doesn't want to mess up his beautiful smile by mouthing the tossed balls.

quote:

But perhaps you are right - I should try letting him throw and I'll go get it...

Don't hold your breath...if there is any chance he might break a nail by tossing you a ball, he is not going to risk it!

quote:

I do have a question for you more experienced midwestern types - after a session with the dog throwing and you retrieving, does your dog ice?

You might find a Huskie or a Malamute doing the ice thing...but not the Golden Retrievers...they're already cool enough!

Gotwood, American Inventor is on Fox, made by the same people that produce American Idol. I've only watched it once somebody wins a million if they come up with the best invention. But there are some pretty crazy entrys.

Did you say crazy? Sounds too tame for me!