A framework for how to "think" about pitching

[sluggers]

When your DD is pitching, she has to think about the situation and the count and where to put the ball. Even if your DD is not calling the game herself, she has to ***THINK***. (I know it really, really hurts teenage girls to think.)

A coach might call the pitch or the pitch and location. The pitcher has to "fill in the blanks".

The picture illustrates a simple situation. The coach has called for a low outside fastball. Now, the pitcher has to decide what "low and outside" means.

1) The picture shows the *UMPIRE'S* strike zone. The perfectly rectangular strike zone described in the rule book DOES NOT EXIST IN SOFTBALL. In professional baseball, umpires are paid between $1000 to $2000 for each game. They have something very close to the perfect rectangular strike zone. Your DD's umpire is lucky to get $75 a game--so, your DD is going to get a $75.00 strike zone.

Your DD has to learn the umpire's strike zone. I'm very serious about this next statement: If your DD rolls her eyes or has a "mini-temper tantrum" because of an umpire's call, you should do everything you can to make sure she does not do it again. When your DD steps on the rubber, she has forfeited the right to be emotional. Every call the umpire makes is simply information about the strike zone.

Mini-temper tantrums are the death of a pitcher at anything over 14U ball--the umpires hate them. The other teams get inspired because they think the pitcher is cracking. If you as a parent even slightly condone this behavior, your DD will never be good.

2) The location of the pitch is thought of in terms of "balls" from the called location. A softball is roughly 4 inches in diameter. So, a low outside fastball exactly at the corner of the zone is "zero balls" from the location. A ball slightly off the plate is "one ball" (4 inches) off the plate" A ball considered "very far outside" is two balls (8 inches) off the plate.

3) You'll notice one ball which is located completely within the strike zone. This pitch is one ball over the plate.

Here is pitching an at bat early in the game. Assume that the coach is calling only low outside fastballs. (Yes, I know no one should ever call 5 low outside fastballs in a row.)

Count 0-0 Pitch 1: One ball over the plate. "I need a first pitch strike"
Count 0-1 Pitch 2: Zero balls over the plate. "I'm willing bet my control is better than the batter's control."
Count 0-2 Pitch 3: Two balls off the plate "Maybe I get the batter to go fishing."
Count 1-2 Pitch 4: One ball off the plate. "Perhaps something a little closer might work."
Count 2-2 Pitch 5: Zero balls over the plate. "Ok...it is me vs. her. I'm a better pitcher than she is a batter."

 

[fpthrives]

What is the thinking on 1-0, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2 counts?

 

[GunnerShotgun]

What is the thinking on 1-0, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2 counts?

We use a very similar approach on our team. I frame it to my pitchers that they rarely want to throw a strike (and give up a hit) on an 0-2 count. A lot of batters get nervous and do not want to go down looking. So missing on the 0-2 count you want to miss by two ball lengths.

If they take the pitch you want to miss but miss closer to the plate, so lets say one ball length.

If they take again the count is 2-2 and you are going to try and hit the black as you want to avoid 3-2.

Now as Sluggers pointed out we aren't throwing 4 outside fastballs in a row however if I call for an outside low fastball on a 1-2 count they know exactly how far outside the pitch needs to be (how many ball lengths).

If a batter fouls off an 0-2 pitch you generally hear cursing from the dugout as the batter should not be fouling off a pitch that was supposed to be two ball lengths off of the plate.

Hope that helps.

 

[fpthrives]

We use a very similar approach on our team. I frame it to my pitchers that they rarely want to throw a strike (and give up a hit) on an 0-2 count. A lot of batters get nervous and do not want to go down looking. So missing on the 0-2 count you want to miss by two ball lengths.

If they take the pitch you want to miss but miss closer to the plate, so lets say one ball length.

If they take again the count is 2-2 and you are going to try and hit the black as you want to avoid 3-2.

Now as Sluggers pointed out we aren't throwing 4 outside fastballs in a row however if I call for an outside low fastball on a 1-2 count they know exactly how far outside the pitch needs to be (how many ball lengths).

If a batter fouls off an 0-2 pitch you generally hear cursing from the dugout as the batter should not be fouling off a pitch that was supposed to be two ball lengths off of the plate.

Hope that helps.

Thank you.

What is the thinking on 1-0, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2 counts?

 

[Greenmonsters]

When your DD is pitching, she has to think about the situation and the count and where to put the ball. Even if your DD is not calling the game herself, she has to ***THINK***. (I know it really, really hurts teenage girls to think.)

A coach might call the pitch or the pitch and location. The pitcher has to "fill in the blanks".

The picture illustrates a simple situation. The coach has called for a low outside fastball. Now, the pitcher has to decide what "low and outside" means.

1) The picture shows the *UMPIRE'S* strike zone. The perfectly rectangular strike zone described in the rule book DOES NOT EXIST IN SOFTBALL. In professional baseball, umpires are paid between $1000 to $2000 for each game. They have something very close to the perfect rectangular strike zone. Your DD's umpire is lucky to get $75 a game--so, your DD is going to get a $75.00 strike zone.

Your DD has to learn the umpire's strike zone. I'm very serious about this next statement: If your DD rolls her eyes or has a "mini-temper tantrum" because of an umpire's call, you should do everything you can to make sure she does not do it again. When your DD steps on the rubber, she has forfeited the right to be emotional. Every call the umpire makes is simply information about the strike zone.

Mini-temper tantrums are the death of a pitcher at anything over 14U ball--the umpires hate them. The other teams get inspired because they think the pitcher is cracking. If you as a parent even slightly condone this behavior, your DD will never be good.

2) The location of the pitch is thought of in terms of "balls" from the called location. A softball is roughly 4 inches in diameter. So, a low outside fastball exactly at the corner of the zone is "zero balls" from the location. A ball slightly off the plate is "one ball" (4 inches) off the plate" A ball considered "very far outside" is two balls (8 inches) off the plate.

3) You'll notice one ball which is located completely within the strike zone. This pitch is one ball over the plate.

Here is pitching an at bat early in the game. Assume that the coach is calling only low outside fastballs. (Yes, I know no one should ever call 5 low outside fastballs in a row.)

Count 0-0 Pitch 1: One ball over the plate. "I need a first pitch strike"
Count 0-1 Pitch 2: Zero balls over the plate. "I'm willing bet my control is better than the batter's control."
Count 0-2 Pitch 3: Two balls off the plate "Maybe I get the batter to go fishing."
Count 1-2 Pitch 4: One ball off the plate. "Perhaps something a little closer might work."
Count 2-2 Pitch 5: Zero balls over the plate. "Ok...it is me vs. her. I'm a better pitcher than she is a batter."

View attachment 8537

Good advice from Sluggers; however IMO it overlooks the batter's strike zone, which may be even more important than the umpire's strike zone! If hitters are chasing pitches outside the umpire's strike zone, then you don't have to pitch to the umpire's zone and the fewer balls you have to throw over or near the plate, the better!

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Thank you.

What is the thinking on 1-0, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1 and 3-2 counts?

That usually depends on the situation, runners on base, and where we are in the lineup.

If my pitcher misses by one ball length on the 9 hitter with a 3-2 count she is going to hear about it, we want them to hit (or called thirds strike) in that scenario. If my pitcher misses by one ball length on 3-2 on the 4 hitter with first base open I would call that a good miss. People like to talk about the ability to throw strikes, we spend a lot of time talking about the quality of our misses. We aren't looking for strikeouts (too much work) but we are looking for a lot of miss hit balls.

We usually have visual or verbal queues to remind the pitcher how aggressive or safe they need to be with their misses. Conversations usually take place after every inning between myself the pitcher and the catcher just to make sure we are on the same page. We usually identify a couple of hitters we don't want to beat us and will take our chances with the other 7.

My pitchers have the ability to shake off any pitch and location. They have ERA next to their name, not mine.

 

[PA SB Dad]

Just AWESOME...Copying and sending out my pitchers (and their parents), and BOLDING the part about the temper tantrums.