Missouri baseball coaches have an issue to tackle in the offseason — a possible pitch count mandate.
The national governing body of high school sports wants its member states to impose restrictions on pitchers in an effort to protect their arms from overuse and injury. The National Federation of State High School Associations Board of Directors voted on a rule to require each member state association to develop a pitching restriction policy “based on the number of pitches thrown during a game to afford pitchers a required rest period between pitching appearances.”
But why now?
“We shouldn’t ask a 16-year-old to do something that a major league team wouldn’t ask Clayton Kershaw to do,” said Scott McGee, Willard High School's baseball coach, referring to current state pitching guidelines.