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3 pitches only?

S smalltown10+ posts
Coach told all his pitchers (although aimed only at my senior son as he is the only one it applies to) he only wants them to throw 3 different kinds of pitches this year. How do you pick? He's got 2 seam, 4 seam, cut just for fastballs, curve, change, splitter. It's not because he is not successful with all of them and if one is not working well he will use another and might not use the one the rest of the game. Averages 1 walk per complete game. My guess is he will ignore the coach and do what he needs to do to win, but if not which 3 would you recommend as a general rule, again he is good with all 6 although his splitter is usually his best out pitch if you were to ask him.
Is there an argument he could use with this coach to get him to reconsider? He is the #1 so he probably won't sit if he ignores him.
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bballmanbballman10,000+ posts
Personally, I would consider at least the 2 seam and 4 seam as the 1 fastball. Maybe even the cutter. When the catcher calls for a fastball, he can decide which one he wants to throw. Then I would say the change and either the curve or splitter. When he is warming up, he can get a feel for which one is working and go with that one. So, I would say go with fastball, change, breaking ball.
BOFBOF10,000+ posts
It is very common for HS coaches to limit pitches. First off - most consider a FB to include the variations you mentioned so that is one pitch. Our HS coach has kids only throw fastballs in pre-season games until they get command over them. It also teaches the kids that they can get batters out on one pitch. Once they get command over their FB he lets them add in a change. After they get it under control then they add in a breaking pitch. If you can not throw a pitch 65% of the time for a strike then it's not a pitch it's an experiment.

Have him pick the three pitches he can command in game situations.
EH Emanski's Heroes1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by bballman:
Personally, I would consider at least the 2 seam and 4 seam as the 1 fastball. Maybe even the cutter. When the catcher calls for a fastball, he can decide which one he wants to throw.


I really don't have a problem with this, but I would suggest that the pitcher and catcher still work together so that both are on the same page as to which fastball is being thrown. Even if the different fastballs don't have a huge amount of action one way or the other, they could still really screw up a catcher's ability to receive and frame (if necessary) the pitches properly. Beyond that, there could be some passed ball potential as well.
S smalltown10+ posts
thanks for the help, I will see if he can consider the 3 fastballs as one. The 2 seam moves in on a right handed hitter and the cut moves away and both have good movement so a catcher would need to know what is coming. Control is not a problem with any of these, in fact sometimes he throws too many strikes, sometimes you want to miss, especially 0-2.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Sometimes our kids come home and tell us things and we are not there to hear the real story. Big Grin

Three pitches would be his FBs (that would include 2 and 4,etc), CU and CB. I think that the coach does this to make it easier on the catchers, especially if he is calling the game.
Last edited by TPM
M micdsguy1,000+ posts
quote:
Averages 1 walk per complete game.

I would be more concerned about him predictably throwing strikes. If you're properly aiming for the corners you're going to miss sometimes (even by an inch or two). Umps aren't perfect either especially with breaking pitches.

Only a very few pros average so few walks/game over a season (Maddux)

Just checked the walk per game ratio of a local HS star pitcher who should go pro in the first round. He averages about 1.8 BB's per game. With his 94 mph speed he has the ability to blast the ball right down central if need be.
Last edited by micdsguy
S SoutherNo1100+ posts
Agree with micdsguy here. My son is a strike machine. 5BBs in about 70 IP last HS season. 6BBs combined in about 60 IP summer & fall. He basically is a 2 pitch guy right now. 4 seam FB(84-87) that gets good arm side run, and a change up that is really good). The down side to this make up is just as Micdsguy said...too predictable. He needs to gain command of a breaking ball, and somehow learn to be, "effectively wild". 3-4 mph on FB would help also.
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
SoutherNo1:

That kind of control is awesome, but as you indicate it can get you hit hard if you are ALWAYS over the plate and your stuff is in the good but not intimidating range.

"Effectively wild" can work for some. For others, as precise as your son, sometimes you just need to throw inside. I'm not advocating hitting kids on purpose, but 84-87 is hard enough to be able to instill a little fear in the opposing hitter and thus reclaim the outside corner as your property. It also makes it possible to come back with the running-in fastball to saw them off on the next pitch.

Tuning up a little "chin music" once every couple of innings might solve the problem. And it's just one pitch in an at bat, you still don't have to walk the guy.
C cap_nMember
quote:
Have the boy drop the splitter (stress can cause problems), keep the rest. That leaves him with, by the coach's count, FB, C/U & hook.

I agree.

Recently being in Arizona, that's what I heard from MLB pitching coaches. They didn't want to deal with a slew of different pitches.

AS IMPORTANT as these three pitches, the ball has got to be down, as well as being able to hit any spot.


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