2016 American Legion Pitch Limits

[Skools]

I have been reading on various blogs through out the country that they will install a pitch limit next year of 100-105 pitches next year.

Then there will be mandatory required rest days. These are just examples below

75+ 4 days rest.
61-75 3 days rest
46-60 2 days rest
31-45 1 day rest
30 and less none

I do think American legion needs to put in some sort of pitch limit. Having heard stories over the past year of coaches letting their pitchers throw 130+ pitches is ridiculous.

I do think this will put a huge strain on a lot of coaches. If you have a kid pitch 85 pitches Monday and you want him to throw his bullpen in a game Thursday or Friday instead of on the side he can not.

If they are going to do this they need to expand the roster back to 22 or at least 20. Playing 3-4 games a week with these new rules will sky rocket scores more now than they are and have less pitchers available if they still only allow 18.

Who will regulate this? Are the umpires going to keep track and communicate this between umpires? Do they even keep track of the 12 inning rule that is in place now?

Thoughts

 

[COHAZE]

Legion announced their 2016 Rule Changes earlier this week. They do NOT include pitch counts.
http://tinyurl.com/oc6mzmy

Legion also announced their support, in principle, for the Pitch Smart Initiative started by MLB.
http://tinyurl.com/ooehmw4

However, at this point, all Legion is doing is paying lip service to the issue. They do RECOMMEND that coaches follow the pitch counts set forth in the Pitch Smart initiative. But, this is not mandatory, and probably won't be for quite some time. Basically, they are doing the bare minimum to be listed on the Pitch Smart web page. The pitcher abuse that we see all the time in South Carolina will continue.

"In addition to the educational component of Pitch Smart, American Legion Baseball is moving toward implementing pitch counts and rest regulations in select competitions in the future."

"The GUIDELINES outlined by Pitch Smart provide the framework for POTENTIAL rules in the future,” Price continued. “The overwhelming majority of our department chairmen support measures to help combat pitching-related injuries and American Legion Baseball will look at ways of implementing measures to do that IN THE COMING YEARS.” (Emphases added).

Legion is stalling, nothing more. Sooner or later, all youth baseball organizations are going to be shamed into adopting pitch count rules. But, Legion and USSSA will be the LAST to do so.

You're right, rosters need to be expanded. But, as you can see from the 2016 rule changes, that ain't happening either.

 

[Skools]

Cohaze I appreciate you providing the links above for clarification