Looking for help. Teaching catchers to call the game

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Apr 2, 2015
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Woodstock, man
With pitcher son, starting at abt 12yo 'we' threw a mock set of hitters at the end of each practice/bullpen about 3x a week.

Bunter up first. What pitch to throw 1st/2nd/3rd? Why?

Slapper 2nd batter What pitches?

Home run hitter ,etc. etc.

Say the situation, make the pitch call, then how did you execute? Based on where you threw the last pitch, what pitch is next?

Keep going until you get 3 'outs'.

Could do the same with catchers as a group.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
A couple of places to start

I have so many questions about this very weird chart (stance/position in box really doesn't matter nearly as much as this chart indicates), but the biggest one: Why would I want more fly balls in humid weather when the ball travels farther in humidity?
 
Jul 5, 2016
652
63
I have so many questions about this very weird chart (stance/position in box really doesn't matter nearly as much as this chart indicates), but the biggest one: Why would I want more fly balls in humid weather when the ball travels farther in humidity?

I'm going to hazard a guess that when you are worried about how far fly balls travel given the temperature, altitude and humidity, then you are at a point where you have mastered your softball skills.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
I have so many questions about this very weird chart (stance/position in box really doesn't matter nearly as much as this chart indicates), but the biggest one: Why would I want more fly balls in humid weather when the ball travels farther in humidity?

That chart is like a bad joke that won't go away. The longer you stare at it the less sense it makes.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
I'm going to hazard a guess that when you are worried about how far fly balls travel given the temperature, altitude and humidity, then you are at a point where you have mastered your softball skills.

There's that, too. Wind I could see being a pretty big factor. I'm not sure how many extra feet of flight a percentage point of humidity adds to a ball though.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
I have so many questions about this very weird chart (stance/position in box really doesn't matter nearly as much as this chart indicates), but the biggest one: Why would I want more fly balls in humid weather when the ball travels farther in humidity?
Because statistically, the on base percentage and the hit statistics are approximately .177 on fly ball if remember correctly. Also, contrary to popular belief, the high humidity makes the air thicker and the ball does NOT travel further...it travels LESS. Just ask any airplane pilot how humidity and temperature affect the lift of their plane. Hot air and low humidity makes taking off almost impossible in some areas. That's why those areas have much longer runways than others. That also means that the ball will travel further in a lower humidity atmosphere. How do I know this? I'm a private pilot and need to know this kind of stuff.

So according to statistics and my knowledge of planes as a pilot, this chart makes sense for the most part. I'm not saying it's the cat's meeow of pitching charts, but it's a good start on learning about what to think about and when to call what pitch. Personally, I think it's a bit of overthinking and the second example is a far simpler way of doing things.
 
Last edited:
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Because statistically, the on base percentage and the hit statistics are approximately .177 on fly ball if remember correctly. Also, contrary to popular belief, the high humidity makes the air thicker and the ball does NOT travel further...it travels LESS. Just ask any airplane pilot how humidity and temperature affect the lift of their plane. Hot air and low humidity makes taking off almost impossible in some areas. That's why those areas have much longer runways than others. That also means that the ball will travel further in a lower humidity atmosphere. How do I know this? I'm a private pilot and need to know this kind of stuff.

So according to statistics and my knowledge of planes as a pilot, this chart makes sense for the most part. I'm not saying it's the cat's meeow of pitching charts, but it's a good start on learning about what to think about and when to call what pitch. Personally, I think it's a bit of overthinking and the second example is a far simpler way of doing things.

If you have a pitcher that can throw all of those pitches to all of those locations you don't need that chart.

Additionally in my opinion you should pitch to your pitchers strength. If your pitchers throws drop balls as her primary you need to be throwing drop balls.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Because statistically, the on base percentage and the hit statistics are approximately .177 on fly ball if remember correctly. Also, contrary to popular belief, the high humidity makes the air thicker and the ball does NOT travel further...it travels LESS. Just ask any airplane pilot how humidity and temperature affect the lift of their plane. Hot air and low humidity makes taking off almost impossible in some areas. That's why those areas have much longer runways than others. That also means that the ball will travel further in a lower humidity atmosphere. How do I know this? I'm a private pilot and need to know this kind of stuff.

So according to statistics and my knowledge of planes as a pilot, this chart makes sense for the most part. I'm not saying it's the cat's meeow of pitching charts, but it's a good start on learning about what to think about and when to call what pitch. Personally, I think it's a bit of overthinking and the second example is a far simpler way of doing things.

Humidity does not make the air thicker because water molecules are lighter than oxygen and nitrogren molecules.

I don't know anything about planes, but I do know that humidity makes the air less dense, which allows the ball to travel farther. There's a reason the ball travels farther in higher altitude (thinner air) environments.

Are you going to argue that the ball doesn't actually travel farther at Coors Field than other parks?
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
Humidity does not make the air thicker because water molecules are lighter than oxygen and nitrogen molecules.

I don't know anything about planes, but I do know that humidity makes the air less dense, which allows the ball to travel farther. There's a reason the ball travels farther in higher altitude (thinner air) environments.

Are you going to argue that the ball doesn't actually travel farther at Coors Field than other parks?
You are talking apples and oranges and introducing other variables such as atmospheric pressure. friction and resistance into the discussion. The molecular weight of breathable oxygen (o2) is 15.99994 x 2. The free Nitrogen in the air comes in at a few ten thousandths (.0007) over 14 again x 2. Water Molecule? 18.0152. This is true. That said, there is no true modeling of a ball in flight that takes into consideration all (just many/most) of the forces acting on it using any conventional science such as fluid dynamics. Once upon a time (years ago before DD started playing SB) when I still played golf, I drove the ball further in Arizona's high temperatures and low humidity than I did in Florida with it's high humidity. Either way, the overall effects of humidity according to science, in general, on ball flight should be negligible but for some reason I keep going back to my days of playing golf.
 
Last edited:
Apr 2, 2015
1,198
113
Woodstock, man
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