Illinois Valley Times

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) last month pushed back a vote on proposed baseball pitch-count limit recommendations.

The vote now will be Dec. 12 after the board holds a series of annual meetings, which 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. 

‘’I was surprised by the delay in the vote, but I would imagine someone within the committee has been detoured from the purpose of the rule to how it will affect the smaller programs’ win-loss records,’’ Streator High baseball coach Ray Phillis told the Illinois Valley Times.

‘’I don't believe public comment will be all that informative," Phillis said. "I don't know when these meetings are, but unless you promote the meeting time and location, the only attendees are the committee members and local coaches who may be able to attend.’’

Phillis said he always has used pitch-count limits for his players.

‘’Fatigue is dangerous, and when you don't recognize the danger, you become dangerous too,’’ Phillis said. ’’I believe pitch counts will affect small schools greater than larger programs. 1A/2A programs have one or two kids who log 75-85 percent of their team innings. This will force them to have more arms available or to create more capable arms, and indirectly, wins and losses will be affected.’’

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

Dr. Preston Wolin, director and founder of the Center for Athletic Medicine in Chicago,  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-count limits.

‘’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 rules and be applicable for 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.’’

At least one high school coach does not have a problem with the recommendations and 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.’’

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.