Pitching on No Warm-up

justhitit:

Is the relief pitcher coming into the game as a position player that is on the field at the time? If so, there is not a lot the coach is allowed to do except ask the umpire for more warmup pitches than the minimum. If the relief pitcher is coming off the bench, then the coach needs to make his decision to put the player in a little earlier, to allow for some warm up pitches before taking the field and getting his minimum.

As a coach in the past, I have occassionally used two trips to the mound while my new pitcher warms his arm up either on the side with a mound or, if he is a position player in the game, by letting him throw the baseball around while I am wasting two time outs talking to the pitcher I am getting ready to take out. Some umpires get upset but most know why I am doing it and allow it. Anyway, the bottom line is to save the young man's arm, so even if I make the umpire mad it is worth it.

TW344

TW344, in this situation the kid was brought into the game cold. Just coming in from his position on the field with 8 warm-ups only in about 50 degrees. I am not happy about this because it is early in the season and the fact that it was cold night. Our coach did some of the things you stated, but still opted to send this young man to the mound with no warm-up.

to me, that's really irresponsible. THere's no reason he can't have a kid warm up in the pen between innings prior to going out on defense. that's part of the game, it happens all the time, and for a coach not to be prepared at the high school level is not a good sign.
in the future, if your kid thinks he may get in, have him warm up on the side with a teammate between innings, even if its not in a bullpen pitching. good luck!

If the coach had an idea he might use the kid that game, he should have had him warm up between innings in the pen, if the kid wasn't batting. But I'm pretty sure there is no warm-up limit when a kid comes in cold. We used to get a kid 20-25 warm ups if he wasn't ready, and thats the umps call.

the coach decides who starts and who sits and there's nothing you can do.

When it comes to a players well being then it is the responsiblity of the parent to get involved.

Speak up and if the coach sits your kid down, you should be happy he wont be getting injured.

In high school, have seen lots of coaches call pitchers in from other positions to pitch without proper warmup.
This may be a good time to sit down with your son (if you are refering to him) and explain about protecting his arm. Next time he is asked by coach to come in cold, have your son ask the coach and umpire for more time to warmup.
If that doesn't help, then you may have to bring it to coach's attention.

do everything you can to get extra pitches you need. That is part of the reason my shoulder is messed up, I had coaches growing up who would like to bring me in in the middle of innings and I would have to pitch without being fully warmed up.

My son stopped pitching because of things like this--his last appearance on the mound was in 40 degree temps as a soph in HS--4 innings into the game , my son is in CF , coach calls my son to the mound---he gets his allowed 8 warm ups and then proceeds to walk the first batter on 4 pitches--coach goes to the mound and gets on him for walking the batter---my son hands him the game ball says "never ask me to pitch again"---coach puts him back in CF where he remained the rest of his career never to step on the mound ever again


Sometimes kids need to speak up !!!