Pitches and CWS

[Ken B]

I think it was s pitcher from OU a couple years back that threw as close to 6-12 rise as you can get, and also threw a drop with correct rotation.

Lowary and Parker

 

[smddad]

Thanks Ken. That’s them!

 

[sluggers]

Fouts throws a bullet spin pitch but she throws a 12-6 drop ball. The result is a large divergence in the height of the pitch at the plate...requiring more correction in the bat swing then a batter can make.

Like Mariano Rivera, I suspect that Fouts has almost identical release points for both pitches, making it almost impossible for a batter to detect the difference between the two pitches.

Why Fouts isn't on the Olympic team is beyond me.

 

[STRIKE3]

@sluggers if you are watching the games today (OU game now) check out G Juarez and tell me if you see riseball back spin.

I think I am seeing it after the first inning. Will try to get some video but if watching check it out.

Gracias Amigo!

S3

 

[Hillhouse]

Fouts throws a bullet spin pitch but she throws a 12-6 drop ball. The result is a large divergence in the height of the pitch at the plate...requiring more correction in the bat swing then a batter can make.

Like Mariano Rivera, I suspect that Fouts has almost identical release points for both pitches, making it almost impossible for a batter to detect the difference between the two pitches.

Why Fouts isn't on the Olympic team is beyond me.

Who would you take off the Olympic team for her? Keep in mind, this US team was picked 2 years ago. From all I read, Fouts was a good pitcher 2 years ago but, has been great this year. I realize this comment might just be a hyperbole compliment to her, and I am pretty sure she's a shoe in for the upcoming National team events (World champs, Pan Ams, etc) but, remember: the Olympic roster is only 15 spots. They already have 2 "Pitcher only" people (Abbott and Osterman), the other 2 (Carda and Garcia) are also position players. With a strict 15 person roster, you need versatile players who are not pitcher only.

I didn't watch last night but a perfect game is hard to do (obviously). But on that stage, it adds to the degree of difficulty when there are big time nerves at play. Congrats to her. I know a lot of people who know her too and they say she's an even better person than she is a pitcher. That's the best compliment a person can get.

 

[Hillhouse]

There is this thing called a mute button but I guess if you used that you couldn’t come on here and whine about her...

Whine about her? Since ESPN isn't allowed to say her name without the preamble "2 time olympic gold medalist", I want to make sure that stays true here too. And, if there was a radio broadcast that I could watch on TV and listen to on the radio, that absolutely would go that route if I watched.

And sluggers is right, it's an annual thing to complain about the announcers. They get a few token male announcers who are absolutely clueless about the game. They are probably trying hard to work their way up to an ESPN baseball commentary team and this is that start. Then they bring in some former players for color who make a habit of dumbing down the game so much that it becomes insulting. It's as if no pitchers make any mistakes because everything thrown inside is a great "screwball", anything thrown high is a riseball, low pitches are all drops, etc.

And for what it's worth, my own personal interactions with 2 time Olympic Gold medalist Michele Smith (which date back to the early 1990's when the USA men's and women's teams would train at the same locations) are not something to brag about. She was a great pitcher but, I'm not a big fan of her personally. So, some of my dislike goes beyond the commentary.

 

[sluggers]

With a strict 15 person roster, you need versatile players who are not pitcher only.

What? You don't field a team with 15 pitchers?

(On second thought...can you imagine 15 pitchers together for 2 years? Yikes!)

 

[_MIA_]

She was a great pitcher but, I'm not a big fan of her personally. So, some of my dislike goes beyond the commentary.

Yeah I figured as much. No need to have commentary when you watch a game but most teams have radio broadcasts which they livestream online...

 

[Hillhouse]

Yeah I figured as much. No need to have commentary when you watch a game but most teams have radio broadcasts which they livestream online...

I tried that once when I was wanting to watch a football game but couldn't stand the local announcers being homers. So I tried watching on TV and listening on the radio but there was a 4-5 second gap between what I'd see and what I'd hear. It's like watching a Youtube clip when the audio and video aren't in sync. It's maddening. LOL.

 

[Hillhouse]

What? You don't field a team with 15 pitchers?

(On second thought...can you imagine 15 pitchers together for 2 years? Yikes!)

Well, all pitchers believe they are excellent hitters! So, this challenge would be a great way to put that to the test! lol. I'm all for it. Osterman is the only one I've ever known who didn't want to hit. She jokingly asked allowed why the US sponsors sent her a helmet and bat.