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| Nathan ready to fire. |
Good pitching is the key to good baseball. There are many things the boys are working on, but the development of the pitchers is the main thing going on behind it all.
During this time of year, the pitchers must develop more consistency in their deliveries, become more accurate in hitting their spots, and become more skilled with their off-speed pitches. Along the way, their velocity increases, which is a natural thing since they are still growing boys who are becoming bigger and stronger right before our eyes. Certainly, fielding the position is another area of focus.
That's the physical side. Mentally, the pitchers also must improve. How do you respond to an error behind you? Will you become distracted from the task at hand by an iffy call behind the plate? Can you battle back from a 3-0 count? What if your off-speed pitch is not working so well--can you survive until you get the feel for it back?
All of these things are happening right now at Canyon Yards, and it's a fun process to watch.
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| Coach Matt talks pitching with Marcus and Andrew. |
Batters who haven't struck out much now occasionally are caught looking at called third strikes. Pitchers who couldn't get through an inning a couple of months ago are now getting through two innings, or more. There are fewer past balls, and five or six innings are passing before time's up.
So good pitching has a huge impact on the game. It forces our hitters to become better batters, it lessens a catcher's burden, it speeds up the game, and even the fielding is beginning to improve because with more strikes comes more contact and more fielding plays--you'd better be on your toes!
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| Trace catches some smoke. |
Keep it up, boys, keep it up!
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