Guess What? Mound Height Directly Relates To Pitching Arm Stress

This study substantiates some of my thoughts about flat ground versus mound work, especially for some of the 10 and 12 year olds I work with.

A new study by the Medical College of Wisconsin, led by Milwaukee Brewers team physician William Raasch, concludes that the height of the pitching mound can affect a pitcher's throwing-arm motion. And the higher the mound (it was 15 inches high until 1968), the more stress there is. That increased stress can also make it hard for the pitcher to replicate the pitch and increase the potential for injury.

"They are using their body to accelerate the arm and the ball, so the body has to generate certain forces to hold things in place, whether that is a ligament or a muscle," Raasch said. "These things are generating counter force."

Read full article here

(Thanks, Mark Collins, for forwarding this study.)

How to avoid pitcher's elbow or Medial Epicondylitis

Prolonged repetitive throwing motions such as those familiar to baseball pitchers are a risk for developing repetitive strain injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons supporting the inside of the elbow. These injuries are also common in athletes participating in overhead activities like tennis, badminton, and javelin throwing. The main symptom of this so-called "pitcher's elbow" is a gradual onset of pain on the inside of the elbow that may travel down the inside of the forearm. Such high-velocity throwing motions place a lot of strain on the structures on the inside of the elbow, leading to microtears and possibly to the development of a repetitive strain injury. Ongoing sport participation without proper treatment may lead to an increase in the severity of the elbow pain, elbow swelling, and eventually decreased performance, like a slower fastball or a compromised tennis serve. This injury is known as medial epicondylitis.

Prolonged injury without treatment may lead to an inability to compete. Understanding which muscles, tendons, and ligaments are contracting, being pre-stretched, or are stabilizing the elbow joint in each of the five phases will help in developing a proper treatment and prevention program for medial epicondylitis.

Here's a link to a great article on pitcher's elbow published by Dubin Chiropractic in Quincy, Mass.

How pitchers can prevent tired or stale arms

Today's guest post is by Marty Schupak, a youth coach with a master's degree in physical education from Arizona State University.

At one time or another, a pitcher can have a tired or stale arm. This can happen on the youth level just as it happens on the professional level. In youth baseball, pitchers are even more susceptible, especially during All-Star time, if pitching rules are relaxed and pitchers are able to pitch more innings.

There are a number of things a manager and parents can do during the season as not to burn out or even possibly injure a pitcher's arm.

Loosening up is very important before a pitcher throws one pitch. The expression; "warm up to pitch, don't pitch to warm up" is very relevant. When the great relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, Mariano Rivera, is called on to pitch, he goes through a stretching and loosening up routine for 5 or 10 minutes before he even picks up a ball.

During the regular season, managers, coaches and even parents should pay more attention to a player's pitch count rather than the number of innings pitched. Every player is different, but the manager should use some sought of guideline to determine how many pitches are enough for a particular player.

A few years ago the American Sports Medicine Institute did a study sending surveys to orthopedic surgeons and coaches around the country. They recommended for 11 to 12 year old pitchers a maximum of 68 pitches with two days recovery. This might seem very conservative. The study also stated that conditioning of the arm and entire body can reduce injury.

Another issue facing the youth baseball pitcher is duel leagues or playing for his school and an outside league. It is always a good idea for the manager to make contact with the school coach. Let him know that you understand that the school team is the priority and that you want to be aware of how much the player is pitching. Responsible school coaches should be able to give you the amount of innings and pitch count for a player through out the season.

Baseball seasons are increasing in length at the youth league level. The combination of All-Star games and the ever-popular autumn baseball season increase potential harm to a pitcher's arms. Loosening up and stretching are a must. It is up to the manager, coaches and parents to look out for the long term interest in their player, rather than over pitching him to win one particular game.

How many pitchers wear cups when they pitch?

I thought this was interesting: A poll on the High School Baseball Web message boards asks how many pitchers wear cups when they pitch. Of the 63 people who've responded by the time I wrote this article, only 21 say they wear one. The other 42 pitchers don't. Yeesh!

I always wore a cup when I pitched. I wore it between a pair of Under Armor boxer briefs and Under Armor compression shorts. Why did I wear it? My follow-through and finish was generally off to the first base side of the mound. As a result, my glove hand generally finished out of position to respond to a pitch hit on a line back at me. So I wore a cup for the obvious reason – protection.

But I also wore it for another reason: It made me feel fearless. When I pulled up those boxer briefs, cup, and compression shorts, I felt like I was going to war. Mentally, wearing one triggered "Game time! Let's go."

Do you wear a cup when you pitch? Take the poll here.

Pitch count guidelines for Little Leaguers

Little League Baseball will implement a new pitch-count rule in 2007, a change organizers hope will reduce wear and tear on youngsters' arms.

Starting in 2007, the number of pitches thrown in a game will determine how long that player must rest before returning to the mound. The current system is based on innings pitched.

The new rules would bar 11- and 12-year-old players from throwing more than 85 pitches a day, with limits also varying with age.

Rest requirements would change according to the number of pitches thrown. A pitcher who tosses more than 61 in a game would need three days of rest before returning to the mound, while someone who throws between 41 and 60 pitches would need two days off.

Pitch count restrictions, based on age:

• For pitchers 17-18: 105 pitches
• For pitchers 13-16: 95 pitches
• For pitchers 11-12: 85 pitches
• For pitchers 10 and under: 75 pitches

Pitchers league ages 7 through 16 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41-60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21-40 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

Pitchers league age 17-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

• If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 51-75 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 26-50 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

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?

Reds' doc: "We know better than to allow Little Leaguers to throw curveballs"

Dr. Timothy Kremchek is the medical director for the Cincinnati Reds and has performed surgeries on such major league pitchers as Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood. He recently operated on the arm of USC's Arik Hempy.

Kremchek is nationally renowned for providing surgeries through the Beacon Orthopedics & Sports Medicine center in Cincinnati. He also has been the leading advocate nationally for legislation and education of coaches and parents about the overuse of pitchers’ arms in youth baseball.

Kremchek recently agreed to a question-and-answer session by telephone with staff writer Ron Morris of The (S.C.) State newspaper.

Question: Little League Baseball and Dixie Youth Baseball suggest that curveballs not be thrown, but neither has a rule against it for 11- and 12-year olds. Is that enough? And what do you think when you watch the Little League World Series on TV?

Answer: It is disgusting. I don’t watch it anymore. I saw a kid a couple of years ago, that’s all he threw was curveballs. I would love to see what happens to him in three years. You might as well watch some parent hitting his kid. Knowing what we know and what we are preaching, and then to watch a kid throw a curveball at that age. ... It made me sick. I’m against it. It should be illegal at age 12. They should have pitch counts and no curveballs. It’s a serious abuse of pitchers. ... The future of these kids in baseball is very dismal. That makes me absolutely sick. I can become violently ill watching that. It kills me. We are watching 12-year-olds with sponsorships, ESPN coverage, immense peer pressure, the over-desire to win at age 12. Who really gives a (darn) at age 12? That kid on the mound thinks he can pitch in the major leagues one day, and God bless him, but his chances are almost zero, because no one is telling him the truth. That is absolute child abuse on public display. At age 11, these kids are the best pitchers because they can throw curveballs. At age 14, they are watching the other kids play. By and large, we know better than that, and the people around him know better than to do that.

Read more here.

How to avoid Little League elbow

Ouch,.... Got Little League elbow? So do a lot of kids playing youth baseball. Here's the good news: Little League elbow is largely preventable, if kids follow these tips.

• Throw less

A broad recommendation is that pitchers base their number of pitches each week by multiplying their age by 10, so an 8-year-old would limit his pitches to 80 a week. A 12-year-old would throw no more than 120.

• Warm up

Coaches should educate players to the importance of and techniques for stretching and strengthening the arms and shoulders, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says. Always take time to warm up and stretch. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury.

• Throw correctly

Poor throwing motions put too much stress on the elbow. Discourage sidearm throwing because it is three times more likely to cause injury, according to the surgeons' group.

• Master the basics

From ages of 8 to 14, players should work on three phases -- gaining control, increasing velocity and developing a command of the strike zone, throwing only fastballs. Pitchers should begin throwing change-ups at age 10, but no breaking pitches (curves, sliders, etc.) until at least 14.

• Recognize injuries

Any persistent pain, loss of motion (especially extension) or X-ray abnormalities should keep a player on the sidelines until the symptoms disappear or a doctor clears the player. Little League elbow is known medically as medial apophysitis because it's always on the inner side, or medial side, of the elbow. So not all elbow pain is Little League elbow.

Source

Poor form, overuse lead to pitching injuries, doctors say

If you are going to throw the ball, you need to learn how to throw it right. It's about learning the mechanics. That's a given. But it also might be the solution to a common pitching problem many youth pitchers face: Little League elbow or Little League shoulder.

Tracy Wheeler And Mary Meehan of Knight Ridder write the following article, which appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader, June 20.

Among pitchers younger than 12, as many as 45 percent complain of chronic elbow pain, according to several published studies. At the high school level, nearly six of every 10 pitchers suffer chronic elbow pain.

Yet another study -- in the May/June 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons -- showed that it might be even worse than that, with 50 percent to 75 percent of all adolescent baseball players -- not just pitchers -- reporting elbow pain.

"It's bad. Many parents -- and coaches -- don't understand how many pitches a kid should throw. They think, 'They're young, they're healthy, they can't get hurt,'" said Dick Schoonover, owner of the Dick Schoonover Academy of Pitching Instruction in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

For most young baseball players with throbbing elbows, the real problem is the never-ending baseball season.

Boys this age are now playing more baseball than ever. Even in cold-weather climates, baseball has become a year-round sport -- and that, more than anything, is leading to the increasing number of elbow injuries.

"There very definitely should be a limit on the number of pitches thrown during a season," said Dr. Ben Kibler, medical director for the Lexington Clinic Sports Medicine Center. From studies "it looks like about 800 pitches is getting to the overload point. You've got to understand that you can't go out and throw all the time."

Plus, he said, players are pushing themselves harder and harder to throw faster. "Everybody is throwing to match the radar gun," he said.

Since the last baseball season, Kibler said, he's had to operate on four patients for baseball-related elbow pain. He's had to tell eight players they had to stop playing to give their arms a rest. Another issue, he said, is the prevalence of young players throwing breaking pitches. Because of the mechanics of the way the ball leaves the player's grasp -- to make the ball spin, the wrist is rotated and the elbow follows -- the breaking pitch, if done incorrectly, can be harmful.

And, he said, to learn how to pitch it properly, kids have to throw hundreds of balls incorrectly. They will try to muscle their way through pitches, he said, but many young players simply don't have the strength in the legs and trunk muscles to do that.

The consequence is elbow and shoulder pain, he said. "They've got to realize that until kids have muscle, the only way they can throw the ball well or efficiently is through good coaching," he said. Combine overuse with inherent physical weaknesses, and you've created a recipe for injury, said Dr. Joe Congeni, director of Akron Children's Hospital's sports medicine center.

Congeni said most young baseball players who come to his office will heal with a combination of rehabilitation and rest -- sometimes two to three months without throwing a baseball. Others will need surgery. They're typically 8 to 15 years old. And they're almost exclusively boys because the roundhouse motion used by female softball pitchers doesn't create stress on the elbow the way pitching a baseball overhand does.

Read what the solution is here.