Too much emphasis on velocity?

My take

Has a certain amount of velocity. I dont care how good you are at locating your pitches and what kind of off speed stuff you have if your fastball does not have enough on it to keep a good hitter honest you are not going to be effective. Hitters will make the adjustment and sit on soft stuff because they have no fear of getting the fb thrown by them. Their must be a certain amount of velocity to the fb that keeps the "good" hitters honest.

That certain amount of velocity is at a range you can "pitch" at. You hear all the time about the kid that throws 90. Can he pitch at 90? Does he pitch at 86-87 but can bump 90? The fact is when the college guys are looking at pitchers there is and always will be a certain ceiling they are looking at for velocity. If your kid pitches in the 80-82 range he is not going to a major college to pitch. How well he locates his off speed stuff will not matter.

Does that mean he can not get guys out? No he can get guys out. But he will not get them out on a consistent basis and alot of balls are going to go along way when he does get hit. When you throw a fb at 88 above and miss the hitter might not miss but he might. When you throw a 82 mph fastball and miss the chances he will miss are very slim. Guys get recruited to hit you know. Your not facing a HS line up where there are only a couple of guys in the line up capable of mashing anything left fat in the zone.

Too much emphasis placed on velocity? By who? In HS if you have a kid that can locate upper 70's low 80's and has a good off speed pitch he can locate and he mixes his stuff up you are going to win alot go games. Why? Because the level of the hitters. In college you have to be able to raise the level of your velocity to challenge the level of the hitters. And so on for the next level.

Everyone talks about Robert Woodard or a Maddux an they use them as examples. The fact is Robert can run it up there upper 80's Ive seen him at 90. And Maddux was low 90's in HS and still runs it up there 88-89. You dont have to throw it but the hitter needs to know you have it. Its about having the ability to plant the seed. If I know you can not throw the fb by me even when Im sitting on your soft stuff all day long you are in serious trouble.

To be effective as a pitcher - You must have enough stuff to keep me honest as a hitter. You must be able to locate that stuff. When the level of the hitter exceeds the ability of the pitcher - its over. When the level of pitcher exceeds the level of the hitter - its over. When the hitter and pitcher are in the same ball park ability wise , that is when the ability to hit your spots and movement etc give the pitcher the advantage.

 

My 4 cents.

Spud Web wasn't 7ft tall!

 

Nice post Coach...

....27. Your point about a hitter or a pitcher who in either case "exceeds in level of play" is dead on.