Junkballers

[Vertigo]

If it is a youtube video you should just be able to paste the link.

Unfortunately it is not. I’ll upload it later to YouTube and see if I can send.

 

[_MIA_]

Unfortunately it is not. I’ll upload it later to YouTube and see if I can send.

Thanks. Not a big deal, no rush. I mean I could googled it if I was in a rush

 

[Vertigo]

Thanks. Not a big deal, no rush. I mean I could googled it if I was in a rush

Lol - gotcha. I figured it wasn’t a do or die thing.

 

[ANNASDAD]

Several years ago we were at a tournament in Spartanburg, SC that USC Upstate was hosting. We've been to multiple camps there, even several overnighters so I somewhat knew these girls. This is one solid D1 softball program!

I was talking to their 3B and a outfielder, the 3B was All Conference and the outfielder was an All-American, both absolute studs!

So I asked them both one simple straight forward question.....would you rather face a pitcher who throws straight gas, or a pitcher who spins the absolute crap out of the ball like your #1 Lexi Shubert?? Without hesitation both quickly answered the same.....straight gas, any and every time!!

Of course Lexi was the exception, according to that 3B, her spin kept all the catchers on the DL throughout the year with hand issues, she was hard to square up in the pocket.

 

[radness]

Several years ago we were at a tournament in Spartanburg, SC that USC Upstate was hosting. We've been to multiple camps there, even several overnighters so I somewhat knew these girls. This is one solid D1 softball program!

I was talking to their 3B and a outfielder, the 3B was All Conference and the outfielder was an All-American, both absolute studs!

So I asked them both one simple straight forward question.....would you rather face a pitcher who throws straight gas, or a pitcher who spins the absolute crap out of the ball like your #1 Lexi Shubert?? Without hesitation both quickly answered the same.....straight gas, any and every time!!

Of course Lexi was the exception, according to that 3B, her spin kept all the catchers on the DL throughout the year with hand issues, she was hard to square up in the pocket.

Yep! Speed alone is nothing without controlling/mixing it and location!

 

[_MIA_]

Here we go

You guys are getting off track from the original post. You throw any pitch >80% of the time, especially slow curves, and eventually good hitters are going to figure it out. Most hitters in 14U are not good hitters..(you could tell 1/2 the kids a CU was coming and they still wouldn't be able to hit it..eg the whole "she is too slow crap" I always hear..really?? I've told DD I don't want to hear her complain about that..go complain to your mother)

There is a reason that pitchers with only 1, maybe 2 good pitches, are typically used in the bullpen in MLB (or that is the way it used to be when starters went more than 5 innings)

 

[uncdrew]

Look there are only so many kids with an elite fastball. I wish more kids would go to the offspeed and miss with the fastball....I know my hitters hate that.

I saw a very average "A" pitcher hold the would-be national champions (Beverly Bandits) to 1 run over 5 innings throwing nothing but changeups in a qualifier. Coaches were screaming, parents were mad, and the pitcher throwing the change wouldn't stop grinning.

"The best swordsman does not fear the second best. He fears the worst since there’s no telling what that idiot is going to do."

We've had that philosophy used against us several times. Usually second time through the line-up our girls are pounding the ball.

 

[radness]

Here we go

You throw any pitch >80% of the time, especially slow curves, and eventually good hitters are going to figure it out.

Yes! That is why I wrote this

Yep! Speed alone is nothing without controlling/mixing it and location!

Most hitters in 14U are not good hitters..(you could tell 1/2 the kids a CU was coming and they still wouldn't be able to hit it..eg the whole "she is too slow crap" I always hear..really??

Hmmm pitch selection or selective listening

As a hitter For me change-ups are not my favorite pitch to have to deal with.
As a catcher I like them mixed in.

 

[_MIA_]

For me change-ups are not my favorite pitch to have to deal with.

I bet you wouldn't have minded them if the pitcher told you they were coming..that was my point. Good hitters should be able to adjust to slow pitchers...(which is all a CU is if you know it is coming..)

 

[_MIA_]

To an exaggerated extent (since the ability of OU hitters last year was exaggerated..), just look at what OU did to that kid for Northwestern in the WCWS. All they had to worry about was her CU (which was a very good CU..shut down plenty of teams along the way) and the second time through the order they teed off on her.

Maxwell from OSU has a very good CU as well, and beat them, but she has a better FB than the kid from Northwestern.