Am I at a normal level for a senior in High school?

General Pitching Topics
#1

I am a 6’ 2" left hander and only weigh around 150. Yea I know I should weigh more but I’m stuck with it. I don’t have a whole lot of time to work out or anything like that. I got cut last year because they wanted me to play first base or outfield along with being a pitcher, but I have some vision problems and can’t really handle doing anything but pitching, so I was cut three weeks into the year and lack experience at the varsity level.

I am able to consistenly throw about 78-80 with my sinker and around 82-84 with my 4SFB (I have hit as high as 86 a couple times). I have what I think is a pretty good changeup with a lot of movement, especially because I don’t tip it anymore.

However I haven’t got the hang of any other type of breaking pitch at all. I messed around with a splitter for a bit, but it seemed like every third one I would throw would just stay flat and act like a slow fastball. I can’t control a slider worth a damn and I just recently started trying the big 12-6 curveball, which I can make break considerably, but need more time to perfect.

I also have been working with the head coach at a nearby college to improve my mechanics and during pitching sessions of up to about 50 or 60 pitches have gotten to be able to throw overall 50 percent strikes when using my whole repertoire.

Am I at a decent enough level to pitch well enough not to get cut this year as a Senior? Because I really could use some scholarship money for college.

#2

How big is your school and what other people our play the same position and are you at there level?

#3

Being a tall lefty helps you alone.

As far as getting cut, depends a lot on your baseball program and the competition.
My previous coach had said once we made it freshman year, if we worked hard, and did everything we were asked to do, we wouldn’t be cut, i realize that doesn’t extend to everywhere, but I have a feeling most coaches like to have some good kids they know they can tell them to do something once and expect it done.

As far as college, like I said, tall lefty helps your odds a lot.
If your grades are decent that could also help as well.
Between JUCO, D1, D2, D3, NAIA, there’s a lotta options out there for college baseball, if you work hard, and keep decent grades.

#4

Yea I have a 4.5 GPA on a 5.0 scale. I got a 29 on my ACT so I think my grades are fine.

My school is a little over 1200 students. Our competition is mediocre overall I would say. There are a few extremely good teams in our area but most are pretty average at best.

My competition at the pitcher position is not going to be stiff this year and the ones who even could be pitchers this year have academic issues. My pitching potential was not in question last year. During the final tryout session I faced 9 batters, allowed no hits, walked one, and struck out 4. The guy who made it as a pitcher instead of me walked 4 straight people at one point but made the team because he could play second base. I have tried to play outfield but I physically just can not do it because of my vision. This leaves first base is my only other option. And frankly, I hate it when people throw the ball at me, thats why I became a pitcher in the first place, so I could throw the ball at them.

I have to resort to attempting switch hitting to be even passable at the plate. But still I just don’t get why they can’t leave me alone and let me pitch, you don’t have to play other positions at higher levels and I feel prejudiced against because of my slight handicap. I refuse to let my arm go to waste, not everyone can throw a ball near 85 mph, but it is a useless skill doing anything but playing baseball.

#5

Dan,
I see a bunch of self pity here. Do you expect to set your conditions for play and think that your varsity coach will even give you a seconds worth of attention? If you do you are wrong, and there is no college team that is going to hand out scholarship money when they are presented with a player who wants to set conditions…nope just won’t happen.
I mean go back and read your posts, down on other kids, you offer just to pitch and not much else, you don’t seem to want to put in extra effort to get yourself some place (Don’t have a whole lot of time to work out…blahblah ) You think folks don’t see that?
You could look like Andy Petite and I still wouldn’t take you with that kind of a “blame everything else but me” attitude.
Colleges have very limited funding for scholarships and they are making a multi-year comittment when they offer a scholarship, you can bet they are going to take nothing but the hardest workers with the very best attitudes, remember they (College coaches) do this for a living, if they go blowing college funds on some dork with a “You owe me” attitude, they may have to go look for work someplace else…you can put money on the fact that they won’t.
I am not trying to make you feel bad, but as a person getting ready to go face a world that will spit you out quickly, I think it important that you hear/read this.
You have good grades, thats a good start, but you have to understand that this sport demands, at this level, a dedication and self-sacrifice that you are not exhibiting, to me it is not in your interests to encourage you as you display this attitude.
Take a look inward, see if you can find anywhere to improve, set about doing it…with no excuses, just do it.
Print this post out and go take it to the college coach you are working with…See if he agrees with me or you, come back and tell us all the results.

#6

Yes I have a bad attitude because I am very bitter about my situation. And no I should not make excuses, however, I can’t just get rid of the fact that I am legally blind and can barely see out one eye, even with glasses or contacts. My attitude is a problem and really, I am trying to get rid of that because it poses problems in other areas besides baseball, really I know.

I was not making those previous statements to draw pity, I was stating facts. And I don’t mean to lash back but when you can’t see a ball hit in the air after it goes up more than 50 or 60 feet, or see a pitched ball until it is within 30 feet of the plate, I don’t care how good of an attitude you have, or how much work you put in the situation will not magically improve. Besides, I have rights as a disabled person to request any conditions I want, and frankly I don’t see how asking nicely to be put in a situation where I can actually succeed is really bad or harmful to anyone.

And just for the record, I have a tremendous work ethic and will do damn near anything to get better, and I am extremely competitive to be good at anything I do.

However, since you are right in the sense that absolutely no one understands my situation thoroughly, let alone cares, what would you guys do in my situation then? If I can’t work out as often as I really should because of time constraints, what could I do to get stronger where I need to be? What should I do about hitting since I have trouble seeing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand? How advanced of a hitter or fielder would I typically need to be at the varsity level?

#7

I don’t care how good of an attitude you have, or how much work you put in the situation will not magically improve. Besides, I have rights as a disabled person to request any conditions I want, and frankly I don’t see how asking nicely to be put in a situation where I can actually succeed is really bad or harmful to anyone.
OK so why don’t you just lawyer on up and muscle your way in. The world of baseball will be made to bow to your needs, if you can’t see a ball until it’s within 30’ what happens with a 100mph liner at your face. Come on Dan!
I don’t need to specifically understand the hurdles you face, why I have hurdles, my kids do, believe it or not everybody does have those things that make our lives difficult, some even have larger hurdles than you yourself face. What you need to know is that your hurdle isn’t the end of the earth, it is just a bump in the road. By everything you’ve written, (if you want I’ll point out specifics) baseball isn’t the passion of your life, simply a means to acheive scholarship money.
I pointed out to you that it doesn’t work that way, the guys who do get those baseball scholarship funds are, as a general rule the ones that have the best attitude and work ethic They overcame “time constraints”, they are the absolute cream of the crop and I explained why that is (Remember…money, job things like that). Now Dan you have an entire life in front of you, look at it as a treasure hunt that never ends. With excellent grades you can acheive that scholarship money without baseball. With competitiveness and an ability to pick up and master things you should be bubbling with joy at the wonders this earth can give to a person that has a goal and a plan. If you can’t play on the team, own it, I suggest a little soul searching, learn to give of yourself without expectation of return, seek happyness not confrontation, find a girl have a life. Leave the bitterness to someone else, thats what you should have no time for. I don’t know you and I tend to never mention this but I will have you in my prayers Dan, you deserve a fantastic life, but you have to figure out first that it won’t happen if you think anyone owes you anything, that sacrifice of self was the greatest gift ever given on earth and it is the best example as to how to have a great life.
Good Luck to you
jd

#8

very good post and good thoughts from JD

I agree, take the best of the situation and let it drive you onward.

Life is too short

#9

Dan, JD is speaking hard truth and sometimes that hurts … but he is correct in all his statements.

You have a vision problem, and consider it a handicap. Everyone on this planet has some kind of handicap — the only difference is that for some people, the handicap is more visible (no pun intended) or obvious.

Before you start making excuses about your problems, consider Jim Abbott. He made his HS team, earned a college scholarship, made the US Olympic team, was a #1 draft pick (#8 overall), played in the Major Leagues for ten years, and pitched a no-hitter for the NY Yankees … with ONE ARM !!!

You can do just about anything you want in this world, provided you have the courage, tenacity, and will to dedicate yourself to your goal. Making a HS baseball team will seem like peanuts ten or 15 years from now, when you will have faced – and hopefully met and conquered – much larger challenges in life.

#10

well let me first say that your very light for your height. Im a 6’2 junior 220 pounds. I throw 85-86 consistanly. The 220 pounds is about 95% muscle. But i work out 2 hours a day and drink protein shakes. I just started working out over the summer.You should start drinking shakes it will help you put on weight. But its not bad that you throw that hard for how tall you are and how light you are

#11

cp, Dan wrote this post over a year ago and we haven’t heard from him since. It wasn’t weight that was the issue, his vision was either right at legally blind or legally blind…our hearts all went out to him but he had some real issues with anger…We all hope we are able to help and really appreciate your efforts. Please keep participating…the date is at the top of each post.

#12

im like the same size as u and i throw 88 im a sophmore

#13

How old are you?

#14

guys…Dan wrote this over a year ago…he hasn’t posted since.

#15

This cracked me up right here. 95% muscle? Damn… What about bones and organs etc? … hmm, interesting…

Just a funny thought, I realize this was a long time ago.

#16

This cracked me up right here. 95% muscle? Damn… What about bones and organs etc? … hmm, interesting…

Just a funny thought, I realize this was a long time ago.

#17

:laughing:

It happens to the best of us Hammer!