| If you have watched youth baseball games at the | | | | lot of walked players and runs scored on stolen |
| 7-12 year old level, you have probably witnessed | | | | bases - this really is not how the game should be |
| the act of "pulling the pitcher" in the middle of the | | | | played and is very frustrating for the pitching |
| inning. In some cases, the result is the pulled | | | | team. |
| pitcher bursting into tears! Yes, these kids can be | | | | Also make sure your pitcher can throw at a |
| pretty hard on themselves. One may argue that | | | | speed fast enough to prevent repeated heavy |
| such events are just a part of growing up and | | | | hits for home runs. They do not have to pitch |
| the youth that was pulled must learn to deal with | | | | lightning fast. If they are lobbing the ball at a |
| it and move on. Still, there are measures that | | | | "toss-speed" however, batter after batter will be |
| may be taken to minimize the trauma on the | | | | hitting balls for home runs and you may have no |
| youth pitcher that is pulled. | | | | choice but to replace the pitcher. |
| Screen Your Pitchers Well | | | | Communicate With Your Pitchers |
| Make sure your pitchers can pitch at least 3 out | | | | From the start, let your prospective pitchers |
| of 5 balls in the strike zone and preferably 3 out | | | | know what is expected. Let them know that if |
| of 4 in the strike zone. If the pitcher is pitching | | | | they pitch out of the strike zone repeatedly with |
| hit-able balls, one of two things will happen: The | | | | the result of an extended inning, they may be |
| batter will strike out, or the batter will make a hit | | | | pulled. Be patient however - I think a lot can be |
| and place the outcome in the fielder's hands (and | | | | learned by a pitcher "working through" his |
| provide the fielders some valuable practice). If the | | | | temporary difficulties. If you screen your pitchers |
| pitcher is only throwing 1 or 2 balls in the strike | | | | well, you won't have to pull pitchers much, if at all. |
| zone out of every 5 pitches, the result will be a | | | | |