Pitching at the CWS--the Fouts meltdown

[BrianTx01]

It just wasn't her day.

 

[BrianTx01]

It was obvious that the players were concerned about lip reading due to the cameras. I am just perplexed what the three outfielders were talking about that was so secret.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Hard to say. Why did Don Larsen walk 4 batters and get pulled after giving up 4 runs in an inning and a 3rd in the 1956 world series only to come back and throw a perfect game 3 days later? Kind of a reverse Fouts 65 years earlier.

I mean it's possible FSU picked up the signs and were sitting on pitches, it's possible she just had a bad day missing spots and FSU jumped on her mistakes. Unless FSU comes out after the tournament as says "Yeah we picked up their signs or she was tipping pitches" we'll probably never know for sure.

 

[JumboJack]

I think that more likely then FSU having cracked the actual pitch calling code they picked up a tell. She could have done something when she was going to throw a rise that she didn’t do when throwing other pitches.
The reason MLB pitchers use the index finger cover is to avoid tipping their grip.


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[bmd]

I think if Fouts pitched the first game there would not have been a necessary game....The days between gave FSU more time to prepare to face her....either by picking pitch signals or otherwise....

 

[radness]

Visually as a hitter
After viewing a pitcher enough
Becomes easier to read whats comming.

Obviously a pitcher having a bad day is disadvantaged then x2.

I'm still going with.
Early on easily by the end of first or second inning.
Should be able to know how the pitcher is performing.
To either
A. Adjust pitch calling strategy
B. Replace pitcher

 

[Hillhouse]

I’d like to watch a game with Hillhouse and see what he would pick up, I know tells are a big part of the men’s game.

Watching a game doesn't get any better than that!

 

[JOHNN]

I mean it's possible FSU picked up the signs and were sitting on pitches, it's possible she just had a bad day missing spots and FSU jumped on her mistakes. Unless FSU comes out after the tournament as says "Yeah we picked up their signs or she was tipping pitches" we'll probably never know for sure.

While Id definitely love to know if they figured out her upcoming pitches, I do hope they keep it secretive for as long as possible strictly due to the holier than thou fans that think picking up signals is somehow against the rules of the game. The uproar over it will be as epic as the segment that found their underoos in a double knot over the Washington players getting ticked where they were seeded.

 

[Sweet Lou]

While Id definitely love to know if they figured out her upcoming pitches, I do hope they keep it secretive for as long as possible strictly due to the holier than thou fans that think picking up signals is somehow against the rules of the game. The uproar over it will be as epic as the segment that found their underoos in a double knot over the Washington players getting ticked where they were seeded.

I don't know what's the point in keeping quiet once the WCWS is over. In 2001, Andy Pettite was tipping his pitches in G6 of the WS and got lit up by the Diamondbacks. After the series several players commented on it if I remember right.

But hey if you can't keep your signals to yourself, after say 12U, that's on you.

 

[soxtroy@yahoo.com]

Fouts turned in the best performance by a pitcher at the CWS. Then, yesterday, she turned in the worst performance of the CWS, allowing 8 runs in less than three innings.

Why? Was she replaced by a body double?

I've got three theories.

1. The Alabama pitch calling system was hacked. Alabama signals from the dugout to the pitcher and the catcher at the same time. Thus, the signal is easily seen by everyone at the stadium.

In reality, breaking the system would be very easy...Fouts only throws three pitches, and she only uses three locations for each pitch. Rise balls are always high (high inside, high outside, high middle). Fastballs and change ups are always low (low inside, low outside, low middle).

There was lots of video of her over the two previous games. So, breaking the Alabama pitch calling system should be very simple.

A code breaker would know the pitch see threw, and also the signal from the dugout. So, a quick review of the video would reveal the Alabama pitch signalling code.

It is ironic...breaking the pitch signal code for HS and TB is hard because the pitchers aren't reliable. They make mistakes all the time. But, high level pitchers rarely mess up a pitch...so, you know exactly what pitch she was trying throw.

Even more ironic--the way to stop code breaking by the opposition would be to let the catchers and pitchers call the game.

2. Her control was off.

She was way off her targets. She was missing the corners by 12 inches, not a 2 inches.

And, when she needed a strike it was *always* low inside or low middle.

3. Her rise wasn't working.

Fouts throws a bullet spin rise. (As @DrRiello likes to call it, a "ramp rise".)

The problem with a bullet spin rise is that if the seam orientation is not correct, it is simply a fastball. (The beauty of the 12-6 rise is that, even the spin is off, the ball is still going to move quite a bit.)

very true. i noticed her "rise" is actually an angle pitch. but most times still works at that speed.