Little League Baseball Implements New Pitch Count Rule For 2007

Little League Baseball Implements New Pitch Count Rule For 2007 Little League Baseball will implement a new pitch-count rule next season; 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 change, unanimously approved Friday by Little League's board of directors, expands on a test conducted the last two years. Pitch count rules were voluntarily tried out in about 500 of the 6,400 leagues in the United States this past regular season, and the regulations were expected to become mandatory. Sports medicine researchers have said arm injuries in young pitchers have become more relevant as children work more innings on more teams, are mismanaged by coaches, or aren't properly monitored by parents. Little League president Stephen Keener hopes the change influences other youth baseball organizations. "We can't resolve this issue on our own," Keener said at a news conference Friday, an off day at the Little League World Series. "It will send a strong message and go to great lengths to help with the education of parents and coaches ... just how serious an issue this can be." Current rules limit pitchers 12 years old and younger to six innings per week, and six innings per game. Inning limits increase with age. 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. There would be slight modifications for tournaments, such as for the Little League World Series, though the pitch count limits would not change, Keener said. Those parameters will be released later this year. Before Keener's announcement, Beaverton, Ore., manager Jeff Keller, whose team is playing Columbus, Ga., for the U.S. title on Saturday, said he favored using a pitch count. Keller managed in Oregon in the Murrayhill Little League, which tested the pitch count limits this year. He said he was wary of the change at first, but grew to like it. "The number of kids I see with arm problems, elbow and shoulder injuries, it's alarming," Keller said. Columbus manager Randy Morris said he wished there wasn't a need for pitch counts, but understands the change. "They're going to have to have something done, and if it takes something like a pitch count, then I'm for it," he said. 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. So what do you think? Is this all a good idea? What's been your experience with pitch counts in youth baseball?