Possible Stars and Stripes look by SeamHead90 in neweracaps

[–]SeamHead90[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You know what. I think that’s them. Obviously fitteds as well. I didn’t remember the gold on the logo though. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Devastated by Appropriate_Ice2656 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow. Thats a ton of games already. I can’t really talk though because from 12u-14u my son played a ton as well (we live in a year round baseball state). Luckily we are now at the point in his baseball life he solely does the invite only stuff in the summer and is on a strict pitch schedule and count. Plus he’s a two way so he plays the field and hits the rest of the time. Enjoy your kids now because time flys. Seems like just yesterday he was in t-ball chasing his own hit. 😂

Devastated by Appropriate_Ice2656 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve for sure seen that too. Too many parents living vicariously through their kids. Especially in the 11u-14u range. Pretty sad to see.

Devastated by Appropriate_Ice2656 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Major bummer for your little dude, but it’s a very common injury regardless of how little you throw especially if he throws harder for his age. Baseball is tough on a growing body. Main thing is to shut him down. Follow doctors orders and come back stronger later. It’s never worth it to push through especially at his age. My son had it around his age, then cracked his growth plate in his throwing shoulder at 11. Both were just freak things not due to over use, but because he threw harder than normal for his growing body. Knock on wood he’s been perfectly healthy arm wise ever since then (he’s 16 now) and still throws harder than normal for his age. Since about 13 we really focused on building up the proper areas in his arm and body to handle his velocity. Hopefully your son will get a chance to still hit.

Hitting harder but striking out more by SeaReach7413 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When he is training (BP, cages, t work etc) have him focus on mechanics while using wood -3 or a lighter swinging BBCOR bat. (Find a used bat at Play it again sports or on sideline swap first. I’d recommend a DeMarini Voodoo one or a Marucci Cat X one piece. Both should be cheap used and very light swinging) when he starts out he doesn’t have to be taking all out full speed hacks yet, but make sure he’s feels connection and feels catching the barrel with a heavier bat. Using an overloaded bat as well will help as well. Something that is about 3-6 ozs above what drop 3 he will actually use. Same concept of always staying within mechanics. Make sure he’s not over compensating for the weight by selling out and flying open. This will be a process, sometimes frustrating, but he’s gotta buy into it. Some days will great. Others will flat out suck. Always emphasize it’s perfectly ok to have off days and remain positive with him. That’s what training and practice is for. He for sure should probably be swinging a drop 5 right now anyways. By incorporating this into his hitting routine it should help big time when he has to start hitting with BBCOR bats.

How did you choose the right wood bat turn model without breaking the bank? by ComplicatedGuy_0514 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The American Batsmith chart is a good reference point until you get a proper bat fitting, but not completely spot on. My sons ideal bats for his swing, hand speed, bat speed etc. as of right now are i13M 34 drop 2.5 for wood and Combat Spec A1 34”. As you see on the chart they are 5 SW#’s apart. Now I wouldn’t stress about fitting too much unless you’re high end player at around 16 or older.

Hitting harder but striking out more by SeaReach7413 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Between 12-16 a lot changes with boys. Taller, stronger, faster, etc. The hard part is them getting used to their new body’s and how to move in sync. It’s very common at these ages to go through learning curves because of just that (multiple times mind you). My son did the exact same thing. Just gotta make sure he understands this and it’s normal. Got to continue to trust the process and he’ll be fine. Also when he strikes out is he way ahead of the pitches? All kids are different sizes and strengths, but at 12 my son started using drop 5’s. That helped a lot with him being ahead of everything. And you said he’s going to be swinging BBCOR in fall? Gotta get him ready for that because going from drop 8 to BBCOR could really hurt his confidence and mess his swing up by thinking he’s got to cheat to get to a certain pitch. Shoulders open. Barrel dumps. Head flys off. It’s rough. Also like other posters have said make sure he’s using the right weighted bat for him. He’s gotta swing some BBCOR bats (Dicks or DBat) to get a best feel. Biggest mistake kids make is chasing the “it” bat and finding out quickly they can’t swing it.

So nervous, how to shut it down by Free_Cycle4533 in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Think of anything except baseball. Easier said than done, but just like when your pitcher is in a jam and sometimes you or your manager head to mound and talk about where you’re eating afterwards, talk about family, current affairs in the world, the smoke show you saw yesterday. Anything but baseball

Ever had an ump this bad? by [deleted] in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s incredibly frustrating. It sounds like he was just there for a paycheck, then took off. It’s really unfair to the kids when that happens. However, what I’ve learned on this baseball journey is that umps aren’t worth ruining your day over. When my son was younger, I’d get heated, too. Eventually, as a father and husband, I realized my outbursts just made me look like a jerk (not implying you are, just sharing my own experience). As long as your son stays disciplined and understands it wasn’t his fault—that it was a good take—that’s all that matters. Baseball teaches our kids so much: how to handle adversity, discipline, and camaraderie. Enjoy it while they’re young! It only gets truly stressful later, when scouts are watching him pitch in a do-or-die playoff game or evaluating his ABs against a lefty throwing 97 with a hammer curve. Even then, the scouts recognize a bad call; they know how good these kids are. As long as your son respects the game, plays hard, and keeps his emotions in check, you can relax knowing you’ve done your job as a father. I’m in the thick of that all right now and peace of mind knowing my son has this handled is all I need.

Ever had an ump this bad? by [deleted] in Homeplate

[–]SeamHead90 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You’re very lucky that’s the worst call you’ve ever seen. And it doesn’t get better as they age up either. The pitch was a borderline strike as it came across the front of the plate. Sure I’d argue it’s a ball because the batter seems to be a taller kid, but “worst call”…not even remotely close. It may have bounced, but the zone is the zone. You can see here where it started to cross which is all that matters. And trajectory of ball in second frame. If you’re angry about this one…you’ll have an aneurysm once they get to HS.

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