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These links are all great baseball sites. But remember your way back to learningbaseball.com PopUp Quiz with Quips 'n' Quotes from this site. Below is a link for my convenience, but you're welcome to visit, of course:
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PitcherRequirements: Strong legs and arms with good coordination. The pitcher must have the confidence in his ability to face every batter like a gunslinger. Baseball is the only game where the defense has the ball. The pitcher is the guy that often gets all the glory or all the blame. It's the one position that's always on the line. If you're in the outfield, and you're down 20 to nothing, you could hang your head and hope the ball doesn't bother you for the rest of the game, but your Pitcher has to continue doing his best to help make sure you get what you want. Remember to always give your Pitcher your support. Below are pages divided into every aspect of the position. Below that is a brief description or philosophy about each aspect. Be familiar with what you need to know to improve your pitching, and seek the advice and opinions of others.
See what the Pitcher does in the Base Coverage and Rundown situations. The pitcher also has definite coverage assignments when the ball is hit in the infield. You will often be required to cover first when your 1st is after the ball. Usually when the ball is hit to the right side of the infield you head to first. Remember that your route to first is down the line. That is, you run in an angle from the mound toward first to a point about 20 feet short of the bag, then run down the line to take the throw, touching the bag with your right foot. This will do a few things. It will help you stay out of the runners way and avoid the interference call; it will also reduce the risk of injury. You will see the ball your teammate throws you better, and help his accuracy in leading you to the bag. Mechanics What is referred to as "mechanics" in pitching has nothing to do with fixing cars. It should be called physics because it's all about what every physical aspect of your being is doing during the wind up, the stretch and the pitch. Whenever one tries to define such an event in this way, one is stuck assuming that every body acts the same. Of course, this is not true. Every body is unique, but they all have similarities of function and movement. It's the similarities that we talk about when talking about mechanics. For example, if your elbow is hinged in reverse of the normal elbow, that might be something that would make your mechanics different than the norm. On the other hand it might not, because mechanics also takes into account the laws of physics - of motion and velocity. It's all about the most efficient movement of your entire body to throw the most accurate strike where YOU want it. The physics of throwing a strike are similar to batting a home run or delivering the most devastating karate punch. Control When we talk about control in pitching we talk about bringing the mental into play with the physical. Your mind needs to balance out you ability and inability, and you need to know where, when and how to exercise this controlling feature of your mind. Part of your pitch control is definitely connected with your ability to control your emotions. To be a pitcher who is in control of the game with the control of his pitches you need to control your physical movements, your mechanics, and also your mental-emotional movements. For example, when we are excited we can observe the difference in our ability to perform from when we are relaxed. Control is often no more than your ability to know yourself and alter your actions accordingly. Different personalities approach control differently. Control is something you can work on with your pitching coach and your psychiatrist. The goal of control is to allow the mechanics to deliver the ball to the exact location you intend. Control is not an accident, but something that needs to be practiced. Since it is said that during a game, pitching is 90% mental ("and the other half physical" as Yogi once said), it's a good idea to be familiar with mental imagery. Preparation Preparation for your time on the mound is very important in making certain you have a successful trip. Of course preparation is very different when you come into a game from SS with bases loaded, one out and the home run leader at bat than it is when you start a game. This section will talk about the physical and mental preparation required to be a gunslinger on the mound in any given situation. How to throw a successful bullpen will be included, although in our league you won't often get that luxury. Pitches The number of pitches a particular pitcher has in his arsenal can range from 1 to whatever. Since batters have an increased advantage each time they reface a pitcher, it's unlikely you will ever develop that one pitch that no one will ever hit. The number of different pitches you take to the mound in a game is usually different than the the number of pitches you work on at practice. For a wise list of the maximum number of pitches a pitcher should deliver in a game, and the suggested periods of rest between games, see this page of WebBall.Com™. Holding runners Holding runners on base is an art that pitchers need to develop. Learning how to make pick off moves without balking is critical to your success as a pitcher.
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