Softball/Baseball question

[pirate4state]

If you have more than one good pitcher - do you ride that pitcher or do you spread the wealth? :thinking:

Thoughts?

[kaorder1999]

Originally posted by pirate4state
If you have more than one good pitcher - do you ride that pitcher or do you spread the wealth? :thinking:

Thoughts?

use that pitcher but dont use them too much. Dont want to hurt them!

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
use that pitcher but dont use them too much. Dont want to hurt them!

This is why I like having the depth at that position. You don't want to overuse them. Having a 2nd & sometimes 3rd pitcher helps out tremendously!!!

I just don't understand why some people think it is best to stick to just ONE pitcher?

[kaorder1999]

having a stud pitcher is nice but you also need one that can beat the bad teams in order to rest your #1

[pirate4state]

well we have like 4, but that's not the point :p :p

[Reds fan]

Softball and baseball are different games, baseball pitchers have to have rest, when district comes around and games are spread out it is of lesser concern but still must be careful. Softball pitchers motion is not near as stressful on the arm, I've seen girls throw several games in a day with no ill effect but every one is unique.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Reds fan
Softball and baseball are different games, baseball pitchers have to have rest, when district comes around and games are spread out it is of lesser concern but still must be careful. Softball pitchers motion is not near as stressful on the arm, I've seen girls throw several games in a day with no ill effect but every one is unique.

Very true, but in softball if you have more than one capable pitcher why not give her some rest? We usually go with a one-two rotation unless someone is sick or injured. With games on Tuesday & Friday I think it works out well, but what do I know? :D

[coach]

Originally posted by pirate4state
Very true, but in softball if you have more than one capable pitcher why not give her some rest? We usually go with a one-two rotation unless someone is sick or injured. With games on Tuesday & Friday I think it works out well, but what do I know? :D

it is alot better to have more pitchers just because everyone might have an off night and if ur ace has an off night u can turn to someone else also...

in baseball the pitcher needs rest......that is the most important thing...u dont want to overuse him...

softball u need to have an ace and she can be ur main pitcher but it would be nice to have multiple pitchers so u can give her rest plus if ur in district u are harder to scout because u can throw different pitchers and one girl might have different stuff than another...when u use the same pitcher it can get repetive and when coaches scout u they tell their players to sit on the fasat ball or watch her off spead junk.......trust me the more pitchers you have the easier the coaches job is..

[Reds fan]

I agree, if you have capable pitching use them both, split innings up 4 and 3 in each game alternating starts etc. This benefits pitchers as well so they can play other positions and not get locked into pitching only.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Reds fan
Softball and baseball are different games, baseball pitchers have to have rest, when district comes around and games are spread out it is of lesser concern but still must be careful. Softball pitchers motion is not near as stressful on the arm, I've seen girls throw several games in a day with no ill effect but every one is unique.

Also in softball, do you think the height of the pitcher plays a role? Do you think "hoss" like pitchers (i.e. Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Megan Denny) have an advantage over shorter pitchers? :thinking:

[Reds fan]

Originally posted by pirate4state
Also in softball, do you think the height of the pitcher plays a role? Do you think "hoss" like pitchers (i.e. Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Megan Denny) have an advantage over shorter pitchers? :thinking:

Sometimes, but there are a lot of power pitchers that are only 5'5 to 5'7, the strength comes from the legs more than anything else. Good examples are Gibson and Scarborough at A&M neither is taller than 5'7 but throw in the mid to upper 60's. That being said speed is not all there is to it, location and change of speed is most effective. Cat does not throw all that hard in relation to some others but she is so deceptive with her pitches and when to throw them.

[Phil C]

I like softball. :)

[Old Tiger]

In playoffs it comes in very handy.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Phil C
I like softball. :) I've heard that about you. In fact, I think I might have heard you saying something about it last night! :D ;) I might even have it on tape. :eek:

[Sinton94]

Originally posted by pirate4state
Also in softball, do you think the height of the pitcher plays a role? Do you think "hoss" like pitchers (i.e. Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Megan Denny) have an advantage over shorter pitchers? :thinking:

I would measure the heart before their height.

I'll take a short mentally tough pitcher with a lot of control/movement over a 6'-5" monster that throws heat but has no control and melts under pressure.

Adrian is considered small by today’s standards, but I'll take him all day long. He's a true competitor and get's the job done. All pitching lessons in the world don't make you any tougher.

I also don't think you can compare softball to baseball (not to mention the huge difference between boys and girls). I've seen the same girl pitch every game in college world series games and totally dominate. I've also seen as many as 7 pitchers in baseball game get killed. (IT’S NOT THE SAME GAME).

Put your best players on the field and get after it. Backups are a great thing to have, but there just that............backups.

[g$$]

Originally posted by pirate4state
If you have more than one good pitcher - do you ride that pitcher or do you spread the wealth? :thinking:

Thoughts?

Different sports entirely.

Softball: common to ride 1 pitcher & never develop depth at that position. Huge gripe of mine with no rules dictating a change. Underhand throwing motion is a natural movement thus no damage to arm with repeated use.

Baseball: must have depth or you are doomed. Unnatural throwing motion requires rest between starts. Now, certainly kids are overused, but no one uses only 1 pitcher. There is a reason starters in MLB pitch once every 5 days!

Apples & oranges comparison. 2 different games altogether.

[g$$]

Originally posted by pirate4state
Also in softball, do you think the height of the pitcher plays a role? Do you think "hoss" like pitchers (i.e. Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Megan Denny) have an advantage over shorter pitchers? :thinking:

Height helps more in baseball, on average, than softball because you want to pitch on a downhill plane. Less relevant in softball because of the underhand throwing motion. Certainly there are exceptions to this (Wagner, Alaniz, etc.). Usually bigger girls are just physically stronger, thus able to compete at the next level. Certainly there are exceptions like those mentioned above.

Pitching comes down to disrupting timing (& hitting is all timing). 3 big components are 1) command 2) movement/change speeds 3) velocity in that order. Hard & straight gets hit hard & far! All velocity measures is arm strength, not the ability to pitch & get people out consistently. Velocity does allow a bigger margin of error though. You get a guy who can hit spots & change speeds with decent velocity (Greg Maddux in prime), & that is a pitcher. Brad Lidge right now - just throwing with no command. Obviously, scouts are looking for a big kid who throws hard, has great make-up/intangibles, & able to learn the rest of being a pitcher. Easier said than done though!

I watched Jason Jennings of the Astros pitch very well Tuesday night & never broke 88 mph. Sat 86-87 all night. Gave up 1 run in 6 innings with 7 Ks. Sinkers, sliders, & change-ups. Not overpowering just knows how to pitch. Cat Osterman's best pitch was her drop & she was a great competitor, changed speeds, etc.

Hope that helps.

[Sinton94]

Having a second and third pitcher is great for tournaments, but's it's hard to keep your main pitcher in shape and battle tested if their sitting the bench every other game. You could also argue that pitching (softball) only once a week or every other week is worse than pitching too much..............if there is such a thing.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by g$$
Different sports entirely.

I know & understand that. I was just hoping to get some of the types of responses you guys gave! :thumbsup: Thanks! :)

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Sinton94
Having a second and third pitcher is great for tournaments, but's it's hard to keep your main pitcher in shape and battle tested if their sitting the bench every other game. You could also argue that pitching (softball) only once a week or every other week is worse than pitching too much..............if there is such a thing.

I don't know about all that. If you've been to our games all of our girls are in pretty good shape and battle tested. Once the playoffs starts it also helps to have a second & third pitcher for 2 out of 3 series!! :thumbsup: Every pitcher can & will have a bad game from time to time.

I also think each of our pitchers brings something entirely different to the mound ~~ I'll take that any day of the week & twice on Sunday!

It's all good - we are winning and I guess we need to all remember it's a TEAM sport and what a team!! :clap:

[Phil C]

I like softball. :)

[3ABirdMan]

If you have a DOMINANT softball pitcher - RIDE HER!

If you 2 or 3 good, but not dominant pitchers, ROTATE! I've seen many times when a good pitcher gets through the 4th or 5th inning with no hits, only to get hammered in the 6th or 7th. Batters, even from the dugout, get used to seeing the pitchers motion and timing, and catch up. Having a 2nd and/or 3rd pitcher, and changing BEFORE the opponent starts their 3rd trip through the line-up, keeps the batters off balance and keeps them from catching up.

Mu $.02 .:rolleyes:

[3ABirdMan]

Oh, yeah! Taller pitchers (softball) USUALLY have larger hands and longer fingers, which lets them spin the ball with more rotation, getting more movement out of their pitches (Cat O.) . This is not ALWAYS true, but a general rule of thumb (pun intended!) :D

[Sinton94]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pirate4state
[B]Once the playoffs starts it also helps to have a second & third pitcher for 2 out of 3 series!! :thumbsup: Every pitcher can & will have a bad game from time to time.

If your softball team has to depend on a third pitcher in the play-offs then that means you’re depending on your third pitcher to win a game that your first or second pitcher lost.

I would think the coach would use his best pitcher for games 1 and two or three, if the third pitcher is pitching game three then why is she the third pitcher:thinking:

I don't remember them using three pitchers last year. Is that why you think they lost?

Let us know if our lady Pirates have to depend on a third pitcher in the play-offs and we'll test the theory/experiment.

Good luck Sinton boys and girls! :clap:

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Sinton94

Originally posted by pirate4state
Once the playoffs starts it also helps to have a second & third pitcher for 2 out of 3 series!! :thumbsup: Every pitcher can & will have a bad game from time to time.

If your softball team has to depend on a third pitcher in the play-offs then that means you’re depending on your third pitcher to win a game that your first or second pitcher lost.

I would think the coach would use his best pitcher for games 1 and two or three, if the third pitcher is pitching game three then why is she the third pitcher:thinking:

I don't remember them using three pitchers last year. Is that why you think they lost?

Let us know if our lady Pirates have to depend on a third pitcher in the play-offs and we'll test the theory/experiment.

Good luck Sinton boys and girls! :clap:

I'm not saying that the coach will even use a third pitcher - all I'm saying is it's nice to have that option.

Last year we only used 2 pitchers in the playoffs. It worked out well for us. Our last game of the season was a winner take all deal and we lost because we couldn't lay down a bunt. :doh:

Losing to the eventual state champs by one run still smarts! :mad: