- Aug 21, 2008
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For the "low rise" it's a rise that didn't get up most of the time. Why would you want to take pitch at the knees and bring it up to the belt? Seems like kind of a bad strategy.
In a true, low rise, this isn't what happens.
A low rise is most effective when coupled with a very good drop. The premise is to keep the drop ball down, until they stop swinging or the ump stops calling the pitch a strike. Then, the low rise comes in at the BOTTOM of the zone and should cross at the knees. Basically, we want the hitter to think it's a drop but it sneaks into the bottom of the zone for a strike. Most often, it's a "looking" strike not a swinging. Again, this is because of it's deception. A riseball this is "thigh high" or belt high should be murdered, if it's not... the pitcher got away with it but that doesn't mean it was done on purpose or should be repeated!
That said, i can't even listen to the announcers on ESPN anymore. As someone pointed out, anything low is a drop.. anything high is a rise... etc. And don't even get me started on the "step to the left, throw to the right "SCREWBALL". No it wasn't!! Or when they tell you "Jane Doe" has 8 different pitches, even though they all spin the same. NO, SHE HAS 1 PITCH THAT SHE MAY THROW 8 DIFFERENT SPOTS!!! Big difference!! Putting the ball inside on a RH hitter doesn't mean it screwed in. 99.99999999999999999999999999% do not actually make the ball curve inward. Wanna know what a screw ball is? It's a poor man's low rise. It's a ball they can spot inside but doesn't go down.
Bill