Expert: Dennis Girardi - 7/6/2011

Question
Hi Dennis,
I'm Hector, This upcoming year, I'll be the starting Varsity pitcher for Clute Brazoswood. Clute won the class 5A Texas State Championship this year, and is a top recruiting school for surrounding colleges like The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Christian University. I'm our ace pitcher, and I usually pitch in games 4 times a week and pitch the whole game...that's ALOT! My arm starts to hurt, but i usually fight through the pain. In each game I average around 70-80 pitches and they average around 85-90 mph . I've talked to Augie Garrido at UT and he said if i was able to pitch that much and keep my arm healthy, then i would be a top pick for UT...(I'm going to be a junior) Is this healthy, and what are exercises i could do to make my arm strong enough to continue pitching this much? My college scholarship is counting on me being able to pitch this much...

Answer
Hey Hector,

You are throwing way too much.. I would never recommend throwing more than 120 pitches every 4 or 5 days. Throwing this often will most likely hurt your chances, rather than help. If a scout sees that you are throwing so much, he may be fearful of burn out.  If you are experiencing pain, back off.. Throwing through the pain may cause you trouble down the road.
Pain is your friend and warns you when something is wrong..
Pay attention to it..
Good Luck..
Dennis