As we have discussed, dominating that hitter-pitcher matchup is key. In fact, I would estimate that is about 80 percent of the game. It is certainly where most of the action is. But what happens when that matchup is neutralized, either by the opposition's pitching, hitting, or a combination of both? Then, the game is decided by the balance of what remains of that matchup at the plate, plus or minus the the teams' defense and baserunning. Is there a baseball numbers geek in the house? And the interesting thing about it is, in the playoffs, in championship tournaments, as you move up the competitive ladder, the teams arms and bats tend to even out. So, the "R's" and the "S's" do, in fact, have sway at the end of the day. You hear some say "pitching and defense" win championships. I agree. But I think, to refine the statement even further, defense and baserunning are often the difference between a team playing pretty good or just okay versus playing at its highest level. If you want to be as good as you can be, you gotta remember your "R's" and "S's." Thinking about these aspects of the game over the years, I see a lot of parallels in the requirements for good defensive play and good baserunning.
Thinking defense ... remember those "R's": Realize, repeat, routine, and remind." The fulcrum, the base if you will, of our defensive philosophy is that we repeat (communicate) to let our teammates know where the ball is going/coming from, where the play is, and who has taken charge of a particular play. Communication is key as a beginning building block to good defense. Then there is the other "R" in the middle -- routine. Rather than getting on Sportscenter, we focus on making the routine plays. Get the out in front of you. Unless it is a tying run late/winning run situation, we will always get the routine out. When we are turning a double play, we apply this concept by focusing on getting that lead runner (often the easiest, most routine part of the play), and then we find, voila, that it is easier to get the second out. We make the next play, focusing on staying routine. If we make the routine plays routinely, we are going to have a lot of success. This defensive philosophy allows us to relax, play well, and sprinkle in some great plays along the way. When you couple the foregoing with our knowledge of what to do in first-and-third situations, along with our consistency of hitting cut-offs and relays, we have a good defensive system and team. It is then just a matter of going out and executing. And as always, when the routine seems hard ... Remember the ABC's. But then there are those first and last "Rs." But more on them later ... The most important paragraph of this post is at the end, so keep reading. Like I said, this defensive stuff is big and can even cost you the World Series.
Sorry, Cardinals fans. I think there is an "R," or lack thereof, in there somewhere that might have some bearing on that play. As you know, I am a bit of a stickler/fanatic/whatever when it comes to the "lost art" of running the bases. It is funny, because it really isn't art. It is just a matter of paying attention, caring, and desiring to become a complete ballplayer. How you run the bases tells us all a lot. How a team runs them does, too. We expect effort and attention out there. No excuses. No exceptions. Go back, read, and review ...
A few items keep popping up as a need for emphasis. First, trust the process. Know our "Go" signs and, well, go ... and without hesitation. When a passed ball gets by ... go, for instance. We will call you back, if need be. Next, we need to be looking for opportunities to take that next base. If you are a trailing runner and the runner in front of you is tagging, for instance, you are always going, too, unless we pull you back. If we are not going, we at least bluff. Listen for your coach to confirm the "Go" and motor. If the "Go" is not confirmed or you are pulled back, again, at least bluff.
Think next base. Pick up the ball. Get your eyes on the ball when it is in flight. Be proactive. A missed cutoff on the way home is a "go" sign, for instance, applying the two principles discussed in this paragraph. Also, we have to work our leads ... I think "stretch leads" is an "S." Leads don't happen by magic. We need to be working these whether we are stealing or not. This could be the difference in a safe vs. out call at the next base, and that could be the difference in the game. Thinking along the lines of next base, if we are on second are moving on a ground ball where there is going to be a play at first base, we are thinking that we are coming home unless and until we are stopped by the third-base coach. You know, just because players are playing at a higher, even the highest, levels doesn't mean they are good baserunners. Indeed, we have some seen some crazy incompetence on the bases already in this 2014 MLB season, such as Josh Hamilton sliding into first base when not avoiding a tag (and ending up on the DL for 6-8 weeks) and another player failing to run out a pop and getting tagged out by the catcher. Doing stuff like that ... hurts my stomach. And then there was this guy a few years back:
You think ol' Ruben was paying attention and knew what he was going to do when the ball was put in play? So, let's boil it down to what really makes a good baserunner, and then we will connect it to what makes your best defensive players and teams. The most important "S's" are the first and last -- "Situation" and "Say it Again." That means, have our mental ticker in the field at all times with the situation (outs, where are the runners, score, inning, what I am going to do when the ball comes to me) and this is the last thing that goes through our heads before the ball is pitched and put in play. In the outfield, we really need to coach ourselves to keep that ticker going, and sometimes find creative ways to stay engaged and watch the ball all the way until contact. This is so key for tracking the ball. Know where it is, and know what you will do with it (and why) when it comes your way. Likewise, on the bases, the first "R" -- Realizing the Situation -- is connected to the last -- Remind yourself of the situation. A good baserunner needs to be constantly coaching himself with the ticker running ... how many outs, where are the runners, what am I going to do on a grounder (to the right/left side), what do I do if it is hit in the air, etc. Think about the situation and what signs might be coming. So, here it is ... here is the final, most important paragraph, the bottom line, if you will: The first "R" and "S" and the last ones tell us that being engaged in the game, and knowing the situation, knowing where the ball is at all times, knowing what we are going to do when the ball is put in play, is the most important and foundational aspect of playing good defense and being a good baserunner. Any one who cares about playing the game right and is paying attention can do this. That is great news, people. So, do it. It can make the difference to get you and your team where you want to go. See you on the field,
"Just throw strikes ... don't lose 'em ... you can't walk people," etc., etc. Here we go again, right? But the real question is ... how do you do this?
Because the truth is, like hitting, pitching a baseball is difficult. And improving as a pitcher requires plain hard work. The time we spend on the mound is the result, the reward, if you will, of a lot of time and banging on our craft. But too often, pitchers want one-step-presto-magic solutions to their ills. The truth is, that the road to being a good pitcher is paved with lots of hard work, sweat, trial and error, and most of all, throwing the baseball ... over and over ... and over again. Throw More. Prepare More.
We simply need to throw more, as in a lot more ... and outside of games. You know that guy who seems like he can "throw every day?" Well, that guy probably throws about every day. Yet, American youth baseball in general (and select baseball in particular) has emphasized games for games sake over good old preparation, and, as a result, our pitchers are failing to grow and develop while pitching beyond their preparation. This explains, in large part, the simultaneous increase of pitching injuries while pitch counts and even types of pitches are being regulated more all the time. In my view, what is needed is more throwing and preparation to pitch in games rather than simply more restrictions. However, I am hardly saying that pitch counts are irrelevant at all. Indeed, we track them carefully, but we pay more attention to how a specific count is accumulated (along with the specific pitcher's preparation for that workload) rather than the total number of pitches. Mechanics: Learn from the Dominicans Regarding mechanics, let's make this simple because of the following obvious observation: Each of our pitchers are different. On our staff this year, the mechanics of each pitcher is very different. So, who is right? I guess it depends on which pitching coach you ask. But some common themes in good mechanics jump out, such as rhythm and tempo, and also the upper body following the lower/half and core in a synced, explosive movement. And if you see your ideal mechanical movement begin to break down, often a mental stresser will be related. So, self-evaluate. Know yourself and your ideal movement pattern. And when something changes, first know what may have triggered it. And then, correct it. Learn to be your own pitching coach. After all, it is your arm; it is your pitching career.
We want our pitchers to be free, fluid, and athletic. You have heard all the stories of shortstops with arm troubles, right? No? Well, that is because, well, they throw free and athletically ... and in rhythm. And they throw a lot, too. Wait ... maybe we need to limit those throws. Or maybe not ... So, imagine for a moment that you were born in the Dominican and no well-meaning do-gooder had impacted your good sense and tried to get you to pitch "by the numbers." You would just be explosive. And you would probably find that you threw harder, and eventually with better command, too. Amazing how it works that way. And note that, while we are trying to develop explosiveness, let's run sprints rather than poles. (This gets back to preparation.) Kenyans are great distance runners. Dominicans are great pitchers. If you want to run distance, do what the Kenyans do. If you want to be a great pitcher, do what the Dominicans do. Train to be able to repeat short, explosive movements with a short recovery time in between, i.e., like we are baseball pitchers. And always, always remember to stretch dynamically and work up a sweat before throwing. We warm up to throw, rather than the other way around. And when you are finished throwing for the day, stretch and run more sprints. The day after a pitching outing, sprint hard to stretch and get the lactic acid out of stressed muscles. Keep stretching to develop flexibility, all the way down to your ankles ... yes, your ankles. A loose, fluid athlete is an athlete who can throw more and better. Approach and Game Plan To understand what we are trying to do on the mound, start here: Tempo and targeting are the brick-and-mortar of our pitching approach. They are so critical. Tempo encompasses both the time it takes us to get the ball to the plate and also the time between pitches. Both elements of a pitcher's ideal tempo must be known and mastered by each pitcher. Each player and pitcher has a unique internal clock that tells him the time that his body is synced up to throw. So, we try to find the fast edge of that zone and stay there. We also want to be moving as quickly between pitches as our personal tempo allows. This allows us to stay on schedule, think the most appropriate amount (which is not too much, for sure), and it also keeps our defense ready and engaged. When runners are on, we zero in on our tempo to the plate. We want to be quick to the plate, without throwing "ahead of" ourselves. But with runners on, we also want to utilize tempo (here, the time between pitches) as as a weapon to confuse runners, too, that is, by varying it and keeping that runner from picking up a pattern to the plate. As pitchers get better at this and establish more command, they can also vary their delivery to both increase and decrease tempo to the plate as the situation dictates. So, know your personal tempo. Experiment when throwing by varying it to find out your zone. Understand when you might be varying tempo, and why. Do you rush (or slow down) when you are stressed? If you recognize this, then take a moment to address it. All of this starts again with self-awareness. And remember that third "T": Make sure you are targeting consistently and with each pitch. The habits built in our throwing program of acquiring a target before each throw are meant to be taken to the mound. Each pitcher may target differently (i.e., in how/when he looks at where he is throwing), but each pitcher must consistently utilize his targeting methodology, both in the bullpen and on the mound. Regarding game plan, I want to see our starting pitcher and catcher before each game to go over the specific game plan for that day's opponent. At the most fundamental level, though, our game plan always starts with the three-pitch approach. That is, after three pitches we want the hitter to be on, out, or we want the count to be 1-2. Why? The idea here is that an aggressive approach puts the hitter on the defensive. And when we get that hitter to two strikes, our goal with a two-strike pitch is either to get him out or to throw a pitch that gets him set up to be out on the next pitch. To execute the three-pitch approach, our pitchers need to know what we are looking for: good, rather than perfect, pitches. Avoid the feeling of needing to throw a perfect pitch. Remember, the pitcher always has the advantage. Even a meatball can be missed or hit right at some one. A good low strike in the middle of the plate is a good pitch. Sure, it is great to paint corners, but the feeling of "needing to" be on the edges of the strike zone to survive puts the pitcher on the defensive. And the party on the defensive in a confrontation usually loses.
Remember that our goal as a pitcher is to make it difficult or impossible for the hitter to get a barrel match on our pitches. The hitter is looking for rhythm and flow. So, we give him neither. And in this regard, remember Perry Husband's concept of "effective velocity." That is, the movement of a pitch from one part of the plate to another changes the "effective" velocity of the next pitch because the hitter must be slower/quicker to get barrel match in different hitting zones. In general, the high pitch is effectively 4 MPH faster than the low pitch (due to the relative ease of dropping the barrel of the bat on a low pitch) and an inside pitch is effectively 4 MPH faster than an outside pitch. Thus, simply by taking the same pitch from low-and-away to up-and-in a pitcher has effectively made that pitch about 8 MPH faster to a hitter. That is significant. Add in additional velocity change on the particular pitch and you can see what a weapon this is. Effective Velocity further demonstrates the importance of command and the need to develop it. And command is "magically" developed by ... throwing a lot ... and to a target ... with measured results and progression. Also, remember the power of changing eye levels. Again, we are trying to upset the hitter's goal to get in flow, get his timing down, get "locked in," and then get barrel match. The combination of changing speeds, location, and eye level (with command) is a "Bermuda Triangle" for hitters. Add a plus-FB and it becomes a "Black Hole" for hitters. And ... remember the art of pitching backwards. When facing "dead red" hitters who lock in on the fastball, unless you have got a plus fastball that you can command (remembering that excellent pitching starts with FB command), it is time to make the hitters react to you and play to your strength. So, we pitch backwards, meaning that we throw breaking balls in fastball counts, and vice versa. So, often the only FB a particular hitter might see under this approach is with two strikes. And we often will utilize the FB in this scenario like we would the breaking ball ... off the plate where it can't be hit well. You will often find that the aggressive FB hitter, so excited to see a FB, will chase in this scenario. So, what pitch do you throw? Good question. My view is that (after factoring the game plan for a particular team), I want our pitcher to throw the pitch that he can throw with conviction in this situation. I believe that a good pitch thrown with conviction is better than a "perfectly-called" pitch thrown without conviction. Some days (or even sometimes in a certain game) a certain pitch doesn't feel right. All of the foregoing (combined with my preference for pitchers learning the game and how to be their own pitching coaches) explains why I don't call pitches. It's art. And the guy on the mound has the brush. Personal Growth and Development
Know your strengths and weaknesses. If your strength is not the plus-FB, then your strength by necessity needs to be some other pitch. That, along with command work for all pitches, needs to be the focus of work in-season. Work CB long-toss (throwing a curveball or your off-speed pitch of choice at 90-120 feet), for instance. Also, talk with other pitchers who have mastered (or are farther along than you) a curve ball, change up, etc. Look at how they are gripping the ball. Ask them about throwing it. Experiment. Be a learner. This is what great pitching staffs do. They get better together. And in the off-season, keep working, developing, long-tossing, and adding velocity while making adjustments on other secondary pitches, as well. As with hitting, playing defense, or even running the bases, remember the ABC's to stay in control when "yellow-light" moments arise. It can be a hard game. In this regard, the pitcher much keep focused on the fourth, critical "T" -- task-at-hand. When the mitt seems small, life out there is hard, the umpire seems to have joined the other side, or when it seems like even your own teammates have turned against you and are unable to make a simple play, this is the time when you can become better and even get on the road to being very good, or even great. View these challenges in such a manner. Finally, avoid instructors and pitching coaches just for the sake of having one. Be a good and informed consumer of such services. And as I have mentioned above, learn to be your own coach. With the foregoing said, there are some excellent resources and coaches out there who can provide insight and direction. Personally, I highly recommend Ron Wolforth at the Texas Baseball Ranch in Montgomery. Coach Wolforth has greatly influence me and my approach to pitching, and I have learned/borrowed a lot of what is here from him. Shoot me a text or an email to discuss instructors and pitching coaches further. Finally, the best book on pitching approach that I know of is "The Mental ABC's of Pitching," by the late, great H. A. Dorfman. It is a great and easy read and will help you understand the approach and art of pitching better. Keep at it. The grind is worth it.
See you on the field.
