Any problem with pitchers throwing BP?

[Bryanr]

My question is for 14U. Is there any major problem with having our pitchers throw batting practice? I am trying to get away from the pitching machine. I have not had much sucess throwing underhanded and am thinking of having a couple of our pitchers do it for BP. We will move up to about 20 feet and use a screen, but will this cause any negative habits ect for our pitchers? I typically want the pitchers thinking strike out every pitch but is it OK to make this exception? Do any of you coaches do this with your pitchers? Other suggestions?

 

[Jojo]

I encourage some of pitchers to throw BP. I have several that get nervous in games, or nervous in stressful situations. I tell their dads to ask for them to throw BP and do situational hitting.

For my older pitchers I like them pitching BP when they are learning a new pitch. It's a good place to get comfortable with it before throwing it a game.

I don't like my older girls throwing BP fastballs just so the hitters can get cuts in. That is what the machine for.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I never have my pitchers throw batting practice.

I would rather throw tennis balls to the batters overhand. Even in boys Little League, I didn't do it. If you must, closely count the pitches or the girls will end up throwing 20 pitches to one batter.

To me, we are either having batting practice or pitching practice, but not at the same time.

 

[Goobie]

Last year my daughter (14U) threw BP a lot. I don't see a problem with it as long as she is supposed to be trying to get the batter out. I would never like her going up there to "just throw it so they can hit it." That would be just extra, unneeded wear and tear on the pitcher. When she did pitch BP the coaches called balls & strikes like a real game. The batter batted until they were either struck out, put the ball in play or walked. DD's goal was to get the batter out.

An added benefit was our catchers called all the pitches and took an active role in trying to get the batter out. If she called a low inside drop ball and the pitcher "hit" her spot with the right pitch, the catcher would call out "hit it" so we knew if she was hitting her spots or not.

Again, I liked it since it gave the pitchers, catchers, and batters game-like situations. If the goal is just to get the batters extra swings at meat balls down the middle, that is what Tee's and Pitching Machines are for.

 

[FPMark]

I believe it is essential for pitchers to pitch batting practice. We would try to do this at least once a week. We would let all pitchers pitch to 4 to 5 batters, then bring in another one. Gives the pitchers game conditions including pitching, then waiting as top and bottom of innings, as well as giving hitters a chance to time a live pitcher which is not possible any other way. Gave all batters 2 at bats, whether outs or hits (no walks). Also a good time for instructions for hitters and pitchers that you can't stop a game for.

In my view, it is absolutely nessessary for any serious, competitive team.

 

[LAdad]

In my experience it isn't done much, because it isn't very effective.

In BP the pitcher is just going to throw fastballs, maybe in and out, but that's it. This can be somewhat useful for the pitcher if she hasn't pitched much for a while, just to get some reps in. But it has always seemed to me that the batters benefit more than the pitcher (not to mention that the fastest pitcher never gets to hit off herself). Teams we've been on have done this for maybe two or three practices, but after that always let the pitcher practice pitching without batters, and let the hitters hit off a machine or off a coach close-by behind a screen. You don't need to learn a windmill to throw from 20 feet.

Letting your pitcher throw real pitches (not just fastballs), with balls and strikes, may be good for the pitcher, but doesn't look like an effective use of practice time for the batters. In a real game you'd hope that most batters don't get a hit; what kind of BP is that?

Having a pitcher repeatedly face the same batters so they can time her, or can figure out her rise or whatever, seems a bit like forcing her to give up her secrets. I imagine most pitchers won't like that. Fortunately, we've never been on a team that tried to make pitchers do that.

 

[Jojo]

What we did to make it more effective to the hitters--since we really had great pitchers-- was to cycle all the hitters through including the pitchers (minus the one throwing) and focus on one pitch. example, Rise--the pitcher would throw several rise balls to about 3-4 hitters, then rotate out and the next pitcher would throw to 3-4, eventually we would try to get all the hitters to see each pitcher pitch the rise. In doing this they all got see different rises coming from different pitchers, knowing what to look for (what does the release look like coming out of the hand) what was coming, helped them to anticipate the movement and work on whatever adjustments they needed to make.

We repeated that at other practices with other pitches, so they all begin to "read" the ball better and anticipate breaks by pitchers body movement, releases, watching spin, etc.

 

[ArmWhip]

I usually ask the pitchers to groove the first 3-4 pitches to give the hitter a chance to make some good contact, then I let the pitchers try to get the hitters out. Catcher calls pitches and also calls balls and strikes.

 

[LAdad]

What we did to make it more effective to the hitters--since we really had great pitchers-- was to cycle all the hitters through including the pitchers (minus the one throwing) and focus on one pitch. example, Rise--the pitcher would throw several rise balls to about 3-4 hitters, then rotate out and the next pitcher would throw to 3-4, eventually we would try to get all the hitters to see each pitcher pitch the rise. In doing this they all got see different rises coming from different pitchers, knowing what to look for (what does the release look like coming out of the hand) what was coming, helped them to anticipate the movement and work on whatever adjustments they needed to make.

We repeated that at other practices with other pitches, so they all begin to "read" the ball better and anticipate breaks by pitchers body movement, releases, watching spin, etc.

OK, efficient for the batters, but what do the pitchers get out of this? Being a pitcher's father, I would not like this. If you want this kind of drills for your batters it is better to hire a college pitcher to throw them; at least then there is a fair return. (But check NCAA rules before you pay a player.)

Do you reverse this and drill your pitchers how to get the batters on your team out, based on their stance, known swing, etc? Would the batters like that?

 

[Jojo]

OK, efficient for the batters, but what do the pitchers get out of this? Being a pitcher's father, I would not like this. If you want this kind of drills for your batters it is better to hire a college pitcher to throw them; at least then there is a fair return. (But check NCAA rules before you pay a player.)

Do you reverse this and drill your pitchers how to get the batters on your team out, based on their stance, known swing, etc? Would the batters like that?

Pitchers were getting practice throwing their pitches and were trying to spin it past the hitters even with the hitters knowing what was coming.

And no, we did not reverse the drill, although this would be very good for situational work, mostly with the catchers, but usually had a coach pitch caller.