Question
Do you know of any specific limitations found in adolescent baseball pitchers? At what age would you recommend Little League pitchers start throwing specific pitches such as the curve ball, screw ball, etc.?
Answer
In terms of limitations, what we should do with our younger pitchers is adhere to the pitch count policies and rules set forth through Dr. James Andrews' programs. For example, young children between the ages of 8 and 10 are only allowed to throw 65 pitches. After they throw those 65 pitches, they have to have a set number of days off before they can throw those pitches again. As you get older, the pitch count goes up. You still have to have a certain number of days off between times that you can pitch. There are types of pitches that they should be throwing as well. At the younger age, it is essentially just a fast ball. Every young boy wants to throw a curve ball. That needs to be discouraged just because they do not have the strength, control, and mechanics within their bodies to be doing that. I do not have that information in front of me right now, but I do know or I could guess, curve balls etc., do not come into play into the early to mid-teen years, 14, 15, or 16. All of that information you can find at the www.ASMI.org or through the www.stopsportsinjuries.org. That is a division of the AOSSM which is the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, founded by Dr. James Andrews. He has laid out all the criteria for how many pitches, what type of pitches, and at what ages the pitches should be done.
