Conventional wisdom
What Pitch to Call
... And When?
Article by Gerald Warner of
PitchSoftball.com at www.pitchsoftball.com
|
Gerald Warner |
Knowing which pitch to throw and at what location…then being able to do
it… is an important element of every pitcher’s effectiveness. However,
there are nearly as many ideas and answers regarding pitch selection as
there are pitchers, catchers, and coaches. Everybody has their own idea
on what pitch to throw in what kind of situation, and where the pitch
should be placed. And THAT is the key…pitch selection and pitch
placement should be situational…NOT a flat rule for every batter.
We
need to know:
(1)
our pitcher’s capabilities with pitch type and placement
(2)
the batter’s history…what did she do in her previous at-bats
(3)
what we might expect her to do in this situation
(4)
whether or not there are runners on base
(5)
what her coach might want her to do
(6)
how many outs there are and what the current count is
(7)
what WE
want the batter to do this
time
PITCH
PLACEMENT –
As
mentioned previously, the selection of the pitch and the intended
placement should be based on the situation and what you would like to
have as the outcome. However, these are some recommendations
based on the conventional wisdom of experienced pitchers and
coaches…what usually works in typical circumstances:
BUNTING
situation – likely
runners are on base. You want her to pop it up and perhaps even
get the runner doubled-off. Keep it high in the zone, on the
batter’s hands.
HITTING
AWAY with runners in scoring position –
Go
for the ground ball. Throw a good drop ball or off-speed up and
in.
LEFT
SIDE SLAPPER – Up
and in
again. She’s trying to put it on the ground or through a hole
left or right of the pitcher. Be care to not let it go
over the middle or outside corner chest high…that’s the easiest
place for her to hit it.
Optional pitch – If
the batter is standing far back from the plate, or is has the habit
of starting down the line early, throw a curve away from her (screw
ball from a right handed pitcher) that stays low and just outside the
zone…a “chase” pitch
ANXIOUS
/ JITTERY BATTER –
Throw
her an occasional off-speed pitch
DEEP
IN THE BOX – Up
and inside, or an off-speed low and away
CROWDING
THE PLATE – Screw
ball up and in on her hands
WIDE
STANCE (a “no-stride” batter) –
Off-speed
or drop ball placed low
Again,
this is a topic where everyone is the expert. These
guidelines are based on our experiences, and those of veteran
coaches, pitchers, and hitters.