Just asking because I’m confused…

[uncdrew]

So if a pitcher is throwing over 80% strikes, what else can they do to make it so they “pitch to contact?” If the batters are swinging and missing or fouling pitches off that are in the zone what should change? I’m trying to just understand better.

Honestly, I think it's garbage. A great pitcher can have a 3 pitch inning or a 20 pitch inning. It's not that much in her control, and not much she can do about it.

We've all see a great pitcher go against a great batter, and the pitcher hits her spots with spin and speed and the batter fouls off 5 in a row. Anyone blaming the pitcher for that just doesn't understand, IMO.

I once had a mom of a 12U pitcher tell me her daughter was a ground ball pitcher. I had to hold back a laugh. I might believe calling a softball pitcher a ground ball pitcher if she's older and has a drop ball she uses a lot and uses effectively. But when you look at the stats of a 12U girl they give up fly balls, line drives and ground balls with the same percentages as most any 12U pitcher. And that's more about the batter's swings (or lack of swing mechanics) than anything the pitcher is doing.

 

[uncdrew]

EXACTLY!!!! I used to ask the pitchers I worked with "What is the best pitch you can throw?" The answer was always a "A strike." I would tell them that answer was wrong. Then I let them know the best pitch you can throw is a ball outside the strike zone the hitter swings at and misses or makes poor contact with. Once they understood that they started to think like a pitcher. Not a player who pitches.

Well "a strike" does include "a ball outside the strike zone the hitter swings at and misses".


But I agree. The best pitch is one that results in an out (or strike), and it quite often doesn't need to be over the plate to do that.

 

[Vertigo]

Five K’s were swings and misses. Five were looking.

ETA: The other 5 were 3 fouls, the one hit, and the one pop up.

 

[canyonjoe]

Ok if you do the math she pitched to 4 batter and threw 15 strikes. No if the one that got the hit had 2 strikes that means the others all had 4 so there were several foul balls. If she got a hit on the first pitch that that's even more. I wasn't there so I don't know why the coach said what he did but that's at least an explanation. Maybe he would rather see more balls with 2 strikes to get them to chase and miss. If I was the P I would really like to know what he meant.

 

[GIMNEPIWO]

80% strikes is too high in most circumstances, IMO. Pitchers need to be able to throw off the plate and create foul balls, weak contact or swing and misses.

I agree that 80% of pitches being inside the strike zone is too high ... Many of those could have been swinging and NOT in the strike zone.

 

[uncdrew]

Ok if you do the math she pitched to 4 batter and threw 15 strikes. No if the one that got the hit had 2 strikes that means the others all had 4 so there were several foul balls. If she got a hit on the first pitch that that's even more. I wasn't there so I don't know why the coach said what he did but that's at least an explanation. Maybe he would rather see more balls with 2 strikes to get them to chase and miss. If I was the P I would really like to know what he meant.

Yeah, would be interesting to know what he meant.

I'm guess he just wishes it would have been a 10 pitch inning. *shrug*

I highly doubt he was thinking "you threw too many strikes". I really don't think most coaches think like that. More like "throw faster" or "hit your spots (which were in the strike zone) better". I could be wrong.

 

[Vertigo]

That’s the thing. I wasn’t there either - the coach said it at practice the next day during his daily team speech.

Just to clarify, my ds wasn’t upset either, just more confused than anything as he felt he did well. He’s also a very quiet kid and is hesitant to question the coach.

 

[uncdrew]

That’s the thing. I wasn’t there either - the coach said it at practice the next day during his daily team speech.

Just to clarify, my ds wasn’t upset either, just more confused than anything as he felt he did well. He’s also a very quiet kid and is hesitant to question the coach.

Well you can tell him that all your armchair quarterback internet friends think he did awesome.

 

[canyonjoe]

Yeah, would be interesting to know what he meant.

I'm guess he just wishes it would have been a 10 pitch inning. *shrug*

I highly doubt he was thinking "you threw too many strikes". I really don't think most coaches think like that. More like "throw faster" or "hit your spots (which were in the strike zone) better". I could be wrong.

I'm not defending the coach just trying to come up with something. To me the worst thing a coach can do is to make comments that the players don't understand. Second is doin that in front of the whole team. I never ever like to mention a negative of a player in front of the whole team.

 

[_MIA_]

The phrase "pitch to contact" usually is associated with a kid overthrowing and hence missing the strikezone. Sandy Koufax was quoted as saying he became a better pitcher when he stopped trying to make batters miss the ball and instead tried to make them hit it (which they still didn't do very often after his "change of philosophy" )... The thing is he was wild early in his career..which doesn't seem to be the case here. That said maybe the coach still saw a bit of overthrowing with your son in particular with his curveball..