You can find plenty of articles, books and videos on the mechanics of pitching. I still have not addressed any mechanical aspect of pitching because I really do not believe it is even close to a priority in the pitching game. We will go into some mechanics in later posts but here is my take on mechanics: be athletic and keep your direction and momentum of your body directed at home plate during the entire delivery. BOOM done (for now). Now onto more important stuff. I preach in this blog the importance of controlling what you can control because as I have said once the ball leaves your hand you have little control of the outcome.
The Running Game
In this post we will discuss the basics, in the next post I will talk about specific mechanical techniques you can use to improve your pick off move.
I have heard pitchers tell me countless times, "I just don't hold base runners well." That's an excuse, we can CONTROL this! Here is a list of things you can improve on as a pitcher to limit the running game:
1. Practice a motion from the stretch that is quick to home plate without losing the velocity or location of your pitches.
2. mix up your looks and timing
3. Have a good pick off move (to first, second and third)
4. Know the other teams runners (study them when you are not pitching)
5.Work on a slide step ( if you try this in your bullpen work and your stuff is not as good then you can't use a slide step in the game)
6. Recognize the fine line between paying attention to base runners and letting the base runner effect your ability to get hitters out.
Work on this stuff everyday. I have to be honest there are plenty of days of neglected this stuff because it can be boring and doesn't seem important until you need to pick someone off in the game. Guys that are good at holding runners have another tool to separate themselves from other pitchers. Controlling the running game will help you in big spots during your outing and may even bail you out of jams if you have the ability to pick off a runner. When you are playing catch you should go through all your pick off moves right before your flat. During your bullpens and flats you should practice your slide step and varying your looks.
Ricky Henderson is on first what do I do?
There will be times during your career where there is a guy on first base that is an excellent base runner and there is little you can do to stop him from running. In these situations a lot of pitchers become overly occupied with the base runner. Keep it simple and never let a runner effect your effectiveness as a pitcher. One thing you can do is hold the ball on the mound. The longer you hold the ball the harder it is for the runner to stay in rhythm and get a good jump. Then the next pitch after you held, you can quick pitch. This means once you come to the set immediately deliver the ball to home plate. Also, if you feel that the base runner is trying to steal you can repeatedly try to pick him off. Even if you are not successful it still makes the runner dive back into first and should make him winded. The one thing you do not want to do is rush to home plate. Remember the most important thing is that we make a quality pitch. My advice is to be conscious of the runners on base at all times but never let them affect your ability to be effective as a pitcher.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking pride in your ability to hold base runners and your pick off move. With runners on base pitchers have a tendency to let the game speed up on them and forget about the runners. If you feel this happening step off the mound and slow the game down. Make sure you have addressed the running game with your infielders. Make sure you are on the same page with them about back pics, flash plays etc. If you do not do this prior to the game there will be situations where you recognize that you could pick someone off and you won't be able to. Take care of this. It is important and like I said before, picking a runner off can bail you out of a key situation during your outing.
In the next post I will show you how to develop a great pick off move.
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