One important way for youth baseball coaches to prevent overuse injuries to pitchers is to look for signs that the pitcher is tired.
While fatigue, like pain (another early warning sign of overuse injury), is generally difficult to quantify because it is a subjective, a coach can use pitch counts,
ball velocity, ball location, pitching mechanics, and strength as guides in determining fatigue.
In the best of all possible worlds, a youth pitcher will tell you he is tired. The reality, as all those who follow baseball at any level, up to and including MLB (e.g. Pedro Martinez, bottom of 8th inning, Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS), youth pitchers, like most athletes, are generally reluctant to tell coaches they feel tired, even when not telling might hurt both the team and the player. If a pitcher complains of being tired or looks tired, it's a sure sign he needs to stop throwing (not just as a pitcher but completely) and get some rest.
In most instances, it will be up to the coach to use his observational skills and judgment to detect signs of fatigue.
A tired pitcher:
- exhibits significantly less maximum shoulder rotation and knee flexion and a slightly more upright trunk position at ball release;
- consistently elevates his fastball. One pitching expert says that as a general rule if a young pitcher unintentionally elevates his fastball significantly (4-6 inches) for two hitters in a row, a visit to the mound is in order. If the pitcher fails to make an adjustment on hitter #3, he takes him out;
- throws from a different arm slot/angle;
- begins to miss locations high and low; pitches wild high and inside to the arm side and wild low and outside to the glove side, says pitching coach Ron Wolforth, are "almost always a sign of significant fatigue and mechanical inefficiency."
- relies less on the lower body and more on the arm (which puts more strain on the arm); and
- experiences a drop in velocity. One prominent baseball expert recommends taking a pitcher out when the drop of average radar velocity exceeds 3% mph. (although the use of radar guns is not generally recommended).
1. Fortenbaugh D, Fleiseg G, Andrews J. Baseball Pitching Biomechanics in Relation to Injury Risk and Performance. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach 2009;1: 314-320.
Posted March 15, 2011
At what point should the coach change pitchers?
My daughter plays on a 16U all-star softball team. In our second game of the single elimination tournament this past Sunday, we lost 15-0 in 3 innings. I have been a coach for the past five years but stepped aside during all-stars. By the time we were down 8-0, I made some comments along the sidelines that it wasn't good for the pitcher's self confidence or self-esteem to continue to keep her in the game. The coach kept her in the entire 15 runs. We had 3 other very good pitchers available but the coach never made a change.
That evening, the coach sent an email to all the parents saying I was a disruption on the sidelines creating negative energy. She went on to say she has a close relationship and good communication skills with her players and saw no problem with the self-esteem issues with her coaching decision.
I still play competitively in my 50s. Even at my age, I don't feel great after poor performances. But now I don't lose any sleep like I did in my 20s and 30s. Was I wrong for voicing my concerns for our 16 year old pitcher when I suggested to substitute her to protect her self-confidence and self-esteem after she gave up 8 runs? 10 runs? 12 runs? 15 runs? How could a 16 year old competitive player not be affected after giving up 15 runs?