USCe vs. Ohio on SEC Network

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JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
South Carolina is about to play Ohio and [MENTION=10413]riseball[/MENTION] DD is pitching for the Gamecocks.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
South Carolina is about to play Ohio and [MENTION=10413]riseball[/MENTION] DD is pitching for the Gamecocks.

Looks like Jake is growing her hair long and this umpire can't call a strike on a change up (which is looking good this year).
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Was thrilled to see Jake throw the change the way she did tonight. She was giddy with excitement when I saw her after the game.

Awesome! Any idea how often she threw it?

IMO, a pitcher who commands and trusts their change up enough to throw it in any count/situation presents the toughest challenge for good hitters. As long as the pitch calling pattern doesn't become predictable, it can drive hitters crazy. It forces them to think, rather than react, and once you get them to that point they get conflicted between deciding to to sit on it or ignore it, and that slight indecision creates lingering doubts in their head regardless of whichever decision they make. At that point, the pitcher is into the batter's head and has gained a huge advantage as it makes ALL their pitches more effective. IME, the hardest thing to get buy in on, particularly from the coach, is just like every other pitch they throw, they need to keep throwing it after one gets crushed - no more of a sin to give up a dinger on a change than it is on a drop, rise, curve, or screw etc - they all count as 1 run.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
It forces them to think, rather than react, and once you get them to that point they get conflicted between deciding to to sit on it or ignore it, and that slight indecision creates lingering doubts in their head regardless of whichever decision they make. At that point, the pitcher is into the batter's head and has gained a huge advantage as it makes ALL their pitches more effective.

was watching OK / Auburn the other night, and one announcer specifically commented on the Auburn pitcher throwing her Change in the 1st inning, saying how most pitchers like to "save" the change for later in the game. Why? If the change gets into the batter's heads, why wouldnt you establish it right off the bat? Why wait to use that advantage until the 2nd or 3rd fime through the lineup?
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
was watching OK / Auburn the other night, and one announcer specifically commented on the Auburn pitcher throwing her Change in the 1st inning, saying how most pitchers like to "save" the change for later in the game. Why? If the change gets into the batter's heads, why wouldnt you establish it right off the bat? Why wait to use that advantage until the 2nd or 3rd fime through the lineup?

If a pitcher is effective the first time through the batting order without throwing her change up, saving it for the second time through the order can be an effective strategy.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
If a pitcher is effective the first time through the batting order without throwing her change up, saving it for the second time through the order can be an effective strategy.

First time through the line up is 3 innings if she's perfect, 2 if she's not (if it's fewer innings than that, she's already been relieved!). If you wait that long to introduce it, you've given the hitters a break until then IMO and haven't thrown it in over half an hour or more since pre- game warm ups, which isn't a great idea for a finesse pitch that has a low margin of error. IME you can employ essentially the same strategy to greater effect and have a good feel for the pitch so you can be sharp with it later in the game if you "show" the change (I.e., throw it as a waste pitch, not a strike) early in the game and then begin to feature it later in the game.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
was watching OK / Auburn the other night, and one announcer specifically commented on the Auburn pitcher throwing her Change in the 1st inning, saying how most pitchers like to "save" the change for later in the game. Why? If the change gets into the batter's heads, why wouldnt you establish it right off the bat? Why wait to use that advantage until the 2nd or 3rd fime through the lineup?

Preach on! Introducing the change early maximizes its effectiveness AND the effectiveness of all the other pitches for the entire game! IME switching back and forth between showing it (waste pitch) and featuring it (going for outs) makes batters crazy.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Looks like she has the start vs PC tomorrow at 12:30PM. Love when she throws the first game so I can start a 7 hour drive home a bit sooner. :)
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Looks like she has the start vs PC tomorrow at 12:30PM. Love when she throws the first game so I can start a 7 hour drive home a bit sooner. :)

Driving home from an away SEC SB game that your DD is starting sounds like a 1% problem to me! ;)

Good luck and safe travels, I'm jealous!
 

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