Hey, coach: Would you change a sidearm pitcher's arm slot?

Every week I get a handful of questions from baseball coaches and players interested in learning more about sidearm pitching: Is throwing sidearm good for your arm? Where can I learn more about sidearm pitching mechanics? How do you throw sidearm? Do sidearm pitchers use special pitching grips? Are there any sidearm pitching drills?

To be honest, I'm surprised sidearm pitching has such a loyal following. There are so few big league pitchers to speak of throwing sidearm that you'd think the sheer lack of sidearm pitchers at the highest levels of the game would be reason enough to suggest that it's not the "ticket" to the Show.

Scouts typically don't draft sidearm guys because they view them as high-risk players, more prone to injuries than overhand throwers. And the last thing a major league team wants to do is pay the $40,000 it costs to reconstruct a guy's shoulder.

When it comes to pitching sidearm, the reward doesn't outweigh the risks or potential medical bills. And although you tend to see a few more sidearmers at the college and professional ranks than in high school ball, they're usually not starting pitchers – and they're usually not getting serious looks by professional scouts.

That's why I don't teach it: it's a waste of time. But that's just me. Bill Chapones, a contributer to The Complete Pitcher, thought this way, too. But he doesn't anymore. Here's why:

A few years back a parent came to me and said his son was interested in pitching and he wanted my help. I said, "OK, let's see what the boys natural motion is."

I took this kid (who was a freshman in high school, 203 pounds, very strong, 6-foot-2) to the outfield and had him shag ground balls and throw them on a line to home plate (long toss).

Well, you guessed it, his natural throwing motion was 3/4-submarine to sidearm motion. Threw rockets but absolutely nocontrol from the mound. I never threw or taught sidearm/ submarine so I changed his motion to 3/4-overhand so I could teach the basics of that delivery. The kid would pitch great for two, maybey three innings and get wild, get shelled, etc.

His sophmore year he injured his shoulder and quit pitching and stayed entirely with football (a running back and wide-receiver) and got a football scholarship to college, so I guess all is well and we're all still good friends. But, I still wish I'd never tried to change his pitching motion and got help from someone who knew how to teach the basics of control and sidearm/submarine pitching mechanics.

I still wonder where he would have gone with his pitching,and I truly feel guilty of causing his pitching problems,sore arm etc. I'd never change a lad's natural pitching motion again.

What do you think? Would you change a sidearmer's motion or leave it?