A Fastball is Worth 4 Pitches

Fact: If you can locate a fastball, you can actually throw 4 different pitches.


Don't believe me? Just ask Johnny Damon. In an at-bat tonight, versus Cliff Lee in game 1 of the World-Series, Lee threw him four different fastballs in 4 different locations - resulting in a broken bat pop up right back to the mound. Its all about how the pitch is viewed coming into the hitting zone by the hitter. As most "Intelligent Pitchers" know, the average hitter wants the ball middle in that he can drive into the gaps. So, it would beg to reason that we should avoid locating our fastballs in that location. So we will first begin with a hard fastball on the inside corner of the plate AND down a the knees. This requires the hitter to set his sights down and in and naturally causes his hands to "speed up" to get to that pitch. Most well located fastballs will not be hit unless the hitter guess correctly.

Now, the second most favorable location for a hitter to hit is up and slight away that can be driven up the middle. So, after speeding the hitter up and in, we will locate our next fastball up and away. (Think letter high off the outside black). The hitter will instinctively get "excited" because he reads fastball out of your hand. However, he will already be geared for the inside fastball and not be able to adjust his eye level back up and out in time to get the bat-head to the ball. This will likely result in a swing and miss or fouled off pitch.

Now that we've gone down and in and up and away, we should be in either a 1-1 or 0-2 count. At 1-1 we can go back down and in or in both 1-1 or 0-2 counts we can throw our third type of fastball, this time up and and in. Again, the hitter's eyes will light up at the sight of the fastball but as long as this pitch is located at the hitters hands - literally - he will likely swing but be unable to reach the pitch before it gets too deep. Another foul off or swing and miss should result.

To finish the hitter off, a well located low and away fastball should be all it takes. Why? Because it is the farthest away from the hitters eyes and therefore requires the most difficulty to hit. The hitter's eyes would again change down and also out. To hit this pitch, the hitter must wait and allow the pitch to travel further into the hitting zone and the hitter must also drive through the pitch and take it the opposite way. Unless you Albert Pujols, this probably is going to happen. Now, if the hitter has managed to foul any of these pitches off, you may need to double up on a few of the locations to get him out using just fastballs, and there are plenty of times when repeating a pitch will do the job. But you must note that you have attacked this hitter without using anything but a fastball. Of course, the better you are able to locate your pitches, the better.

The key here is avoiding the middle of the plate. We've utilized all four corners of the plate to force the hitter to change his eye level and speed up and slow down his hand speeds. Trust me on this, you must utilize all your pitches in all locations, but start with the fastball.

Why the Yankees Will Win the World Series

So the October Classic has been set. Its Phillies vs. the Yankees to determine the best baseball team in the world for 2009. You know who's going to win? The Yankees. Why? Pitching Pitching Pitching Pitching.

Now, don't get me wrong, I really don't like the Yankees. I really don't like Alex Rodriguez. But there is no denying that they are one of the most powerful dynasties in sports (even if they did just buy all their players). This year will be no different and it all comes down to pitching. It's what makes playoff baseball so special and so different from the regular season. You may be able to catch the Yankees (or even the Phillies in this case) on an off day when they are starting their 5th starter or on a rare bad day for Sabathia or Cliff Lee. But not in the playoffs. You will face each other's top 3 pitchers for 7 straight games. The best pitchers in the game will almost undoubtedly be at their peak performance, even on short rest.

So, as I said, the Yankees will win. Let's break it down.

Game 1: CC Sabathia (NYY) vs. Cliff Lee (PHI) - This game may be on the only game that doesn't give either team a clear advantage. Both pitchers are masters of their left-handed pitching craft. But again, this should give the advantage to the Yankees since they have more right-handed or switch hitters compared to the largely lefthanded Phillies

Game 2: AJ Burnette (NYY) vs. Cole Hamels (PHI) - Here we another set of all-star calibur pitchers who have shown that they can be both brilliant or mediocre depending on the day. Most concerning here is Hamels who has not been able to quite lock in as he will need to here to pull off a victory. If Burnette leaves balls up in the zone, he is hittable, but if he keeps it down, fuuughhet ahbadit.

Game 3: Andy Pettite (NYY) vs. Joe Blanton (PHI) - If history is any indication, Pettite has the advantage here. With the most post-season wins of any pitcher in history and coming off an outstanding series clinching performance vs the Angels (his 5th clinching). Of course Joe Blanton has the capability to be tough to hit, still experience prevails here.

Game 4: CC Sabathia (NYY) vs. Cliff Lee (or Pedro Martinez) (PHI) - No one in baseball is better at coming back on short rest and dominating. He did it for Cleveland. He did it for Milwaukee. He will do it for New York. Cliff Lee could also have success here, but just can't over come. If for some reason the Phils are winning the series, they could decide to go with Pedro here.

So you get the idea....both teams are excellent. Both teams have unbelievable fire-power on offense. I just feel the advantage points in the Yankees direction too often for the Phils to over come. Still, it is playoff baseball and absolutely anything can happen. As they say....."that's why they play the game."


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the LessisMorePitching community.

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Cole Hamels

With the Phillies-Dodgers NLCS series tied at 1 game apiece, I felt it appropriate to look at one of the most important pitchers in that series so far; Cole Hamels for this weeks Big Leaguer Breakdown. Hamels battled the powerful Dodgers lineup every inning producing a line of 5 1/3 innings pitched, giving up 4 earned runs, striking out 4 and walking 1. Not particularly stellar on this particular night, but thanks Carlos Ruiz and the rest of the Phillies lineup, good enough for an ever-important game one win.

Check out this video of Cole Hamels warming up to study his mechanics.

Immediately, you should notice a theme developing about the elite pitchers in the major leaguers and their mechanics. None of them are immediately similar! I feel however, that there is much to be gained from that knowledge. Essentially, its important to understand, as I've mentioned previously, that deception and variations in a delivery can be very important to disrupting a hitters timing and making the hitter less comfortable in the box against you. And of course, I can't stress enough, that there a few key points that the "Intelligent Pitcher" must get to as Cole Hamels does here.

Lets first pause the video at the 1 second mark as his leg lift get to hits highest point. You've notice a small rock to the right before pivoting and lifting the leg, but his leg lift is one of the higher kicks in the game. However, he allows this to develop good momentum to the plate without falling off balance. This technique requires incredible core strength to keep his body in-line and on target to release. You should also notice how his chin is tucked down and in line with his front shoulder and front hip (essential to most pitchers delivery).

If you watch the video for another full second, you'll notice some sink in his back leg as the front leg swings out and around on its way to its landing. I am not a particularly huge fan of this as it "shrinks the pitcher" and can potentially flatten out his pitches (because he's throwing from a lower angel), and the leg swing can make finishing to the plate very tricky. However, it does provide for some disruption in tempo and hides the baseball very well from the hitter.

Once Hamels gets to foot-strike, watch how his glove swivels underneath as his chest turns follwing the hips to the square position. Of course, the finish is what is most important since its where the ball is released and Hamels finishes slightly off center (with a slight head tilt) but if he is able to repeat that release point, he can use the run on the pitch that it creates to be even more deceptive.

Go ahead and watch the second pitch in the video and watch how well the hips stay online and the elbows accelerate up late in the delivery. Hamels sometimes elevates pitches because his throwing elbow lags behind the front side. However, when it is times up perfectly (as it usually does) Hamels perfect front side and great hand speed are successful in keeping even the Dodgers off balance.


Comment on any things you might see in his delivery.


***** As mentioned, I'm getting married today, so will be offline until next week....keep working on those mechanics and I'll be back soon*****


Image Source: http://chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Pitchers/ColeHamels/ColeHamels_2006_006.jpg

What's the Big Deal with the WHIP??

One of the greatest things about baseball, professional, college, high school or otherwise, is the fact that anything and everything can be and IS analyzed through statistics. Baseball truly is the game of numbers. Batting average, ERA, slugging percentage, strike out to walk ratio, home run to strike out; they are all tools for coaches, managers, scouts, and arm chair fans alike to discuss, compare, and decide who is the best, most suited player of each and every variety. Two other statistics that have gained more attention thanks to the talking heads at ESPN (e.g. Buster Olney) is the OPS (on base percentage plus slugging) and more importantly to the 'Intelligent Pitcher' is the WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched).

Besides the obvious, what makes this statistic so defining(even more so than ERA)that it has become the most important number by which most all pitchers are measured. The answer lies in the information that the number implies about a pitcher. The average WHIP lies around 1.00 - 1.20 in the major leagues. What this means is that for every inning a pitcher throws, he only gives up one walk OR hit. The difference between hits and walks make up all other statistics that a pitcher is measured by. For example, to give up earned runs, a pitcher must first give up hits and/or walks before the runs are driven in. For a pitcher to strike out a batter, it means that he has neither give up a hit nor a walk (for that particular at bat). Taking this further, the WHIP is aimed a truly determining how affective, per inning, a pitcher can be. If a pitcher is able to keep this stat BELOW 1.00, it is safe to reason that 1 hit or walk or inning would result in a run and further. Of course, in 2009, this type of dominance is reserved for the likes of Mariano Rivera (.898 WHIP) Joe Nathan (.911) and Houston Street (.915)

So what does the 'Intelligent Pitcher' do with this type of knowledge. He understands that he must make every effort to MINIMIZE at all costs any efforts for the offense to string together any semblance of a rally. If they manage to get a hit, or you manage to give a walk, your focus must turn to preventing any further damage. (This goes back to the using your sinker to induce ground balls or you slider or other 'out-pitch' to get strikeouts as described in previous blogs) Certainly the outstanding numbers posted by some of the games best pitchers is not the norm. Let's be honest, Mariano is unbelievable. However, one must do all he can to stifle an offense with whatever weapons he has. If a pitcher is successful at this very basic point, then it begs to reason that all of his other numbers and statistics will look equally as good. Especially in the Wins and Saves Categories!

As always, post any comments and questions you may have and I will respond.


****I won't be able to post as often this next week because I am getting married Saturday and then going on my honeymoon. I'll be back on the blog as soon as I'm home****

Big Leaguer Breakdown: CC Sibathia

As one of the most dominating left handed pitchers in the game today, CC Sabathia over powers hitters with a mid-90s fastball, devastating slider and even better change-up. His skills were so enticing that he earned himself one of the biggest free agent contracts in the history of the game from the New York Yankees to the tune of $1.61 million over 7 years. His delivery is unique with aspects that make him both deceptive and explosive and it is why he is this weeks Big Leaguer Breakdown.

Check out this video of CC warming up for a spring training game on you tube.

You'll notice immediately CC's sheer size and imposing presence on the mound. One way for the "Intelligent Pitcher" to gain an advantage on the mound is to look as wide and tall as possible on the mound. (Nobody's afraid of a short skinny pitcher - accept maybe Lincecum). To begin, pause the video at the 5 second mark where his leg lift gets to its highest point. You see that his entire body has rotated inward with his high by his back shoulder. Normally, this would create problems later in the delivery with the hands not getting through fast enough and throwing around his body. However, what he does next erases both these possible problems. Watch as his hands break down extremely quickly and his leg lift rotates back to straight before he begins his stride forward. All of a sudden he's back in a better throwing position.

From here he pauses ever so slightly with the ball hidden behind his hip. Again, the ball staying down could create problems for Sabathia. But if you watch closely as the video goes from 5 seconds to 7 seconds, his hands and elbows explode upward (especially with the front elbow leading his trek down the mound). As the hands explode upward, his front hip stay locked on straight and loaded (this is where he avoids opening up and rotating too early). As soon as the front foot hits the ground, hips fire through and his hand acts as that trust whip and absolutely explodes to release. (Hence 95 mphs) Go ahead and pause the video at 22 seconds to see another example of the hips loaded and elbows up . Note the tilt in the hips and shoulders. Again, these techniques may not be textbook mechanics, but they certainly work for Sabathia, because he knows his body well enough to still get through to the release point and stay on top of the baseball.

If you rewatch the video around 22 seconds and pause it as the ball is being released, you will see exactly what I mean about being to get to a release point. Notice that at release, his mechanics are 100% perfect. There is a slight bend at the knee, his chin is perfectly level over top of his chest and the glove is swiveled (not yanked) underneath the chest. Another quality of the "Intelligent Pitcher" is he knows there are many ways to have 'good mechanics' but there are certain things every pitcher must do to get to that release point that allows him to throw strikes consistently and (more importantly) effectively.

So there we have it. Another potential Cy Young award winner with unique but repeatable mechanics with various major points that are inline with the other pitchers we've seen. Elbows up, hips on line, chest square and chin to target at release.

Watch the last pitch in the video and see if you can pick out any other characteristics that CC uses to help him deliver his pitches. Add comments and I'll respond accordingly!!!.

Stay tuned for more posts this week.

The Honesty of Chris Carpenter

It would not be considered an understatement at all to claim that Chris Carpenter should almost definitely win the Cy Young award this season in the American League.
His numbers speak for themselves... 17 wins - 4 Losses, 2.24 ERA, 1.01 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched)144 k's and only 38 walks. It was amazing comeback story for a player who has been marred with injuries including 'tommy-john' surgery in 2007 and a shoulder sprain in 2008.

Unfortunately, Carpenter was not as sharp in the first game of the 2009 playoff series versus their rival LA Dodgers. The Cardinals' ace gave up 4 earned runs on 9 hits while walking 3 and only strikes out 4 in only 5 innings of work en route to a 5-3 loss to the boys in blue. The reason I felt this story was blog-worthy is not because of the fact that a stud pitcher finally did poorly. In fact, Carpenter, in his defeat, showed in his post-game interview just how well he understands pitching and as a result why he is so good most of the time. Here's a paraphrased version of what he said...

When asked essentially 'What went wrong?' Carpenter said

"I was battling myself all game long. I just couldn't stay out of the middle of the plate. They hit everything I threw there. When I tried to get away from the middle, I threw balls and missed off and fell behind hitters. When I tried to get back to edge of the plate, I missed over the middle. I was either right down the middle or out of the strike zone and that's not a good way to pitch."

When asked about the 2 run homerun he gave up to Matt Kemp. (Again paraphrasing)

"I threw a pitch that was up in the zone and he put a good swing on it. He should have hit it out."


What you can see here by his comments is that Carpenter is able to take responsibility for his successes and his struggles. He knows that no one, not even the best big leaguers in the game, is good enough to throw pitches in the middle of the zone and get away with it. (Keep in mind that Carpenter's fastball is in the mid-90's and even that was not enough). He also knew that he can't throw balls out of the strike-zone if he doesn't first establish himself in the zone. Carpenter did acknowledge that the Dodgers did a good job of not missing the mistakes he threw (giving credit where it was due) but when on to say the he was battling and struggling all day but was never able to find his rhythm. Again, this is key, the he realize that when he as at his peak performance, he not forcing pitches to go where they are supposed to go. Rather, when he is in a good rhythm he is able to relax and command his pitches in the zone and out of the zone when he wants.

Luckily for the Cardinals, Chris Carpenter has needed to explain why he didn't throw well very often if at all this season. Unfortunately, they did in the first game of the series and after tonites meltdown, they wasted the stellar performance from the their' ther ace, Adam Wainwright.

Here's hoping he gets another chance before the series ends.

The Effective Slider Effect

As "Intelligent Pitchers," we know that we must make all of our pitchers look like fastballs as the are released from our hand. We also know that the longer it take sa hitter to realize the pitch isn't a fastball, the less chance he has to hit that pitch. What is one of the toughest pitches to recognize, you ask? The answer is slider my friends. (Let me qualify this statement by saying the toughest pitch to hit by itself may well be a change-up, but I've chose slider here for its fastball-like qualities).

The reason the slider is so tough to hit is because its velocity difference is very similar to a fastball (usually 5 mph slower or less) and the trajectory is very similar to that of a fastball. In fact, the straighter a slider is until it gets to the plate, the better. A true slider will only move down and glove side about 6 to 9 inches and only a begin to 'slide' a few feet before the plate. Some of the best pitchers in the game today utilize their slider most frequently. Fan graph.com explains that in 2008 Armando Gallaraga used his slider 38% of the time, with Randy Johnson not far behind (35%) and Ervin Santana in third (33%). Of course, some of this is due to the type of pitcher they are and pitch selection. But it also shows just how valuable is the slider.

Visualize the slider from a hitter's perspective. A slider thrown by a right handed pitcher away to a righty will look like an outside fastball. Generally, a hitter will look to drive the fastball away and swing accordingly. As the hitter starts his swing, the slider darts down and away - usually resulting in a swing and miss. On the flip side, a slider thrown right at the batters hip will look like a fastball that will miss inside for a ball; only to have it break over the middle of the plate for a called strike (this is known as a backdoor slider).

So, how do we throw this mythical pitch? Well, like a fastball for about 90% of the delivery. The grip should be one with index and middle finger close together across the seams (see picture) and the mechanics and hand-speed should be identical to a fastball. With fingers on top of the ball as it gets to release point (as the arms passes by the head) you will turn "thumb to face" with the index and middle finger pointing down - similar to turning a knob on a door - as you release the ball. The harder the pitch is thrown, the straighter it will stay and less it will move (although this is generally the idea with the slider). The follow through is slightly across the body and down. Notice there is no "snapping" or turning of the wrist like many were taught in little league. When thrown correctly, the slider is a safe pitch to throw.

So there you have it. The slider in a nut shell. Please post any questions you may have and I will better explain one of the toughest pitches to hit in the game.

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Derek Lowe

With this week's installment of BLB, we'll examine Derek Lowe of the Atlanta Braves. As discussed in the last post, Dlowe is known for having one of the best groundball to flyball ratios thanks to one of the best sinkers in the game. With the big league regular season coming to a close, I decided to take a short road trip to a Nationals games in which Mr. Lowe was pitching for the Bravos. This was of course purely for research purposes and was in no way fun, beneficial, or awesome in any other way shape or form........

I took some video of Derek in the bullpen and then pitching from both the wind up and the stretch. They have now been arranged into this easily viewable youtube video for your educational benefits.

The first video is of Dlowe warming up for the game.

The second video is footage from the game itself.

What you may notice immediately from his warm up session as that Lowe is very fluid and rhythmic in his delivery. One of the key components of the "Intelligent Pitcher" is being a smooth as possible when delivering the baseball. Also, notice that his path to the plate is not exactly straight ahead. He does a great job of closing in his front side and uses his glove and front foot to sweep out and around to his landing point. After studying the mechanics of Lowe and other sinkerballers such as Webb (during my days in Spring Training with the Dbacks) you notice that most great sinkers ball pitchers do allow for some rotational movement in their bodies to create a slightly off center spin on the their pitches.

When we look ahead in the video to the in-game footage we notice some similarities between Derek and last weeks BLB, Josh Beckett. Both do a great job of loading up their elbows just before the front foot hits the ground and then use their hips to drive the ball to release point. Of course, Lowe doesn't throw quite as hard as Beckett, but I feel that this can be attributed to the fact that Lowe's delivery is more rotational (instead of driving straight to the plate).

My biggest complaint about Lowe's delivery is his finish. You'll notice in almost every throw he appears very wild after his front foot hits and the back leg swings around. His front leg is stiff and locked out and there is almost no bend in his back at release. This, in turn, will contribute to short-arming the ball and not consistently repeating his delivery, especially the release point. By focusing on being a bit softer on his landing and allowing for some bend in the front leg, I believe Derek would be able to finish his pitches better without sacrificing movement or velocity (in fact, he'd probably gain an MPH or two).

Make sure to study the two slow motion clips to really see where he benefits from being rotational and getting his elbows up. Also be aware of the stiff front leg and hap hazard finish. I hope this video helps, but don't get used to so much footage...its back to youtube for the next weeks BLB!

Let me know if you have any requests!!

Why are Groundballs So Important?

I've been reading recently about the significance of a pitcher's ability to induce groundballs. Most pitchers in the Major League's who feature an above average sinking fastball (think Brandon Webb, Derek Lowe, and Chien Ming Wang) are extremely valued for their ability to induce hitters into producing groundballs. During my days in the Arizona Diamondbacks' organization, they would even keep stat of every pitcher in the organization's ratio of groundballs to flyballs. But why exactly did they care and what exactly is good ratio anyways?

As mentioned in my last blog, the best pitchers in the game are able to get outs within the strike zone, and the groundball inducing sinker is one of the best ways to do that. Imagine how much easier it would be to get hitters out by simply throwing your fastball and letting hitters just beat it into the ground. Pitchers who are able to get hitters to swing early in the count and also hit groundballs (that generally result in outs) are usually able to keep their pitch counts lower and therefore, pitch much later into the game. Plus, to quote Bull Durham, "Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic." By throwing groundballs, he means "get outs in the strikezone by throwing your sinker and letting them ground out!" (to paraphrase).

The second reason groundballs are important is because they can help save a pitcher's pitch-count by getting him out of innings with groundball double plays. A pitcher who produces a lot of groundballs is always 'one pitche away' from getting out of an inning even with the bases loaded and 1 out.

Thirdly, a pitcher who can keep the ball on the ground is much less likely to give up homeruns (especially when the bases are loaded). Of course, a sinker ball pitcher needs to keep the ball down in the zone to be effective. Even a sinker will get hit out of the yard if its up in a hitter's wheel house.

This isn't to say a groundball pitcher can't strike people out. On Fangraphs.com, Dave Campbell referenced a start by Brandon Webb in September 2005 where 26 of his 28 outs where either groundballs or strikeouts.

So what is a good ratio of groundballs to flyballs? Typically, the benchmark is 1 to 1. That is to say, for every groundball you induce you give up one fly ball. When the ratio begins to tilt towards more groundballs to flyballs (1.3 to 1 for example) that begins to look very favorable for the pitcher. A ratio of 2 to 1 would be Brandon Webb status. (Webb's actual ratio is 1.89 to 1, but you get the idea - Derek Lowe's almost as good at 1.75 to 1. On the contrary, Livan Hernandez only got groundballs 45% of the time for a ratio of about .85 to 1)

So there you have it - groundballs keep a pitchers pitch count down, get the pitcher out of jam, and prevents home runs. Now all you have to do is develop a sinker. (We'll talk about that in a new blog).

But not in the next post - Stay stuned for the next BIG LEAGUE BREAKDOWN - this one will feature Derek Lowe. Look for it this weekend.