There is a sort of standard pre-game warm-up in youth baseball. I do not like it. I recommend you use a more sensible pre-game warm-up as follows.
RIF-1 balls only
In 1992, a majors player in my local Little League got hit in practice by a regular Little League hardball that one-hopped into his knee. It shattered his kneecap. In 1970, my oldest son’s varsity head football coach was at his first coaching-teaching job after college. That spring, a bull pen catcher threw a pitch back to his pitcher. But at that moment, the pitcher turned to look at something in the nearby game and the catcher’s throw struck him in the temple. It killed him.
If either of those players had been on a team coached by me, they would not have been injured at all. In a 1992 pre-game warm-up, I yelled, “Balls in!” Standing near our third-base dugout, I turned to look toward first base. Our left fielder one-hopped a ball into my knee. I was not injured. It did not even hurt. Why? Because I only allowed RIF-1 balls in practice, pre-game, and pre-inning warm-ups—even when I coached teenagers. Reduced-Injury-Factor balls are made by Worth Sports. The level 1 is often called a “tee ball.” It looks just like a baseball and has the same size and weight, but it’s softer. RIF-5 balls are medium soft. RIF-10 balls are almost indistinguishable from regular hard balls, but they are much safer.
Baseball games are dangerous. See my article on baseball safety for details. Baseball pre-game warm-up periods are even more dangerous than games because of the increased number of balls and activities and the increased number of people: players, coaches, umpires, parent groundskeepers, siblings, parents, and grandparents who may be in the line of fire.
Starting pitcher
There is no doubt that every pitch your starting pitcher throws before the game reduces by one the total number of pitches he can throw during the game. Therefore, you should hold the number of pre-game pitches to an absolute minimum in order to maximize the number of game pitches that pitcher can throw before he gets tired.
On the other hand, it is widely believed that pitchers need to throw numerous warm-up pitches before the game or they will not be at peak effectiveness when they throw their first game pitch. One rule of thumb is that the pitcher should throw in pre-game until he breaks a sweat. I do not know whether this is true. I am especially suspicious that, although it may apply to adult pitchers, and to a lesser extent to teenagepitchers, it does not apply to pre-teen pitchers. READ MORE
