High School Baseball Forum: Why are there not more pitchers?

Replies (15)

• Because of low pitching counts. There's a reason why Bob Gibson threw a lot of complete games. It's because he threw and threw. Not because he iced and was on pitch counts.

  -- Posted by SEMObaseball on Tue, Apr 5, 2011, at 9:44 PM

• Kahn, this is a great post and a really good question. I really think that it's not so much the coaches just letting their sons throw, but the little leagues are failing to teach the kids the proper mechanics to pitch. There is alot that has to be learned to really develope good pitchers and for them to be able to help out a highschool team later. Otherwise they're not a pitcher, just a thrower. Just my opinion though, would like to hear other thoughts.

  -- Posted by knockahoma29 on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:46 AM

• Maybe the talent is down this season. The area may have had an unusally high number of talented pitchers last season.

  -- Posted by Dustin Ward on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 3:06 AM

• There are plenty of good pitchers around- just better teachers of hitting - next year when new bats come in - pitcher will rise again...

  -- Posted by RedDogs on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 6:45 AM

• baseballfan - I agree. Its not that there aren't good pitchers, it's that there are better hitters. There are a lot of good pitchers around. But, so many people look at a "good" pitcher as one who can dominate. That's not true. A good pitcher can be someone who pitches to contact as long as they have the defense behind them.

  -- Posted by deadred on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 7:07 AM

• I disagree. There aren't that many good pitchers at all.

  -- Posted by SEMObaseball on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 11:35 AM

• I agree, but I'm also assuming that pitching to contact does'nt mean standing on the mound and throwing BP. I've seen enough of these teams hit to know that if you leave the ball out over the plate you will get beat. No, a good pitcher does not have to dominate, but just use his corners well. Those are sometimes hard to find.

  -- Posted by knockahoma29 on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:04 PM

• I am not speaking so much as to the level of talent of hitters vs. pithchers currently, if anything, I think there are a few dominating pitchers around this year. It just seems that year after year, most schools only have two, maybe three kids they are comfortable with putting on the mound. It takes time to develop as a pitcher, but in high school, a kid can be effective only throwing in the 70's, which a lot of kids could do if trained properly. So why are they not out there?

  -- Posted by khan on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:22 PM

• I think that are plenty of good pitchers in the area; however, many people expect them to dominate every game. Thats just not going to happen. Every pitcher has off games so to speak. Once they have a couple of rough outings many people start to say that specific pitcher isnt dominate.

  -- Posted by baseballfanatic1000 on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:45 PM

• I think especially at a small school you should try to develop a minimum of 2 pitchers per graduating class

  -- Posted by LeeSummitBooster on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:46 PM

• I played in the area in the early 2000's. It comes down to kids are lazy and don't throw enough. My sophomore thru senior year there was a guy on the mound every day that was low 80's to some high 80's. Kids not throwing enough. That's what it boils down too. A kid throws 90 because he throws pm a consistent basis since he's young. Yes he does need some mechanical work. But I've seen kids with perfect mechanics that can't break 75. And that's because their arm is weak and they didn't throw enough!!

  -- Posted by SEMObaseball on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:50 PM

• Maybe some of the parents need to get off the couch and quit expecting 2 or 3 coaches to teach their children everything.

  -- Posted by MayorEagle on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 1:04 PM

• There are good pitchers in the area this year just not overpowering dominant pitchers. Shay Simmons was the last dominant power pitcher in the area I can think of other than Jayden Pobst. The Thomas kid from Oak Ridge is as close to a dominant pitcher in the area I would guess.

  There is a good sophmore group in the southeast area that may produce some dominant pitching once again. The Murphy kid from Malden and Anderson from Sikeston to name a couple.

  -- Posted by luckyone4 on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 1:05 PM

• The opinion that parents need to help their kids and not expect coaches to do it all is valid. We have all seen the parents who use little league as a babysitting service. Can't blame the coaches who develop their own kids, they are after all the ones doing the work.

  The other opinion that kids do not throw enough is also valid. Long toss is the most important thing a kid can do in my opinion.

  Having two kids that pitch per graduating class is a goal that would not seem to be that hard to attain, but how many schools actually have that, large or small? Jackson has multiple senior pitchers, but few others do.

  -- Posted by khan on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 4:16 PM

• the only thing mobaseball07 knows about pitching is he couldnt hit it

  -- Posted by sikestonbulldog77 on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 5:16 PM