Pitching both games of a double header?

This is a disaster waiting to happen

Coming in from CF to close one inning in a double header is not really a big deal if not a lot of pitches thrown , long relief is, but he needs the warm up and rest for a few days.

Suggest that he keeps throwing in the OF in between innings and insist on the number of warmups he's allowed.

JMO.

It is a big deal if he goes back to CF in the second game of the DH and then has to make a few long throws to attempt to throw out runners


TPM --I cannot believe you are saying that

It depends on how many pitches he throws in the close of first game and how much work he put in as the centerfielder. If he has a high pitch count that may be a different story. As a closer he shouldn't.

It's the warmup I would be concerned about if he has been idle in the CF.

I don't recommend it for everyday.

I have seen a catcher go into pitch, go back to catching and catch the entire game the next day. His arm hasn't fallen off yet.

Thanks so much for the replies.

Just to clarify: They are asking him to play CF until they need him to pitch in the first game - so he does both CF and P in the first game. Then he starts in CF the second game until they need him to pitch again. Either or both trips to the mound can be 3 innings (and maybe more). Coming from CF to pitch is not a big concern to me but doing it twice in one day is what has me worried.

Thanks again.

Now that you provided more info forget about coming from CF to pitch, pitching 3 or more innings twice in the same day should be the main concern.

TPM

As I said above it is a recipe for disaster---regardless of the innings involved it is a bad situation

How does he warmup properly ?

Regardless of the innings involved

And then to play CF after the first game appearance can lead to one throw to cut down a runner and there goes the arm


Montana

My son was a Pitcher /CF in the beginning of his HS career and he could bring it---upper 80's low 90's--granted our weather here in the Northeast Spring is quite a bit different than yours but he was called into pitch in game with snowflakes falling after 4 innings in CF--no warning--no alert---got his 8 pitches to warm up and then walked the first batter on 4 pitches--coach came out screaming about his control--son handed him the ball said thanx but no thanx and told him I am done pitching--walked off the mound went back to CF and had a great HS Career as a CF/hitter

A position player, especially an outfielder cannot get properly warmed up to pitch--regardless of how you do it--even throwing in the bullpen between innings---go back to the outfield and the arm cools down---this is the main reason any players we have who play positions and pitch will not play positions when we expect use them on the mound that day, be it the first or second game---we even hesitate to use a kid at first base after pitching a game--let him DH but don't take the chance of a throw with a "tight" arm

Tr,
I am not disagreeing with you know that teh facts have been properly stated.

3 or more innings is not closing, it's long relief. The pitcher is more than a closer.

Forget about the OF, pitching two games in one day is the recipe for disaster.

Coming from outfield to pitch one closing inning now and then if that is the players predominat role is not that terrible, seems he is relied on for pitching as well.

Since I may have missed all of the facts, I apologize.

TPM

I just could not believe that as a MOM/Guardian of a pitcher you said what you said originally---fortunately my kid had the "goods" to do what he did--

By the way his HS coach and I are the best of friends to this day---

TR described this perfectly. A disaster waiting to happen.

Someone has to put a stop to this immediately.

Thanks again for the replies.

The coach took over the team this year after not coaching baseball for 20 years or so. My son was not the only pitcher he has done this with. The team is low on pitching this year and really only has 3 solid arms to work with and he has used the other 2 in the same manner. I talked to the other fathers and they didn't like it but said nothing - so I let it go until he tried to use my son the same way.

I had a conversation with the coach after reading your thoughts - just needed the sanity check before I went to him. Believe it or not he said "you know, I was thinking it might not be a good idea...you're just confirming what I had been thinking". I said "so you were thinking this could hurt the boys but went ahead and did it anyways"? He said "well I don't think I'm going to do that anymore". I said "good idea".

As you can tell we aren't dealing with the sharpest tool in the shed and I have already started moving up the proper chain to have his service reviewed for the future. Winning is key at the Varsity level but if you aren't willing to put the health of the players first then I don't think you deserve to coach.

Thanks again for the help everyone.