Well, howdy there! Let me tell ya somethin’ about these college baseball fellas and their pitchin’ rules, the kinda rules they call “NCAA pitch count rules”. Sounds fancy, but it ain’t nothin’ more than countin’ how many times them boys throw that ball. You see, they got these young arms, gotta take care of ’em, or they’ll be worn out faster than a pair of old boots.
So, what’s the big deal about pitch counts? It’s simple, really. If a pitcher throws too many pitches, he needs to rest. Can’t just keep slingin’ that ball day in and day out, that’s a fact. Them big shots at the NCAA, they figured out some numbers, and they said, “Alright, boys, this is how it’s gonna be.”
- If a fella throws, say, between 76 and 110 pitches in a day, he’s gotta rest up for three whole days. Yep, three whole days of not pitchin’. That’s a long time to be sittin’ on the bench, I tell ya.
- And listen to this, a pitcher can’t throw more than 110 pitches in one game, no sir, not a single one more. That’s the max, the tippy-top, the end of the line. If he hits that 110 mark while he’s still facin’ a batter, well, he can finish that fella off, but then he’s done. No two ways about it.
Now, I heard tell there’s some other rules too, ’bout younger fellas. If a young’un, maybe 14 or under, throws just 21 pitches in a game, he’s gotta sit out. And if he’s a bit older, like 15 to 18, and throws 31 pitches, same thing, gotta rest. They’re just kids, ya know? Gotta protect them arms, give ’em time to grow strong.
It ain’t just about winnin’ games, see? Them fellas in charge, they say it’s about keepin’ the players healthy, makin’ sure they don’t hurt themselves throwin’ too much. I reckon that makes sense. Nothin’ worse than a young fella with a bum arm, can’t even throw a ball to his own dog.
And it ain’t just the regular pitches they’re countin’ neither. Nope, they count every pitch, even the ones that go wild, the ones that bounce in the dirt, the ones that almost hit the batter. Every single throw, they’re keepin’ track. Got folks in the stands just countin’ pitches, can ya believe it? It’s a whole lotta countin’, I tell ya.
They even got rules about what happens if a pitch hits a runner tryin’ to score. It’s all in them rule books, thick as a Sears catalog. They got rules for everything these days, seems like. But I guess it’s all for the best, keepin’ things fair and square, keepin’ them young fellas safe.
I also heard talk about some new rules comin’ in 2024. More changes, more things to keep track of. They’re always fiddlin’ with the rules, tryin’ to make things better, I suppose. But sometimes I think it just makes things more complicated. Back in my day, you just threw the ball ’til your arm fell off, and that was that! Just kiddin’, of course… mostly.
But seriously, these rules, they’re there for a reason. They’re tryin’ to make sure these college boys don’t overdo it, that they can keep playin’ ball for years to come. It’s a competition, sure, but it ain’t worth ruinin’ a young fella’s future over. So, they count them pitches, keep an eye on them arms, and hope for the best. And that’s the long and short of it, as far as I can tell. Them NCAA pitch count rules, they’re just tryin’ to keep things fair and keep them boys healthy. Seems like a good idea to me.
So next time you’re watchin’ one of them college baseball games, keep an eye on that pitch count. It’s more important than you might think. It ain’t just numbers on a scoreboard; it’s about the well-being of them young athletes. And that’s somethin’ worth payin’ attention to, ya hear?
And remember, even if your boy can’t throw more than 110 pitches, he’d better make them count! You always told him to give it his all. And these rules, well, they just make sure he can keep on giving it his all for a good long time.
Tags: NCAA, Baseball, Pitch Count, Pitching Rules, College Baseball, Athlete Safety, Competition, Sports Rules, Rest Days, Pitching Limitation.
