But even so, officials with USA Baseball says there's been an explosion of pitching injuries among young players.
Tom Glavine a world series MVP and one of the best lefthanders ever, believes young pitchers are throwing too many pitches - and the wrong type.
Glavine says the curve ball and other breaking pitches put too much stress on young elbows.
He and other pitching experts says kids should play less, to play longer.
Glavine says, "I think at this young age, teach them how to throw a fast ball for strikes, then teach them the change up and just teach them how to pitch. Don't worry so much about the curve ball. There's plenty of time for that."
Sports specialists say serious arm & shoulder injuries at the age of 20 can often be traced back to overuse at age 12 or 13.