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6'4 175 pounds, 86 mph fastball...


Palehosefan

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Did I mention the kid is 13 years old? This is from BA's Baseball for the Ages. Just thought it was worth noting on this board.

 

 

AGE: 13

 

ZAK SINCLAIR, rhp/ss, Pittsburgh

 

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Sinclair did it all for Pennsylvania's Beaver Valley Red, the nation's top-ranked 13-year-old team. He pitched, he played shortstop, he hit cleanup and he was his team's fastest runner. At the premier event for 13-year-olds, the USSSA Elite World Series, he earned MVP honors as the Red went unbeaten.

 

Sinclair showcased an 86 mph fastball and 72-74 mph slider, and worked only his team's most important games as the Red amassed a 61-3 record. He went 13-0 with a sub-1.00 ERA and also had four saves while striking out 178 in 82 innings. He threw five no-hitters and handily beat the East Cobb (Ga.) Astros, the national AAU champions and the nation's No.-2 ranked team, 9-1 in April, striking out the first six batters he faced. Sinclair also played a big role with the bat, hitting .608 with 28 home runs.

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Its not as dangerous and risky nowadays. If you teach it right and the kid has had a pretty big growthspurt already, he'll be fine. I started throwing one at the age of 10 after a little growthspurt. Im 16 now and I'm going to be playing some Varsity this year because it's a good curveball. I have never had any shoulder pains at all. Just work out right and when your arm hurts, you need to run to get the lactic acid out of your arm.

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Its not as dangerous and risky nowadays. If you teach it right and the kid has  had a pretty big growthspurt already, he'll be fine. I started throwing one at the age of 10 after a little growthspurt. Im 16 now and I'm going to be playing some Varsity this year because it's a good curveball. I have never had any shoulder pains at all. Just work out right and when your arm hurts, you need to run to get the lactic acid out of your arm.

You shouldn't of started that soon. Thats at least my philosphy. For me, my dad taught me to throw a FB, Change and I developed a knuckler (although I can't throw it for s*** anymore). The key when your young is just getting good command and mechanics, add the curve/slider at a later date.

 

It puts way too much stress on your arm, especially since your body isn't near fully developed.

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If i ever catch a coach teaching my 10 yr old a curveball, i'm going to shove a bat up his ass

That is exactly what my dad did. He complained to my Little League coach when I was 11 for trying to teach us how to throw curveballs.

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If i ever catch a coach teaching my 10 yr old a curveball, i'm going to shove a bat up his ass

If taught properly, a curve isn't half as bad as even the best-taught slider.

 

Whoever taught that kid a slider should be shot.

 

Fastballs and change-ups are all I'd allow anyone to throw until they are 16 or physically and mentally mature enough to handle it.

 

Curve or a knuckle curve...

 

Slider should not be taught until you're earning a paycheck, IMO.

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If taught properly, a curve isn't half as bad as even the best-taught slider.

 

Whoever taught that kid a slider should be shot.

 

Fastballs and change-ups are all I'd allow anyone to throw until they are 16 or physically and mentally mature enough to handle it.

 

Curve or a knuckle curve...

 

Slider should not be taught until you're earning a paycheck, IMO.

I agree....... I did start throwing curveballs at 13 and was always able to throw it well without any problems. I also agree that if you teach a kid to throw a curveball correctly, it won't hurt them. But not many youth coaches know how to teach them correctly and most kids would experiment on their own and not throw it exactly as they were taught.

 

I used to coach in a competitive LL (11-12 yr olds) and breaking balls were not allowed. The rules allowed for a fastball, changeup or knuckleball (very few kids even tried) and that is it. If an umpire saw anything with overspin that a curve or a slider would have, it was immediately called a ball and the pitcher warned. repeat violations would cause the pitcher to be removed from the game..... that is if he had an ass left from the coach chewing on it because he threw a curveball in the first place.

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If taught properly, a curve isn't half as bad as even the best-taught slider.

 

Whoever taught that kid a slider should be shot.

 

Fastballs and change-ups are all I'd allow anyone to throw until they are 16 or physically and mentally mature enough to handle it.

 

Curve or a knuckle curve...

 

Slider should not be taught until you're earning a paycheck, IMO.

I agree. I remember reading an Article with Orel Hershiser about the same thing. The torque put on the arm is inmense. At 16 and throwing 86 he sould be blowing away those hitters. Whenever i have my Kid Fastball Change and when he's fully developed a curveball. Or hell don't even put him on the mound

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Its not as dangerous and risky nowadays. If you teach it right and the kid has  had a pretty big growthspurt already, he'll be fine. I started throwing one at the age of 10 after a little growthspurt. Im 16 now and I'm going to be playing some Varsity this year because it's a good curveball. I have never had any shoulder pains at all. Just work out right and when your arm hurts, you need to run to get the lactic acid out of your arm.

Tell me what your rotator cuff feels like when you are 26. And then tell me it's not that dangerous "anymore". Have rotator cuffs changed since the 1970s?

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No kid under the age of 16 should be throwing any pitch that causes him to put spin on the ball by twisting the arm. You can cause movement by applying more pressure with one finger than the other without snapping the ball off. Circle changes, palmballs, split fingered pitches and knucklers are ok.

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No kid under the age of 16 should be throwing any pitch that causes him to put spin on the ball by twisting the arm.  You can cause movement by applying more pressure with one finger than the other without snapping the ball off.  Circle changes, palmballs, split fingered pitches and knucklers are ok.

You can add a proper overhand curveball. The key is where the thumb on the throwing hand ends up. If it ends up pointing away from the body, a kid shouldn't be throwing it.

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You can add a proper overhand curveball.  The key is where the thumb on the throwing hand ends up.  If it ends up pointing away from the body, a kid shouldn't be throwing it.

Might as well get the TJ surgery out of the way while your young.

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You can add a proper overhand curveball.  The key is where the thumb on the throwing hand ends up.  If it ends up pointing away from the body, a kid shouldn't be throwing it.

How can you throw a curveball where the thumb is pointing to the pitcher's body in the follow through?

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Sorry for the late response. Yup, it is actaully. How do/did you know him?

My sister hangs out with him. They are close friends. He is actually coming up to Michigan to come to our house with some other friends of my sisters tomorrow. He is a cool kid.

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How can you throw a curveball where the thumb is pointing to the pitcher's body in the follow through?

I'm wondering the same thing. With me I'd always snap your wrist/hand over. The only difference I ever found in a curveball is to make sure you get your body into it. I always had a tendency of staying on top of the curve in a sense and not using my lower body and everything to take my arm over naturally. It led to too many hangers, but thats just cause I had crappy curve mechanics.

 

Plus your finger always starts away from your body, if you somehow could get it facing ya, its still the same effect as if you had it away. Hell, maybe its different for righties though, I dunno, lol.

 

And anyone trying to pitch, don't make much sense of what I'm saying on a curveball cause I never really had a good one...in fact I only had a bad one, haha.

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How can you throw a curveball where the thumb is pointing to the pitcher's body in the follow through?

Maybe I am thinking of the wrong pitch then :huh: Our trainer in HS was at Evansville before he was with us, and he was talked about retraining Andy Benes on his curveball to finish with his thumb pointed it, after having had arm surgery in college. Or at least I thought it was a curveball...Maybe my mind has gone fuzzy after 12 years.

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