MLB Forum

Yeah but,

Posted By: StevieY
Date: 21 Aug 01, 4:24 pm

In Response To: Ryan (Jimbo)

he became much better when he learned to use his curveball. Having something is one thing, knowing how to se it is another. In any single game, his fastball could be enough, but for a long period of time, hitters will eventually catch up. If you throw everything the same speed and change your arm slot, it will work for a little while, then hitters will catch up. Also, different arm slots don't have much effect on opposite handed hitters. If you see a RH who pitches well vs lefties throwing sidearm, he is doing so because his stuff is so good, not because of the arm slot.

There are many variables that make up how tough/easy a pitcher is to hit. I always had better success against guys who brought the ball over their head in the windup. I don't know why, the majority of hitters wold rather hit against a guy who didn't do that. Some pitchers throw a heavy ball, some throw a light ball. You pretty much have to hit it on the screws to get it out vs guys who throw a heavy ball. How do you throw a heavy ball? You are either born with it or not. How can you tell? Play catch with someone can tell you if they are one or the other(or neutral which the majority of people are). There are guys who throw 86-87 and when it hits your glove it feels like 93-94, it hits with a thud, they throw a heavy ball. There are guys who throw 93-94, it may look 93-94, but it feels like 86-87. If you take 2 pitchers who are exactly alike but one throws a heavy ball and one throws a light ball, the guy with the heavy ball will give up less home runs and extra base hits. Some pitchers are sneaky fast, 87 looks like 93. Some guys look slower, 93 looks like 87, they are easier to catch up to than the 87 guy. Sneaky fast is like a heavy ball, a gift, looking slower can be a "burden" you can't overcome but it can also be a self imposed burden. Pitchers who have fast motions look like they are throwing slower than they really are. An abnormal delivery(Tiant) helps the pitcher. An abnormal slot(Johnson) also helps. Some pitchers are just very hard to pick-up. There are other variables that come into play as well, but these are most(if not all) the major ones. Pitchers can also do things to tip off the hitter. Show me a pitcher who has their finger sticking out of their glove, and I will show you a pitcher who will tip their pitches all the time(if they put the ball in their glove at anytime. Someone like Maddux who is always moving the ball around in his hand, and never puts the ball in his glove, he just hides it, is giving nothing away). Finger wiggle, breaking ball, very small wiggle or no wiggle, fastball. Pitchers that don't put their wrist in their glove will tip off breaking balls, some guys show their grip on the way up to their glove, some guys search for their grip when throwing certain pitches, others may drop their arm slot throwing sliders, they may pitch in patterns, give one look to the runner on 2nd and go, everyone is different, but all things being equal(meaning you don't just have a flat nasty slow curveball, 95-98mph fastball where a changeup will do little good, or something else that can change the plane or hitters eye), your breaking ball should be 7-10 mph slower than your fastball, changeup 10-15mph. You don't want the difference to be so slow that the hitter has time to re-cock, but slow enough to get them on their front foot. It's all about timing and changing the hitters plane. Whatever deficiency you have in one you better make up in the other. If you do very little of both, you have no chance to be a quality pitcher.

Messages In This Thread

How about that Dustin Hermanson? :-) (nt) -- Colin Caster -- 21 Jul 01, 10:24 pm

Grrrr (nt) -- Harv -- 1 Aug 01, 3:47 pm

We tried to warn you. :) (nt) -- StevieY -- 1 Aug 01, 5:33 pm

Predicting pitcher performance -- Colin Caster -- 1 Aug 01, 11:54 pm

From what I have seen... -- StevieY -- 2 Aug 01, 6:03 am

StevieY is right -- Harv -- 2 Aug 01, 4:10 pm

Agree that July has made the difference -- Colin Caster -- 3 Aug 01, 12:06 am

Hermanson -- StevieY -- 3 Aug 01, 11:23 am

I mean Sunday (nt) -- StevieY -- 3 Aug 01, 11:28 am

Hermanson on Sunday -- Colin Caster -- 6 Aug 01, 2:16 pm

Hermanson -- StevieY -- 6 Aug 01, 2:35 pm

LOL -- Colin Caster -- 6 Aug 01, 3:54 pm

Stevie, you mentioned.. -- Roz -- 6 Aug 01, 2:45 pm

Answer -- StevieY -- 6 Aug 01, 2:57 pm

Strike three==Yurrr Out! -- Jimbo -- 20 Aug 01, 9:02 pm

Difference -- StevieY -- 21 Aug 01, 2:11 pm

Ryan -- Jimbo -- 21 Aug 01, 3:44 pm

Yeah but, -- StevieY -- 21 Aug 01, 4:24 pm

Again -- Jimbo -- 22 Aug 01, 1:55 am

Sinker/slider pitchers -- StevieY -- 22 Aug 01, 2:33 pm

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