Chapter 4. Pitching Secrets

The value of the pitcher cannot be overestimated. He is not only the most important cog in the defense of any baseball team, he is also the life and spirit of the ball club. A strong, competent, confident pitcher can carry a weak team a long way-especially in the lower age groups. Weak pitching, on the other hand, will often keep an otherwise sound team in last place. If a boy has the potential, gets the proper pitching instruction and works hard, the results can be mighty rewarding.

The pitcher should have the strongest throwing arm on the team. He also needs a sturdy body because, with the exception of the catcher, he works harder than any other player.

Above all else, however, a pitcher must be able to throw accurately. If a boy can't get the ball over the plate, in the strike zone, he had better give up pitching. With beginners, accuracy is almost as important as power. Here's why:

On a pitched ball, the batter can (a) swing and miss; (b) ground out to the infield; (c) hit a fly ball for an out; (d) foul out, or (e) get a base hit.

The odds are heavily in favor of the pitcher-IF he can keep the ball in the strike zone!

Thus, the manager of a team of youngsters might take this view:

"If I have a pitcher with superior control and a better than average arm-enough power to keep the batters from digging in and hitting at will-I have a boy who's definitely a member of the pitching staff."

H-H-A

As indicated earlier, the pitcher needs something more than physical ability. He needs to be calmly aggressive, coolly efficient and possessed of good judgement. Most of all, he needs a fighting heart!

The pitcher must learn that no matter what his mates do, no matter what the score, or the inning, he's to always give his best. He ought to learn, too, that it's wise to keep his thoughts to himself-about the errors his teammates have made, about the walks he's given up, or the taunts of the fans or players on the opposing team. He should constantly say to himself:

"I've got three things to do-throw the ball over the plate, field my position, back up the bases."

In selecting a pitcher, the manager should look for "Head, Heart and Arm!"

PITCHING SKILLS INVOLVED

Pitchers employ four different deliveries-underhand, sidearm, three-quarter and overhand. If a pitcher uses the underhand delivery, his throwing hand releases the ball below the belt line; if sidearm, from shoulder height; if overhand, above the head, and if three-quarter, halfway between the sidearm and overhand deliveries.

The pitcher should choose the delivery that is most natural-the one that gives him the greatest power and accuracy. Once he's made the choice, he should stick to it for a reasonable length of time and not try to throw underhand one day, overhand the next. Unnecessary experiments can injure the pitching arm permanently!

Regardless of whether a pitcher uses a sidearm or overhand delivery, there are a number of fundamentals to be learned. Let's start with the wrist pitching action. Good wrist action does a lot for a pitcher-it gives that extra "zing" to his fast ball and it gives him the good curve.

To get some idea of how to use the wrist, raise the pitching elbow to the level of the shoulder. Raise the pitching hand so it is directly above the elbow. Bend the wrist back as far as possible. Snap it forward. Repeat three or four times. Can you feel the muscles in the wrist and forearm area pull?

Fig. 13	Fig. 14
As pitcher brings hands overhead during full windup (left), back of glove and palm of throwing hand faces batter. When delivering ball, pitcher has 4 spots to pitch to (right), whether throwing fast ball or curve.

With the body erect and facing the target, put your arm and hand again in throwing position. Lay the wrist back as far as you can. Move the elbow back as far as you can-until you feel muscle pulls all across the chest.

Now, start the arm forward, elbow leading. As the elbow conies opposite the shoulder, move the forearm forward and down; then snap the wrist down. Repeat several times without the ball. Then, put a ball in the pitching hand and without moving the feet see how far you can throw it.

The Grip and Hand Action

Until a boy gets out of high school, he doesn't need to develop more than two basic pitches-the curve and the fast ball. In the first place, he'll get four pitches with the fast ball alone-low inside, low outside, high inside, high outside. Ditto the curve. If he then learns to change the speed of each pitch, he can double his assortment.

The overall grip is the same for the curve and fast ball; forefinger and middle finger spread in a comfortable V on top of the ball, thumb underneath.

Fig. 15	Fig. 16
Pitchers usually run top fingers across figure 8 pattern when throwing fast ball and along stitches when throwing curve.

For the fast ball from the overhand or three-quarter delivery, the hand should be directly behind the ball. When the ball leaves the hand it should rotate upward, or toward the pitcher. To make this spin more effective, pitchers usually grip the ball across the stitches-some across the fat part of the figure 8 pattern, some at the narrow part.

To throw the curve, the pitcher makes the ball spin, or rotate, away from the hitter at an angle. He wants the ball to go out and down; not on a horizontal plane or "flat."

To accomplish this, run the top fingers along the stitches. Go slowly through the delivery as with the fast ball. At the forward snap of the wrist, twist the hand outward and bear down on the outside finger. Beginners should first learn to twirl the ball at the proper angle. (It's a good idea to paint a large black spot on one side of the ball to help get the correct angle to the spin.)

To improve a pitcher's control, managers might consider erecting a set of "strings". Here's how it's done: Stretch a string between two poles, or trees at average shoulder height. Stretch out another one at knee height. Then tie two pieces of twine, 12" apart, to the top string and loop both around the bottom string. The rectangle forms the strike zone. To complete the job, build a pitching mound in front of the strings at the proper distance.

THE WINDUP

Let's switch to the body movements now, using the three-quarter delivery as our example since it is the most popular.

Two basic pitching positions are employed-the full windup and the "stretch". The full windup is used mostly when the bases are unoccupied. In professional ball, it is used when runners are on 3rd, on 2nd and 3rd, or on 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Pitchers usually "stretch" with runners on 1st, or 1st and 2nd, and also 1st and 3rd. The eight-year-old probably should first be taught to throw from the stretch position and then gradually be introduced to the full windup.

Sketch at left shows proper position for right-hand pitcher's feet at start of windup. Second sketch shows position at start of "stretch".
	Fig. 17	Fig. 18

Before starting any pitching move, the pitcher must learn how and where to stand on the mound. The rules say he must have one foot in contact with the pitching rubber until the ball is delivered. This means his pitching foot-the right foot for a right hander, the left for a southpaw-is to be an the plate at the start of windup and remain in contact until the body is in the final part of the delivery pitching cycle. (The pitcher cannot step forward to the pitching plate and make that part of the windup.) The toe of the pitching foot ought to extend over the forward edge of the rubber with the heel on top. The weight should be on the back foot, located comfortably behind the rubber. The pitching hand holds the ball out of the batter's sight behind the pitching leg. As soon as the pitcher gets his eyes on the target, with the catcher in proper receiving position, he can start his move.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how it's done by a right hander:

Shift the weight forward to the right foot and bend the body forward slightly, at the same time extend the hands backward. Straighten the trunk, swing the hands forward and bring them together in front of the chest.

Shift the weight to the back foot and at the same time carry the hands up until they are just above the peak of the cap.

At this point arch the back as much as possible.

Twist the pitching foot to the right, but keep contact with the plate.

Pivot the body right, swing the left leg forward, start the hands down.

As the hands reach a point just below the right shoulder, separate them, drawing the throwing arm back, moving the glove hand forward. As the hands part, start the big stride toward the plate, "kicking" away from the pitching rubber.

When the front foot strikes the ground, throw.

Sweep the right hand down and across the body.

Bring the right foot up so it's even with the left.

To drill several pitchers, the manager can line them up side by side facing an imaginary catcher. Each move can then be taught simultaneously.

Once the pitcher has mastered the windup, he can start thinking about pointers like these:

1. As the hands come together in front of the chest, the palm of the throwing hand should face the batter. The full back of the glove hand should face the batter. This way, the ball cannot be seen. If the back of the glove faces 1st and the back of the throwing hand 3rd, enough of the ball and throwing hand can be seen to tell the batter whether a fast ball or curve is coming.

2. Fix the grip as the hands reach the top of their upward swing.

3. Imagine there is a line from the toe of the pitching foot to the plate. If the pitcher is a right hander, his left foot should come down to the left of that line; to the right if he's left-handed. If he doesn't do this, the pitcher will be throwing across the body, or against the natural movement of the body.

4. Always pitch from the same spot on the rubber if control is good. If the ball is going to batter at right height, but off the plate, move the pitching foot to a different spot on the rubber.

All movements, by the way, should be natural and rhythmic.

The Stretch Move

The so-called "stretch" move is used with runners on base. It enables the pitcher to hold runners close to the base before the pitch and also gives him a chance to pick off runners who1 take too long a lead.

A right-hander should stand with his left foot in front of the rubber, his right foot on it and his life side facing the plate. (Opposite for left-handers.) The feet should be about shoulder-width apart with the weight distributed evenly and comfortably. The toe of the left foot is usually in line with the heel of the right foot.

At the start of the pitching move, the hands are lifted above the head, brought together as they start downward to a spot in front of the chest. The arms are kept away from the body and not brought to rest against it.

Just before the pitch, the hands must be brought to a complete stop, (usually at chest level) otherwise the pitcher can be charged with a balk.

To throw to the plate, the pitcher momentarily shifts his weight to the rear foot, quickly lifts the front foot and strides toward the plate. The right foot is brought up even with the left after the ball is released.

Pick-Off Moves

Some of the leagues for the youngest boys-Little League for example-do not permit leading away from the bases, so attempts to catch a runner off base by a throw from the pitching plate are not necessary. Once a boy reaches the age of 11 or 12, however, it's time he learned this important pitching requirement.

Here's how to begin:

Take the "stretch" position, holding the hands in front of the chest. Under the rules, only one part of the body can now be moved, unless the pitcher is in the act of throwing to a base or the plate. That little piece of anatomy is the head. If a pitcher learns to use his head with runners on base-and no joke intended-he can help himself a great deal.

Right-handers, first of all, look over their left shoulders to see the 1st base runner; past the right shoulder to see the 2nd base runner and straight ahead for the 3rd base runner. (Opposite for the left-hander.)

The most difficult pitching move for the right-hander, of course, is... [Chapter Incomplete]

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