Build a Pitcher: Spin, Speed, Spot

[_MIA_]

With the percentile idea how would the best female fastpitch pitchers in history fair in those categories? Ueno? Abbott? Osterman? etc

 

[ANNASDAD]

@ANNASDAD use my percentile idea that will make things clearer. So lets just 100th percentile in control for you. Can a kid with below average speed (whatever average is for the competition) and spin consistently get kids out if they have ridiculous control? If we go to baseball, Maddux was 100 in control and close to 100 in "spin" (his ball moved a ton) and probably close to 50 in speed (at least for that time)

Edit: The 250 combined percentile is sort of arbitrary...

I say yes, the #1 pitcher for USC Upstate a couple of years ago absolutely mastered spin, she was the NC Gatorade player of the year her senior year in HS and was recruited my many D1 schools. She threw anywhere from 48 to 65 and rarely threw 65.

We were playing in a showcase at Tyger River in Spartanburg, SC that USC Upstate was hosting, at one of the gates one of the team catchers was collecting money and talking coaches names. Her hand was wrapped up, this catcher said this particular pitcher had put every catcher they had that year on the DL because of how insanely she spun the ball, so for her it was spin first, then location, then speed.

I point blank asked this catcher, purely as a hitter.....would you rather face this pitcher's spin or a girl who threw 65++, she said she'd rather face pure speed any day over spin!

This is/was a very competitive team who always has to go through Alabama every year in regionals, Murphy said Upstate scares him as much as any team they ever meet in regionals.

 

[_MIA_]

I say yes, the #1 pitcher for USC Upstate a couple of years ago absolutely mastered spin, she was the NC Gatorade player of the year her senior year in HS and was recruited my many D1 schools. She threw anywhere from 48 to 65 and rarely threw 65.

We were playing in a showcase at Tyger River in Spartanburg, SC that USC Upstate was hosting, at one of the gates one of the team catchers was collecting money and talking coaches names. Her hand was wrapped up, this catcher said this particular pitcher had put every catcher they had that year on the DL because of how insanely she spun the ball, so for her it was spin first, then location, then speed.

I point blank asked this catcher, purely as a hitter.....would you rather face this pitcher's spin or a girl who threw 65++, she said she'd rather face pure speed any day over spin!

This is/was a very competitive team who always has to go through Alabama every year in regionals, Murphy said Upstate scares him as much as any team they ever meet in regionals.

Well I said below average speed and spin since you only gave 50 combined to both..like I said a kid with ridiculous control and spin but average speed would be the female Maddux.
That said the ball moves much less in softball so I am not sure it is as much of an advantage as having 2 ft of break on your 2 seamer in baseball..

Sounds like that kid probably sat around 60?? That is probably a bit better than average for anything other than D1 and maybe only P5 D1 (ESPN guns not withstanding...)

 

[ANNASDAD]

Well I said below average speed and spin since you only gave 50 combined to both..like I said a kid with ridiculous control and spin but average speed would be the female Maddux. That said the ball moves much less in softball so I am not sure it is as much of an advantage as having 2 ft of break on your 2 seamer in baseball..

Gotta say the girl I'm using for the example is the exception to the rule, and my 200 number may be a little skewed, I could have jumped the gun a little.....

Maybe we should go back and break it down for age groups and ability? If we're talking about 10's - 12's - and maybe 14's, absolutely location first! Then spin, and then mixing speeds.

 

[_MIA_]

Maybe we should go back and break it down for age groups and ability? If we're talking about 10's - 12's - and maybe 14's, absolutely location first! Then spin, and then mixing speeds.

To me that is backwards (yeah I am giving you crap today... ) until 14's. 10's and 12's speed rules..1/2 the kids have some form of bat drag...hitting mechanics in general at those ages are not very good from what I have seen. 14's and above things start to change, at least in my experience.

 

[ANNASDAD]

To me that is backwards (yeah I am giving you crap today... ) until 14's. 10's and 12's speed rules..1/2 the kids have some form of bat drag...hitting mechanics in general at those ages are not very good from what I have seen. 14's and above things start to change, at least in my experience.

Well at least you're leaving RAD alone, for the moment.

No you have a great point about speed at lower ages. I'll use Anna for example, in 10's she threw hard, in 12's she was still above average in speed, in 14's things started to even out. But she could throw it through a pie plate at will, change speeds, and had a pretty darn good change up.

At the early ages she'd start them off with a strike, 2nd pitch in the river, in or out, fouled off, strike two, then she'd locate an unhittable pitch for hopefully a SO or weak grounder. Little munchkin made a living doing that to hitters 1-4, 1-5 and then she'd overpower the bottom of the lineup. I used to tell my wife with me calling pitches it felt like I (we) were cheating, that's of course if Anna did her part, that's kind of important!

 

[_MIA_]

Well at least you're leaving RAD alone, for the moment.

Damn you are right..thanks for reminding me..

 

[Gambler Bob]

200 on spotting up / location, you can split up the other 50 points however you see fit, but with more emphasis on spin over speed.

That pitcher will get rocked! Now you get 25 for speed and 25 for spin. You are basically throwing a 45-50mph fastball that you can locate.

 

[ANNASDAD]

That pitcher will get rocked! Now you get 25 for speed and 25 for spin. You are basically throwing a 45-50mph fastball that you can locate.

Okay

 

[Gambler Bob]

With the percentile idea how would the best female fastpitch pitchers in history fair in those categories? Ueno? Abbott? Osterman? etc

Ueno and Abott are both 100 in speed and I would go 75 in both spin and location

Osterman would be 90 spin, 80 speed 80 location.

That would be my best guess.