One change up in five innings?

Enjoy that he is getting an opportunity. Don't worry about what you can't control-have him do the same--you'll both be fine.

My older son (2004) went through this in HS. No changeups despite that it was his best 'out' pitch and remains so today.

So what do you do? Use the time to learn better command of his other pitches...you said there may be a 'command-lack thereof' of other pitches in earlier outings.

There was a tendency for me...and I hear a hint of it with you...to think the coaches are fools. I don't know if I was right or wrong(?), but I do know I spent way too much time thinking along those lines.

With a mid-80s fastball and a good breaking pitch, he should have plenty to be successful even against top-25 teams. For HS season with these coaches, work on making them the best two pitches they can be. Throw the change during summer ball.

So let's see junior told the coach what HIS plan of action was going to be?

80 pitches (in 5 innings for HS is good against a tough team), 80% should be FB and the rest off speed, perhaps your son's CU (as the coach sees it) isn't his best out pitch (was that what you were referring to not having command). For a 2013, I think the coach is going in the right direction, making him use his FB more than other pitches.

You didn't mention if it was a 2 or 4 seam FB.

We often tend to see things differently than the coaches do.

So what if he got roughed up, if your son wants to pitch at a higher level, it won't be the first and it won't be the last time. He won't learn any other way. Your combination for success (20,20,10 leaving 30 FB) is not what should be used for developing HS players (this is not ML), be thankful the coach is making him rely on his FB. And not sure if as a sophmore making his first start he knows what pitch is best to make an out.

Is this another attempt at making another coach look bad? Whydo we and our players always think they know more than the coach?

It's very hard for us to judge or give opinions when not there to see what is going on, would you agree? I say stick to the coaches plan, he's the boss.

I didn't see JBB post until I was done. I understand what he was saying.
My son's best pitch (I always thought) was his change up, it wasn't though, for those that knew more than we did. Now I know why he had to use that sinking 2 seam and power 4 seam over and over and over in HS and college even though we thought his best pitch was his CU. I am forever thankful that they made him not rely on his off speed or breaking ball to be successful.

Do what the coach wants and as suggested practice your stuff in summer. And if it were me I would not tell my son what to tell the coach, let him figure it out for himself. Just a suggestion.

Totally agree with TPM - you don't have a fastball then it's going to be very hard to do well in the game. If you're facing a top team like you said he was then if he can't get the fastball by them then the changeup won't be much better. He might fool them once but if they don't have to worry about being late on a fastball they can sit on a change.

Maybe you're right and the coach isn't very good but this is just one start. I wouldn't panic or start questioning things after one start because he's got a long HS career ahead of him. Probably won't enjoy it that much if start questioning everything.

A good change up can make guys late on the fastball. It also is a great out pitch as well. But that is beside the point. Your not the coach. Let them do their job. Sit back and enjoy watching your son compete. Your not going to change it anyway. Some coaches are very good at calling pitches. Some are not so good. But your son cant change that either.

Look at this as a blessing instead of a pit fall. Your son is learning how to pitch. He is learning how to get guys out with his fastball. And a well placed fastball is still the best pitch in baseball. There is nothing stopping him from changing speeds on his fastball. He should be learning how to do just that anyway.

Two seamer. Four seamer. Pump it up fastball. Cruise fastball. Take some off fastball. Never throw your fastball all the time at the same speed. Hitting is timing and pitching is disruption of timing. Instead of complaining about what your being asked to do learn how to do what your asked to do and how to succeed doing it the way your being asked to do it.

If you spend your sons HS career questioning what the coaches do your not going to have much fun. And neither is your son. Its never as big of a deal as we think it is. And sometimes what we see as a bad thing if handled the right way can be a good thing. Good luck to your son.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach_May:
Sit back and enjoy watching your son compete.

Excellent post.

The one sentence I quoted is very important, I think that a lot of parents of young players these days just can't do that. They tend to think the only enjoyment comes when the player has good results.

And we all know that isn't how it works much of the time.

No what happens is your constantly on a roller coaster ride. Up when they have a good game. Down when they dont. Constantly looking to blame someone or something for the bad results. Worrying about this and complaining about that. The player is not dumb. Your happy after the game when they do well. Your sad when they dont. They feel pressure to make you happy. They feel pressue when they dont do well.

You wake up and they are a senior and getting ready to graduate and you realize you have spent four years doing everything but enjoying the experience and helping them enjoy it as well. And then when they are gone from home you wish you could go back and do it differently but there is no going back.

It is the fastest four years of your life. Slow it down. Be positive and let them grow. And sit back and enjoy it and do everything you can to make sure they enjoy it. That will not happen if your questioning and complaining about everything. It simply will not happen.

johnj314,

#1 you have to understand that there’s a reason the coaches aren’t coaching on a ML team someplace. While they may well have a lot more knowledge than you, don’t for one second believe them to be infallible. But even if you understand that, try to guess why they call the pitches they do, and even more on point, try to guess why they call pitches at all.

In the long run, be very thankful he’s getting to pitch at all as a So. The school I score for has been playing V ball since 2007, and other than the 1st year when we had no Srs and 2 So’s pitching, last year was the 1st time a So got even 1 inning, and then he was literally the best pitcher in the league.

Don’t get concerned with what would be “best” for your son’s long term career, or what would make him more successful right now on a personal level because that’s not what’s on the coaches’ minds. The HS season is 25-30 games long, then its over. Let him worry about developing himself as a pitcher when the season isn’t going on.

But no matter what advice you choose to take, or what direction you plan to go, keep this in mind. Many many coaches are literally scared to death of the CU because they don’t necessarily see it as a tool to set up other pitches, but rather as a dangerous pitch that if not thrown and located well, tends to last be seen sailing over the fence with a trail of smoke in its wake.

It kinda falls in the same category as why a pitcher isn’t seen as really being dominating unless he possesses an overpowering FB, and averages at least 1 K per inning, even though there are plenty of pitchers who get more batters out with fewer pitches and much more consistently.

You should work on the curveball I guess.

Right or wrong, I don't see many changeups in high school ball.

FWIW, my son gave up a HR today...change up!

Coach May beat me to it:
What's stopping him from changing speeds and grips on his fastball?

quote:

Originally posted by trojan-skipper:
Coach May beat me to it:
What's stopping him from changing speeds and grips on his fastball?

Because there is a common misunderstanding that in order to win (which in turn gets you noticed) you need an arsenal of pitches. This may win you games, but that won't necessarily get you ahead, ask all of those who had great win vs loss records in college but never went further.

Many young HS players getting drafted don't even have a really good secondary pitch, they got there by way of their FB.

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
You should work on the curveball I guess.

Right or wrong, I don't see many changeups in high school ball.

Really? My RHP freshman son learned a change up as a 13U at 54'. It has turned into an absolutely nasty pitch now at 60' with down and in movement.

When viewed from the side it looks like a curve because of the break and I have to ask him which pitch it was. He get's more swing and misses on this pitch than on his curve. At least when it breaks hard. Now and then it doesn't get as much break and it gets hit into the ground.

My son is not an extraordinary pitcher. I think he is probably average or a bit above average on the FB. His curve is decent but not a "plus" pitch. Based on that, I would think that any decent JV pitcher could learn a good changeup.

You are right though that not many kids have a "real" changeup with good movement. In 22 games on JV this year, he's only faced (as a hitter) one pitcher with a changeup - a lefty.

I just think people don't realize that with the right grip and pronation you can get a ton of movement on this pitch.