This is in response to the pitch sequence thread in the general forum but since I'm using a Pony 13 all-star team as an example I posted it in here.
My starter last night essentially threw the ball by the first three hitters. We went up 6-0 in the bottom of the first. We were playing on an all turf HS field that was 405 to center.
In the second inning my starter gave up a well hit fly ball over our centerfielder's head for an inside the park home run. My outfielders moved back. My pitcher got through the inning. In the third inning they started making contact but we had a lead and were still throwing almost all fastballs. With two outs 1 run in and the bases loaded my pitcher showed great hustle getting to a little pop up just foul down the first base line that my first baseman should have been camped under. My pitcher dropped it. They then scored 4 runs with two outs as my pitcher struggled with his control and fell behind hitters and was forced to throw fastballs over the plate.
My son then started the 4th inning with the score tied 6 to 6. A single, a WP, a strikeout on a shoulder high fastball that the catcher missed resulted in runners on 1st and 2nd. Another error resulted in bases loaded. My son tends to throw his first curve in the dirt so we stuck with the fastball and he retired the next three hitters with no runs scored. The next inning he came out and was locating the fastball. He got the first two batters quickly and then we started the third hitter with a curve...in the dirt. We went back to the fastball but he gave up a walk. He got the next hitter throwing fastballs. The next inning he wasn't locating the fastball as well and got behind on hitters. They began to get hits, some bloopers, some clean and with bases loaded and no outs a routine fly to short left was misplayed. A hit batter and a bases loaded walk later I pulled him. Only 2 curves and no changes in 2+ innings of work. Any wonder they hit him the second time around the lineup? The reliever walked in a run and then got hit pretty hard resulting in our being down 13-6. We managed to get back to 13-11 with two outs and bases loaded and our #12 hitter at the plate (warmup tournament and both teams batting the full lineup). My 1b coach tells him to take the first pitch and not swing at anything high, since they'd put in a new pitcher and he'd been wild high warming up. He swings at a pitch over his head. He then takes two low pitches. He then swings at another pitch over his head. I tell him to stay aggressive, that I don't want him to take a strike. He takes a fastball, waist high down the middle for strike three.
The moral of the story is that you have to establish that you can throw an off speed pitch for a strike to make your fastball effective if you are going to face more than a few hitters. My coach called the last game, I'll be calling the next one.
Original Post
