I found a good read on Mets Today that speaks to Dontrelle Willis’ woes and what has been keeping him back as of late.  I’ve been saying this for quite some time, but please do not have your pitcher lose his confidence but altering his mechanics for the sake of having better movement on his breaking pitches.  Rehabilitating pitchers…. that’s another story.  Adjustments need to be made.

Q: What’s up with D-Train? Are his troubles due to something mental, mechanical, or do you think there’s a hidden injury?

It’s part mechanical and part mental but not in the way you think. The Marlins pitching coach came up with the “brilliant” idea that if Willis change his delivery and threw his pitches slower he could get more movement. So instead of throwing his fastball in the 90’s he is throwing it in the mid 80’s.

This experiment has been a complete disaster. His pitches do have more movement but he doesn’t have any command of them. If you watch him tonight, watch his delivery, it is not the same as it was in the past. You will get to see the new calmed down version which has all of the scouts aghast and wanting him to speed up his motion again.

In order to go against his tendencies to pitch with high a high energy delivery, he will be out on the mound trying to remind himself to slow down. If Treanor is catching he will try to speed Willis up which usually results in the pitching coach visiting the mound and Treanor and the coach getting into an argument as Dontrelle just stands there. It is quite a sight.

http://www.metstoday.com/series-previews/2007/10-questions-florida-marlins/

– Todd

See what I’m doing

In my eyes, there are 3 ways to pitch, the wrong way, the right way and the righter way.  What’s the difference between the right way and the righter way?

Well, let’s look at what the difference is between a good pitcher and a great pitcher.  A great pitcher is a good pitcher, except they are consistent and do it over and over again.  The best thing about a great pitcher is his ability to be reliable.

Once way a great pitcher becomes great is by remaining consistently healthy.  For a pitcher, so many things can go wrong, but the one thing a pitcher cannot compromise is his arm.  Basically, a pitcher cannot be a pitcher without his arm.  The pitcher is throwing a baseball 80-99 mph and can throw it anywhere from 10-100 times every 5 days.  That in itself creates a level of stress.  So, the idea here is to minimize the amount of arm stress on a pitcher.

For example (according to The BaselineReport), Curt Schilling and Daniel Cabrera have varying different motions where Curt Schilling seems to produce less stress on his arm.  “Schilling’s mechanics consist of him maintaining better balance over the rubber, getting better arm extension as he takes the ball out of hs glove, and maintaining a consistent stride, enabling him to finish more easily over his front side.

You can read the rest here.

Let me know what you think

Todd

Want to see what I’m doing?

This afternoon, I read that Roger Clemens has been helping Joba even further on their trip out the Anaheim. My favorite quote:

“You’ve got to be a sponge,” Chamberlain said. “Especially when he talks. You understand why he’s been so successful.”

That’s an understatement Joba!

The discussions between Clemens and Chamberlain have focused mainly on pitching mechanics. But Clemens also emphasizes physical conditioning.

“Sometimes he comes up to me without me asking,” Chamberlain said. “And sometimes I go to him and talk about whatever. It doesn’t necessarily have to be baseball.”

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1187677549178570.xml&coll=1

- Todd

What am I doing?

http://twitter.com/toddgogh

I was telling my wife this afternoon that I am unbelievably proud of Mikey for taking this initiative but I am also concerned. Mikey just started pitching this past summer with some much needed work and help. His confidence level was very low and he was serving up meatballs (so my brother-in-law tells me). What concerns me is the amount of pitching he can potentially do. With 2 fall leagues, he has the potential to pitch 2 games in a day. To me that’s dangerous. I need to make sure that they know to keep him limited and to only allow him to pitch 1 game a week during the fall. 10 years old…..

Gosh, I hope they listen.

I’ll make sure to bring back some follow up stories tomorrow.

Todd

It’s so important to see the pitching motion at full speed and at a much slowed down rate. You can begin to get the sense on how to execute the fastball and then with much practice, how to apply it!

Todd

Velocity can only get you so far in your pitching career. Once good hitters begin timing your fastball properly, they will hit you hard. If you have total control of the situation and your fastball, the batter will have difficulty hitting you.

The first of the pitching tips in order to better control your fastball is to take control of the inner part and the outer part of the plate. Be aggressive. By using the inner and outer edges of the plate, you will be just as effective, if not more effective than a power pitcher with a 90+ MPH fastball. Once you develop that type of velocity, hitters will never know what is coming because now you will have command of the inner, outer and middle parts of the plate.

Break down the batter’s confidence! Take a look at the batter you are facing. Take notice of how he is approaching his at bat. If he dives into the plate, he is swinging his hips forward and will have to adjust his bat speed in order to hit you. If you see this, go inside with your pitches. If he is the opposite and opens up his stance, go outside and make him reach. Being aware of your component is like any good general on the battlegrounds, and you are no different!

The fastball doesn’t only need to be fast. Varying your speeds will throw he batter off and force him to change his bat swing in addition to guess the location. When I said earlier that a batter can eventually catch up to your hard throwing fastball, this is what I meant. I give you these pitching tips for a reason! If you throw 85, 89, 80, 92 and vary it inside, outside, high and tight and low and away, you will have yourself an out, guaranteed.

Hope you enjoyed today’s information and feel free to send over your comments!

Todd

To begin with, place your index and middle fingertips across the seam of the fastball, going perpendicular to the seam.

The horseshoe of the seam should be facing in towards your ring finger of your throwing hand.

Then take your thumb an place it directly under the baseball. Your thumb should not be touching the seams and only the flesh of the baseball.

Grip the ball delicately in your fingertips and leave a bit of a gap between the baseball and your palm. The ball when gripped should not go past your 1st knuckle on your index finger.

The objective to the 4-seam fastball is maximum velocity and spin. If you keep the ball tense and tight in your fand, you minimize the velocity and speed which the ball can leave your hand. Keep the grip loose so you can get the most out of your fastball.

Next post, we will talk more on how to effectively use the 4-seam fastball.

Todd

Very good points here in what it lacks in movement it makes up for in command and velocity! Enjoy the pitching tips!

Enjoy

Todd

I think I had an advantage though, because at the time I already started receiving pitching tips from the local high school coaches where they taught me some very important principles that I firmly believe are the golden rules for any important child pitcher.

1) Proper Form. How many times do you see your kids hurling the ball with such a herky jerky motion that you wonder how we even gets the ball over the plate. You’ll hear me say this over and over, but the proper form must be taught immediately, starting with the proper usage of the legs, not only to be effective, but also to be safe.

2) Studying is not only for school. Start the youngsters watching tapes and video. With the internet so convenient and accessible, children can watch any videos on DVD, a website you set up or even through You Tube. Have them watch the wind-up, the legs, how the back leg drives power and how the pitchers pitch differently in the stretch. Kids might not be the most observant so if they try to copy a professional, make sure they do not only pitch with their arms.

3) Anatomy of the arm. It’s incredibly important for the pitcher to know how the elbow guides the pitch, it doesn’t drive it. What I mean is, don’t allow the child to pitch with their arms (do I sound repetitive?) This will take tremendous practice and dedication but show the child that the elbow needs to stay ahead of the hand until release. Practice makes perfect!

Also, have them keep their shoulder close to their body. Teach them control. If not, serious damage can be caused. Keep the shoulder in, not forward or to the side.

Lastly, the most important pitching tip is to drill home that control is the most crucial part of a pitcher’s success, not speed or velocity. By ensuring they understand what is important, it will help you to control and correct any physical mistakes while also giving the pitcher the confidence they need to comfortable make these adjustments.

Let me know your thoughts.

Todd

With many challenges and adversities, the one thing that helped Pedro move forward was his willingness to receive pitching tips not only from his coaches, but from his mentor and #1 fan Ramon Martinez (former Dodgers pitcher). Ramon noticed several adjustments that needed to be made and helped Pedro get with those subtleties to get him back to the bigs.

So for all you coaches and parents, make sure to tell this story to your kids. And for you bullheaded pitchers…. listen to what your coaches have to say….

ESPN – Nelson: Pedro’s Labor Day payoff – MLB

sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3003183

Ramon has been at his brother’s side the entire way, even videotaping every rehab game Pedro pitched. He spotted small problems; Ramon noticed his brother’s front hip moving too early, causing the mechanics in Pedro’s delivery to get out of whack.

– Todd