default
Member
Sharing a great message that my DD's pitching coach shared.
The State Tournament draws are over and Sectionals begin this weekend!!! One thing that many of you need to address is that ONE BAD INNING!!! The State Tournament is a SINGLE ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT, so there is no room for a BAD INNING!!! It is ONE AND DONE!!!
So, why are we having BAD INNINGS and how do we eliminate them??
HERE ARE THE REASONS I HEAR FROM SOME OF YOU AS TO WHY YOU ARE HAVING BAD INNINGS:
1. The umpires strike zone changed! He squeezed me!! He took away my best pitch!!
2. My catcher's pitch calling was terrible!! She wasnt throwing my change, my drop, my rise or whatever!
3. My coaches pitch calling was terrible!! and same as above.
4. There were so many errors!! I can't believe my teammates can be so bad, they really hate me!!
5. The conditions were terrible, too wet, too cold, it snowed, it rained, blah, blah, blah.
HERE ARE THE REAL REASONS WHY YOU ARE HAVING BAD INNINGS:
1. 43 feet!!!
2. Hitters are adjusting
3. Whoever calls your pitches has a pattern.
4. You are losing it mentally.
5. You are tired and not as affective as you were
6. You are facing some very good hitters
7. You just lost it and need to come out
HOW TO AVOID THOSE BIG INNINGS:
1. Think in the present!! Not on the last pitch or on the outcome of the game, THE NEXT PITCH ONLY!!
2. Hit your spots!!! YOU CAN'T WIN GAMES BY THROWING THE BALL IN THE RED ZONE!!!
3. Be mentally tough!! Get RID OF THE BLAME GAME AND THROW GOOD PITCHES WITH GOOD MOVEMENT!!
4. Stop thinking so much AND TRUST YOUR SKILL!! Quit questioning everyone and just pitch!!
5. Have a back up pitcher. Coaches! at 43 feet the game has changed causing a need for another pitcher to be ready. Hitters are making adjustments and sometimes the best adjustment is to put in another pitcher for a different look!!
Basically what I am saying to all you pitchers is, BE REALISTIC!!! IT IS WHAT IT IS!! And, most of you are doing that and I am extremely proud of you. However, there are some of you who get into this BLAME GAME and end up making things worse. The best comment I had from one of our pitchers this year who just took a very tough loss was, "coach, I just couldn't throw my best pitch, what should I have done?" This is a pitcher BEING REALISTIC! I was there and she was right on!! She wasn't being squeezed, She wasn't making excuses and even though her teammates did make some mistakes, SHE DIDN'T BLAME THEM!!!
One more point. I recently talked to an umpire who was getting some grief from a pitcher about his strike zone. He said it was getting pretty embarassing and he was getting disgusted. Now, he didn't say that he '"SQUEEZED" her, but he did say that if it was close, she didnt get it!! PITCHERS BE SMART!!! Umpires are human and don't want to be embarrased. They are mostly really good people who love the sport and are trying to do a very hard job!!! AND!!! THEY ARE ADULTS and deserve your respect!! Best response to a call that didn't go your way??? Just a smile and look away, that is enough!!! Not "THE STARE,THE LOOK, THE STOMP, THE WHATEVER!!! They can see right through that and if a college coach is watching, you will be OFF THEIR RECRUIT LIST, I CAN GUARANTEE THAT!! Oh, that pitcher who was upset about the strike zone??? Yes SHE WAS ONE OF OURS and yes, SHE DID LOSE THAT GAME!! (I'm sure that she probably blamed him, or the weather, or her teammates, or her coaches or whatever)
GOOD LUCK IN THE SECTIONALS, REGIONALS AND STATE!!!
The State Tournament draws are over and Sectionals begin this weekend!!! One thing that many of you need to address is that ONE BAD INNING!!! The State Tournament is a SINGLE ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT, so there is no room for a BAD INNING!!! It is ONE AND DONE!!!
So, why are we having BAD INNINGS and how do we eliminate them??
HERE ARE THE REASONS I HEAR FROM SOME OF YOU AS TO WHY YOU ARE HAVING BAD INNINGS:
1. The umpires strike zone changed! He squeezed me!! He took away my best pitch!!
2. My catcher's pitch calling was terrible!! She wasnt throwing my change, my drop, my rise or whatever!
3. My coaches pitch calling was terrible!! and same as above.
4. There were so many errors!! I can't believe my teammates can be so bad, they really hate me!!
5. The conditions were terrible, too wet, too cold, it snowed, it rained, blah, blah, blah.
HERE ARE THE REAL REASONS WHY YOU ARE HAVING BAD INNINGS:
1. 43 feet!!!
2. Hitters are adjusting
3. Whoever calls your pitches has a pattern.
4. You are losing it mentally.
5. You are tired and not as affective as you were
6. You are facing some very good hitters
7. You just lost it and need to come out
HOW TO AVOID THOSE BIG INNINGS:
1. Think in the present!! Not on the last pitch or on the outcome of the game, THE NEXT PITCH ONLY!!
2. Hit your spots!!! YOU CAN'T WIN GAMES BY THROWING THE BALL IN THE RED ZONE!!!
3. Be mentally tough!! Get RID OF THE BLAME GAME AND THROW GOOD PITCHES WITH GOOD MOVEMENT!!
4. Stop thinking so much AND TRUST YOUR SKILL!! Quit questioning everyone and just pitch!!
5. Have a back up pitcher. Coaches! at 43 feet the game has changed causing a need for another pitcher to be ready. Hitters are making adjustments and sometimes the best adjustment is to put in another pitcher for a different look!!
Basically what I am saying to all you pitchers is, BE REALISTIC!!! IT IS WHAT IT IS!! And, most of you are doing that and I am extremely proud of you. However, there are some of you who get into this BLAME GAME and end up making things worse. The best comment I had from one of our pitchers this year who just took a very tough loss was, "coach, I just couldn't throw my best pitch, what should I have done?" This is a pitcher BEING REALISTIC! I was there and she was right on!! She wasn't being squeezed, She wasn't making excuses and even though her teammates did make some mistakes, SHE DIDN'T BLAME THEM!!!
One more point. I recently talked to an umpire who was getting some grief from a pitcher about his strike zone. He said it was getting pretty embarassing and he was getting disgusted. Now, he didn't say that he '"SQUEEZED" her, but he did say that if it was close, she didnt get it!! PITCHERS BE SMART!!! Umpires are human and don't want to be embarrased. They are mostly really good people who love the sport and are trying to do a very hard job!!! AND!!! THEY ARE ADULTS and deserve your respect!! Best response to a call that didn't go your way??? Just a smile and look away, that is enough!!! Not "THE STARE,THE LOOK, THE STOMP, THE WHATEVER!!! They can see right through that and if a college coach is watching, you will be OFF THEIR RECRUIT LIST, I CAN GUARANTEE THAT!! Oh, that pitcher who was upset about the strike zone??? Yes SHE WAS ONE OF OURS and yes, SHE DID LOSE THAT GAME!! (I'm sure that she probably blamed him, or the weather, or her teammates, or her coaches or whatever)
GOOD LUCK IN THE SECTIONALS, REGIONALS AND STATE!!!