Kinley Rasmus just put together one of the most memorable Little League World Series performances in history. She pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and tying a record set by Mo'ne Davis for the most strikeouts in a Little League World Series game by a female pitcher. To top it all off, she even made a brilliant defensive play at shortstop in the seventh inning to prevent a run from scoring.
But the fact that Rasmus was even at shortstop rather than on the mound has ruffled the feathers of many Little League World Series fans, and understandably so, particularly when Rasmus' team immediately gave up two runs in the following frame and lost the game. Why, in a scoreless game, was someone pitching so well pulled after six innings? Well, her manager isn't to blame -— she was pulled due to a pitch count rule after throwing 81 pitches (the limit is 85, which can only be exceeded if finishing an at-bat), one that is rightfully in place.
Little League World Series got it right with controversial pitch count rule
I know, it stinks to have a game be impacted by a pitch count rule. There's every reason to believe Alabama would've won this game had Rasmus been allowed to continue into the seventh inning. The rule is in place, however, to protect pitchers. That should be respected.
It's not like Rasmus is a 10-year veteran pitching professionally. She's a Little Leaguer who is still physically growing and developing. Why give coaches a chance to allow her to throw 100+ pitches, greatly increasing the risk of injury or overuse, just to win a Little League World Series game? Ultimately, if your team needs a pitcher to throw that many pitches just to win a game, the team might not be good enough as is.
Winning should be a priority, but player safety should always be the priority, particularly in Little League. Everyone wanted to see Rasmus potentially break Davis' strikeout record and possibly will Alabama to a win, but would that have been worthwhile had she suffered an elbow injury after blowing past the pitch limit? Of course not.
I can understand fans' frustration, but the Little League got it right in this case.
When can Kinley Rasmus pitch again in the Little League World Series?
Not only are Little League pitchers limited in the number of pitches they can throw in a given game, but they're also given mandated days of rest by reaching a certain pitch count. Because of that, it'll be a while before we see Rasmus pitch again in the Little League World Series.
Number of pitches | Days of rest required |
|---|---|
1-20 | 0 days |
21-35 | 1 day |
36-50 | 2 days |
51-65 | 3 days |
66+ | 4 days |
Since Rasmus threw 81 pitches in this game, she will be unable to pitch for the next four days. She can still play shortstop and hit, which will come in handy for her team, but she's required to have four days of rest from pitching, matching that of a traditional MLB starter.
Alabama's next game is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, at 7:00 p.m. ET. While there's reason to believe she can make an impact in that contest, her impact will not be felt on the mound, and again, for good reason.
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