Baseball: Fastball
Ah, the fastball, king of pitches. Its where every pitcher starts and it accounts for most of the pitches thrown in any game–from the little to the big leagues. Even though a straight-ahead fastball does involve a lot of spin and snapping of the wrist, it can still wreak havoc on a young arm or even an old arm if it is overused.
For little leaguers, it is important to stay on a pitch count. Major leaguers are often on a pitch count themselves so theres no reason for a young pitcher to not follow that model. People think of it as a pansys way out, but theres nothing soft about not wanting to damage your arm.
Parents be aware: its often your job to determine a pitch count. Kids and even coaches dont always know when to stop. Youve given your kid a bedtime, now you have to regulate his play time. It can be hard to get in a coachs face in the middle of a game, especially if the game is on the line–but if your child looks very tired, or has gone way past his normal count, you may just have to say something.
Fastball Pitch Counts
Pitch counts vary for each young pitcher, whether theyre throwing all breaking pitches (not likely) or fastball after fastball. Some things to look out for are cold weather, whether the pitcher warmed up enough, or if its early or late in the season. Usually 60 pitches is the norm, but a lot of factors can affect when a young player comes out of the game.