Pitching
The game starts and ends with Pitching. To be a properly prepared
pitcher you have to study and understand hitting. You don’t need to be a
great hitter, but you do need to be able to think like a hitter and know
enough about the mechanics of hitting to exploit the flaws you see in a
swing. You also need to understand the game well enough to anticipate
what the hitter is likely trying to do in a particular situation, and pitch
him accordingly. Pitching effectively is as much mental as it is physical
so do all you can to be prepared in both areas…having one without the
other makes you an incomplete pitcher. Learning to allow hitters to
make contact and avoid throwing every pitch as hard as you can is also
an important part of pitching. Velocity is not everything! How often do
you see young major league pitchers who throw the ball 95+ MPH yet
can’t get anyone out?…It happens all the time…obviously there is
something those pitchers are lacking, and it is certainly not arm strength.
It is probably one of these three things:
1. They do not have command within the strike zone, meaning they can
throw strikes, but not quality strikes down in the zone and on the
corners.
2. They do not yet have a reliable off-speed pitch and are forced to keep
throwing their fast ball which good hitters will hit.
3. Their ball lacks any natural movement and is too straight. Again, it
does not matter how hard you throw…if you can’t hit your spots and
mix in off speed pitches you are eventually in big trouble.
 
Let’s review a standard batting order and the role each position
fills. Not every team will follow this formula, but these are the
characteristics that each spot in a line-up typically include. It is
important you consider the traits of the hitters when on the mound: (it is
equally important for your catcher to know this stuff as well…but that is
for another chapter)
  
THE LINE-UP
 
1.    Great speed, good eye, will try and make you throw several pitches,
can bunt. May not be among their best hitters for average or power,
but has the ability to get on base and make things happen. Often
frustrating to pitch to. You don’t want this guy on base.
 
2.    Often a left handed hitter to take advantage of the hole created on the
right side of the infield caused by the first baseman holding the
leadoff runner on. He is a good bunter ~ hit and run type player who
handles the bat very well and can hit to all fields. Will do whatever he
has to do to move the runner over, Tough to K. This is a good hitter
who will frustrate the heck out of you.
 
3.    Best hitter on the team. Hits to all fields, has some pop…tough out,
can hit all pitches hard, runs well…great athlete. Toughest out in the
line-up.
  
4.    Most power on the team, very good hitter but will K more than the 3
hitter. He can be pitched to, but can also hit the ball out of the park as
well. A good mistake hitter, so be careful here.
 
5.    Similar to 4, but may be a step below in both power and batting
average, but take this player seriously. Usually 2 thru 5 are the best
hitters on the team and will cause you the most trouble.
  
6.    Usually another good speed guy. His role is to re-start the inning after
4 and 5 have cleared the bases. A solid hitter.
 
7. The line-up will not have 9 great hitters, so the weakest bats usually
fall down here. Go right after this slot with your fastball. No walks to
hitters in this part of the line-up.
8. Similar to 7, go right after this hitter, this should be an easier part of
the line-up for you. At the end of the game you want to see that 6, 7 and
8 have gone like 1-12 against you.
 
9. Often times this slot is used as a double lead-off position. Meaning;
this guy will have similar characteristics to the #1 hitter and be a tough
out. If a team is not deep they may put their weakest bat in the 9 hole,
but don’t take that for granted. Work hard here.
 
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT (in no order)
 
When you are on the mound the game centers on you. Every eye in the
park is on you, watching every move you make. Showing poise and
determination will not only instill confidence from your team it will
intimidate your opponent. Temper tantrums and immature behavior will
have the opposite impact. Complaining about balls and strikes will also
get you nowhere and make you look immature! You are the captain of
the ship and should act accordingly. You have more impact on the
outcome of a game than anybody on the field, so you need to be the
most prepared player out there. Think of yourself as the quarterback or
point guard and take charge of the game.
 
Warm up properly! Don’t start throwing too early; your bullpen
session should end about 10 minutes before your first pitch. Take the
mound with a good sweat going, with all of your muscles stretched and
warm…not just your arm. You should know exactly how long it takes
you to get properly warmed up (it is not the same for every pitcher) and
start your pre-game routine accordingly. That pre-game routine should
include stretching, jogging and several sprints. You should play catch
and turn that into a long toss session before getting on the bullpen
mound. You must strike a balance between throwing too many pitches in
the bullpen and not throwing enough, but you have to work all of your
pitches both from the wind up and from the stretch. Throw to a catcher
who is in full gear so you are not tentative about working on your entire
pitch selection. If a catcher is not available and you are throwing to a
position player with his regular glove and no mask…you are not likely
to get much out of that session!! Proper preparation before you take the
mound should take at least 20-25 minutes…anything less than that and
you are skipping steps and are not properly prepared to pitch. How often
have you heard a pitcher say “I am a slow starter but once I get thru the
first inning I am in good shape”…this is likely a pitcher who is not
working hard enough in the bullpen and comes out cold.
 
Do not overthrow! You should not be throwing your pitches at 100%
velocity. Overthrowing will not only put too much strain on your arm, it
will likely diminish your control and reduce your ability to go deep into
the game. Throw your “standard” fastball at 90-92 percent and hit your
spots. This also allows you to reach back for that little extra hop when
you need it most. The ball will also run more and have more life when
not over thrown.
 
Be 100% committed to the pitch you are about to throw. Nothing will
get a pitch turned around on you quicker than throwing it half-heartedly.
Believe in your stuff and focus 100% on what you are about to throw. If
you disagree with the catcher, call him out and get on the same page. If
your coach is calling pitches, then trust in his ability to set up hitters and
get behind what is called. You can’t be in the middle of your motion
with doubt in your mind about what you are about to throw, you will get
lit up!
 
Understanding what a hitter is trying to do in a particular at bat should
determine how you pitch to him. For example: if there is a runner on 2nd base
and no outs, the batter should be trying to hit the ball to the right side to
advance the runner to third. You should be doing everything you can to prevent
that. So pitch accordingly~ if the hitter is right handed, pound him inside trying
to get him to pull a ground ball to the left side thus holding the runner at 2nd. If
there is a runner at 3rd and less than two outs, the hitter is hoping to elevate the
ball to an outfielder for a sac fly…pitch him down looking for the K or a
ground ball to an infielder! THINKING LIKE A HITTER WILL MAKE YOU
A BETTER PITCHER!
 
Be able to self correct your mechanical problems. By the time you reach
high school level baseball you should be getting to the point where you
understand your mechanics well enough to make simple adjustments on the fly.
For example: If the majority of your pitches are sailing high or are ending up
low, adjust your stride or adjust your follow thru. If you are bouncing your
curveball, adjust your release point etc. The ability to make minor adjustments
during a game is often the difference between getting pulled early or battling
into the later innings. Try to avoid the “Oh well, I just did not have it today”
mentality. Find a way to battle and compete even when you do not have your
best stuff. You may not get the ball again for a week…so make each start
count!
 
In possible bunt situations you should make a few pickoff throws to the base
to see if you can get the batter to tip his hand and square around. This will let
the defense know if a bunt is likely and allow you to set defensive plays. (Smart
hitters will know what you are doing and when you throw to a base they will
quickly square even though they are not bunting. This is an excellent decoy)
 
GET AN OUT ON A BUNT!!!! The other team is giving you an out…take it!
Too often a basic sac bunt turns into a sloppy defensive play with everyone safe
and a big inning is now underway! Don’t be a hero on this play…unless the ball
is bunted hard right back to you and you have the lead runner easily, take the
out a first. If you think the suicide squeeze might be on, conference with your
catcher and make sure you are on the same page in terms of what you plan on
doing if the runner breaks for home. Throwing the pitch way up and in to a
right handed hitter is the standard defense on this play. It is unusual for a lefty
batter to be hitting when they run the suicide squeeze as the catcher has a clear
view of the runner and makes it a tougher play to pull off. (the most common
suicide squeeze play is with a left handed pitcher, because his back is to 3rd
base, and a right handed hitter.)
 
With runners on base be aware of the need to get the ball to home plate
quickly. Use a slide step, vary your looks, and occasionally hold the ball until
the batter tightens up and calls time out. All these things will hurt both the base
runners and hitter’s rhythm. You need to give your catcher a chance to throw
the runner out. Most bases are stolen off the pitcher, not the catcher, so
anything you can do to speed up and give your catcher an additional fraction of
a second or two, is very helpful. Don’t be so preoccupied with the runner,
however, that you don’t make quality pitches. We know that a speedy runner
can steel 2nd base in 3.6-3.8 seconds. We also know that a solid high school
catcher can get the ball to 2nd base in 2.20 seconds or so (that time is measured
from the moment the pitch hits the catchers mitt to the moment his throw hits
the short stops glove…big league catchers are 1.80-1.9). That means to have
any chance at all you have to get the ball in the catcher’s glove in less than 1.5
seconds…(that time is measured from your first movement to the moment your
pitch hits the catchers mitt). If it takes you longer than 1.5 seconds to get the
ball to the plate, unless the runner is very slow or got a bad jump, you have
very little chance of throwing him out. Be aware of your times and work to
improve them.
 
Know what every hitter has done in previous at bats or in previous games if
you have played them before. Hitters have tendencies which they repeat over
and over…be a student of the hitters and use that info to help get outs. If you
are a relief pitcher you should be studying the hitters all game so when your
time comes you have a clue about their line-up. Examples: If a hitter lunges at
pitches and is always out on his front foot he is going to have a very hard time
with off speed pitches but will likely swing at most anything.~ don’t grove him
a fastball, it is about the only pitch he can hit. If a hitter has been swinging at
every pitch you throw, don’t throw a strike, let him get himself out by chasing
bad pitches. If a hitter is way behind your fastball, don’t match his bat speed
with an off speed pitch, stick with your fastball. THINK OUT THERE!!!!
 
Pitch inside! Since you were 8 and first started pitching you have been told to
throw every pitch low and outside. It is bad advice. That mentality is teaching
you to try and avoid having the hitter make contact with the ball. The result is
lots of walks and lots of strikeouts and very high pitch counts. It can take as
few as 3 pitches to get 3 outs, it takes a minimum of 9 pitches to K three
hitters…do the math! The good news for pitchers is that this “low outside”
mentality has created hitters who lunge out over the plate and look for
everything to be away. They are not used to being pounded inside and are not
comfortable at all with the inside pitch. If you can find the inside corner
consistently, you will see hitters taking very ugly swings and hitting weak
ground balls and lazy pop ups. The other thing it does is open up the outside
part of the plate for you. It is important to your continued success that you are
able to work both sides of the plate! If you hit him you hit him…it is part of the
game!
 
Avoid pitching patterns. Do not start 9 straight guys with a fastball or throw a
curveball every time you have 2 strikes on the hitter. Mix it up and keep hitters
off balance. You will often hear baseball people talk about “strike one” being
the best pitch in baseball…and it certainly is, but it does not mean that every
first pitch is a fastball down the middle. You must have command of all your
pitches and be able to throw them in all counts to keep hitters guessing.
Another pitching term you should know is “PITCHING BACKWARDS”…this
simply means to throw what is not expected in certain counts…throw off speed
pitches in fastball counts and visa versa. A 2-0 curveball or change up is an
example of this. Be aware of what is working and what is not on a given day.
Pitch smart.
 
Don’t feel you have to always throw from the same exact spot on the mound. If
you are having trouble moving the ball in or out, shift you’re starting point on
the rubber. That 5 or 6 inch shift to one side or the other should help you hit
your spots. It will also help a lefty throw to a lefty or righty throw to a righty.
Shift all the way to one side of the rubber, it will sharpen the angle of your
pitch and make the hitter uncomfortable. Give it a try.
 
You have got to learn how to throw a quality change up. Practice it!! Throw it
when you are playing catch, play with different grips and use it in a game. This
is another one of those things you have been told since you were a kid, “throw
as hard as you can and they won’t hit you” so there is a built in reluctance to
throwing a pitch that is not at 100 percent velocity. No pitch will get you out of
a tough spot quicker than a well thrown change up, it may very well be the
toughest pitch in baseball to hit. Work on it! Also work on varying your speed
with all of your pitches. Throwing the same pitch at different speeds is the same
thing as having multiple pitches…A 90% fastball, a 100% fastball, a hard
curveball, a slow curveball and a change up…that is not 3 pitches it is 5 pitches
and that is pitching smart!!
 
Don’t get beat with your 2nd best pitch. If you are in a tough spot and need a
big out go with your best pitch. You will kick yourself all night if you try and
get cute with your 2nd or 3rd pitch and it gets lit up. Have confidence in your
stuff and go after the hitters! If you get beat you get beat, but do it with your
best pitch! Same goes when you have a hitter over matched. If you have thrown
2 fastballs and the hitter is not even close, why mess around with a curve ball
and risk matching his bat speed???
 
Be smart 0-2 Does not mean to bounce a pitch 5ft in front of the plate or sail
one over the catchers head. 0-2 should be a pitch that looks very good out of
your hand but ends up 6 inches or so off the plate or down…NOT 6 INCHES
UP!!!! In an 0-2 situation make a pitch that has a chance of being chased for an
out. Remember, the hitter is going to expand the strike zone here to try and stay
alive, so pitches off the plate will often get you outs in this, but the have be in
the vicinity of the plate. A fastball down the middle or a hanging curveball in
an 0-2 count is a mistake.
 
Field your position. The moment the ball leaves your hand you become an
infielder…react accordingly. Be ready to field the ball and know what you are
going to do if it is hit to you. Know where the base runners are so you know
where to back up in case of a hit. Be aware you will fall off to one side of the
mound or the other (depending on lefty or righty) and that will impact bunt
coverage’s. Head towards first base to cover the bag on every ball hit to the
right side. Even a ball at the 2nd baseman should find you starting your sprint
towards first base. Cover home plate on a ball that gets away from your catcher.
On almost every play there is somewhere you are supposed to be and it is not
standing on the rubber…get off the mound and be where you can be of some
help! Work on your throws to each base. Work with your SS and 2B and
practice the double play throw to 2nd base…a tough throw. Work on pick offs to
all bases. Practice your pitch outs, work on fielding bunts from every
conceivable place around the mound and make the throws to every base.
 
Throw strikes. Nothing will cause lapses in defensive play quicker than you
lulling your team to sleep with 42 pitch, 3walk type innings. Throw strike one,
stay ahead and get into “pitchers counts” as often as you can (pitchers counts:
0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 2-2) the statistics shift dramatically in your favor if you are
pitching ahead. Work quickly. Get into a rhythm and keep it going…get the
ball, get on the mound and pitch! How many times have you seen one of those
long, sloppy innings and you finally get the groundball or pop up and someone
boots it? It happens all the time because you have taken the life out of your
team by throwing so many balls and walking hitters. Throw strikes and your
teams fielding percentage will climb dramatically.
 
Pitch down hill. The standard pitchers mound is 10 inches higher in elevation
than home plate. This is designed to give the pitcher a little advantage, allowing
him to throw “down hill”. Take advantage of this…don’t crouch over or bend
too soon. (unless you are a side arm pitcher) Use this elevation to your
advantage.
 
In practice or in a scrimmage, try getting hitters to hit the ball to the fielder
you want them to hit it to. Say to yourself, “I want this guy to hit a ground ball
to my 2nd baseman.” and then pitch him accordingly. If you develop good
enough command of your pitches and can hit your spots, you will be surprised
how often you can do this. Once you gain confidence with this in practice
throwing B.P., you should try it in a game. Pitchers like Glavine and Maddux
have mad a living by being able to do this to big league hitters and are both
pitching into their 40’s because of the low pitch counts they have enjoyed by
letting hitters get themselves out. This mentality will also keep your pitch count
way down. Don’t be afraid of contact!
 
Be sure and ice your arm after you throw. This is very important. Do not
assume that your coach will have ice with him, so please be prepared and have
some ice on hand when you pitch. Use common sense when it comes to how
often you are throwing. I would much rather see you extended on your game
day to 110-115 pitches and then not pitch for a full 6 or 7 days, than to see you
pitch 3 innings on Monday, 4 on Wednesday and then close the game on Friday
with 2 more innings. Having to get your arm loose three different times in a
week is much harder on you than one long outing. That frequent up and down
getting ready is not allowing for the proper arm recovery. Even if the 9 innings
of relief resulted in fewer pitches thrown than the 7 inning start, it is still much
harder on your arm. Be honest with your coaching staff about how your arm is
feeling, don’t be a hero at the risk of an arm injury.
 
Practice, Practice, Practice…You often hear of a basketball player who
shoots 200 free throws after every practice or a golfer who hits 500 balls a day
to work on his swing. Our sport is a bit tougher to create those muscle memory
type drills you can practice by yourself, but there are things you can do solo to
get better. You should spend time in front of a full length mirror working on
your mechanics, your balance. Work on your pick off move and practice being
more deceptive. By doing this in front of a mirror you can see what the base-
runner sees and improve your move. Practice your arm motion for all your
pitches and make sure that the arm angle and arm speed are the same for each.
Also, try and get to the field with a buddy and hit each other ground balls, pitch
to each other, work on your skills. This game takes work and if your league
does not provide enough practice time you will need to make your own! If
being a top flight player and playing in college is the dream then you need to do
whatever you can to do to get Better!
 
Finally…Study big league pitchers. Watch their pitching patterns and pitch
selection, their control, their tempo. Look at their mechanics, their grips, and
the role their legs play in their delivery. Also, listen to the commentary, most
announcers are former big league players and have excellent insight…listen and
learn. Also, if you watch baseball on ESPN pay attention to the information
above the score at the top of the screen. It shows you the hitter’s yearly batting
average for every count. Example: If the pitcher falls behind 1-0 the batters
average jumps way up there, usually into the 400 range. When the pitcher goes
ahead 0-1, the hitter’s number drops like a stone…and so on and so on
throughout the at bat, as the count changes you will see that statistics change. It
clearly demonstrates, very dramatically, the advantages of pitching ahead in the
count and the danger of falling behind…it is great information!