I've learned a lot about the game from The Baseball Buddy, so I asked him if he had any strong opinions about pitchers. Of course, he did. Next time we’ll talk about the different kinds of pitches a pitcher uses, but in this entry, I’m going to let the Baseball Buddy share some thoughts about the skinny guy on the mound.
Pitchers are a special breed. Everyone comes to see the great hitters. Pitchers hate hitters. Check out Randy Johnson’s attitude on the mound. He behaves like an assassin— and he could easily be one. A 100 mph pitch directed at a man’s head is a serious matter. The one “beaning” death in major league baseball ties it with hockey, usually considered a far more violent sport.
Intimidation is an important part of pitching. “Chin music,” a high-inside pitch, is meant to show the batter who’s in charge. The breaking ball that doesn’t break but continues on its flight toward the batter’s head is not always an accident. If it broke every time, why would it scare the batter? Some pitchers even throw intentional “wild” pitches in order to appear more dangerous.
Of course, sometimes there is more than just the threat of violence. Pitchers purposely hit batters for two reasons: 1.) To settle a grievance. 2.) To retaliate for one of their own teammates being hit. If a batter mouths off to a pitcher or displays some other form of disrespect, he might get hit his next time at bat. When retaliating on behalf of a teammate, a pitcher generally strikes back position for position. You hit my shortstop, I hit yours. Nothing personal. If he hits the batter on the butt, this is understood for what it is and there is seldom a problem. If he hits him higher, this can be taken as an escalation and lead to further trouble.
Pitchers consider themselves at war with batters, and in war anything goes. Quite simply, pitchers sometimes cheat. Many of the most successful pitchers—Whitey Ford, Gaylord Perry, Dizzy Dean— illegally “doctored” the ball. They used hidden tools to scuff the ball, or applied foreign substances to the ball to create an erratic flight. Given current salaries for ace pitchers, you can be sure that these practices are still in use.
Violence and larceny. They have always played a role in pitching and they always will. It’s just part of the game.
Pitchers are a special breed. Everyone comes to see the great hitters. Pitchers hate hitters. Check out Randy Johnson’s attitude on the mound. He behaves like an assassin— and he could easily be one. A 100 mph pitch directed at a man’s head is a serious matter. The one “beaning” death in major league baseball ties it with hockey, usually considered a far more violent sport.
Intimidation is an important part of pitching. “Chin music,” a high-inside pitch, is meant to show the batter who’s in charge. The breaking ball that doesn’t break but continues on its flight toward the batter’s head is not always an accident. If it broke every time, why would it scare the batter? Some pitchers even throw intentional “wild” pitches in order to appear more dangerous. Of course, sometimes there is more than just the threat of violence. Pitchers purposely hit batters for two reasons: 1.) To settle a grievance. 2.) To retaliate for one of their own teammates being hit. If a batter mouths off to a pitcher or displays some other form of disrespect, he might get hit his next time at bat. When retaliating on behalf of a teammate, a pitcher generally strikes back position for position. You hit my shortstop, I hit yours. Nothing personal. If he hits the batter on the butt, this is understood for what it is and there is seldom a problem. If he hits him higher, this can be taken as an escalation and lead to further trouble.
Pitchers consider themselves at war with batters, and in war anything goes. Quite simply, pitchers sometimes cheat. Many of the most successful pitchers—Whitey Ford, Gaylord Perry, Dizzy Dean— illegally “doctored” the ball. They used hidden tools to scuff the ball, or applied foreign substances to the ball to create an erratic flight. Given current salaries for ace pitchers, you can be sure that these practices are still in use.
Violence and larceny. They have always played a role in pitching and they always will. It’s just part of the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment