Mike Marshall's Methods Pique Interests Of Many -- And Other Pitching Articles of Interest

Here's a list of note-worthy pitching articles, which have recently appeared in some of the baseball publications I subscribe to. These articles can, of course, be found on newsstands and in bookstores this week.

• In the Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 issue of Collegiate Baseball (page 17), Lindsay Shafer investigates the link between yoga conditioning and baseball.
• In the same issue of Collegiate Baseball (page 9), Jim Murphy talks about the 24 mental attributes that make up some of the best baseball players in the game.
• In the Monday, Feb. 27, 2006 issue of Baseball America (page 7), columnist Alan Schwartz interviews Dr. Mike Marshall, a former major-league Cy Young Award winning pitcher. Marshall, as many of you know, runs a pitching academy in Florida.

The Purpose Of Pitching Out Of The Stretch - And Tips To Keep Runners From Stealing On You

The purpose of the stretch delivery is to keep base runners from taking large leads and from stealing bases on you. Mariano Rivera  (at right) does this by not letting guys get on base in the first place. Of course, I'm joking here. But the point I'm trying to make is this: keep it simple from the stretch. Get that base runner to stop (by making sure the runner stops his forward momentum toward the next base).

To do that, change your hold sequences to the plate. Use one-, three-, and five-second holds (before making your pitch). This will help you make sure the base runner stops. And if you make sure the runner stops, you've accomplished your primary goal. 

For right-handed pitchers, try to see the runner just a little bit to make sure that he stops. You can do this by catching a glimpse of the guy out of the corner of your eye.

This is important because it's been my experience that there are a lot of teams who will look to see if you're paying attention to the runner: The first thing they do when a runner gets on base is to take a one-way lead. If that one-way lead reveals the pitcher isn't looking over, then the runner's going to time you and go on the next pitch. It's that simple.

For left-handed pitchers, it’s natural to look at the runner, of course, so the key for you is to vary your looks and holds, but not your pitching mechanics. (And don't be afraid to mix in a few throw overs to the bag, just to keep runners honest.)

Why I Don't Teach The Knuckle-Ball Pitch

A lot of baseball people ask me why I don't have a picture and description of the knuckle-ball pitch on my main website's "Pitching Grips" page. The reason is simple: I don't recommend or teach the pitch. And no, it's not because it's a dangerous or an altogether stressful pitch. (As a matter of fact, the knuckle ball is perhaps one of the least stressful of all baseball pitches.)

No, the reason I don't teach the knuckle ball (above right) is because it's a junk pitch. Guys don't get drafted on it. Guys don't get college scholarships on it. Instead, it's a last resort pitch. In the major leagues, for example, the knuckle ball is usually used as a last-resort option for a pitcher who's about to be released. The big-league club will give a guy a few weeks to see if he can get the pitch to work. If not, he's usually let go, or turned into a coach.

Now I know there are some knuckle-ball pitchers in the game. Tim Wakefield is a great knuckle-ball pitcher. But Wake was a position player first. He was on his way out the door before being converted into a knuckle-ball pitcher. For Wake, it worked. But he's the exception to the rule.

For Mark Lemke, former Atlanta Braves second baseman in the 1990s, it didn't work out. (And there are much more of these stories than Wakefield's story.) Lemke was released, tried to come back as a knuckle-ball pitcher, but never quite made it back to the Majors.

If you don't take my advice and do decide to throw it, it should be thrown at about 65-68 mph. Any harder and it doesn't knuckle. Any slower and it basically doesn't reach the plate.

Here's How To Grip And Throw Barry Zito's Curveball

(This blog is adapted from a Sports Illustrated article by Ben Reiter, which appeared on CNNSI.com.)

Nearly 150 years after William Arthur (Candy) Cummings invented the curveball, A's lefty Barry Zito (gripping his curveball at right) has come closer than any of his peers to perfecting it. Zito's nose-to-toes breaker is so admired -- and so feared -- that it's earned him the reputation as having the one of the best curveballs in baseball.

"My dad and I picked it up out of a book when I was 7," he says. "He caught me in the backyard.... Then I threw to a mattress with a painted strike zone on it."

Zito, who was 14-12 in 2005 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2002, grips the ball with his index and middle fingers straddling the seam. "I want to get on top of the ball," he says. "When I release it, I force those two fingers down hard. That creates the torque on the seams, which causes rotation and spin. I also don't want to get my arm angle too high because that will take away the ball's bite -- I want to maintain a three-quarter arm slot."

Having relied on the bender as his out pitch since he was 16, Zito has developed a two-out, two-strike routine. When he snaps off a curve that feels just right, he often starts moving toward the dugout after releasing the pitch. By the time strike three is recorded, Zito is several steps off the mound. That's an unpleasant sight for big league hitters, but even scarier is Zito's own impression of his curve: "I still don't feel like I've mastered it," he says.

Why Pitching Practice Bullpens To Batters Is Better Than Not Throwing To A Batter For Youth Pitchers

Practice makes perfect. Probably heard that before, right? But sometimes it's the "perfect kind of practice" that makes perfect. When working with youth baseball pitchers, I've found that the perfect kind of practice is to make it as game-like as possible. Here's a simple way to do this: Always have a hitter (or "Bullpen Buddy"-type training device, at right) stand in when working in the bullpen. (If you do choose a "live" hitter, he should wear a helmet and he shouldn't swing. This practice is for the pitcher, not the hitter.)

Not only will having a hitter make your youth pitchers more comfortable with facing real hitters in a game, but you can use the hitter to garner valuable feedback. Simply asking the catcher how your pitches look isn't enough, especially as you advance in baseball.

That's because catchers have a vested interest when you ask their opinion: They'd rather you never throw too hard (it hurts their hands) with too much movement (it hurts their thumbs) or too much downward-action (forcing them to block).

Also, they crouch all the time, so they'd like to see you wrap up your bullpen as soon as possible to save their knees.

This can lead to overly positive reviews of your mediocre pitches.

Now, don't get me wrong: Your catcher is your best friend and your closest ally on the field. Always was that way for me. But they're all also human. For the best results, get an impartial observer to give you feedback. Have a hitter stand in, or use a training aide.

Two training aides I know of are The Designated Hitter (www.thedesignatedhitter.com) and the Bullpen Buddy (www.bullpenbuddy.com).

What To Look For And How To Dissect A Baseball Hitter's Batting Stance

When it comes to beating a hitter, there are a number of things you can do to give yourself an advantage. One of the biggest, perhaps, is to observe the hitter's batting position relative to the plate.

Now the younger you are, the harder this might be. I understand that. There are other things to focus on such as throwing strikes, knowing what to do in defensive situations, etc.

However, as your confidence and experience build, watching the hitter can be a good thing to learn to do.

One of the things I learned in pro ball is that you can watch the changes in a hitter's batting stance between pitches and during an at bat that can tip you off to what pitch the hitter might be looking for. Or, better yet, it can tip you off to what pitch he is afraid of seeing while even or behind in the count.

An example: If a hitter crowds (stands close to) the plate, he might be looking for fastballs over the outer-half of the plate. If a hitter's stands off of the plate, such as slugger Jim Edmonds of the St. Louis Cardinals, above, he might be looking to extend his hands on a pitch middle to middle-in.

Of course, these are generalities. Whether or not it'll work in your own games has as much to do with what you observe, as well as what your experience has taught you.

My point is this: The sooner you observe hitter's batting stances, the better off you'll be -- and the more success you'll have on the mound!

The Secret To A Good Off-Speed Change-Up

I firmly believe that my change-up enabled me to get the opportunity to play professional baseball. Indeed, body size, fastball velocity, a good work ethic, and quality mechanics are important. However, you essentially can't make it in the big leagues on one pitch.

This baseball season, make a point to work on your change-up. It's important. It'll give you another look, another dimension.

Now, let's take a closer look at the pitch: The key with any off-speed pitch -- such as a change-up -- is throwing it with fastball arm speed. It's true: The best off-speed pitch is the one that "looks" like a fastball. Case in point: The picture at right is 1955 World Series MVP Johnny Podres. Some say he had one of the best change-ups in baseball because he threw it with fastball arm speed.

The off-speed pitch is difficult because it's human nature to want to slow down your pitching mechanics when throwing an off-speed pitch in order to get a desired decrease in velocity.

To overcome this obstacle: do the opposite: Throw your change-up with faster arm speed than your fastball arm speed. The grip is what reduces speed on an off-speed pitch. So grip it properly, and throw it fast!

Peak Pitching Performance Linked To Proper Frame Of Mind

On my journey to professional baseball just a few years ago, there wasn't much talk about the mental aspects of pitching. Aside from H. Dorfman's "The Mental Game of Baseball" (at right) and "The Mental ABC's of Pitching," both outstanding books on mental preparation for the game, most mental components of the game had to be learned on a trial-and-error basis.

Today, however, there's a proliferation of outstanding pitching advice specifically tailored to the mental attributes of successful pitching. On my LetsTalkPitching.com Baseball Forum, for example, I have an entire discussion category devoted to the mental aspects of pitching. It's headed up by Dr. Tom Hanson, a sport psychologist.

I hope you'll stop by and utilize it. It's free.

One of the most important aspects of becoming a successful pitcher is to develop a routine. Now I'm not talking about a physical routine here. I'm talking about a mental routine. One of the things I did before a game performance was close my eyes and visualize success. I saw myself throwing strikes, having fluid mechanics, releasing the baseball out in front, throwing through the catcher's glove., etc.

It helped quite a bit.

Now I know working on the mental side of the game of baseball is not entirely glamorous. After all, we're living in a results-driven society, and in mental training, the results aren't as easily apparent as, say, working out in the weight room.

However, I strongly encourage you to work on the mental side of pitching as you work on the physical aspects. You'll be amazed at how much you'll improve. Maybe not over night, but certainly down the road.

A Closer Look At Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Columnist Charlie Greene's Throwing Recommendations

I've been a subscriber to Collegiate Baseball newspaper (baseballnews.com) for some time. Comes out a couple of times a month and usually has some discussion-worthy pitching articles.

Coach Charlie Greene (at right), a columnist for Collegiate Baseball and former head coach at Miami-Dade Community College, wrote about some preseason throwing recommendations in his latest article "Throwing Schedule Essential" (Feb. 10, 2006). Instructor Dick Mills dismissed it on his blog. Said it was inept. But I think it's a good effort on Coach Greene's part to suggest that establishing a daily throwing program is necessary in becoming a successful pitcher. How can you argue with that?

I e-mailed Coach Greene today to have him further explain his "dowel drill" for pitchers. I'm not advocating it's use. I'm not against it, either. Although I never trained with a dowel, I understand where Coach Greene's coming from. I simply feel that more information was needed than what newspaper space had allowed.

Coach Greene suggested using a 2-foot wooden dowel that's 3/8-inch round. The dowel is taped at one end. That's the end a pitcher will hold in his throwing hand. The pitcher then performs his pitching mechanics, without throwing, of course. The benefit of the drill, said Coach Greene, is that a pitcher gets the opportunity to work on his mechanics, but save his arm from the strains of throwing - because he isn't throwing. This drill is a lot like the "mirror drill" pitchers perform in front of a mirror. Coach Greene's version simply introduces a wooden dowel.

"You hold the dowel like a band leader holds a baton," said Coach Greene in his e-mail to me. "Arm action will cause the dowel to create a swishing sound. The louder the swish the faster the hand."