Pitch Counts: Who's Really Counting?

What's the right pitch count? The answer varies because pitch counts tend to be vague guidelines, notes Jon Solomon of The Birmingham (Ala.) News.

Little League baseball began instituting pitch limits this season. Dr. Glenn Fleisig, chairman of research at the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), said college coaches should have enough knowledge to make good judgments without standardized pitch limits.

Pro baseball tends to be more cautious with its investments. The Atlanta Braves, for example, have 100- to 105-pitch limits for starters in Class A, AA and AAA, and 75 pitches for their first two starts of a season. The maximum for all Rookie League pitchers is 75.

"Even guys that have been pitching quite a few years in our system are still not going to go over 105, 110 pitches," said Tyrone Brooks, director of baseball operations for the Braves. "If a guy throws over 120 pitches at the college age, it's definitely harmful."

Auburn coach Tom Slater rarely lets a pitcher go beyond 120 pitches, based on the approach of his mentor, former Tigers coach Hal Baird. While at Virginia Military Institute, Slater once removed a pitcher with a no-hitter after five innings against Florida State in January.

"The kid was livid," Slater said. "I said, `You'll thank me for this at the end of the year.' Last start of the year he threw a complete game with 125 pitches to win the Southern Conference Tournament."

Read the complete article, "Armed and Dangerous," by Mr. Solomon, at The Birmingham News.