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I am doing research on pitching inside. Mainly looking for the intent of pitching inside to move a hitter's feet, his hips, and his hands.

What tendencies of a hitter provoke the need to move any of these 3 areas on the hitter and how it sets up pitches throughout the at bat?
I heard Orel Hershiser break this down masterfully once during a game he announced a few years ago, just can't recall the exact words. 

Can't seem to find this info anywhere.

Thanks

 
 
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In my humble opinion, a pitcher should throw inside to establish the inner 1/3 of the plate.  It seems today the emphasis is on pitching away.  I hate it!!  When my son was younger, 9 or 10, he went through a phase where I could not get him to throw inside.  We had a discussion about this one day.  He was very frank with me and said, "Dad, I am afraid to hit him.  I don't want to hurt him."  I explained to him that hitting a batter (accidentally) was just part of the game.  If he was afraid to hit a batter, then he should never pitch again.  Son got the message.  He was the only one of our pitchers that would throw inside consistently.  Today, I think he secretly loves to come inside.  He typically establishes the inside very early in the game and then adjusts as needed, especially to a lefty.  It makes his curveball almost unhittable.  The only time I hate the inside pitch is on a 0-2 or 1-2 if the pitcher is not confident and has good control.  Nothing worse than setting up a batter perfectly only to put him on base freely.  Always seems to come back to bite you on the bottom.

More importantly it forces hitters to speed their barrel up to get to the inside pitch.  Once the hitter has sped his barrel up he opens himself up to not being able to stay back on off speed or even a fastball to the outside of the plate.  The reason the inside of the plate is neglected is because most youth ball coaches do not understand this and don't want their pitchers to leave a pitch over the plate or hit the batter.  Unfortunately most HS coaches I have run across feel the same. 

Originally Posted by IEBSBL:  True, but maybe an umpire can chime in that has some youth (below high school) experience.  I have heard that an umpire in youth ball is taught to call an outside pitch (the width of) two balls off the plate a strike, but not call an inside on the corner pitch a strike.  And kids learn to throw to the strike zone.  For "safety" purposes...

More importantly it forces hitters to speed their barrel up to get to the inside pitch.  Once the hitter has sped his barrel up he opens himself up to not being able to stay back on off speed or even a fastball to the outside of the plate.  The reason the inside of the plate is neglected is because most youth ball coaches do not understand this and don't want their pitchers to leave a pitch over the plate or hit the batter.  Unfortunately most HS coaches I have run across feel the same. 

 

Last edited by Go44dad
Originally Posted by IEBSBL:

More importantly it forces hitters to speed their barrel up to get to the inside pitch.  Once the hitter has sped his barrel up he opens himself up to not being able to stay back on off speed or even a fastball to the outside of the plate.  The reason the inside of the plate is neglected is because most youth ball coaches do not understand this and don't want their pitchers to leave a pitch over the plate or hit the batter.  Unfortunately most HS coaches I have run across feel the same. 

Easy to tell a youth pitcher why we need to own the inside. Quite another for the kid to deploy repeatable mechanics and have confidence in pitch location. The fear factor of one getting away up and in is very real. More so than leaving a pitch middle-middle IMO. The coaches I know are very aware of inside pitching and its value. Its a continual work in progress for the pitcher and coaches.

My son lives inside. Works very well in "jamming" hitters. his 2 seam fastball goes curves back into and down at RH hitter. It is one of his strikeout pitches (or was in HS, we will see in college   ).  I knew he was going to be ok with that at 9 when he hit the very first batter he ever faced. The boy wasn't hurt though i am sure it left a mark. My son looked over at me and shrugged.

 

Much like somone else said it is a part of the plate and as a pitcher it certainly helps if you are willing to pitch to all parts of it. The dang thing is only 17" wide, why cut off any part of it and make it harder.  

Originally Posted by IEBSBL:

Go44Dad and GaptwoGAP, I get all of the reasons that are floating out there in the world but none the less it is something that still has to be learned if the player is going to be ultimately successful.  

Agree with your point about it has to be learned to be successful IEBSBL. In my experience in youth ball, its not that the coaches do not teach it for fear of hitting a batter or leaving one over the plate, but rather the coaches do not put in the side work with their pitchers to work on command, control, and the mental piece. In the end it comes down to the command and guts of the pitcher. It takes time to develop this IMO.

Originally Posted by GAPTWOGAP:  thanks.  I have posted to other forums.  let's talk pitching is one of them.  I have reached out to Hershiser via Twitter.  So I am waiting to hear back from him.  I have searched all through the Internet with the likes of the legends of the name you mentioned.  Also, went through every baseball book in my library that discusses pitching strategy.  It has become the Holy Grail at this point.     It's highly valuable information that Hershiser masterfully explained.  

Good luck in your search.. Let's talk Pitching forum search? Pedro Martinez, Clemens, Ryan, Gibson, Maddox? Maybe research those guys for detail ? Maybe reach out directly to Herhiesher via twitter?

 

 

Here is an article on the subject:

 

http://www.providencejournal.c...-the-big-leagues.ece

 

Saying that you need to pitch inside is one thing, but executing are two different things for pitchers, since they don't work enough on the arm side of the plate in their bullpens. Also once young pitchers move to the big field they usually don't have enough velocity to be able to work inside safely. Add to this the fact is that you are going to get hurt less often if you are down and away in the zone. When you add metal bats, and college players leaning over the plate to get a HBP, it makes it even more difficult. it is easy for us armchair pitchers to say yes you have to pitch inside but executing it is another story, which is why you see less of it at the college and HS level. 

Originally Posted by BK37:
Originally Posted by GAPTWOGAP:  thanks.  I have posted to other forums.  let's talk pitching is one of them.  I have reached out to Hershiser via Twitter.  So I am waiting to hear back from him.  I have searched all through the Internet with the likes of the legends of the name you mentioned.  Also, went through every baseball book in my library that discusses pitching strategy.  It has become the Holy Grail at this point.     It's highly valuable information that Hershiser masterfully explained.  

Good luck in your search.. Let's talk Pitching forum search? Pedro Martinez, Clemens, Ryan, Gibson, Maddox? Maybe research those guys for detail ? Maybe reach out directly to Herhiesher via twitter?

 

 

Sure thing.. You may consider looking into Pittsburg's Clint Hurdle/Ray Searage.

Clint is pretty good with communicating the value of pitching inside. Hope Orel gets back to ya. 

 

 

Originally Posted by GAPTWOGAP:  thanks again!   I will look into what Clint Hurdle has to say.  I did come across an article stating how the Pirates pitch inside more than any other team.  It's a huge factor to their organization's huge turnaround over the last few years.  
Originally Posted by BK37:
Originally Posted by GAPTWOGAP:  thanks.  I have posted to other forums.  let's talk pitching is one of them.  I have reached out to Hershiser via Twitter.  So I am waiting to hear back from him.  I have searched all through the Internet with the likes of the legends of the name you mentioned.  Also, went through every baseball book in my library that discusses pitching strategy.  It has become the Holy Grail at this point.     It's highly valuable information that Hershiser masterfully explained.  

Good luck in your search.. Let's talk Pitching forum search? Pedro Martinez, Clemens, Ryan, Gibson, Maddox? Maybe research those guys for detail ? Maybe reach out directly to Herhiesher via twitter?

 

 

Sure thing.. You may consider looking into Pittsburg's Clint Hurdle/Ray Searage.

Clint is pretty good with communicating the value of pitching inside. Hope Orel gets back to ya. 

 

 

 

Originally Posted by BOF:

Here is an article on the subject:

 

http://www.providencejournal.c...-the-big-leagues.ece

 

Saying that you need to pitch inside is one thing, but executing are two different things for pitchers, since they don't work enough on the arm side of the plate in their bullpens. Also once young pitchers move to the big field they usually don't have enough velocity to be able to work inside safely. Add to this the fact is that you are going to get hurt less often if you are down and away in the zone. When you add metal bats, and college players leaning over the plate to get a HBP, it makes it even more difficult. it is easy for us armchair pitchers to say yes you have to pitch inside but executing it is another story, which is why you see less of it at the college and HS level. 

Good stuff BOF. Interesting article too.

 

Pitching inside is becoming less and less of a strategy, and low and away is the place most are taught to live.  With the advent of all of the body armour that batters are taking to the plate, and leaning over - they make the middle out pitch into a middle pitch, and the outside pitch becomes a middle out pitch.  I also think in the MLB with immediate warnings, etc. the pitchers are afraid of throwing inside too much...days of Gibson seeing someone inch up on the plate, and getting a reminder pitch that he owns the outside part of the plate are long gone.

 

I started at the very beginning teaching BFS Jr. to pitch inside, and he throws there with as much accuracy if not more than the low and away 2 seamer.  Also, a high inside strike on an 0-2 or 1-2 count is as lethal of a strikeout pitch as any breaking stuff.

 

You gotta teach them early.....

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