Is there any age that you feel a kid is too old to start pitching in travel ball and be still be effective? Any success stories out there about kids that didn't pitch until high school?
I will give you one better than that....Kevin Brown who had a very illustrious career in MLB did not start pitching until his senoir year of high school. He walked on at Georgia Tech and by his Junior year was a high first round draft pick...
Along with this story there are many others that involve players being drafted and converted to pitchers...so its never too late if the arm strength and accuracy is there.
I don't think there is an age where the player is too old to start pitching.
Our HS team started using one of their Seniors and he hadn't pitched since his younger travel years, like 11 or 12. He was just a spot reliever, but he was pretty effective.
Our current summer team uses just about everybody, even the players who don't (and probably won't) pitch for their HS team. Sometimes just to save innings, sometimes because the starter can't throw strikes. I think it's safe to say just about all 16 have thrown at least one innning and most will probably see mound time again. A couple just aren't pitchers and don't want any part of it. :)
Once you get a little older and wiser you'll find starting to pitch later isn't a bad thing, less wear and tear. All those innings in TB where kids piitched too long, too many times, 3 innings then pull him and re entered as pitcher, just nuts! My kid pitches and plays several IF positions. As long as he gets a bullpen in every week or so and 3 or 4 innings in every week or so then that is perfect. I read a statistic somewhere where pitchers from youth northern/colder leagues have fewer injuries/healthier arms.
Too old to start pitching???
Posted - 06/18/2012 : 09:55:24
