Semi funny first TB tryout story

[bucket pinata]

5-6 years ago we referred to it as bullet spin style, never heard the term I/R till later. the vast majority of other instructors and girls were all teaching hello elbow because a group of women college coaches started hello elbow as method that they estimated suits girls better than the mens style. Me and my DDs were pretty much shunned by the local TB teams because we refused Hello elbow. Ill never forget we went to a UW pitching clinic with Teresa Wilson. Both my DDs were the youngest 9/10 there but were in the top 20% in speed and the most accurate with good movment.She worked with all the other girls but you could tell she was watching what my DDs were doing. After the Clinic she pulled me and my DDs aside and told us that both of them would never make college players because they would both be injured pitching IR. Scared the crap out of my kids. After That nightmare we did go to a Doug Gillis clinic and all he did was nod his head and say keep up the good work. Even Today Both DDs are the Aces on very competitive National level TB teams and they are still surrounded by hello elbow pitchers that are struggling to keep up,fighting injury,getting rocked because they have hit the wall. still waiting for that first parent to walk up and inquire what we are doing that makes them so successful. The one good part is whatever team they play on or pick up for we don't see any pitching coaches trying to change a thing any more. I guess the moral for me is believe in your plan ,do your research,KEEP AN OPEN MIND and work hard,they will have success.

 

[Doug Romrell]

"After the Clinic she pulled me and my DDs aside and told us that both of them would never make college players because they would both be injured pitching IR."

You gotta love these people in positions of power/respect invoking the "they'll injure themselves" as a means of making what THEY are teaching the high ground (i.e., the right way to do it).

 

[bucket pinata]

Boy That's for sure, Karma is a B@#$$, fast forward 5 years, She is no longer the coach and the current UW scout is showing up at my oldest DDs GamesLOL My how things change.

"After the Clinic she pulled me and my DDs aside and told us that both of them would never make college players because they would both be injured pitching IR."

You gotta love these people in positions of power/respect invoking the "they'll injure themselves" as a means of making what THEY are teaching the high ground (i.e., the right way to do it).

 

[JJsqueeze]

more tidbits- he tried to teach DD a curve during the workout and kept on saying good pitch then he would call out a curveball and one of the girls would throw an outside fastball. He would call out screwball and if it was inside it was another good pitch. Dropball...you guessed it...low fastball with no action..."good pitch". It was a good lesson for DD though. I just told her from now on don't do anything but locate her fastball in these locations and 9/10 people will think she has all of these pitches.

 

[cuzmail]

So then he starts calling curves/screws/change ups/knuckballs/cutters/scurves/scrises/crops I think he even threw in a drise. I think this was a drop rise. I guarantee not one of these pitches moved more than an inch. They were all just fastballs with different types of bullet spin.

Brings to mind many different memories. One of the most interesting was when I helped a friend evaluate pitchers last fall for his first year 10U team.

One Dad had been burning up the interweb and blowing up the phone about how good and all the pitches his DD threw.

Fast forward to tryout day. I ask them to warm up in whatever manner they are accustomed to. Dad as catcher, need a player catcher, take an hour, take only 5 minutes,..etc whatever. Superstar is last of the girls to take the circle by choice (well actually by Dad's choice).

I call the pitches they claim to be able to throw at different locations and evaluate the pitch and accuracy of hitting the location. She proceeded to throw all her pitches. Rise, Drop, Fast, Screw, Change, Curve, and Drop Curve. The girl had decent accuracy, but you guessed it - everything had a 11-5 spin! Coach (my friend) walks over and asks how many pitches she has and I replied that she had two pitches a fast ball and a change up, but respectable accuracy in throwing the fastball.

Dad wasn't too happy with me! I actually complemented the girl on her pitching. Her form was good and again accuracy above the expected for 10U. Still Dad was upset.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

People that expect these little girls to have 6 pitches, don't realize the time that is required to even get good control. Take a year to perfect your fast ball, take 3 months on a CU, take 2 months on a drop ball. Stop everything and get moved back to a 12 inch ball and 40 feet, 1 month, then perfect the CU all over again, etc.

I don't know where all of these girls are with all of these pitches. The TB 12s around here, still aren't throwing the CU, too often. The 10s are still trying to find the strike zone and handle the pressure.

 

[Doug Romrell]

People that expect these little girls to have 6 pitches, don't realize the time that is required to even get good control. Take a year to perfect your fast ball, take 3 months on a CU, take 2 months on a drop ball. Stop everything and get moved back to a 12 inch ball and 40 feet, 1 month, then perfect the CU all over again, etc.

I don't know where all of these girls are with all of these pitches. The TB 12s around here, still aren't throwing the CU, too often. The 10s are still trying to find the strike zone and handle the pressure.

I agree, Amy, and I know Hillhouse has mentioned this before. I would think that a pitcher with three really good pitches would have enough.

 

[Rocketech1]

"After the Clinic she pulled me and my DDs aside and told us that both of them would never make college players because they would both be injured pitching IR."

You gotta love these people in positions of power/respect invoking the "they'll injure themselves" as a means of making what THEY are teaching the high ground (i.e., the right way to do it).

Do you know who wrote the following and where?:

"Disclaimer:
Permanent damage or injury can result when dealing with complex movements of the shoulder. Not everyone is built the same, and not everyone possesses or maintains enough flexability to perform these complex actions."

 

[Greenmonsters]

more tidbits- he tried to teach DD a curve during the workout and kept on saying good pitch then he would call out a curveball and one of the girls would throw an outside fastball. He would call out screwball and if it was inside it was another good pitch. Dropball...you guessed it...low fastball with no action..."good pitch". It was a good lesson for DD though. I just told her from now on don't do anything but locate her fastball in these locations and 9/10 people will think she has all of these pitches.

The really dissappointing thing about this is that these same coaches are the ones that insist on calling pitches when the kids are older and actually have the pitch and the potential to use it effectively.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Do you know who wrote the following and where?:

"Disclaimer:
Permanent damage or injury can result when dealing with complex movements of the shoulder. Not everyone is built the same, and not everyone possesses or maintains enough flexability to perform these complex actions."

This was buried in one of BMs posts somewhere, but when I read it I thought of it as a legal CYA statement to prevent a frivolous lawsuit in case anyone blew out their arm using his advice. I did not take it as actual concern that what he was saying would cause injury.