Youth Curveball Debate Continues

The recently published results of a five-year study on curveballs by the University of North Carolina and Little League Baseball have done nothing to cool the debate about the safety of breaking pitches at the youth level. It may be that the discussion is only heating up, as a result of that study's controversial findings, or lack of findings.

While the UNC study caused Little League to report that overuse, rather than curveballs, was to blame for arm injuries, former coach and current WFAN (NY) radio host Rick Wolff begs to differ. He says you simply cannot ignore decades of doctors' advice against throwing curveballs or sliders at a young age. Here is a podcast of his recent interview with Cincinnati orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Timothy Kremchek, who believes that Little League has political reasons for not banning curves.

Whether "it's politics" or a lack of conclusive information,

The Simplest Way To Get Quick

I came across this post by trainer Kelly Baggett on the Cressey Performance blog about gaining athletic quickness. Baggett brings up some good points about the importance of decreasing muscle tension in order to increase quickness.

As I tell my youth players, relaxed muscles are quicker than tense muscles. Unfortunately this idea is usually the opposite of many players' natural instinct.

When faced with an incoming pitch, the batter often reacts by "muscling up" to try to hit the ball hard. They clutch the bat tight, twist away from the pitcher and reach back for more power. But they won't find any more power back there. Since they have so much tension, the fast-twitch muscles of the front arm cannot fire quick enough. They lengthen their swing path, and sometimes completely bar the lead arm, creating a stiff, sweeping motion to the ball. The result is a late swing and a jam shot off the handle of the bat.

When a pitcher wants to blow a fastball by a batter,

The Allure of Being "Elite"

I encourage you to read this ESPN article by Tim Keown about the state of travel ball in America. Although not exactly new information, Keown's commentary is on the money. I think I agree with everything he says, and would only add that what actually matters in youth baseball is fun and good coaching.

Reason Enough To Back Up the Mound

Braydon Salzman was extremely lucky to avoid serious injury on Friday at the Little League World Series. Watch the video if you haven't seen it. Little League's days with a 46 foot mound are hopefully numbered.

Five-Year UNC Curveball Study Complete

A study of over 1,300 youth pitchers has been concluded by the University of North Carolina and Little League Baseball. The results: overuse, not curveballs are to blame for arm injuries.

As mentioned before on this site, it's primarily the young pitchers that repeatedly push themselves to the limit without enough rest in between outings that risk hurting themselves. Surprisingly, some previous studies have indicated that curveballs don't put any more stress on the arm than fastballs.

Still, the calls for banning curveballs in Little League have persisted. But Little League President and CEO Stephen Keener has now concluded that a ban won't be necessary.

Laying Off the Doughnuts

Here's an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal about the actual effect that swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle has on your swing at the plate.

Baseball players have used bat doughnuts or other types of weights for many years in order to make their regular bat feel lighter during their at-bat. Doughnuts are not allowed in Little League, and technically neither is the on-deck circle, but players often use two bats or a weighted bat sleeve to warm up.

But scientific testing has proven that swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle actually slows down your swing at the plate by activating slow-twitch muscle fibers best used for endurance, not the quick burst of speed needed to hit a fastball.

Passing Down a Love of the Game

Here's a good article from Moms Team about "Passing the Baseball Torch" from generation to generation. It's a selection from a book by Dan Clemens, called The Perfect Season.

Making the big leagues is one-in-a-million, so one of the best things we can do for our own kids and other baseball players we coach is to simply instill a love of the game, so they can enjoy it as much as we have for so many years.

How does one come to love baseball? According to Clemens, it comes from two sources:

1. From our experiences on the field. I will never have a true appreciation for ice hockey because I never played - I can't even skate (on blades or wheels). But I know what it's like to play baseball - to make solid contact, steal a base, rob a hit, strike out a batter, or just kill time in the dugout. I loved it and thrived on it. And....

2. From the people around us - the stories they tell, the lessons they've learned, the players and teams they follow, the experiences we share with them. This is not about instructing our sons to swing correctly or driving them to succeed. It's about creating good memories and being a fan of the game.

Albert Pujols Diamond Demo

Here's a good MLB Network Diamond Demo with Albert Pujols, where he and Harold Reynolds discuss such things as tee work, staying inside the ball and taking the knob of the bat to the ball. When this guy talks hitting, we all should listen.

Sports Parenting the Gerry McIlroy Way

Among all the news about obsessive and aggressive sports parents out there is a good article at Bob Cook's blog, Your Kid's Not Going Pro, about Gerry McIlroy. Gerry is the father of "next big thing," Rory McIlroy, who just came off a 16-under US Open Golf Championship. Obviously Rory did "go pro," but he did it without the kind of parenting that too often makes news in golf and other sports.

What To Do This Summer... Build a Wiffle Ball Field

Here's a cool story about a wiffle ball field and league in New York. Chris Hess did it with dugouts, an electronic scoreboard, and uniforms. Our family's field (left) was done on the cheap. Hours of weekly fun for just an occasional can of spray paint. Oh - and don't forget the foul poles.