Rock Island Today

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) pushed back a vote on proposed pitch-count limit recommendations at its October meeting.

The vote has been rescheduled for Dec. 12 after the board holds a series of annual meetings that are not open to the public.

The IHSA conducts the meetings to keep principals up to date on rules and proposed changes. Principals at IHSA member schools are required to attend the meetings each year. 

Rock Island baseball coach Jay Wayland said he was not surprised about the postponed vote.

"The IHSA Baseball Advisory Committee staff has a challenge here and, while they are committed to implementing a regulation deemed necessary, they want to get it right," Wayland told Rock Island Today. "They must ensure that the regulation effectively protects athletes, but is also being user-friendly for coaches, while also being easy to monitor and enforce if compromised.’’

Wayland said it is important to establish guidelines for the players.

"After returning to coach in Illinois (from Wisconsin) a few years ago, I was surprised to find that Illinois had no established limitations on use of pitchers," Wayland said. "There are some states which place limitations on number of innings, while other states on the actual number of total pitches.’’

Wayland said recording the number of innings is easier to ensure accuracy as the scorebook will clearly define a player's mound-appearance time.  

"This does guarantee that pitchers are provided with necessary days of rest after meeting the maximum innings; however, number of pitches can still potentially become excessive," Wayland said.

"Counting pitches will better ensure pitch limits, but does increases the opportunity for human error, and contests will likely become more susceptible to conflicts requiring resolve," Wayland said. "When numbers become important, so does counting.’’

Wayland presents a scenario in which there is a late-inning rally with runners on base and a big hitter steps up to the plate, then the team at bat claims the current pitcher has met his limit for that day and must leave the mound.

However, the team on the field says its pitcher still has three more pitches remaining.  

Wayland said it is imperative that the IHSA have an official pitch-count administrator for the regular season and playoff games.

"This person will serve as the mediator when conflicts do arise and will have the final say as to what the pitch count is for both teams' pitchers," Wayland said. ''In my mind, this must be a part of this proposal during regular-season games as well if this proposal is to work.’’

In August, the IHSA baseball advisory committee made a series of recommendations to the board, which was scheduled to vote Oct. 12. To become a rule, the board has to pass the recommendation by a simple majority.

In attendance at the August meeting was Dr. Preston Wolin, director and founder of the Center for Athletic Medicine in Chicago, who helped draft some of the proposed rule changes along with area coaches.

"This meeting was not only extremely gratifying, but really historic for the players, parents, coaches and administrators,’’ Wolin said.

Wolin said Illinois has gone above and beyond any other state in the nation when it comes to pitch counts.

"The proposed rules also provide a weekly cap on the number of pitches thrown," Wolin said. "The reason this is important is that while many of the models used by other states protect the pitcher, there is a potential for overuse by throwing the pitcher on multiple consecutive days even at the allowable number of pitches."

If passed, the recommendations will become effective as of the 2017 season.

"I think these recommendations are going to make the game safer and more enjoyable,’’ Wolin said. "The cooperation of the baseball coaches in coming up with these limits was outstanding. Everyone in that room was committed to the safety of our young pitchers. That dedication is being translated into our pitch-count limits in the State of Illinois.’’

Another high school coach also does not have a problem with the recommendations. He just wishes the committee would go a little further.

"The biggest issue is not guys being abused during the high school season,’’ Glenbard North coach Rich Smelko said. "One of the biggest issues are guys being abused pitching on summer travel ball teams. Pitchers are going to one-day showcases where they have not thrown for a lengthy period of time."

For that reason, young pitchers may try too hard, Smelko said.

"They are throwing their hardest to light up the radar gun and pop some eyes of some college coaches and scouts," Smelko said. "You combine (that with) guys throwing in the summer, and that could lead to some potential for problems in the future.’’

Wayland, though, probably summed it up best.

"I think there will be a lot of folks with opinions to be considered," Wayland said. "Health professionals, coaches, IHSA staff and others will certainly all have their own points of view.  The IHSA BAC needs to absorb as much input as possible and create a plan that protects the athletes, is easily understood by coaches, can be monitored by their staff, and doesn't change the game too much."

Here is a schedule of the town hall meetings. http://ihsa.org/documents/forms/2016-17/16-17TMPRM%20Final.pdf.

Here is the pitch-count proposal: www.ihsa.org/documents/ba/2016-17/Pitch%20Count%20Proposal.pdf.