Keys to Pitching

Baseball is one of the few sports where the player can fail seventy percent of the time and still be considered good. Hitters who get a hit thirty percent of the time they go up to bat are considered some of the games best. One may ask how someone gets paid millions of dollars to be this unsuccessful. The answer is simple: good pitching will always fool the best pitchers. While there are several key components to being a successful pitcher, nothing is more important than confidence and a positive relation with the catcher.

Pitching wins and loses baseball games, so it is vital to have a pitcher who is confident. Being confident allows the pitcher to focus solely on getting the batter out. Often times you will see base runners try to distract the pitcher or a batter to step out of the batter's box for an extend period of time, all in hopes to get the pitcher out of his rhythm. The best pitchers in the game are those who do not let the opposing team get into their heads, thus allowing them to perform at their optimal level. In addition to blocking out the other team, pitchers must remain poised on the mound when things do not go their way.

If an umpire makes an incorrect call or one of the fielders makes a costly error, the pitched must remain poised and confident. This is vital because the rest of the team that is in the field is essentially playing for the pitcher. The pitchers confidence will rub off onto the fielders, thus allowing them to perform at their optimal level. While being confident on the mound is a very important part of pitching, the pitcher's relationship with the catcher is equally, if not more important.

It is an age old saying in baseball: "show me a successful pitcher, and I will show you a good catcher." The catcher essentially acts as the pitcher's manager while on the field. The catcher must help the pitcher with several things: the situation, the umpire, and calling pitches. The pitcher's job is complicated enough, so the catcher must make sure the pitcher is informed on what to do in the event of certain situations, such as a bunt. The most reliable and consistent pitchers are those who throw the best located strikes. Throwing strikes allows the pitcher to work ahead and keep the batter off balance. Although throwing strikes gives the hitter the best chance to hit the baseball, if the catcher can find the outer limits of the umpire's strike zone, the pitcher will gain the advantage.

It is the pitcher's job to deliver the pitches, but it is the catcher's job to tell the pitcher what to throw. In addition to knowing a scouting report in advance, the catcher must analyze the hitter while he is in the batter's box. If the batter is away from the plate, then the catcher should set up on the outer half of the plate, and if the batter is on top of the plate, the catcher should set up on the inner half of the plate in an attempt to jam the batter. In addition to location the catcher must call the right pitch in the right situation. When the pitcher throws strikes and works ahead in the count, it allows the pitcher to throw an array of pitches farther from the strike zone, in an attempt to get the hitter to chase the pitch. The catcher must also make every possible attempt to keep the batter off balance. If the batter has no idea about what pitch is being thrown, he is less likely to hit it.

Good pitchers are those who throw the ball with confidence and are able to work well with their catcher. Although these two factors play a very important role in pitching, they are not everything. A pitcher must spend a great deal of time practicing his pitching mechanics and mastering every pitch in his arsenal. If a pitcher can do all of this, then he is destined for success.