CWS Announcers

[Alan Snedeker]

It's getting hard for me to listen to the announcers at the CWS.
Every pitch that goes to the side of the plat opposite the glove was automatically a screwball and the other side of the plate was automatically a curve ball. The slow motion replay clearly shows otherwise. Watching Fico pitch and every supposed screwball she threw was clearly spinning like a bullet and to me didn't seem to move at all, but the announcers was like look at at that late break. Another example was when Traina throws a pitch on the outside corner to a left hand batter and gets a called third strike. Announcer: great screwball on the outside. Slow motion clearly shows drop ball spin. I'm loving the slow motion replays though.

 

[starsnuffer]

They're all idiots.

It's okay, my daughter has a 14u coach who believes in east west movement (how oldschool is that?) and he "taught" her a screwball. I won't have her throw that pitch at her age, so she throws an inside fastball and finishes with her thumb sticking out (like he taught her), he raves about her "great screwball". These people have no clue. Turn the sound off and rock out.

-W

 

[HollowMan]

I agree, I love the super slow motion replays. They explain a lot to me that I haven't understood for years. I've always wondered why I can't see the actual movement on all of these pitches I hear about when watching college softball. And sure enough, yesterday I saw pitches called screwballs, curve balls, and rise balls, most of which had nothing more than a small amount of bullet spin. No wonder I can't see the movement.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

The most entertaining is the "K" strikezone box they put on the screen to reply to us all of the "late movement" and "sharp break". Just goes to show that while you might be a great pitcher in college, professional, or international play; doesn't necessarily mean that you understand the mechanics and physics of pitching. Combine that with these pitcher commentators explaining the fine art of hitting and you have some interesting television. Can't tell you how many times Michelle Smith has said that batters should keep their weight back on their rear foot during the swing and then they show a reply of the homerun in slow motion and the batters back foot is off the ground at POC

 

[starsnuffer]

It's no surprise that college softball is a whack-a-mole hitathon and the girls all struggle with 1-0 games against real pitchers at the professional level, when the college pitchers are just so horribad. I think that the next generation of pitchers will be leaps and bounds better, just because of the better information available today compared to 5 years ago.

-W

 

[GOINGDEEP]

As an ex D1 pitcher ( and I think Greenmonsters as an ex D1 catcher would agree ) there is no way to simulate the movement of " said " pitches with a softball. Although I've never seen data, you cant get the needed revs with the SB ( size ) as you can with a BB, plus the height advantage and flight path have a lot to do with it.

I have seen a limited amount of girls who Can throw a "good" screw. ( on occasion ) I'm not a NASA scientist or meteorologist, but from many years of a round ball in my hand I think the elevation of the area of the country, the humidity, and the wind ( cross-head-tail ) have an effect on the movement of the pitches on any given day and any given place.

I'm not taking anything away from the young ladies, we all wish that was our DD on the rubber in the WCWS. But the announcers always over glorify the pitch, and I don't know why and probably never will. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with a pitcher striking out a batter with a outside/inside fastball, just call it for what it is.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Am I crazy or did the girl from South Florida, Sara Nevins throw a fair amount of fastballs? It sure looked like it to me but that can't be right be I'm told nobody in college throws a fastball.

 

[undergroundga]

DW and I were talking about this last night. I made the same remark, that every thing on inside of plate was called a screw and outside of plate was a curve.
so, how often does a pitcher really throw these pitches?
Me in my naivity, think it does look like the ball moves. I t looks like most of the time when they throw these pitches it looks mechanically like the pitch should be thrown straight, yet the ball finishes on side of plate. I'm new at this, but I do think these pitches move, if the spin is right.
To the announcers defense, I can imagine it is diffult to call these things in real time, with out the totally awesome slo-mo!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I agree about all of the pitches. One of my students that is a beginning, big 14 yo, is left handed. So, every pitch looks different to her coach. He has been telling her how much her rise ball is moving. "OK?" I told her to thank him and move on.

I asked Cat Osterman, once if college girls throw a FB. She said "Some do. Some don't." That didn't tell me much, but I do wonder why MLB relies on it so much, if it is so easy to hit.

 

[CoachFP]

This is a great topic. Every inside pitch to them is a screwball. First off, I have never seen a real "screwball" in person, so I am taking people's word for it. Example, they talked about Escobedo's screwball and you know that those inside pitches, with her motion, are either bad riseballs or curves that didn't hit their mark. A true screwball would have spin opposite a curve, which is near impossible to get the way they are trying to throw it. A cutting drop ball can go down and in if the proper pressure is put on the fingers. I have not seen anything like that yet from these college pitchers. I don't know where these announcers sit relative to home plate, but they are just guessing. This is not to take away from the level of talent of some of these pitchers, which for a few of them is outstanding.
Another thing you don't see much of is a good drop ball. The college pitchers by and large are curve, rise and change up pitchers. While some admittedly have good drop balls, I believe that they are in the minority.