27 OUTS

What is your goal as a Pitcher? Everyone wants to throw a baseball fast. Sure the harder you throw a baseball the less time the hitter has to react. However I come back to my initial question what is your goal? Is it to throw the baseball as hard as you possibly can, if it is then you need to change your way of thinking. Now lets talk basics. You can break down any aspect of pitching but no matter what it comes down to getting outs. THAT'S OUR GOAL!

Upsetting a hitters timing is the key to getting outs. There are only three ways to change a hitters timing, speed, location and deception.  Don't think fast when I say speed. Ask any great hitter and they will tell you they would rather face a guy who throws 90 mph with a straight over the top FB that doesn't have any good off speed, then a guy who throws 85 with sink with a nasty change up and breaking ball who can locate his pitches on both sides of the plate. Pitchers spend too much time trying to find velocity. Pitchers need to work on developing a CHANGE UP!! It is the hardest pitch to hit in baseball and the easiest to learn but all too often I hear pitchers say I have a good fastball and curve but no change up. WHY NOT? The Change up deserves it own post so we will stop there. As a pitcher you have to ask yourself on a daily basis, how am I getting better a upsetting a hitters timing?

As a college coach I have to recruit players in high school that I think can be successful division 1 pitchers. I hear other college coaches talk all the time about how they saw Johny so and so throw 88mph and how he is going to be a great pitcher for them in college. Velocity is glamorous and good for the ego but it still doesn't answer the only question that matters in pitching. Does he consistently get hitters out. That's ALL THAT MATTERS!! Don't get me wrong if you throw gas that is great but don't think you can just blow hitters away all the way to the big leagues. Somewhere during your career you will get to a point where people catchup to your heat. Therefore it is important at an early age to develop your arsenal even if you can rely on your hard fastball against weaker competition.

Playing catch is the best way to work on pitching. I see pitchers at all levels play catch and the whole time they throw their 4 seam fb. You need to work on your different grips while playing catch that's how you get comfortable with a 2 seam fb and a change up. Also, work on throwing the ball with a purpose. Pick a spot on your partners body and try to throw it to that exact spot. This is how you develop control. Too many pitchers wait until they get on the mound to work on these things. Also, at the end of your catch you should do a flat ground everyday. Maybe you only throw ten or so pitches at 50% but flat ground work is vital to improving command and confidence in your pitches. (more on flat ground in a different post)

 I want to keep my posts relatively short so we will stop here today. The message for today is clear, the only thing a pitcher should be worried about is finding his own way to help get the 27 outs necessary to win a baseball game.


"My pitching philosophy is simple--keep the ball away from the bat"  -- Satchel Paige