(#158)
Here is a collection of “Savvy Observations” about the game I love. This is some great baseball stuff I’ve collected in my brain over a long career and after. It is an on-going project.
At a Hinds game, our pitcher got a double play ball which hit the umpire in a private location that not only screwed him up for the next few minutes, but was called interference which loaded the bases. I’m not sure why they stand right in front of the shortstop. My grandson Dean, age 4 (at the time), said loud enough for everybody in the bleachers to hear, “He got hit in the winky.” Yes Dean, he did. Ironically, the pitcher got another double play ball to get out of the inning. It was a “pair” of double plays in one inning, one of which was interrupted by another “pair.”
After 40 years of coaching I finally came up with a term I have looking for: “Intestical” fortitude. The term speaks for itself. Not many players have it. Most players have the former (the intesticals), but not the latter (the fortitude). It’s the key to toughness and success. Feel free to use it.
With 2 strikes, always look fastball first and adjust down. No guessing with two strikes. Just see the ball and react and use a shorter stroke. Why look fastball first? Because it’s faster. It’s quite a bit faster, especially in these days.
The leading cause of brain injury and early onset dementia is old baseball coaches is having to watch pitchers who can’t and won’t throw strikes. You can add those who can’t consistently make the routine play on defense or outfielder’s catching flyballs with one hand and hitter’s that cannot and will not protect the plate with two strikes.
Reset to default means to mentally and physically move on to the next pitch and recreate the mindset, body language, behavior and game plan; it’s your “factory setting,” the way you have been intentionally designed to compete.
I like to see when a hitter takes ball 3 to make the count 3-0 and immediately looks into the dugout or to the third base coach (or wrist band or watch) for the green light. Some are not even aware that swinging on that count is a possibility. The 3-0 pitch just might be the best pitch you see all day. After 40 years, I’ve changed my thinking on it. I would certainly lean toward it with runners in scoring position.
I saw a hitter walk on “strike three” and another hitter strike out on “ball four.” It happens all the time. Sometimes it’s on the ump, sometimes it’s on the hitter, but every time it’s on the pitcher.
There is nothing better than timely hitting and dominating pitching.
A shot back up the middle for a sure 2-out run scoring single was deflected by the glove of a left-handed pitcher while following-through which changed the ball’s path and went directly to the shortstop who threw to first base for a routine out to end the inning. Score it 1-6-3. That’s baseball. And the hitter just smiled in a non-defensive way.
Pitchers need to know when runners are not going to steal. They are either too slow or the score is too lopsided for them to run. The guys up the middle need to know this so they can play their positions to field routine ground balls. And perhaps the first baseman plays behind the runner instead of holding him on, especially with a left-handed hitter at the plate.
I saw a pitcher who kept throwing over to first with a 10 run lead. The same pitcher also kept making multiple looks to the runner on 2nd base with the bases loaded.
Know who the first-ball fastball hitters are. Many hitters take the first pitch most of the time. Why? I’m not sure. Mix up the first pitch selections when facing that guy. You can use multiple pitches for strike one, but use the big part of the plate to get ahead.
One of the keys in a tight game is having the confidence to throw a breaking ball (curve ball or slider; I prefer the slider) or change-up on the 3-2 pitch. It will make a huge difference. I’ve seen home runs on the 3-2 fastball probably because the hitter was sure he was going to get it. 3-2 should be considered “behind on the count” for the hitter because he has two strikes and ahead on the count for the pitcher for the same reason. It’s fun when the coach or catcher can call any pitch and the pitcher simply executes it with great confidence. It’s always a work in progress and evolves with time, but it should be a part of everyone’s bullpen sequences.
One of the greatest things I ever saw was on what appeared to be a run-scoring single, hit sharply to left field. The runner was coming from second and rounding third when he began a premature scoring celebration by jogging towards the plate and taunting the opponent’s dugout with words and gestures. However, the left fielder threw a missile to home plate and while the catcher decoyed the runner and just a step before the runner was going to stomp on the plate and dance, a perfect throw arrived, the catcher became “unfrozen,” caught the ball and applied it firmly into the chest of the unsuspecting, cocky runner for a big and fun to watch out. Premature exhilaration! His coach took him out of the game as we all would. Karma-is-a!
I also saw a hitter who was celebrating a home run and leaped into the air three or four times while going down the first base line and on the fourth leap came down and sprained his right ankle. It was unfortunate for him, but also a good lesson. Just hit a home run and move quickly around the bases like you should. It was probably his first career home run. The umps allowed the run to count but he never touched home plate or any base for that matter. The old school coaches, like me, would say cut the excessive celebration stuff and act like you’ve been there before.
Do teams still do the excessive jubilation, Broadway show production stuff on home runs when they’re down 15-1? I sure hope not. (P.S.- I just saw it. They do).
Even if it is not a save situation, the job of the pitcher is to simply subtract the final three outs and end the game. It’s always puzzling to watch a big league game where the commentators make excuses for an ineffective outing by a closer pitching in a “non-save” situation. The “W” for the team is the only essential stat in this situation.
Here’s one great idea to speed up the game. Let’s eliminate the coaches slow walking to the mound just to wait for the bullpen guy to arrive, hand him the ball and then slow walk back to the dugout. Don’t go out there at all. Just call timeout, point and give the umpire the change verbally- “12 for 32. The DH remains.” He throws his 8 warmup pitches and we continue play.
On a swinging bunt in front of the mound with the bases loaded and two outs, the pitcher made an underhand toss to the catcher for the third out. Don’t see that much. Good PFP drill. At least the pitcher and catcher knew the bases were loaded. Some don’t.
I believe the ideal offensive inning for the defensive team is a 4-3 capper, a 5-3 jam job, and a fisted pop-up to the first baseman. The half inning lasts just 2 minutes and 15 seconds. That’s a defensive inning made in Heaven. Now let’s go hit for 30 minutes.
One pitcher threw a slider on 9 out of 10 pitches. The great thing is the hitters started to “look for the slider” and going with it. He was neutralized. The hitters took his best pitch away from him. Many times the hitters were trying to find a fastball that never arrived. Evaluate and adjust constantly. And pitchers, mix up your pitches, unless it’s my favorite… the 2-strike slider, slider, slider or split-finger, split-finger, split-finger.
Throwing zeros (allowing no runs to score) is a must for the bullpen guys when the game is on the line. Shut the other team down. Confidence, motivation, and determination are the essentials. Those three things and a couple of other things… big balls or as I call it, “intestical fortitude.”
Pitchers must work quickly, attack the zone and force contact. That’s their job description before two strikes. Hitters just don’t like the pace.
I love to see right-handed hitters hit hard line drives down the right field line and left-handed hitters hit hard line drives down the left field line. It is a work of art… and a lost art.
It wouldn’t hurt hitters to do a lot of “machine work” in the tunnel or hitting range, hitting a variety of curveballs and sliders… “seeing it, recognizing it quickly and getting in time with it.” It’s always amazed me how these machines can throw great, unhittable breaking balls that all the hitters literally smash “in the cage.” Why? Because the are “looking for it,” gearing down to time it, and hitting them up the middle or away. They know what it looks like and what it’s going to do. Practice and prepare. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Work on things you don’t normally work on. See the ball and react to what you see. Gamechanger! When you sit on a breaking ball on counts before two strikes, you end up taking both the fastball and the breaking ball away from the pitcher. He can only throw one pitch at a time.
It’s a good idea to bunt for a hit (drag or drop) with a runner on second and no outs, especially to the third base side. Many times, depending on the score and inning they aren’t even look for a bunt in this situation and especially not a drag bunt from any hitter of the nine hitters in the batting order. You can move the runner to third, beat it out or make him misplay it and get on base and maybe even score a run on an errant throw.
Just a side note… it is depressing how many hitters cannot bunt at all.
Perhaps a new trend in the bunting game is to eliminate the “sacrifice” bunt where the hitter’s just give themselves up and replace it with drag, drop and push bunts to not just move and score runners but to beat them out for hits. You only get 27 outs in a game so don’t give them away. I call that the Tommy Groves Rule.
On defense, make it a rule that we will get a least one out on every bunt. Make sure they only get three outs per inning.
Abner Doubleday, or whoever invented baseball, had a pretty good plan during the summer of 1839 for positioning outfielders and infielders in strategic spots to field most of the balls that are hit. That was long before data and shifts, but quite effective for more than a century and a half. I do see the value in strategic shifting if you have the data to back it up or if you just want to gamble.
I love the simple hitting philosophy of Jim Schlossnagle of Texas A & M (before he bolted for Texas): “Swing at strikes and take balls. Hit the ball where it’s pitched. Nothing is less impressive than BP home runs. It is a personal insult if teams shift on us.”
It wouldn’t hurt any player to shorten his stroke and stay on the plane of the pitch longer. These two things can even help bust a slump. Hitting is timing and timing means getting the barrel of the bat in the right place at the right time. Timing is easier when the stroke is shorter and on the flight of the ball longer. I like to see hitters go “straight to and straight through” the pitch. I even like to see the follow-through just below the front shoulder. Pull. Pop. Flip. The follow-through is overrated because “the ball is gone” at contact, before the follow-through even begins as I learned from the legendary Cal-Poly head coach, John Scolinos in an ABCA clinic years ago. 🙂 Drop the bat and become a sprinter.
The ideal swing is not a big, long circle, but using the hands to direct the barrel to the point of a violent collision between the bat and the ball and that begins once the bat gets into the lag position. All things before that or after that are relatively insignificant if not hindrances to the ultimate goal of timing the baseball.
Nice to see two-strike pitches being driven to the opposite field gap. Let the ball get deeper with 2 strikes. Minimize or avoid strikeouts. Look middle-away and go middle-away.
I wonder what Southern Mississippi’s hitters (in the Scott Berry regime) game plan is? I would definitely use it.
I saw a hitter on TV who was still thinking about a strike one call when he waved at the 0-2 pitch for a strikeout to end the game. The game is played one pitch at a time. This pitch now. Each pitch requires complete focus. (P.S. – When the count is 0-1, you are still ahead in a selective count because you don’t have two strikes. 0-2 is a protective count because you do have two strikes and the pitcher and umpire dictate what you have to swing at. Select or protect depending on the count.
I saw a big 2-out opposite field 2-run home run on a 3-2 breaking ball. Awesome. 3-2 is a protective count. Fastball first and adjust to down. Look middle-away and go middle-away.
To start game 2 of a doubleheader with a 5-pitch, 2 minute defensive inning is a great way to start the game.
No guessing on any of the 2-strike counts (0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2). Go into 2-strike mode. Fastball first and adjust. Why? The fastball is faster. You can look fast and adjust to something slower, but you can’t look for something slower and adjust to something faster.
When the cleanup hitter is batting with runners in scoring position in a close game and the pitching coach meets with his team at the mound and they have a long discussion, perhaps the hitter should deduce (as he should) that he will see “no,” nada, zero fastballs during the at bat. Sit on the breaking ball (whatever variety he is most likely to throw) when you are ahead (before two strikes) and take that pitch away from the pitcher with your barrel.
I love to see a “can of corn.” My grandson has no idea what I’m talking about.
Sometimes the umpire goes blind or suffers a temporary mini-stroke, calling a lot of strikes “balls.” The pitcher must keep his composure during these kinds of trials and tribulations, resetting to default after each pitch and adjusting your location to the ones he’s calling. The hitter resets, too. Widen the zone a little higher, a little lower, a little bit inside and a little bit outside when you get two strikes and fight them off. If you take a pitch that is 3/4s of an inch off the plate you’re probably going to get rung up. It’s too close to take, close enough to fight it off. Only the great Ted Williams could get away with that. “Mr. Williams will let you know when it’s a strike.” You give the umpire too much credit. Fight it off and get another pitch.
Do we pitch to this guy with first base open or do we load the bases and go for two? It’s a roll of the dice, but the odds are always 50-50, just like everything else we do in this game.
When is it time to bring the infield in? 1) Give up a run on a ground ball and get an out? 2) Base hit through the drawn in infield? 3) Get a double play ball? 4) Bring them in and get the ground ball that holds the runners where they are? Lot’s of options. Sometimes it’s just a hunch or a gut feeling. Again, 50-50 odds.
I often think about the curse of the leadoff walk. I’ve seen this movie way too often.
Coaches look like geniuses when their bullpen moves work out and sometime psycho bullpen guys make their coaches (and parents) look bad.
Bullpen guys just cannot walk the leadoff man in a close game… or any game for that matter. Go get him. It cannot happen. He’s got four chances to hit a rectangle about 2 feet tall and a foot and a half wide. Clinton High School Coach Doug Hutton used to say, “You mean to tell me you can’t throw a strike give or take 3 square feet?” Throwing strikes comes with the job description.
I love to see guys hit missiles directly to the outfielders with their oversized gloves and come back to the dugout looking like they hit a missile and understanding the old adage, “That’s baseball.” Cut the drama. Hit another missile next time and see what happens. I have seen guys go 0-4 hitting 4 balls hard and others go 4-4 with handle jobs and cappers. In the end it works out better for those who barrel balls up consistently.
Confuscius say, “Rúguǒ nǐ cónglái méiyǒu shùguò 3 qiú, nǐ yǒngyuǎn bù huì chéngwéi bǎosòng jí qiú shǒu.” Translation: “You never walk hitter if you never have 3-ball count.” Absolute truth. Confuscius was talking about the great Greg Maddux.
After a couple of crucial errors, usually on routine ground balls, I’ve always wanted to go to the mound like I was going to make a pitching change and call in a new shortstop from the bullpen. Rule: The routine ball is an out. It always has to be. Read and react and play defense with your feet. Get the right hop: big hops and shorts hops and avoid the in-betweeners. You cannot sit back and let the ball come to you. Just give them 27 outs and not one more.
I can call strikes for the umpires from the dugout, the coaching box or the bleachers. It’s a gift for God. They just need to listen for my signal. On check swings, they can appeal to me. I’ll tell the truth. I never tried to sway any umpire on a pitch that I didn’t think was a strike (or a ball) to begin with. However, some coaches (and players) (and parents) whine about every single pitch.
I saw a 5-5-3 play the other day. On a routine ground ball hit to the third baseman, he tried to catch it with one hand, dropped it, picked it up and threw the runner out at first. 5-5-3, third baseman to third baseman to first baseman. I’ve even seen a few 4-4-4-3 plays. If you have two hands, use both hands when you can.
How tired would Barry Bonds’ daddy be if he chased down all of Barry’s home runs? Now that I think about it, how tired would Bobby Bonds be if he chased down all of his own home runs? 🙂
I like to see guys hit home runs and act like they’ve done it before. I like it when they run around the bases quickly. I like to see the parents of the guys who hit home runs act like their kid is just doing what he’s supposed to do. Applause is fine.
At my age, I wish the scoreboard was in the bleachers (or on my Apple watch) instead of in the outfield… so I could see it.
The scoreboard ball-strike-out controller should be the umpires ball-strike-out indicator he holds in his hand. That way he would never have to correct the scoreboard operator.
Pitchers need to get more 1-pitch strikeouts; routine ground balls, easy pop-ups and fly balls on the first pitch. Throw a first pitch strike, force contact, make him swing, make the bat go “ping” and go for the strikeout only when you get two strikes instead of on every pitch. It works so much better that way.
When ex-Major Leaguer, Chad Bradford pitched at Hinds in the mid-90’s, the hits off him were mostly cappers, bloopers and jam jobs (except for that game winning bomb off a change-up at ECCC). I started calling those cappers, bloopers and jam jobs “Bradford hits or just ‘a Bradford.“
Pitchers need strikes on two of the first three pitches to be consistently effective. “2013 AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer explained in Sports Illustrated the importance of getting two strikes in the first three pitches and that concept’s influence on his pitching approach.” Note: For Max that’s throwing $26,000 worth of strikes on the first three pitches.
The difference maker pitch comes on the 1-1 count. A ball puts the hitter at an advantage and a strike puts him at a disadvantage. Hall of Famer Greg Maddux declares the 1-1 pitch the most important pitch in baseball.
I would love to see the hitters cut down on the hack and make more contact with two strikes. The strikeout numbers are astronomical in baseball, no matter what age group or league of play. Good things happens when the ball is put in play. And the game is more fun for everyone. I would require a 3 finger choke with two strikes instead of a fist bump on the chest like a lot of the college players do. Also, shorter bats with longer barrels and shorter handles.
Hitters, pitchers and defensive players must make a “next pitch adjustment” after bad swings, bad calls, bad pitches and bad plays.
I like the walkie-talkie system used by the coach and the catcher. I like it better than the wrist watches. It speeds up the game and sometimes you can sneak in a last second “audible.” OMAHA! Hitter’s won’t like it.
But seriously, I wonder what the data would say if we just let the catcher and pitchers call the pitches.
What if you play “The Theme from Rocky” or some rap song to fire up your team and it’s the same song that fires up the opposing team’s ace pitcher? Maybe you need to condition your team to get fired up by a Sinatra classic or Beethoven so nobody else will be.
In baseball, when you see an outstanding performance, you can be sure there are a “pair” of things helping make that happen.
In the 20th century, I used to scout an opponent we were playing during their first time around the batting order in our game. We would pretty much know who to pitch to and who not to pitch to after that, if it wasn’t too late by then.
An observation from the last year I coached baseball: “It is extremely difficult for a helicopter mom to breast feed a senior through a chain-link fence.”
Sometimes when things aren’t going too well in game 1 of a doubleheader, you might just have to run the white flag up the pole under Old Glory and the MS flag and go for the split.
There seems to be an overdose of rap tunes on the PA systems in all the baseball parks. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I sure do miss the traditional ballpark music from years gone by or at least a mix of songs or maybe just a few I know. How about instrumentals?
The sun we lose fly balls in all the time has been in that general location at that certain time of the day for over 6000 years, Biblically speaking. Figure it out. They even make contrast contact lenses to block out the sun’s glare. Invest in your success and catch that routine fly ball, please.
All teams are working to develop team chemistry. I’m just an old coach who never took chemistry, but I do know two things about it. With good chemistry you can send a rocket ship to the moon. With bad chemistry, that rocket ship will blow up on the launching pad. Some teams soar and others implode. Good team chemistry takes all the players, all the coaches… all the fans and all the helicopter parents. Everybody needs to be a chemistry major.
You must stay focused and continue to compete on each pitch of the game, regardless of whether you are winning big or losing bad. It seems hard to do, but it shouldn’t be if playing hard is in your DNA.
You must continue to play with the body language you have when you’re playing well and winning, even when you are not. It’s called toughness. Play them all the same way until you run out of outs. The body language indicates what’s going on “between the ears” and it doesn’t lie. When you project the “confident look”, the brain and thoughts follow along. It’s a quick fix and the key to peak performance.
Ground balls don’t go over fences no matter how hard the wind is blowing.
I saw a 5 to slip-down to sit-up to 4 to 3 double play. The third baseman caught a ground ball, slipped down, sat up, threw a strike to the second baseman who relayed it to first for the DP. Routine. Impressive. Very slow runner.
The leadoff walk and the 2-out walk cause more damage than a tornado.
Many left-handed hitters don’t like to face left-handed pitchers and you can tell who they are. But those lefties who can handle lefties are special. To all lefties: Work on it.
I remember my 1999 team getting whipped 25-5, giving up 20 runs in the bottom of the third inning, came back to win the second game of the doubleheader 8-0, and eventually finished 4th in the Division II World Series in Millington, Tennessee, beating the number 1 team in the D-2 polls three times along the way. It’s baseball and it’s a long season. All kinds of things can happen.
I love the language of the game. After 3 innings of a nine inning game, players are saying, “it’s a 6 inning game.” Then finally, “it’s a one inning game.” 3 outs, one at a time… and we win.
When you have an opportunity to sweep a doubleheader you’ve got to get it done. When the other team is doing everything they can to avoid getting swept, you must do everything you can to make it happen.
Just like the leadoff hitter’s job is to get on base and start the inning, the pitcher and defense must get the first out quickly. As Ron Polk says, “The inning is half over.” Or was it Yogi Berra? Or Calvin Coolidge?
The goal is to make the routine play all of the time and the great play some of the time. That’s just the way the game is played. The rule, the attitude must be, “The routine ball is an out.” It just is.
I told my son Josh one time after a tough game on the mound when he was 11 or 12 years old, “You don’t have to be a pitcher, but if you are going to be one, you must be physically and mentally tough enough to take the responsibility that comes with that position.” (Note: He usually was.) If pitching is 90% of the game, you have to live up to those expectations. Work quickly. Attack the strike zone. Get ahead and stay ahead. Compete on every pitch. Win the battle. Discipline, confidence, motivation, and determination all added together is called “toughness.” Toughness means you can play your best no matter what the situation or circumstances.
A brisk 9 pitch top of the seventh inning for the win has always been on my Christmas list.
Confuscius say, “Ball put in play sometime find hole. Ball not put in play never find hole.” Find hole.
The 1-2 pitch, RBI single to the opposite field is a beautiful work of art.
The effectiveness of a pitcher revolves around getting ahead and staying ahead on the count and some “intesticle” fortitude.
Roger Clemens said that all the pitching lab stuff is great but what really is important to see the look in a pitchers eyes and give him a heart check.
In this “smashing fastballs” age we are playing in, a 3-2 breaking ball or change-up is a must for every pitcher’s repertoire.
Every team needs a brain, body language and attitude coach on the staff, 24-7.
It’s never a good idea to walk the fastest guy in the league on four pitches to start the inning. Make this guy hit his way on. He’ll reach base 100% of the time on a walk (and will probably score). You’ve got at least a 50-50 shot to get him out if he swings or bunts. In fact, you have at least a 50-50 shot to get anybody out if they swing or bunt.
Every pitcher has to go into “closer mode” a couple of times a game in order to get out of and “save” a tough inning It might even mean throwing slider, slider, slider, slider or whatever pitch the hitter doesn’t want to see. Sometimes if you don’t save the fourth inning, you ain’t gonna win.
The bunt consistently causes havoc on offense and defense. Every hitter in the lineup should be able to bunt for a hit, move runners into scoring position with a bunt and even score runners with a safety or suicide squeeze bunt. Bunt for hit, sacrifice and squeeze. No excuses. Work on it. Good teams need all phases of the game to win championships.
I like the wrist bands the players wear. I would have some personal messaging on the cards, like 6-6-6, “Throw a freaking strike!” or 4-2-9, “Fastball coming! If you get it, don’t miss it!” A coach could even silently tell him to sit on a breaking ball on a 3-1 count and hit it out of the park. And maybe even some special 160 character much needed “frank talk”, et cetera.
When a player pulls his “brain muscle” he pulls all his muscles. Performance suffers. It all begins with the “six inches of real estate between the ears.”
We should play each half inning “on the clock.” Use a stopwatch or timer. Consistently long innings on offense and short innings on defense. How long can we hit and score on “O” and how quickly can we get back in the dugout on “D”? I think we would win all our the games that way. That would be an interesting stat.
I had a shortstop one time who made so many errors, we changed his uniform number to E6.
Why can every pitcher in the world throw a strike on a 3-0 count but not on a 0-0 count? (If your answer is that he’s probably not swinging on the 3-0 count. Stats would say that most don’t swing at the 0-0 pitch either). Could it be fear of the bat? Is the problem mechanical or cerebral?
The slider is the best pitch in baseball. Not many hitters practice hitting the slider. Most can’t hit the good one.
When a pitcher starts an at-bat with strike one there is a 92.7% statistical chance that the at-bat will result in an out. I’ll take those odds. Throw strike one!
The hitter is either ahead on the count (any count before 2 strikes) or behind on the count (any 2 strike count). Ahead is a “selective” count. Only the hitter controls what he swings at. Behind is a “protective” count. The pitcher and the umpire control what the hitter has to swing at. Selective. Protective. Two completely different approaches. On a 1-1 count you are still ahead because you don’t have 2 strikes and on a 3-2 count you are behind because you do. Know what you’re looking for, know where it is going to show up and attack it with the barrel when ahead. Make two strike adjustments and get the ball in play when behind. Game changing approaches.
The battle of the 1-1 pitch. This is the stat to pay attention to. How many pitchers throw a ball to make it go 2-1 and give a good advantage to the hitter or how many throw a strike to make it 1-2 and set up stuff the hitter does not want to hit? It’s a game changer either way. Win the 1-1 pitch.
Hitters should go into the two-strike mode for the whole at bat when making sure 1) they can get the ball in play to advance a runner from 2nd to 3rd with less than two outs, 2) on a hit-and-run, or 3) when contact is a must to pick up some RBIs.
The universal rule in baseball is on display in every game. The team with the most runs wins. Always. You can pitch a shutout or give up 10 runs, but you have to score at least 1 more run than they do. The ideal for all teams: Great pitching and defense and a powerful offense with a lot of 3-run homers and few strikeouts. That’s what we’re all shooting for.
The double play is the pitcher’s best friend. 1 pitch, 2 outs. Get in the dugout.
After a leadoff walk on four pitches, I saw a coach storm out of the dugout, wave away the catcher and infielders, and go in a beeline to the mound for a private conversation with his hurler. It involved about 30 seconds of head bobbing and spitting, tough talk. Just what everybody needs some time. I love it. The player didn’t break down and cry. His self-esteem was not damaged (after all, it’s “self” esteem). Not surprisingly, on the next pitch there was laser focus, more energy, a better game face and the pitch was strike one, which is the job he signed up for.
An outfielder for the visiting team dropped a routine fly ball because he was jogging instead of sprinting and tried to be cool and catch the ball with one hand, like the big leaguers. This is the time we need a “buzzer” like basketball for the substitution. “Now playing right field….” Use two hands on all routine balls unless you only have one arm.
The home plate umpire argued balls and strikes with the hitter, the dugout, the first base coach, the third base coach and even turned around to lecture the crowd in the bleachers. Perhaps a little over-reaction or just large, fluffy bunny ears for the guy in blue. Ump Rage. He needs to do like the players and practice all week before the next game.
I love it when the starting pitchers can consistently pitch deep into the game. Old school.
The job of the pitcher and defense is to subtract outs expeditiously; 27 outs in a nine inning game, 21 outs in a seven inning game, or even 15 outs in a five inning blowout. Getting two outs at a time with multiple DPs makes the subtraction easier.
The visiting crowd finally got the call they had been crying for all day long; a called third strike on the outside corner. The bad news… they were hitting. Be careful what you cry for.
You often see the body language of “get me out of here” by more than one pitcher in a game. Oblige them.
Relief pitchers should be given a polygraph in the bullpen to see who really wants to pitch with the game on the line; a self-perceived pressure situation.
There’s nothing better than clutch hitting… driving in runs when you have the opportunity to do so, especially with two outs. Load the bases and then unload.
Multiple one pitch strikeouts, routine ground balls, pop-ups and fly balls on the first pitch saves the pitch count and speed up the game.
Every now and then all teams will suffer through one of those “innings from hell.” Bad hops, errors, walks, balls lost in the sun, seeing eye singles, blooper, etc. We’ve all been there, some of us more than others. It happens. Minimize the damage, battle through it, and then go put some runs on the board.
When playing doubleheaders the key to staying at the top of the standings is sweeping as often as you can and avoid getting swept. Splits are not necessarily a bad thing.
Both games of a doubleheader are two completely different games and they must be played as such. The first game performance does not automatically carry over to game 2. The other team is not going to wave the white flag no matter how bad they lost in the opener. Both teams start over at zero. Get back to work. Finish the job. Win the day.
After a big offensive inning for your team, the pitcher and defense must make the bottom of the inning quick and efficient. Bonus points for putting up a zero. Attack the strike zone, force contact and make the routine play.
Getting behind on the count almost always assures the hitter he will get fastballs to hit. That’s why they practice hitting fastballs 99% of the time.
When pitchers pitch backwards, breaking balls and changeups on hitter’s counts and fastballs on two strike counts, remember that he can only throw one pitch at a time. Know what pitcher you’re looking for and where it’s going to show up. You can sit on and hunt for the pitch you’re looking for before two strikes. If you’re wrong, take it. No guessing with two strikes because you can’t afford to be wrong. Remember, on any count before two strikes you are ahead and it is a selective count.
Sometimes defensive players have the facial expressions and other body language of “don’t hit it to me.” Slap yourself in the face (figuratively or literally) and snap out of it. You can get yourself out of that funk instantaneously by creating the body language of confidence. How do you look and present yourself when you are playing well? How do stand, how do you move around when you are “in the zone” and oozing confidence on defense? Create that look on the outside and the mindset quickly follows and you’re back on track. You can do it as quickly as the very next pitch if you understand how. Changing the mindset and emotional state from the outside-in (physiology and body language) is quicker and easier than changing from the inside-out (changing your thinking). Quit thinking and just “read and react.”
Today’s teams throw so many slider and curveballs and pitch backwards so much that hitters have to learn to sit on these pitches at times when ahead on the count. However, always fastball first and adjust with two strikes.
Saw another 3-run homer to the opposite field on a breaking ball again. This time it was shot to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when the hitter was ahead on the count. It appeared that he was looking for that pitch. Yes!
Teams must make more contact with runners in scoring position. Making contact must be a priority. Perhaps hitters could go into 2-strike mode to make sure to get the RBIs. Make the other team catch 27 outs.
When facing high velocity guys, the short compact stroke gives you the best chance to consistently get the barrel in the right place at the right time.
I saw a starting pitcher come out of the bullpen late in the game as a closer. Great move, but the pitcher has to buy into it, too. He had great stuff and it was just what the doctor ordered. He was really motivated. You could see it in his eyes and body language with controlled adrenaline. He got three ground balls on 10 pitches and helped his team win. Old school stuff.
Back in the olden days, the second game starter was the closer in game 1 if needed. And sometimes the first game starter was the closer in game 2, if needed. Both were great pitchers and one of them played in the big leagues for 10 seasons.
Saw a lefty-lefty matchup where the hitter fought off pitch after pitch until he got one he could handle and hit a clutch 2 out, 2 run double. An at bat should be a battle each a every time.
Sometimes “Johnny Wholestaff” is called on to subtract from 27. Maybe the starter strikes out the side in the first and ends up getting the first 9 outs. The long guy gets another 8, the lefty specialist gets 4, the sidewinder gets 2 outs on 1 pitch and the “closer of the day” gets the last 4. All effective. 9+8+4+2+4=27. Baseball math. The whole is equal to the sum of its parts.
When playing in the little band box parks that everyone has and recruits the hitters for, it’s pleasant to see the wind gusting in. Of course, ground balls never go over the fence.
Sweeping and not getting swept is the secret formula to playing doubleheader baseball and getting into post season play.
It’s fun to watch a team that won the first game of a doubleheader by the run rule with excessive celebrations all over the field look so devastated when the lose game 2. The great John Wooden said to avoid both “excessive jubilation and excessive dejection.” I’m not a fan of the player stampede all over the field or even the dogpile thing. Keep the emotions and adrenaline under control. Respect your opponents.
The opponent does not have to be the enemy. It’s just a competition where both teams try to score just one more run than the other team. It doesn’t have to be personal confrontation. The excessive external emotional stuff gets a little out of hand sometimes. It’s unnecessary.
Sometimes the sidewinding specialist has only one job. Throw a ground ball and get a pair. One pitch, two outs. It’s fun to watch him induce a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and get his team back to the bat rack. Every piece of the puzzle counts.
I love the repertoire of the fastball, the slider, and the split-finger. They all come from the same slot and all look like fastballs.
When recruiting pitchers I would take my radar gun, my IPhone camera and a tape measure. The tape measure would be to measure the length of the pitcher’s index and middle fingers and the width they could spread so they could learn to throw the split-finger as their changeup. That pitch is a game changer.
What if you had five guys that nobody could hit and four of them pitch 2 innings each and the closer gets the last 3 outs, could those four do the same thing in game two? Every Tuesday and Saturday? It’s conceivable. I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Sometimes your well rested ace can come on in and get six outs to help secure a big win. He comes in with great stuff and competes well. I love these kinds of guys.
A pitcher (and a hitter for that matter) must always have a calm demeanor with controlled energy (adrenaline) operating on the inside. He can throttle the energy up or down as needed and idle between pitches. Don’t just passively stand there, “get your motor running.“
Sometimes (a lot of times) the plate umpire is reluctant to make a called third strike in the final inning. “Where did the strike zone go?” The pitcher must keep his composure and work to overcome it by throwing a strike on the very next pitch. If he loses his cool, the ball will be all over the place and now we have two problems. Upon video review the ump will see that he got a little tight.
I always made a point not to argue balls and strikes just for the sake of doing it; only the ones I thought were “really” strikes or really balls. “Call a strike!” was my encouragement for the blue guy although the tone might change sometimes.
If you as a pitcher throw a pitch that the umpire misses, get the next one close. He’s begging you to. When a pitcher gets flustered and misses badly on the next couple of pitchers, the missed call is forgotten and good luck getting your composure back.
I love it in a one run game with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth when the pitching coach radios in a 3-2 slider to the catcher who signals it to the pitcher, who does not flinch and gets the game winning backwards K. It is a pitch the hitter is not expecting on 3-2 and one that makes it easy for the ump (yes, even that ump) to ring him up.
Toughness – Tough·ness /ˈtəfnəs/ n. – The ability to perform well on each pitch regardless of the situation or circumstances… the score, the level of competition, who’s pitching against you, bad umpires, losing the game, getting yelled at by your coach, self-perceived pressures, or any distractions that may cloud your thinking and your ability to compete as you were designed: Discipline. Confidence. Motivation. Determination. The Big Five. The sum of all five is called toughness. Toughness is a rare and seldom seen condition known medically as “Intestical Fortitude.”
It happens all the time. Big time game between two national powerhouses with their aces on the mound in a tie game. In the bottom of the ninth the pitcher walked the first batters on eight pitches, then a pitching change, a sacrifice bunt and a game winning sac fly.
I can’t stand the one hand catches on routine pop-ups and fly balls. I saw a second baseman almost cost his team a chance to win a series against a powerhouse when catching a routine two-out pop-up why styling and profiling trying to make the catch with one hand. Rule: No what the big leaguers do, if you a) have two hands and b) can catch the ball with two hands, catch the ball with two hands. To contort your body trying to one-hand everything is just trying to be “cool.” Two eyes on two hands. Secure it. Be cool on the bus ride home. It drives me crazy. Stop it!
The most important pitch in baseball is strike one. Strike one on the first pitch, not strike one on the 2-0 and 3-0 count. We need more 0-2’s than 2-0’s. MLB batting average for the 0-2 count is .149, 1-2 count is .161, and 2-2 count is .181. It’s probably pretty similar in your league. I’ll take those odds. Strike 1. Strike 2. Make something happen within 4 pitches. Both efficient and effective.
When a pitcher starts an at-bat with strike one, there is a 92.7% statistical chance that at-bat will result in an out.
Other than the first pitch strike, the 1-1 pitch is most important one. It is the pathway to either a 2-1 hitter’s count or a 1-2 pitcher’s count, two distinctively different counts for both hitter and pitcher. Anyway, you need strikes on two of the first three pitches to be consistently effective.
There is really no excuse for every left-handed pitcher in the game not having an “Andy Petitte” type pickoff move to first base, no matter how long it takes to develop it.
If I coached again I would find four pitchers with unhittable sliders and pitcher a four guys in every game we played; 3 innings, 2 innings, 2 innings, and 2 innings; rotate the order each game.
It’s pitcher’s responsibility to hold runners on, not the pitching coach. Some don’t ever look over there.
In a game where the offensive team was just taking off runner, stealing second and third, I saw a first baseball before a 3-2 count move behind the runner for some reason. He ran on the very next pitch.
There’s no excuse for all players not to be able to get a bunt down.
Here’s what I see a lot: Hitter takes a first pitch fastball for a strike, swings at a breaking ball in the dirt on the second pitch and takes a called third strike; usually a fastball because he was guessing with two strikes…. and guessed wrong.
Before two strikes a hitter has to know what pitch he’s looking for and where it is going to show up. You should not swing at a pitch type you are not looking for. Looking for a fastball, take the breaking ball. Looking for the breaking ball, take the fastball. You can’t hit both at the same time.
Outfielders must sprint to the ball, must know what the wind is doing, realize the sun is shining and might cause him problems.
Pre-set 160 character watch messages.
It’s time to have AI in the dugout to give you the tendencies what a pitcher might throw.
Lead off, back-to-back and two out walks.
The cliche’s the parents to their kids.
Come get it.
I heard an umpire say to the dugout “I need two balls.” He’s got that right.
What is going on between the ears? Body language.
Always have a new pitcher ready before the disaster inning happens.
Before giving up on good arm who can’t throw strikes, try dropping the arm slot and see it help.
Every lefty needs to have a Pettitte move.
Play ball!!
To be continued….
Call the Coach and find out what I can do for you before you list your house. rickclarke.com
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 