The Battle Between the Hitter and Pitcher

(#174)

(Note: This is a developing story).

Baseball is a battle between the hitter and the pitcher. It’s a competition, each one trying to out maneuver the other in order to win the battle. But what is a win for the hitter? What is a win for the pitcher? Can both win in the same battle?

Yes, if the hitter hits a missile… but right into the glove of the centerfielder. That’s the goal for all hitters, to get the barrel in the right place at the right time and hit the ball hard. Yes, for the pitcher, too. He got an out. Only 26 more to go. But ultimately the pitcher won this battle. Hard hit balls have a pretty good percentage to become hits, even extra base hits and run producing hits, but when they go in the glove, they’re just another out. The hitter, although he did all he could, didn’t reach base, didn’t drive in any runs and gave them a out. And then there is the hitter who hits a jam job to a spot where no one could get to it. A win for the hitter although that wasn’t his intent to do it quite like that and not just because he got a hit, but because he got on base.

A win for the hitter would be to get on base in a variety of ways and eventually score; get hits (by bunts and swings), draw walks, get hit by pitches, advance runners into scoring position with less than two outs, or drive in some runs. Even reaching base on an error is a win for the hitter and his team, but only because the ball was misplayed or a throw was errant. He must protect the plate with 2 strikes and get the ball in play. It also increases his chances to reach when he hits the ball where it’s pitched, using the whole field. What builds big innings are hitters working to get on base back-to-back. These are called “follow-ups.”

A win for the pitcher would be to get an out by any means; ground ball outs, line drive outs, pop-ups and fly balls caught, and strikeouts, both swinging or looking. It doesn’t really make a difference how the out is recorded. His job is to keep the hitter from getting the barrel in the right place at the right time. The pitcher only needs 27 outs; 21 in a seven inning game and just 15 in one of those games when his offense puts a lot of runs on the board. And he only needs three if he’s pitching one inning. In today’s game too much emphasis is put on striking hitters out. Pitchers would help their team if they didn’t try to strike out hitters on every pitch they throw. Pitch to contact early in the count and go for the strikeout only when they have two strikes, which is really the only time you can actually get a strikeout.

The universal rule of baseball is simple: “The team that scores the most runs wins.” 1-0, 5-4, 19-18; just score one more run that you give up and you win. Always.

In the competition between two baseball teams, that’s the ultimate goal, score at least one more run than they do. And we win and they lose. Every single time. For the offense it’s finding a variety of ways to get on base, move runners and score runners… every inning.

What’s the plan for the hitter? Before stepping in he asks himself, “Select or protect?” Is he ahead or behind on the count? Ahead is any count before two strikes. Behind is all two strike counts (0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2; protective counts). There are 12 total ball-strike counts. In 8 of them, the hitter is ahead (0-0, 0-1, 1-0, 1-1. 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, & 3-1). These 8 are selective counts. In a selective count, only the hitter decides what he will and will not swing at. Hit strikes, take balls. If he hunts for a fastball and it misses the zone, he is still ahead. If the pitcher throws an off-speed pitch for a strike and he takes it because he was hunting a fastball and didn’t get it, he is still ahead on 5 of the counts and goes into 2 strike mode if a strike is thrown on 0-1, 1-1, and 2-1 counts.

When ahead, the hitter decides what pitch he’s looking for and where he expects that pitch to show up. The pitcher can only throw one pitch at a time. The hitter could just simply be “hunting” for a fastball. The rule is: If you’re looking for a fastball and get it, don’t take it and don’t miss it. Or perhaps he “sits on” a breaking ball on a 2-0 or 3-1 count. He adjusts his timing to it and knows what it is going to do. If he gets it, he smashes it. If he gets something other than the breaking ball, he takes its. If it’s a ball, the 2-0 is now 3-0 and he walks if it was a 3-1 count. If it’s a strike, he takes it (it’s not what he’s looking for on a selective count). The count is now either 2-1 (dead red fastball count) or 3-2 (2 strike “protective” mode). Note: The dead red fastball counts (1-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1) are to keep you from guessing too much on fastball counts. But obviously, exceptions can be made based on the hitter, the pitcher, the data and the game situation.

He adjusts his timing mechanism to get in gear with the velocity of the fastball (a 75 or 85 or 95 must be “timed” differently) or the timing of the off-speed pitch he is looking for) and he starts his hands, led by the knob of the bat, directly to the spot in the “rectangle” (strike zone) where he expects the pitch to show up. If it’s a fastball and it shows up where he’s looking for it, the action is “pull, pop, and flip.” He uses his hands to get the bat into the lag position, then the top hand drives the barrel to the point of a violent collision of the bat and ball, and then a short, quick follow-through, before dropping the bat and breaking into a sprint. If it’s not a fastball and/or not in the spot he’s preparing for, he takes the pitch shutting down the swing using the power of his legs. It’s always “hit, hit, hit, take.” You can’t wait to see the ball before you start for it. Yes or no. Hit or take. Start and stop. If a hitter takes a pitch, he has to check the swing with the hands and legs before the barrel is launched by momentum and the top hand.

He’s hacking at a first pitch fastball in the rectangle or perhaps even a smaller square in that strike zone (that smaller square can be looking inside or looking outside or even a little up or down). Take the pitcher’s pitch or off-speed pitch. Just don’t swing at what you’re not looking for when ahead on the count. And starting the swing to the spot you’re expecting it to show up keeps you from chasing pitches out of the strike zone. And he’s sitting on a fastball right down the middle at the belt on 3-0. That could the best pitch he sees all day. A lot of pitchers pitch like that don’t think most hitters will swing at the first pitch (for whatever reason) or on the 3-0 pitch. That’s why every pitcher in the world can throw a strike on the 3-0 pitch, but not the 0-0 pitch. A hitter only gets three strikes. Attack the zone.

All of the hitter’s thinking and decision making is done before assuming his stance. The active thinking is then “shut-down” with all the noise and distractions blocked out, and for a few seconds there is just a quiet hum or buzzzz “state” that takes over in his head with big wide eyes and laser focus just for those few seconds and he just reads the release of the pitch and reacts to what he sees. He doesn’t have time to “think” what to do. He reacts “yes” (attack it) or “no” (take it). And then do it all again, and again, and again.

The physiology needed is the body language of confidence, motivation, and determination, the Big Four. You have to see the look of confidence, and motivation and determination in the way he projects himself. It has to be present on every pitch and even after an out is made. The emotional states created on the inside through thinking now show on the outside when he’s in the box and it’s time to perform. There’s calmness in the mind and emotions, but energy in the body. Hitters just cannot stand passively at the plate. There has to be energy in motion that you can see; known as controlled adrenaline. The term for this could be “get your motor running.” The same terminology is used for the pitcher. Both the hitter and the pitcher can throttle the “motor” (energy) up or down as needed. Throttle up when it’s time to go. Throttle down (idle) between pitches.

TO BE CONTINUED…..