awesome pitcher...or was she?

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Apr 13, 2010
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Not distance related, but I saw a masterpiece today too. ( 18u ) First game we faced a pitcher who worked N-S pretty good avg 64-66 but only threw a few CU. We won 8-1 and had 13 hits. Next game pitcher worked E-W topped out 62, but mixed speeds the whole game between 62-50. We lost 5-0, only got 3 hits. This is a pick up team for us, so I don't know them too well, but that second pitcher had the whole lineup off balance. She was a pleasure to watch.

That's the kind of pitching I like. That's "hopefully" where my DD is headed. Nothing I hate more than getting beat by the speed burner who can't move the ball.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,270
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In your face
Been telling pitchers to change speed constantly from one pitch to the next forever. But my advice can only be 'Trickery and gimmikry' according to many on this little board. Guess that young pitcher proved those folks wrong. LOL

Hal, we might just make a good baseball pitcher out of you yet!! :)

All kidding aside, she was using a handful of pitches. It was really hard to pick up "what" she was throwing because the speed and amount of break varied so much. She worked outside a good bit, throwing a 59-60 cutter, 55-56 slider, 51-52 slurve. ( not sure what we would call them on here ) Then she could bump it up with a 62 FB, or drop it off with a 46 flip change. When you don't have the D1 blazing upper 60's-70 mph arm, this is what you do.

I should have taken some video, but I was in a coma since we could do squat with her in the circle. I'll be watching for her in the state arena next year, she will be a junior.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,151
38
New England
Hal, we might just make a good baseball pitcher out of you yet!! :)

All kidding aside, she was using a handful of pitches. It was really hard to pick up "what" she was throwing because the speed and amount of break varied so much. She worked outside a good bit, throwing a 59-60 cutter, 55-56 slider, 51-52 slurve. ( not sure what we would call them on here ) Then she could bump it up with a 62 FB, or drop it off with a 46 flip change. When you don't have the D1 blazing upper 60's-70 mph arm, this is what you do.

I should have taken some video, but I was in a coma since we could do squat with her in the circle. I'll be watching for her in the state arena next year, she will be a junior.

GD - who was calling the game?
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,151
38
New England
Never seen this ump before, probably a new guy who hasn't been influenced yet by the "powers that be". :)

I know that the home plate umpire usually calls balls and strikes and even if you knew his name, it probably wouldn't mean anything to me unless he was picking up a game while on vacation from Connecticut. What I really wanted to know was who was calling the pitches - catcher or bench coach?!

PS - My apologies for not being clearer intially, too many foul tips and/or I'm just rusty and momentarily forgot how to interact effectively with a mound monster.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,270
0
In your face
I know that the home plate umpire usually calls balls and strikes and even if you knew his name, it probably wouldn't mean anything to me unless he was picking up a game while on vacation from Connecticut. What I really wanted to know was who was calling the pitches - catcher or bench coach?!

PS - My apologies for not being clearer intially, too many foul tips and/or I'm just rusty and momentarily forgot how to interact effectively with a mound monster.

I was wondering hiw long it would take you to "catch" my response. :) no pun intended.

Took me a few mins to figure his calls out. The coach was calling the locations of the pitches, but I believe he was letting the pitcher decide on the speed during the off-speed breaking balls. He'd signal for the FB and CU.

Edit: The catcher and pitcher could have a system set up where the catcher is adding the speed ( choice ) after the coach calls location. That part I couldn't see.
 
Last edited:

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,151
38
New England
I was wondering hiw long it would take you to "catch" my response. :) no pun intended.

Took me a few mins to figure his calls out. The coach was calling the locations of the pitches, but I believe he was letting the pitcher decide on the speed during the off-speed breaking balls. He'd signal for the FB and CU.

Edit: The catcher and pitcher could have a system set up where the catcher is adding the speed ( choice ) after the coach calls location. That part I couldn't see.

Thanks for humoring me GD. Here's why I ask - after 3 weekends of summer tournaments, I've seen absolutely nothing so far that would indicate that an experienced catcher can't call a signifcantly more effective game than the dugout can. In fact, it's been just the opposite. Sorry, rant over. For now.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,270
0
In your face
Thanks for humoring me GD. Here's why I ask - after 3 weekends of summer tournaments, I've seen absolutely nothing so far that would indicate that an experienced catcher can't call a signifcantly more effective game than the dugout can. In fact, it's been just the opposite. Sorry, rant over. For now.

I'm in the camp with you that a pitcher/catcher "team" can call it very efficient at this level ( 18u ). I don't know this team very well who had the pitcher in question, don't know the background of the coach/catcher, I can only elaborate on what I saw.

Let me ask a question for your opinion on our terms this weekend. We picked up with a new team ( for us ), coach has gone against DD many times in the past, had a new catcher who had never seen DD. I believed he probably would call a better game for DD since he's accustom to her "style" and it's not a typical drop/rise/cu. Maybe after a couple of weekends, turn it over to the catcher, if we decide to play with them again?
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,151
38
New England
I'm in the camp with you that a pitcher/catcher "team" can call it very efficient at this level ( 18u ). I don't know this team very well who had the pitcher in question, don't know the background of the coach/catcher, I can only elaborate on what I saw.

Let me ask a question for your opinion on our terms this weekend. We picked up with a new team ( for us ), coach has gone against DD many times in the past, had a new catcher who had never seen DD. I believed he probably would call a better game for DD since he's accustom to her "style" and it's not a typical drop/rise/cu. Maybe after a couple of weekends, turn it over to the catcher, if we decide to play with them again?

It does take a little while for a C to get used to a new P and get on the same page as to what pitches they have, their relative confidence in each pitch, and how they like to pitch. Sometimes it just doesn't click - some MLB pitchers had "personal catchers", but communication is critical during the getting to know each other stage - particularly between P and C. It falls much more upon the C to adapt to the pitcher's strengths and weaknesses. Pitch calling should never be a paint by numbers thing as once you establish a standard pitch sequence that predictability becomes a liability.

In your case, if the catcher is experienced at pitch calling, I would expect that she'd be capable of calling your DD effectively after just 1-2 games of help from the bench. If not, then keep the training wheels on a little longer. The pitcher should always have the ability to shake off a sign as they're the one that has the ultimate accountability. Sometimes its good to mix up P and C combos to find other ways to maximize a pitcher's effectiveness.
 

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