Give Me the Ball!!

So, I've tried to be very positive with most, and or all, of my posts so far in the LessisMorePitching universe. Unfortunately, that all ends to day thanks to Cole Hamels. As a general rule, I like the guy as a pitcher. I'll admit, he has struggled some this year, especially in the playoffs, but as I mentioned in his Big League Breakdown, he really has one of the best change ups in the game and is very very good.

But................

After his comments following game 3 of the World Series, I've lost a bit of respect for the guy. In case you missed it, following his loss to the Yankees he was asked what went wrong and basically his response involved complaints about the erratic start times during the season and that he "could wait for the season to end." He continued to say it has been an emotionally draining season and just needed a fresh start.

A fresh start!?!?!?!?! You want the season to end!?!?!?!? You're still in the WORLD SERIES, Cole!!!!! You could possibly be the GAME 7 starter!!!!! As a professional baseball player myself, I can relate to being frustrated with a few bad games or even an entire season, but I also understand just how delicate the balance in a club house can be. There's no doubt that he'll be getting more than just a few dirtly looks from his teammates...espeically if they don't mount an incredible comeback in game 6 and 7. I would be much more understanding of his comments if his season were over. In fact, Derek Lowe was quoted saying similar things at the conclusion of his disappointing season. But his team was completely out of contention and had no way to make it in. I just couldn't believe he was so short-sighted to feed the media with such explosive material with two games to go in the world series. There's no doubt countless distractions as it is for all the players involved in the game...let alone the media asking everyone how the feel about Cole Hamel's comments.

From a pitching standpoint, the "Intelligent Pitcher" must always appear and act confident on the outside even if he doesn't necessarily feel it on the inside. Trust me, hitters are like wolves, they can smell and feed off of fear. And perhaps he did the Phillies a favor but giving them an idea of how unconfident he is. Hopefully, the will not give him the ball for game 7. I know atleast one former Philadelphia Philly agrees with me. Mitch Williams was asked if Cole should start, and he rightly said there is no way he can be given the baseball now. Again, let me acknowledge that I understand some of what Hamels is going through and I know that confidence and success are both absolutely necessary for the other to survive. It then begs the age old athletic question...what comes first "Confidence or Success?"

Regardless, Cole should have really thought twice before being so honest with the media. The fact remains that game 7 is still a possibility and whoever gets the baseball will undoubtedly be nervous. But he also will be the most focused, anxious, and fired up for the most important game of the season. The person who starts this game MUST want the baseball and never let on that he has EVER doubted a pitch he's ever thrown.

THE INTELLIGENT PITCHER MUST EXUDE COCKY CONFIDENCE!

Until next time......I'll return to my postive upbeat nature next entry...I promise...unless Cole says something else rediculous.

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Andy Pettitte

With the Yankees leading the 2009 World Series 2 games to 1, I found it only fitting that this weeks big league breakdown be of game 3 winner Andy Pettitte. With a line of 6 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 7 k's, and 3 walks, one of the best post season pitchers in the game was able to battle the Phils long enough to allow his line-up to get to Cole Hamel and take the victory.

Check out this video of Andy Pettite warming up during this past regular season and study his mechanics

The first thing that should be noticed is how meticulous Andy is when he goes about his business. And it does appear to all business with Mr. Pettitte. He is very regimented with all of his prepratory movements and takes care to do the same thing before, during and after each pitch. Lets start by looking at the 13 second mark where he has lifted his leg to its highest point. His chin is tucked and leg is characteristically high. What I want to point out is how high his hands are at this point. Pettitte is very compact with his posture but his back elbow is very high at this juncture. Now as the saying goes, what goes up must come down and his high elbow contributes to his very long arm swing. Fast forward the video just a few clicks and you'll see what I mean. His throwing hand travels straight down before swing out. Not unlike his teammate CC Sabathia, this creates a small hesitation in his delivery which is necessary to allow him to be on time to his release.

Its difficult to tell in this video, but Pettitte does an outstanding job of staying tall throughout his delivery and this also contributes to his ability to get back on top of his pitches and throw down hill. At the 14 second mark after his hands have broken, you can see that there is a rather dramatic tilt from the front elbow and glove to the back elbow and throwing arm. Many pitchers utilize this technique to create more torque and power through the release point. A warning to young pitchers though...you must be able to get that back elbow back up and through to release very quickly and without disrupting the desired release point. You'll notice that even at the 26 second mark (his second pitch) he still has gotten the back elbow all the way up, even though the hand has already begun moving forward. Pettitte utilizes a very aggressive front glove side to get over top of the front leg and get the throwing arm into an appropriate position.

Although the Yankee fan's head is in the way, on every pitch if you pause video right before release, you see that Andy is able to keep his CHIN ON TARGET and finish with his chest over top of his front leg. Keep watching the video a few more times and see if you can pick up on other things Andy does or doesn't do well.

I hope all my readers are picking up on a pattern with these Big Leaguer Breakdowns. As I've mentioned, all these very successful pitchers have their own unique deliveries. However, they do a few things very very similarly. Balancing on the back leg at balance point of the leg lift, getting the elbows up aggressively, taking the chin to the target at as they stay tall on their back leg, and finishi with their glove down and chest over the front leg. These main points should be the goal of all my aspiring pitchers and then be able to incorporate their own personal comfortable delivery with which they are able to repeat and throw strikes.

Until next time..........study those pitchers....leave comments and questions!!

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.