Unraveling Pitching Frustrations

[radness]

Lots of posts about how to pitch and pitching strategies.
But, Is pitching all it takes?

Its got to be extra daunting having a field of players who may not carry the weight they should.

How come bad throws?
How come cant catch that fly ball?
How come that little grounder wasnt an out?
How come runners are stealing?

Pitchers work on technical improvements generally more than the majority of their defense.
*Is it fair the defense makes simple errors when pitchers can only error by inches?

As a catcher always think
i have to work twice as hard as the pitcher.
For both their good days and bad.
As a coach things like throwing errors, & missed easy plays, are as bad as looking at strike 3.
Knowing how hard pitchers work. I take seriously the technical work i needed to put in as a teammate... And transfered that into leading others!

So this question~
How do pitchers handle
the bad defensive plays?

Because, I am certain if i were a pitcher, there would have been a few teammates i would have suggested doing some technical work

 

[schwabach]

Pitchers have bad days too.

The ability to move past bad days depends on team chemistry. If the team is generally happy together and there is a sense that everybody is trying, you basically forget about it and move on.

 

[_MIA_]

Players play, coaches coach. Worry about what you can control which is your performance. A MLB pitcher showed up his 3B last week and afterwards he said it was worse thing he has ever done on a baseball field (or something like that..)

 

[radness]

Pitchers have bad days too.

The ability to move past bad days depends on team chemistry. If the team is generally happy together and there is a sense that everybody is trying, you basically forget about it and move on.

Yes definetly that ☝
But do pitchers just move on?
Like a natural instinct they just ignor this? Hmmmm???
...theres gotta be a learning curve for atleast some pitchers. I'd imagine there is also a limit to basically forget about it.

How about that one teammate who consistantly is inconsistent?
How come they cant even throw to first base at a target thats 6 feet around? Can throw anywhere catchable and still nope throwing error.
How come the ball bounces out of that outfielders glove so much?
How come they couldnt sprint to that?

Yep i'm calling out the defense
Who should be doing some technical work

 

[schwabach]

The pitchers have a choice - be at peace with it or find another team.

 

[texasck1]

DD gets frustrated sometimes in the circle when things just go wrong in the field. She is a pitcher that depends on her defense and isn't going to strike a bunch out, but will usually get a lot of easy grounder and little pop ups. For the most part she is able to just move on and keep working, if not work harder to make up for her defense.

Funny story that taught my DD a lesson and humbled her. One game, her defense was leaking like a sieve while she was pitching. In the post game meeting, she expressed her frustration with her team about her giving her best and needing the same from them. You know what's coming. Next game, she's at 3rd and ole's 2 or 3 balls. Her team let her know about it after the game. No one was mad, just reminding each other that it goes both ways.

 

[_MIA_]

When I pitched I was too busy getting mad at myself to get mad at anybody else

 

[Tatonka]

RAD - this is a great topic and the issues are real. Frustrating for the pitcher who has to shake off weak D, a bad plate ump or bad pitch calling....yet all of it is a learning experience.

 

[radness]

Perhaps it could help if ALL players went and watched the technical work pitchers put in at lessons...

Defense may work on what they see as routine workouts.
Field ball, throw ball.
How many work on individual technical fixes
Throwing mechanics
Glove work
Sprinting, foot work.

Especially as early ages as pitchers are!

 

[schwabach]

Perhaps it could help if ALL players went and watched the technical work pitchers put in at lessons...

Defensive may work on what they see as routine workouts.
Field ball, throw ball.
How many work on individual technical fixes
Throwing mechanics
Glove work
Sprinting, foot work.

Especially as early ages as pitchers are!

What sort of team are you talking about? There are teams for the softball obsessed that practice everyday and there are teams where the girls don't want to work that hard.

Step one is to find the team that is the right fit for you. I think most players understand that the pitcher has special challenges, but that doesn't mean they feel a need to practice like and elite team does.