Upcoming Showcase

First time gunned?  How old is he?

15.... Just finished Freshman year. Getting more serious now, he's showing potential. Wish they would have measured him 3/4 into the season, LOL. Just playing catch now for 2 weeks, don't want him to hurt himself. I know he'll want to go hard, wondering the best prep workout for safety and a good showing. Thx.

Nonamedad posted:

My son is going to his first "Showcase". It's a local event and will be the first time he will be gunned. I know velocity is king, he has a week to get ready, would you guys recommend a bullpen of 40 pitches or so, or long toss prior to the event. Three days prior. 

Is this post for real?

TPM posted:

Nonamedad posted:

My son is going to his first "Showcase". It's a local event and will be the first time he will be gunned. I know velocity is king, he has a week to get ready, would you guys recommend a bullpen of 40 pitches or so, or long toss prior to the event. Three days prior. 

Is this post for real?

Why would it not be real? 

Sounds to me like a dad who is new to showcasing and wondering if there is any preparation that might help his son have his best showing.

The player just finished his freshman season and has been playing catch for 2 weeks, he has a week to get ready to throw in a showcase where he probably will be throwing as hard as he can because dad has told him velocity is king.

The dad needed better direction weeks ago on how to prepare.

This is how young pitchers get hurt and this is why you don't showcase until you have to. 

A short bullpen this afternoon or tomorrow (40 might be pushing it) with some tossing throughout the balance of the week.  While your son is out back throwing, you can research prior posts here about showcasing and arm care.  Unless your son is already throwing 85 mph, the showcase is not terribly important - treat it as a practice showcase.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO THROW 110% - throw around 80%.  Get past this showcase with no injury and be better prepared when it might actually count.

This board is a wonderful resource, however there has been some recent posting about young pitchers and that topic is a bit sensitive right now.  If you search, you will definitely run across a posting that discusses December showcases and how the December timeframe can be dangerous for some pitchers if they do not manage their calendar during the preceding 6 months.  Your question asking about how to prepare three days out will get you some negative feedback - like maybe skip the pitching altogether.  As long as your son has been throwing these past two weeks, he should be safe to throw at a comfortable speed.  If he tries to max out and touches 85 once, but sits 77-79, the only outcome might be a UCL tear - nobody will care about 77-79 as a rising sophomore except the high school coach and the dad.  Do not pressure him and make sure he does not pressure himself.  If he is playing summer ball, there will be plenty of opportunities to gun him while he is pitching more regularly.  Lastly, velocity means little at the next level unless there is some underlying ability.  If he has potential as a pitcher, get his to a decent pitching coach and get some honest feedback (assuming you can find an honest pitching coach in your area).

No, dad has not told him velocity is king, everyone in the world has. From his freshman coach, to the varsity coach, to random dads and now local, high level "travel" teams who want him to play, to his friends and opponents who all ask, hey how hard do you throw now?

Even I know its not enough time, that's why I'm asking for advice. i' m going with the bullpen. And I'll have a serious, sit down talk with him about not going crazy and trying to hard because he could get hurt. Kinda like the serious talk we had about the birds and the bees.... I just hope I don't get the same look of fear and confusion I got back then. LOL.

NONAMEDAD,

Sorry that I got on you.  But the way your post read was that he was doing this to find out his velocity. Not sure what you are expecting at this time because it really set important.

2017 gave you advice to follow, it should be a light pen.

As suggested, it's a good idea to read some of the info and discussions here on the site.

No worries, finally matured a little bit and all of the sudden hes getting attention. Long time lurker. Thx.

If he's only been finished with his season for 2 weeks, and has continued to throw some, he should be fine.  Sorry, but I've never been one of those guys who went for the "oh, he's gonna get hurt" thing.  If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen.  My son is a D1 pitcher....has always thrown much more than anyone every claimed was good for him...even though I did my best to stop him.  He's never had a single arm issue.  I know kids who have been on a short leash forever....did all the "right" things....kept throwing to a minimum and boom, arm injuries, surgery, whatever.   I'm not a doctor....but I just think that there are way too many variables to back up all the claims going around.  If you noticed, every "expert" has a different reason behind his thoughts.....if there were 4 that all said the same thing, then yes, I'd say maybe they have some merit, but at this point, I'm still skeptical.

Today is Tuesday....have him go thru his normal gameday warmup....and go ahead and throw a 30-35 pitch bullpen.  Take the next couple days off....then loosen up with 10 minutes or so of light tossing on Friday.  Go to the showcase and let him have fun!   He's likely going to be nervous and not throw his best anyway.....no reason to put more pressure on him by telling him to throw 75 or 80%.  He'll be so worried about backing off that he's not going to throw strikes....and at 80% nobody is going to look at him anyway.

You mention top level travel teams are asking about him.  Sounds to me like he's probably an above average kid for a 15 year old.  If he's at a showcase and he's good, coaches will notice him.  If you're going to the trouble to go to the showcase....might as well make it useful.

Again, I know this won't be what everyone thinks....but it's my opinion.   Good luck

Showcases are not bad, nor is throwing at 100%.  The original post seemed to imply (based on how the third sentence is worded) that they were looking for ways to squeeze out a few extra MPH after perhaps not keeping up a throwing routing - that may not be the case but it just sounded a little anxious.  Just don't do anything stupid this time around and have a well thought out plan for the next one, both from a training standpoint and a goal standpoint.  While some injuries are flukes (i.e. only so many pitches for a given kid - just don't know what that number is for a given kid), many injuries are the result of poor training and/or poor mechanics and are preventable/avoidable.  

Good luck at the showcase (whatever that means to you) and more importantly good luck with summer ball - that is where you will get some attention if deserving at this point.

Nonamedad posted:

My son is going to his first "Showcase". It's a local event and will be the first time he will be gunned. I know velocity is king, he has a week to get ready, would you guys recommend a bullpen of 40 pitches or so, or long toss prior to the event. Three days prior. 

Ignore  TPMs sarcasm.  

You have the right idea.  Make sure your son keeps his arm warm by either bullpen or long toss 3 times a week

lionbaseball posted:

Nonamedad posted:

My son is going to his first "Showcase". It's a local event and will be the first time he will be gunned. I know velocity is king, he has a week to get ready, would you guys recommend a bullpen of 40 pitches or so, or long toss prior to the event. Three days prior. 

Ignore  TPMs sarcasm.  

You have the right idea.  Make sure your son keeps his arm warm by either bullpen or long toss 3 times a week

Ernie, 

No, I got the same impression that 2017LHP got. I really thought that after all the discussions someone was goofing on us and I apologized.

Mind your own business and stop being a smartass.

There is nothing wrong with attending a local showcase to get velo numbers and see where he stands - it's much better than not having an idea and paying for an expensive national (or regional) event and finding out the numbers aren't really showcase material in my opinion.  

If he's only 2 weeks out of his season and you have him throw a bullpen today and some lite throwing Friday I don't see a big injury risk (I'm no expert of course).  I would tell him to concentrate on throwing strikes as a way to help control some of the tendency to overthrow with maybe a couple that he really lets loose if he feels like things are going well.    

Will he be pitching in a showcase game or just in a bullpen with guns on him?   They are going to be looking at his other pitches so he should throw those this week as well - don't think he's going to go there and throw 20 FBs and that's it.  

Just a bullpen, then 60, outfield throw, infield throw, then place them on teams for games on Sunday. Based on evals from Sat I guess.

Nonamedad posted:

Just a bullpen, then 60, outfield throw, infield throw, then place them on teams for games on Sunday. Based on evals from Sat I guess.

Are you sure of this schedule?  Why would they have a pitcher throw a pen one day and pitch the next?  Did anyone else notice that. 

Even though this local showcase may not cost you much, cheaper isn't always better. 

lionbaseball posted:

TPM posted:

Be careful Nonamedad,  Lionbaseball has been kicked off once, and working towards the next.

That is that the your equivalent of threatening divorce?  

And my BMI index is somewhat high ( I still fit in 36" waist jeans) but I've been vegan for 4 months and working on losing more weight. 

Spend more time in the gym than the Internet and you might get that BMI index down.

Make sure the kid keeps his composure at the showcase. 1st timers tend to rush. He will probably get 10 - 15 throws.  

Deep breathes and refocus between throws. He wants to look like a pitcher out there.

 If he is more comfortable out of the stretch use it, make sure he is confident and comfortable. 

Body language and attitude can be important, he needs to know there is no pressure in this situation, warm up properly, smile the whole time, thank your catchers, thank the coaches helping and walk away  knowing it s just the beginning.  Hopefully he makes a couple of new friends, makes some new baseball contacts and makes a positive impression on all involved.  Good luck! 

mmm1531 posted:

Make sure the kid keeps his composure at the showcase. 1st timers tend to rush. He will probably get 10 - 15 throws.  

Deep breathes and refocus between throws. He wants to look like a pitcher out there.

 If he is more comfortable out of the stretch use it, make sure he is confident and comfortable. 

Body language and attitude can be important, he needs to know there is no pressure in this situation, warm up properly, smile the whole time, thank your catchers, thank the coaches helping and walk away  knowing it s just the beginning.  Hopefully he makes a couple of new friends, makes some new baseball contacts and makes a positive impression on all involved.  Good luck! 

 

This. Thank you kind sir and Buckeye 2015, Buzzard05, MKBASEBALLDAD, 2017LHPSCREWBALL for the encouragement and advice. You guys are why I came here, I wish I could describe the feeling, the long shot odds, the hours of work knowing what he doesn't, that most likely the dream will never be realized. The hope that he'll get it..... That it's really about the journey. That hard work, determination and dreams don't always come true, but somewhere in the very back of my mind I know they do come true sometimes, why not this time. 

You have a lot ahead of you.  Take a deep breath the same time your kid is taking his. Enjoy the moment.

TPM posted:

Nonamedad posted:

Just a bullpen, then 60, outfield throw, infield throw, then place them on teams for games on Sunday. Based on evals from Sat I guess.

Are you sure of this schedule?  Why would they have a pitcher throw a pen one day and pitch the next?  Did anyone else notice that. 

Even though this local showcase may not cost you much, cheaper isn't always better. 

I was thinking the same thing regarding the format - not sure I would have him throw the bullpen, then do infield/outfield throws (where he is going to try to air it out) and then pitch again the following day - where showcase games usually allow for 2 innings or 10 batters.  I would think about just having him pitch at this one - so bullpen on day one and then live pitching the next day.  Or, just the bullpen and infield/outfield on day one without the live pitching on day two.  

My 2016 never attended a showcase that had pitchers do both - a bullpen with guns and then live pitching.  In fact, 99% of the showcases (or college camps) were just live pitching.  

Regarding the bullpen - the one showcase my 2016 did where it was bullpens only they had the pitchers set-up in a two mound pen with the coaches set up in bleachers behind the catchers and radar guns with displays so everyone could see the velo.  Two pitchers alternating throws with a coach down at their end telling the rest of the coaches what pitches were coming.  Make sure he's prepared for a little bit of a scene with lots of people around and he should know what he wants to throw and in what order.  It's over in what seems like 20 secs so follow what MMM wrote - slow things down, maintain composure and be smooth and confident.  

Also - the same applies to dad in this situation.  Maintain composure, try to relax and don't overdo it with the pre-showcase instruction.  This is not the last event for him no matter how he does.  Bring your chair and sit off to the side.  Unless you are 6'4" - then make sure you're seen by the schools standing next to him (just joking).  Try to enjoy.   

A couple things not related to the "production" portion of the showcase.  Make sure your son is comfortable talking to coaches.  If a coach is so much as standing next to him....even if it's during his wait to warm up, have him say "Hello, I'm John Smith, nice to meet you coach".  That will go a long way in getting the coach to remember him when it comes time to throw/field/hit, etc.

with regard to the worry about the way the showcase is layed out....my son was showcasing as a two way guy.  Some schools saw him as an IF, others at a pitcher.  Heck, the first showcase he got noticed as a pitcher, he wasn't even going to throw. It was in the winter...he didn't feel like he was ready so he wasn't going to take the mound.  The IF portion was first, then pitching, then OF.  He was going to do IF and OF only.....but was bored while he waited.  He jumped in line as a pitcher....threw 86 when some of the "big name" guys who had been upper 80's in the fall were 83-84.   Needless to say, it got him noticed.  

He was at several showcases that were two days.  He would do the pitching, hitting, IF & OF the first day...heck, he even did catchiing at a couple when he was 14 or 15 when catching was still an option.  The next day he played SS then pitched.  Again, maybe he just got lucky, but the kid has never had any arm issues and is throwing 90-91 as a college freshman....though he hasn't played any IF since last summer, so he's cut back on his throwing somewhat now.

RJM posted:

Taking advise ...

TPM's son pitched for a ranked D1 program for one of the top pitching coaches in the country. He played pro ball to the AAA level. He is now a college pitching coach. Through due diligence and experience she has more baseball knowledge than a majority of dads. You may not always like the delivery. But she's speaking from a high knowledge base. Aside from her son's baseball experience she's had access to knowledgeable baseball people at top levels. 

Lion is, well, what you see it what you get. I don't believe it's hard to see who knows what they are talking about and who's blowing gas. Men like Lion have extreme difficulty handling when a woman can enter their world and be more knowledgeable.

 

Thanks RJM much appreciated.

Just a correction, son made a 40 man roster.  This all happened while he had some surgery, which was supposed to be all better by spring training.  It didnt happen that way. What was supposed to take 3 months, turned into many more months. Cardinals on their way to being WS champs in 2011, they needed his spot.

So some misinterpret my responses as scarcastic. I see them as more of a concern.  I dont want their players to be in a situation my son was in,  no matter what level. Because once you lose  that opportunity to injury, the climb to come back is enormous.  High school, college, proball, doesnt matter.

I dont and have never gone back to ask son questions, I really dont have to, there are plenty of places you can find answers.  We do discuss stuff and debate it.   If you do certain stuff, you are going to get hurt, if you throw hard you increase those chances, if you throw more than you should you just increased it even more. No brainer.

Son recently found out about the true meaning of this site, its kind of impacted his life somewhat as well as it has others. Some will understand, but people like lionbaseball will never. This site is not just about giving or getting advice. Its so much more than that.

Yesterday an old timer posted on facebook and tagged a lot of us websters. His name is Chris Flores, aka GloveMan, VP of OTW Bat Company. He was so excited to let us know that his bat faced Zach Duke, son of OPP, OnePlayersPop aka Tom Duke. We have some websters sons who have played with Zach.  Small world here on the HSBBW, you bet!

There is a phrase that comes to mind....DON'T ENGAGE THE CRAZY.

Well, I am pretty sure my dad can beat up all your dads

Well this thread went off the rails quickly.

This thread is closed.

The OP asked for information and received it. It's purpose has been achieved.

I will delete the personal attacks. Some innocent parties may notice their posts also deleted if my culling of obnoxious posts removes the context.

All parties are requested to remember that posting privileges are contingent on civil participation in the discourse.

Vigorous debate is fine, but don't let it get personal.