35 replies to this topic

[Kevin Finnerty]

kylejt, on 17 February 2012 - 04:51 PM, said:

I've seen 81mph from 46 feet, two different times. The reaction time to hit that is far beyond anything thrown by an adult. And yeah, the pitcher was 12.

Talk about crazy.

I've caught quite a few bullpens for 81-from-48-feet guys in the old days---including my own son---and it is not the same (12-year-old PONY is 48). There may be some formula for figuring reaction time, but all that aside, a 100-m.p.h. fastball's number of revolutions makes it an altogether different animal. The explosion at the end of the flight of a 100-m.p.h. fastball is unique.

We had one 12-year-old All-Star team with five kids who threw 80 m.p.h. Of the low-80s-at-age-12-or-13 guys that I had on our clubs, the only guy who ever broke 90 in his life wound up being a catcher in college, and now catches in the minors. Robert Stock was the biggest star of all and threw the hardest. At 12, he threw 85 m.p.h. He was clocked in the low-90s at 14 and topped out at 95 in college.

My son topped out at 88 in college and lives at 82-84. Another kid got through two years of college and topped out at 89 on his best day. The two others were done at 16 and 17, respectively, because they threw curveballs. So, five kids threw 80-plus at 12, and one is still pitching. My son is the one still pitching at 22 because I didn't let him air it out very often, and I taught him a couple of change-ups and didn't allow him to throw a curveball.

Today's No. 1-ranked high school pitcher in the country, Lucas Giolito, throws 99, and didn't throw 81 at 12. Not even close. He developed late and is better off for it. He has probably thrown half as many pitches as some of his peers. The guys who throw too hard too early are often finished at this age, and this kid is throwing 99 m.p.h. as a senior (I have two of his games on my schedule!). And if he's willing to wait three years to be a multimillionaire, he's going to UCLA!

[Umpete]

Stock seems to have lost some steam since turning pro. I thought he moved off the mound in college to get more out of his bat. Is catching taking a toll on him, or does he just need more time to mature?

[Kevin Finnerty]

Robert was always mature; he's just a great kid. He definitely was a great lefty hitter early, but he had problems at the plate at USC, because he had to work so hard at learning catching. He pitched there too, but he was signed as a catcher.

He has to rediscover himself as a hitter if he's ever going to make the big leagues.

Robert was a high school and Team USA phenom, who would have gone in the first three picks in the country out of high school, but instead chose to go to college and get drafted again down the road. He went 67th in the country, instead. That decision cost him over $4 million.

[yawetag]

Kevin Finnerty, on 20 February 2012 - 04:20 PM, said:

Robert was a high school and Team USA phenom, who would have gone in the first three picks in the country out of high school, but instead chose to go to college and get drafted again down the road. He went 67th in the country, instead. That decision cost him over $4 million.

Good to see he has priorities over money.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Priorities are housing, transportation, insurance, other forms of security, and of course, college tuition for the degree you can get anyway, but just a little later, like 25 or so.

Lucas Giolito is going to be drafted in the first couple of picks next June. He will be offered $10 million, give or take. If he turns that down to go to UCLA, then he's a fool---even more of a fool than Robert was. Robert passed up his senior year of high school to go to SC as a 17-year-old, knowing he could be drafted as a 20-year-old junior, and thinking the same opportunity awaited him. He gambled---foolishly---and lost. Now, he'll play a while, probably never making the bigs (and the big money), possibly complete his degree, and go on to coach at a college somewhere, hoping to someday make $100,000 a year.

Rushing to get a degree is a foolish ideal in the cases of a few select ballplayers. These are two of them.

[Umpire in Chief]

Kevin Finnerty, on 20 February 2012 - 11:08 PM, said:

Rushing to get a degree is a foolish ideal in the cases of a few select ballplayers. These are two of them.

Especially now because of two things:
1. If you are drafted out of HS, from what I understand, the drafting team is now forever responsible for your college education
2. Once you go to college you can't be drafted again for 3 years. A lot of things can happen in 3 years.

Take the money and run...

[yawetag]

Umpire in Chief, on 21 February 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

1. If you are drafted out of HS, from what I understand, the drafting team is now forever responsible for your college education

That alone is worth taking the money.

[Kevin Finnerty]

They are required to place a large fund into an escrow account for the sole purpose of paying for your education if they sign you away from a college offer. Most guys drafted early have a college offer.

The value of an education lies chiefly in its promise of a lucrative career and the security it brings. To turn down a fortune to risk everything and go to school and get a degree is just silly. You can get it in time, if you even need to or want to.

[justwin]

kylejt, on 17 February 2012 - 04:51 PM, said:

I've seen 81mph from 46 feet, two different times. The reaction time to hit that is far beyond anything thrown by an adult. And yeah, the pitcher was 12.

Talk about crazy.

i know the feeling..i onced umpired a fastball game and the pitcher was clocked 86mph...however the pitcher pound in fastball is 46 feet and with the pitcher hopping the pitch came in at 38 feet...by far the fastest ball ive seen and that includes many 95+ mph pitches in baseball

[Kevin Finnerty]

Well, this No. 1 ranked high school pitcher in the country I've been touting, Lucas Giolito: He took a no-hitter into the seventh today, and he was clocked at 100 m.p.h.

My mentor drew the plate assignment, and I worked another game, but we talked about it on the phone tonight for almost as long as the game lasted. Amazing stuff!

[johnnyg08]

Super cool! Thanks for sharing!!

[Kevin Finnerty]

Thank you.

Lucas is the real deal. I had his second-round playoff last year, and he threw six one-hit innings. He lived in the low 90s with command and topped out at 95. Now he lives in the high-90s and tops out at 100.

I have three of his games on my new schedule, but just one plate. He is almost certainly going to sign after he's drafted---many scouts say No. 1---but if he doesn't, and goes to UCLA, then I'll get to call his fall and winter intrasquads for three years, in addition to watching him pitch a few dozen games. Man, what a pitcher. Whatever happens, i almost can't wait.

[Welpe]

BT_Blue, on 08 February 2012 - 06:20 PM, said:

Not much. Living in the Portland area (actually in Vancouver across the Columbia River).

Lucky you, I love that area. How has the adjustment to the PNW been? I've been in Houston (by way of the SF Bay Area) about as long and an adjustment it has been!

Quote

Working HS baseball and just got my first year of HS football under my belt this past fall.

Good for you! I am going into my fifth year of HS football. What are your thoughts on the difference in game management between baseball and football? It was an adjustment going into football for me.

Sorry to interrupt the direction this thread went.

[BT_Blue]

Welpe, on 29 February 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

BT_Blue, on 08 February 2012 - 06:20 PM, said:

Not much. Living in the Portland area (actually in Vancouver across the Columbia River).

Lucky you, I love that area. How has the adjustment to the PNW been? I've been in Houston (by way of the SF Bay Area) about as long and an adjustment it has been!

Quote

Working HS baseball and just got my first year of HS football under my belt this past fall.

Good for you! I am going into my fifth year of HS football. What are your thoughts on the difference in game management between baseball and football? It was an adjustment going into football for me.

Sorry to interrupt the direction this thread went.

Welpe,
I really enjoy it up here. Everything is just beautiful and almost always green (save for two months during the summer). However, that which makes this area so nice also is a pain in the ass during the baseball season. It is supposed to rain off and on up until the day or two before the start of the season on the 9th. However, if I can work all my games assigned for the first three weeks of the season (YEH RIGHT! IN PORTLAND?!?) then I would qualify for state playoffs. That also saying I can get the time off from work as well.

The hardest adjustment for me coming from Los Angeles is the lack of year round ball. I was used to working tournament games in Palm Springs in November and December. Season ends for me here shortly after the July 4th holiday which kind of sucks. Deciding to work football was a savior for me since it gave me a sport to worry about after the end of baseball.

Speaking of football. The major transition for me was going from near the TOP of my baseball association to the very bottom of my football one. That and the fact that working the lines you get an earful from coaches and you really cant do much about it. Kind of sucks!

[BT_Blue]

Oh and Welpe, great picture! Grew up in the SF Bay Area and have been a Giants fan since 1989 (got interested in baseball a year before as an A's fan).

[dumbdumb]

Kevin Finnerty, on 29 February 2012 - 03:39 AM, said:

Well, this No. 1 ranked high school pitcher in the country I've been touting, Lucas Giolito: He took a no-hitter into the seventh today, and he was clocked at 100 m.p.h.

My mentor drew the plate assignment, and I worked another game, but we talked about it on the phone tonight for almost as long as the game lasted. Amazing stuff!

Did you get to run LeCour yesterday on that good call at third?