High Schooler throws 194 pitches over 14 innings

[golfballs]

Dylan Fosnacht of Rochester High School throws 194 pitches in 14 innings - ESPN

A high school baseball player in Washington State threw 194 pitches over 14 innings Tuesday before being removed in the 15th inning of his team's eventual 1-0 victory in its district tournament.

Rochester High School starting pitcher Dylan Fosnacht struck out 17 and was pulled in the top of the 15th after the first two batters reached base. Dustin Wilson, who had been playing catcher, finished the 17-inning win over La Center High School and then pitched all seven innings of Rochester's second game that day, a 5-3 victory over Elma High School.

I'm in Nolan Ryan's camp on this issue

 

[GAVol]

Completely irresponsible. Nolan Ryan may not be big on pitch limits, but a 17 year old throwing 200 pitches is insane.

 

[allvol123]

That really is absurd.

 

[YankeeVol]

 

[Outofmyvolcanmind]

Terrible

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

Completely irresponsible. Nolan Ryan may not be big on pitch limits, but a 17 year old throwing 200 pitches is insane.

100% agree with this. Can't believe at least one of the coaches wouldn't have stepped up and prevented the kid from throwing that many pitches.

 

[GAVol]

100% agree with this. Can't believe at least one of the coaches wouldn't have stepped up and prevented the kid from throwing that many pitches.

And the coach saying he regrets the decision is a bunch of BS. It's obviously a pattern. They let the next kid throw 3 innings of relief and then left him on the mound for a complete game the very next day. Just awful.

 

[005]

Guy probably shouldn't have a job.

 

[BigOrangeCrush32]

while watching the SC/Vandy Baseball game, the announcer was pissed. He said they should walk the coach up to the office and fire his butt on the spot.

 

[n_huffhines]

I wanna know how 100 years ago one guy could pitch both ends of a double-header? Are we ******* today or were they throwing 50 mph?

 

[golfballs]

I wanna know how 100 years ago one guy could pitch both ends of a double-header? Are we ******* today or were they throwing 50 mph?

They threw hard back in the day too. I think it would be more a question of what pitches were being thrown. Throwing curve-balls puts more strain on the arm than throwing a four-seam fastball. A less likely explanation is that pitchers had better mechanics back then.

 

[005]

i think it's a mix of stuff that bends and what i've heard a lot lately is that year-round, non-stop baseball at a young age can be predictive of arm injuries more than stress as a 20-21 year old can be.

 

[BigOrangeCrush32]

Also, we need to take into account the weightlifting theses athletes are doing...more defined and specialized and it is also putting even more stress on the tendons and ligaments bc the muscles are bigger. I bet they didn't lift weights back then like they do today.

 

[golfballs]

Also, we need to take into account the weightlifting theses athletes are doing...more defined and specialized and it is also putting even more stress on the tendons and ligaments bc the muscles are bigger. I bet they didn't lift weights back then like they do today.

thats what bats were back in those days

 

[TXA&M07]

I'm torn on the subject to be honest. Don't ever want to see a kid jeopardize their health for no reason, but I also don't want to take away his moment. What he did was pretty memorable. The circumstances he did it in have gained national attention.

Fire the coach? That's drastic IMO

Should we take a look at pitch count limits for youth baseball? Maybe, but it'd have to be circumstantial there too.

I'm not pulling a kid that's pitching a career accomplishment like a no hitter, or a perfecto because he's thrown 90 pitches and 91 is over the line.

 

[E-Tizzle]

i think it's a mix of stuff that bends and what i've heard a lot lately is that year-round, non-stop baseball at a young age can be predictive of arm injuries more than stress as a 20-21 year old can be.

Yup - this is becoming a widely accepted theory. I would certainly - and unfortunately - be one of the statistics backing it up. I was primarily a pitcher and catcher while playing year-round travel ball from 10 years old into college ball. Playing those two positions between 80 and 125 games a year without much time off really took its toll. I had complete shoulder reconstruction, Tommy John elbow surgery, and dealt with a myriad of other injuries that did not require surgery during the last few years of my career.

That being said, I have no problem with what the coach allowed. He is not a pitching prospect - he will likely never pitch again. He is not an especially highly rated infield/hitting prospect - he may or may not play in college. He does not have a history of pitching lots of innings in lots of games per year, so this would be considered quite the aberration. If it was his last game, and he was not injured or hurting, why not let him keep going as long as he was effective?

 

[Jax_Vol]

Terrible.....fire DAT coach

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Bloody murder!!!
Bloody murder!!!

 

[ToineMac]

Yup - this is becoming a widely accepted theory. I would certainly - and unfortunately - be one of the statistics backing it up. I was primarily a pitcher and catcher while playing year-round travel ball from 10 years old into college ball. Playing those two positions between 80 and 125 games a year without much time off really took its toll. I had complete shoulder reconstruction, Tommy John elbow surgery, and dealt with a myriad of other injuries that did not require surgery during the last few years of my career.

That being said, I have no problem with what the coach allowed. He is not a pitching prospect - he will likely never pitch again. He is not an especially highly rated infield/hitting prospect - he may or may not play in college. He does not have a history of pitching lots of innings in lots of games per year, so this would be considered quite the aberration. If it was his last game, and he was not injured or hurting, why not let him keep going as long as he was effective?

Stories like these are why my boys aren't allowed to play travel ball. Regular little league season and allstars if they make it. High schoolers needing tommy john and shoulder reconstruction is absurd.

 

[Spartacavolus]

I think its all pc. Your arm is either tired or its not. Imo, guys don't have injuries later in life from over throwing young. Now, they have pitch counts in many leagues and there are still a ton of elbow issues in the major and minor leagues. Arms can either handle it or they can't. All jmo.
And I understand why some of you guys think that's an absurd #, but like others have said, back in the day, you pitched everyday.
I'd like to see stats but don't think all of the micromanagement of kids arms has resulted in fewer injuries.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

That being said, I have no problem with what the coach allowed. He is not a pitching prospect - he will likely never pitch again. He is not an especially highly rated infield/hitting prospect - he may or may not play in college. He does not have a history of pitching lots of innings in lots of games per year, so this would be considered quite the aberration. If it was his last game, and he was not injured or hurting, why not let him keep going as long as he was effective?

While we shed tears over a kid playing a game, I had a cousin that worked with his dad every summer laying block and brick for 10 hours a day from about 13 all the way to freshman year of college.

Bloody murder...

 

[volmanbill]

Stories like these are why my boys aren't allowed to play travel ball. Regular little league season and allstars if they make it. High schoolers needing tommy john and shoulder reconstruction is absurd.

This is the problem with Little League. Players are encouraged to play both LL and travel ball. Other "brands" of baseball are better about it. Most of the travel teams around Atlanta wont allow you to play rec and travel. Here in Florida it's a free for all.

My oldest son played in a "Simply the Best" World series at 9 in Panama City. The opposing pitcher (for Louisiana Baseball Academy) went 8 innings (2 extra) in the championship game and threw 148 pitches, half of them curves. The kid's father owned the academy. When even the parents don't care it's pretty sad.

And they lost anyway.

 

[Spartacavolus]

and to add another jmo, I think the tendon and ligament issues correlate back to things like steroids, creatine, and other supplements that work on the body and muscles but end up affecting ligaments and tendons.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

I'd like to see stats but don't think all of the micromanagement of kids arms has resulted in fewer injuries.

I would be interested to see the info also.

 

[Spartacavolus]

While we shed tears over a kid playing a game, I had a cousin that worked with his dad every summer laying block and brick for 10 hours a day from about 13 all the way to freshman year of college.

Bloody murder...

my friend who adopted an Ethiopian child just told me when he met the kid's dad, he gave the dad some shoes among other things, and took him to eat meat, which he got @ once a year. Days later, he was not wearing the shoes. He asked why, and the dad told him he stomps clay for a living everyday and didn't want to soften up his feet by wearing shoes as he walked back and forth from work @ 2 miles each way.
Kindof off the wall but interesting.