I found this old article about how the Padres handle their young pitchers. I wonder if the Astros have something similar in place. The Padres have one of the better minor league systems right now so it will be interesting to see how their young pitchers turn out. http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/neyer_rob/1406872.html Last week I talked to Bill Bryk, the Padres' minor-league field coordinator, and he outlined the organization's program for young pitchers. From what I understand, the program -- developed by Ted Simmons (currently San Diego's vice president of scouting and player development) when he worked for the Pirates -- boils down to the following: Pitch Limits: According to Bryk, there's a sliding scale on pitch limits, based on the level -- short-season Class A, full-season Class A, Double- and Triple-A -- and the point of the season. These limits are not particularly restrictive; the Padres' Triple-A starters are, at this late date in the season, allowed to throw between 115 and 125 pitches, which is anything but radical. Dry Hump Rule: Hey, I didn't name it; I'm just writing about it. The Dry Hump Rule is designed to prevent relievers from getting tired out while warming up in the bullpen. If a pitcher warms up three times in one game, he has to pitch in that game or rest for the next two games. Relief Roles: There are generally only six pitchers in the bullpen, each reliever has a specified role, and relievers are not often removed simply in order to get a righty-righty or lefty-lefty matchup. These are all in place to ensure that pitchers don't get over- or under-worked, and also that pitchers learn to retire all sorts of hitters. And the specified roles can, of course, change during the season. Three-Run Trap: This one really got Klesko's and Nevin's blood boiling. As Tom Krasovic wrote in the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Nevin termed some of the policies ridiculous, specifically a 'three-run trap' guideline that often requires a starting pitcher to be lifted after the fifth inning if his team is ahead by three runs and the tying run comes to the plate."
