Semi funny first TB tryout story

[JJsqueeze]

Oldest DD had her first tryout for a TB team. I made sure not to oversell her. I told the coach she has only been pitching 9 months and I think she is better suited to the corners and the outfield as she moves up from rec. and maybe she can pitch TB next year.

He has her come out to workout with the team. I am expecting just to go through fielding\batting, but after they go through the standard warmups/throwing etc. he asks her to go off with an AC to do some pitching along with another girl who is working out as well. AC says "OK girls lets start off with ..............wrist flips" I wink at DD and whisper for her to just do her normal warm up and I gently tell the coach that she doesn't do wrist flips. I get a raised eyebrow but he is cool about it and tells her to do her thing. She goes through her normal warmups and while the girls are warming up he starts asking about all of the pitches they have. He goes through the entire list of pitches (to two 11 yr olds) and the other girl is kind of nodding. DD starts claiming to "have" every pitch we have ever played around with in practice. So I butt in and I say she has a fastball and a changeup but we have played with other pitches for fun but nothing is even in the same zip code as game ready, but her fastball has a decent drop. Now I think this poor guy thinks I am absolutely friggin nuts. My daughter doesn't do wrist flips and only has 2 pitches. I am sure he is thinking "WTF is she even doing here....."

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.

Long story slightly less long, they all got some circle time against the team and all the pitchers look good. There is clearly a #1 girl, really good pitcher with good speed and control (pitching ACs DD). DD pitched to three batters and was friggin deadly. Went inside-outside-inside-changeup on a big hitting girl and got her to complain to the catcher about being jammed and then got her to make one of those last second lunging jabs at a changeup for a weak ground out.


DD was asked to join the team and from the signals I got it would be as the #2 pitcher.

In the car ride on the way home...

"you did well honey"
"I know" with an evil grin
"They asked you to join the team"
"I know" smiles....

The coaches were very good guys and the team looked like a good fit to her level. I just got a kick out of seeing the "6 pitches of DD" in real life. This is the first time I have experienced it and I couldn't help but think of all you guys when this was going on.

all of the other 3 pitchers had an HE finish BTW. Only one was an actual bowler though.

 

[humpty]

That drise ball can be deadly.

 

[gophert]

Im thinking a screwcurve is pretty much a fastball down the middle. I'm adding that pitch to my DD's portfolio of pitches..LOL.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

One of my students has had a similar experience. She had a successful tryout. She pitched 2 innings and looked good at a recent tournament. Then, she pitched 5 innings - the most she had ever thrown and was outstanding. So, the other pitching parents started telling this student's mom how much better _____ could be, if she pulled her elbow up. The mom politely said "we have a pitching coach."

 

[Doug Romrell]

"OK girls lets start off with ..............wrist flips"

I would argue that you can pretty much judge the quality of a pitching instructor in terms of whether or not they are true students of pitching by whether or not they use "wrist flips" as part of their warm up. Did we use "wrist flips" when my oldest DD pitched? Yup. Does my 16-year-old DD pitcher even know what they are? NOPE!

 

[Doug Romrell]

"So, the other pitching parents started telling this student's mom how much better _____ could be, if she pulled her elbow up. The mom politely said 'We have a pitching coach.'"

Isn't it funny how some people, who actually know very little about something, step forward to offer "expert" advice as if you couldn't possibly know anything about it.

 

[Jojo]

"So, the other pitching parents started telling this student's mom how much better _____ could be, if she pulled her elbow up. The mom politely said 'We have a pitching coach.'"

Isn't it funny how some people, who actually know very little about something, step forward to offer "expert" advice as if you couldn't possibly know anything about it.

It happens to my students all the time. You'd be better, if you pulled your elbow up. You'd be better if you swung your hip around, You'd be better if you pushed the ball down.....

I always feel like I'm David fighting the Goliath of pitching mechanics. In reality I'm just the crazy person.

 

[Jojo]

I had a 12u pitch her first 12u tournament a few weeks ago. She's 11 and pitching rec ball and her team decided to go play in a big girl tournament.

Her dad was very impressed with her against the other 12u A pitchers. He said he noticed all them out there trying to throw change-ups, drops, scrise, drises and scwerves

But he said his DD looked to him like the only one that when she threw a change, it was a change, and when she threw a drop it was a drop---oh and that's all she has.
He said she did very well and they even beat an "A" team.

He likes the fact that we're only working with one pitch at a time. All the other pitchers in her league throw everything while throwing absolutely nothing.

 

[starsnuffer]

Congrats on your DD making the team!

Now you need to learn how to be a pitcher parent. 3 L's. Lawnchair, left field, lemonade. You don't speak to the coach, DD speaks to the coach. Smile and cheer.

Next time she's asked to throw those pitches at a tryout, screw is inside fast, drop is low fast, rise is high fast, curve is outside fast. That's what the other kids were doing.

Enjoy the ride.

-W

 

[Jojo]

Congrats on your DD making the team!

Now you need to learn how to be a pitcher parent. 3 L's. Lawnchair, left field, lemonade. You don't speak to the coach, DD speaks to the coach. Smile and cheer.

Next time she's asked to throw those pitches at a tryout, screw is inside fast, drop is low fast, rise is high fast, curve is outside fast. That's what the other kids were doing.

Enjoy the ride.

-W

I tried to tell this to a student of mine. Her parent tried to tell me her coach wasn't giving her enough pitching time because she was the only pitcher that didn't throw a curve ball.---long story.

Anyway, I told her to tell him she did throw a curveball and when he called it, just throw an outside fastball. Her mom got all huffy and said, "My DD doesn't LIE!".