Saving your #1 pitcher in elimination games

[luckyone]

What is your take on saving your number one pitcher in elimination games?

[artomatic]

It depends on your team's make-up. If you have a couple good pitchers, it helps to be able to have a rotation.
I've seen teams saving their #1, and overlook their opponent.
The #1 ends up being fresh as a daisy at the end of the tournament because the team didn't get to the game they were saving her for.
If you only have one strong pitcher, you start her, and make adjustments if the game allows.
You just can't overlook an opponent in elimination games.

or

it's fall, and you're figuring out your team. So you try different things, like different pitchers in games to see what they are made of.

[Clean_up]

This is why teams need at least two #1 calibur pitchers and a third as good or almost as good as the other two, IMO...

[Iron Ballls]

I agree with Spaz, we just had this happen to us at the T4T's tournament. Probably would not of mattered as we got beat pretty good but we did have our so called # 1 sitting on the shelf.

[Sftbll4ever]

Been there done that in tournaments, we never made it to the Championship game. Last year, coach did a different approach, started the number one in all the elimination games, once we had a good enough lead, number two came in. Won at least one that way. (Sorry Spaz!!).

[luckyone]

A's Toys for tots I heard Sudden Impact use the same pitcher for 4 plus games and FC use the same pitcher for all 4 games WOW. These two teams played the 14U Championship game.

[NumeroUno]

wait until "thetruth" hears about that

hey truth, what do you think about that using the same stud pitcher all day

[artomatic]

ugh...before you all bbq me for using our kid for all 4 games, just know we don't do that all the time, and she isnt going to pick up a ball for the next 3 weeks.
I agree, having 2-4 pitchers is a must.
our other #1 is just getting back from a broken hand, and is still a couple weeks away, and another of my pitchers got tagged in the head pretty hard sunday and had to go get checked out because bright lights were bothering her. She is fine by the way.
We had another kid warming up a couple times, but time ran out.

[NumeroUno]

ugh...before you all bbq me for using our kid for all 4 games, just know we don't do that all the time, and she isnt going to pick up a ball for the next 3 weeks.
I agree, having 2-4 pitchers is a must.
our other #1 is just getting back from a broken hand, and is still a couple weeks away, and another of my pitchers got tagged in the head pretty hard sunday and had to go get checked out because bright lights were bothering her. She is fine by the way.
We had another kid warming up a couple times, but time ran out.

They flushed you out like six labs on a quail, come on Arto you should have held your cover.

[DonnieS]

The perfect world answer is to have at least 2 #1 pitchers, that is both pitchers you have no qualms about putting in against any team you might face. Not being a perfect world, and also in the case of injuries or whatver, we do what we call the sunday routine. The situation is , you are playing a d/e tournament, you have lost a game, you are in the 'go-home' bracket. What we have done is go with the 1 pitcher in a game until we have a protectable lead, then pull her and put in one of the back up pitchers. Another thought, all things being equal, facing a team with weak pitching, you may want to select visitors on the coin flip, go out and see about putting some quick runs on the board, and then sit the 1 pitcher if you are successful getting some runs.