Know a pitcher who threw mostly change ups?

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Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
How slow should the CU be? 10 to 15 mph slower than her FB? Everybody seems to like the flip change but I think its too slow for good hitters to recognize it and smash. I like the CU that is 6 to 8 mph slower than FB. Does anybody have 2 different CUs they use?
 
Sep 19, 2018
928
93
BTW, from games ive seen so far this college season, it sure seems like the CU has fallen out of favor (limited viewing sample for sure)
This past weekend against Duke, Valerie Cagle's fastball was sitting (SITTING) at 73mph.
I am not suggesting it is right, but as players are bigger, stronger and better trained, it is easy to fall in love with velocity.

Loving velocity is nothing new. Sparkly Lyle's book "The Bronx Zoo' chronicles his 1978 season on the Yankees. He won the Cy Young in 1977 and then in the off season the Yankees brought in Goose Gossage. I am paraphrasing but he writes something like, "Who would ever bring in my 73mph slider, when they can bring in Goose's 95mph fastball?"
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Whether that strategy would work would depend if I had to worry about them blowing something hard by me..

"I looked for the same pitch my whole career, a breaking ball. All of the time. I never worried about the fastball. They couldn't throw it past me, none of them." -Hank Aaron
 
Jul 22, 2015
851
93
Ever use or face a pitcher who threw more change ups than anything else?
Any pitchers you know?

Not just talking about a slow junk only pitcher.
I coached and called pitches for a pitcher last year who, at times, threw as many change ups as anything else. She can spot it anywhere and has a drop-curve that spins very similarly so we alternated between those two and a rise or screw every now and then. Even when they decided to sit on the change up most hitters just didn't do much with it. She's had good success at the juco level this year as well. I generally called at least 2 per hitter unless it looked like they had a power hitter just really sitting on it.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
How slow should the CU be? 10 to 15 mph slower than her FB? Everybody seems to like the flip change but I think its too slow for good hitters to recognize it and smash. I like the CU that is 6 to 8 mph slower than FB. Does anybody have 2 different CUs they use?

My dd has an off-speed drop that is a few mph slower than her fastest pitch which is her curve. Her change is about 15 mph slower than her curve.
 
Jul 1, 2019
172
43
How slow should the CU be? 10 to 15 mph slower than her FB? Everybody seems to like the flip change but I think its too slow for good hitters to recognize it and smash. I like the CU that is 6 to 8 mph slower than FB. Does anybody have 2 different CUs they use?
DD can throw her change at two different speeds, one comes in around 46 and the other around 41 (FB currently around 56-57). The only time she uses the 46mph speed is if it's a first pitch for a strike, because HC is known to call another CU for 2nd pitch and if he does she wants to be able to throw even slower.

Though she threw a very accurate and effective flip change back in 10u and first yr 12's, she doesn't like the risk of having one float. They became a little harder to keep low as her speeds started getting above 50. Trust me, a hanging flip change against A level 12U or older have a tendency to go quite a long way, so she moved to a drop spin CU last yr at 12u. She can throw both of her current speeds either straight drop spin (if inside pitch) or with a tail out on a rhb (thrown on the outside corner). The CU is without question one of DD's favorite and most effective pitches, though her curve is quickly becoming her coaches favorite.
 
Last edited:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I don't know that I've seen a P who throws mostly CUs, but I've certainly seen some that will throw at least 1 per batter, with varying levels of success. A couple of years ago, my DD's team played against a P who threw a CU on the first pitch of every AB. It was an interesting choice since it was VERY rarely a strike.

My DD's current team has a P who is SLOW. I think she tops out in the low 40s. If her control is decent, she can be pretty effective. There have been more than a couple of teams that we've seen wreck Ps in the upper 50s and faster, then struggle badly against our slow girl. It's kind of amusing. Other days, it's like BP - or worse, a walk-fest - which is not nearly as amusing.
 
Aug 27, 2019
640
93
Lakewood CA.
Lots of fastballs mentioned in this discussion.
My DD catches TB and HS. She says that none of the pitchers she catches throw a “fastball”. They throw pretty fast (low 60’s) but never just a fastball. Curve and rise are the “fast” pitch in their arsenal and the drop and CU’s for off speed. The ones that have good CU’s and drops are very effective.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Nov 25, 2012
1,437
83
USA
you are giving me a headache as I am having to search deep into my memory but yes.....there was a D1 Non-Power 5 girl about 3 years ago that threw mainly change ups (at least 75% if not more). I remember watching the game on ESPN + in amazement and almost impossible to hit that game.
I will try to put my finger on it and get back to you if I can find it in my vault.
 

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