In depth, the secrets behind pitching

Pitching is a skill of extraordinary precision.

Every moment of every game, softball or baseball, relies almost entirely on the athlete on the mound. A one-inch miss when trying to paint a corner, a hanging curveball, or a fastball that lingers just long enough over the middle of the plate can alter the tone of a game in just moments. However, the ability to defy such miscalculations is what shapes the best pitchers in the game.

Pitch selection is one of the most important aspects a pitcher must perfect. Each game, each inning, each batter, each pitch-offers a unique situation. Then there is the pitch count, the batter’s strengths and weaknesses, and the positioning of base runners that must be taken into account.

Of course if you could ask baseball great Satchel Page, he would tell you it is much simpler: “Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw Strikes. Home plate don’t move.”

Libby Kidd, sophomore, #4

Right handed pitcher/batter

Background:

Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical.” Although Yogi was known for his paradoxical remarks, Libby Kidd can identify with at least the first half of Yogi’s equation for softball-the extraordinary power of the mind.

“I just concentrate on the mit and I just tell myself, ‘I’m going to throw it there,’” she said. “You’ve just got to visualize it.”

Kidd has pitched for 12 years, but said she just recently gained full appreciation for her role as a pitcher.

“I’ve never really appreciated pitching until this season because this is the time when the rewards are the greatest.”

Kidd is 19-6, with a 1.54 ERA in her 30 appearances.

Grip One

Fastball. 65-66 mph. Preferred location is just off the plate. Kidd’s least favorite pitch.

“I only throw it when I desperately need a strike.”
Kidd favors a fastball on the corners on a 3-2 count.

Dropball. 55 mph. A “faster changeup”. The pitch Kidd throws the least-a “junk pitch”.

“It’s not called a strike, it just gets the batter to swing. It looks like its going to be a low strike and then it drops to the ground when it hits the plate.”

Changeup. 35-45 mph. Kidd’s favorite pitch- a “crowd pleaser” because the change of speed is difficult for batters to adjust to.

“It’s really slow and I usually throw them for strikes but sometimes batters get around on them. I try not to throw it much because batters get used to it,” she said. “The catcher either calls inside or outside-I figure the difference of speed between pitches is significant enough so it doesn’t really have to hit the corners much.”

Grip Two

Curveball. 64-65 mph. Kidd’s favored pitch with 2 strikes on a batter.

“When a batter has two strikes, they’ve got to swing at anything close, so they’re going to have to reach for it.”

Screwball. 64-65 mph. Kidd’s selection for jamming the batter and brushing them off the plate.

Riseball. 65 mph. Appears to head straight for the middle of the plate and rises at the last moment, making it difficult for batters to make contact.

“I like how it looks like it’s gonna be a strike but then it goes up and batters swing and miss,” she said. “It’s a really good 2 strike pitch-probably better than the curve.”

Mark Bergstrom, senior, #24

Right handed pitcher, switch hitter

Background:

Mark Bergstrom cannot remember his earliest baseball experiences without the help of his mother.

“My mom remembers throwing the ball to me when I was in the cradle,” he said. “I’ve played my whole life basically.”

Now a senior, Bergstrom’s experience in organized baseball reaches almost 19 years. Until college he was both a position player (shortstop) and a pitcher.

“Towards the end of my high school career I knew I was going to go to school for pitching.”

For Bergstrom, pitching is about competing, the feeling of the ball in his hand, and having control of the game.

Bergstrom, in his second year at GCSU, is 2-2, with a 3.14 ERA.

Grip One

4 seem fastball.. 88-89 mph.

Favored as the first pitch in an at bat. Bergstrom likes this pitch when he’s ahead and can get batters to chase the pitch out of the zone.

Grip Two

2 seem fastball. 86-88 mph.

Has more sink and tail on it than the 4 seem fastball, away from a leftie and in on a rightie. Favored on an even count, or if first is occupied, to get the batter to hit the ball on the ground and potentially into a double play.

Grip Three

Curveball. 76-78 mph.

Hardest pitch on the body. Favored anytime in the count, depends on the situation. Bergstrom’s favorite pitch. Pitch moves away from the rightie and in hard towards the ground.

“It’s my best one. It’s the one I can rely on the most. I throw mostly fastballs but if I’m trying to strike someone out
or it’s a crucial pitch, I’ll use the curve.”

Grip Four

Changeup. 75-58 mph.

Favored when ahead in the count. Only thrown to lefties-most effective when far ahead in the count. Not thrown to righties. Compares to a 2 seem fastball, with a much slower speed.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 21 2006. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry