7 Baseball Pitching Tips For Those Who Long Toss In Cold Weather

I grew up in the Northeast where winters and cold weather can really put a hamper on one's pitching training, long tossing, off-season throwing and bullpens.  For practices and general throwing, I tended to rely on 30 degrees or less, go inside ... 30 degrees or more, you can go outside.

I suggest 30 degrees because when you're throwing, there's always some element of your body that's exposed. It's mostly your throwing hand and your face, so it's important not to expose those parts of your body (especially your hand) to below freezing temps for too long.

However, performance gear has come a long way in the past 5 years so that with a little Under Armour Cold Gear (top and bottoms), you should be perfectly OK for a 20-45 minute throwing session. With your upper body clothing, the tighter the fit, the better because loose long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts and jackets cause "drag" in the air, which can actually slow down your arm and be counter productive.

Here are 7 baseball pitching tips to consider when throwing in cold weather:

1. You want to take care of your hands, especially your throwing hand. So I recommend using a heavy-duty moisturizer to prevent the cold from cracking your skin on your throwing hand on those really cold days. Maybe you don't have a problem with this, but it's worth considering if you've got dry hands already.

2. Don't wear a jacket when you throw. Wear it to warmup. But take it off when you're doing your 10-30 minutes of throwing. You can put it back on later.

3.  If you're not sweating before you start throwing, you're not warmed up well enough. I know that in cold weather it's harder to work up a sweat. But that just means you have to work harder/longer to warm up.

4. Wear a hat (snow hat) to keep your head warm. If you're head's warm, it's easier to warm up and stay warm throughout your throwing session.

5. If you're throwing a bullpen, take it very easy to start out. Get a good feel for your pitches first (and, again, get a good sweat going) before you unleash your best stuff.

6. When you're done with your throwing, the sooner you can change your shirt, put on a jacket, put on winter gloves, and then eventually take a warm shower, the better. I always recommend bringing a second, dry shirt to change into when you're sweating in cold weather. If you're going to be standing around, wear gloves (or thinner batting gloves) to protect your hands.

7. Find a high school gym or a college gym to throw in instead. If you've got access to this resource, it can be a better option than throwing inside -- especially in snow and on those days when it's too cold to throw outside.

13 Baseball Warm Up Drills And Stretching Tips For Pitchers

Pitching a baseball game begins long before you even step onto the pitching mound. It is important to prepare both physically and mentally for pitching in a game. Below are some mental and physical steps you can do to prepare for pitching on the day of the big baseball game.

1. When you wake up in the morning, begin mentally visualizing your pitching experience. Start imagining how your pitching will be that day. While taking your morning shower, think about how you want your pitching strategy to be. Do you want to throw many fastballs? Do you want to vary your pitching a lot in the game? Do you want to try and strike every batter out? Or would you want to pitch each batter in such a way as to try to get them to ground out to the infielders on the first pitch? All of this mental preparation can help visualize how you want to win.

2. During the day, conserve your energy and keep thinking about how you are going to pitch the best game ever. Your positive attitude will help you win. All of the positive thoughts will get you very excited about pitching in the game.

3. When you are getting dressed for the game, keep a clear head and positive attitude. If you pitching coach gave you advice on pitching strategy, repeat key concepts in your head. Consider the strategies for each batter. If you did research on the other team's players, remind yourself of which batters to pitch fastballs to, and which batters to throw curveballs to. You don't need to quiz yourself, but simply review the concepts in your head.

4. Before going into the pitching bullpen, gently jog around the field. Get the blood flowing. Gently stretch, and then jog a little more. It's important to loosen up your arms and your legs. Your entire body is needed for baseball pitching, so be sure to warm-up your entire body.

5. Once you've returned to the bullpen, go to a grassy spot away from other players and gently stretch your arms and arm joints. Focus on your shoulders, forearms, wrists, and elbow.

6. After stretching for about 5 or 10 minutes, find a teammate to have a simple catch with. Stand about 20 feet apart and simply throw the ball to each other. There's no need to throw any pitches at this point. Just throw the ball. Catching and throwing the ball will actually help you stretch some more before you even throw a single pitch. After a minute or two, extend the distance to about 50 feet apart. After a few more minutes of having a casual game of catch with your teammate, you should start casually going through the pitching motion. Use your legs in throwing the ball. Do a casual wind-up and lift your leg a little bit in the pitch.

7. Now that you've warmed up, you can start your pitching activities. Have a teammate, preferably a catcher; assume the catching position while you throw some practice pitches. Start with a very slow pitch and practice the pitching motions. Don't worry about speed. Pay attention to your pitching mechanics.

8. Once you've thrown about 15 simple pitches while focusing on the delivery, start to warm-up your pitching aim. Focus on inside and outside pitching corners. Practice your aim with each of your pitches. Throw a fastball, curve, change-up, slider, and other pitches.

9. Ask your warm-up catcher and another teammate to go to home plate and practice with you while you stand on the pitcher's mound. Your practice catcher should assume the catching position, and your other teammate should stand in the batters box with a baseball bat in hand. The practice batter should not hit your practice pitches, but simply stand in the hitting stance and occasionally swing very lightly at the pitches. All of this will help you visually prepare for real game pitching.

10. If you have not already done so, go see you pitching coach and say hello. Ask any questions that you may have. If you don't have any questions, review with your pitching coach any pitching strategies for the game.

11. Before you enter the game, be sure to go to the bullpen and throw some more warm-up pitches. Also, throw just a few pitches at full speed. Don't throw too many, but throw maybe 3 or 4 full speed pitches.

12. If you are not the starting pitcher, be sure to keep your body warm and loose. And remember to keep warm and loose in-between innings even when you are the active pitcher.

13. And of course, enjoy your pitching experience! After all, that's why you play baseball...to have fun!

Here's What Roger Clemens Thought About Brushback Pitches, Hitting Batters And Pitching Inside

This blog was taken from a 1998 spring training post-game interview with Roger Clemens. During this game, Blue Jays shortstop Alex Gonzalez was hit in the head by a pitch from New York Yankees starter Hideki Irabu. As it would turn out, Roger hit the Yankees shortstop the next half inning.

In this section, the Rocket discusses that most beloved subject of all dominating major league pitchers: the inside of the plate.

Q: Now, you had an HB, today, a "hit batsman." What pitch was that?

Roger: That was an inside fastball. To Derek Jeter.

Q: Irabu, himself, hit two Jays during the game. First Canseco, then shortstop Alex Gonzalez in the top of the 5th. Tell me about the 5th.

Roger: Alex was having a great at bat against Irabu. He worked Irabu to a 3-2 count and then started fouling fastballs off, over and over. Real good swings on them.

I had just come into the dugout, from my between-inning calisthentics. And then Irabu hits Alex in the head. I mean, it was dangerous. He got hit right in the temple. Thank God that, when he turned to avoid the fastball, his batting helmet stayed on. Because it just absolutely smoked him.

Knocked him right down. And he lay what seemed like forever. The Yankees immediately took Irabu out of the game, brought a replacement in. [Mike Buddie, who mainly played at Columbus in 1997, the Yankees AAA team.] We brought Craig Grabeck to fill in for Alex.

I went out and pitched my own end of the fifth, the bottom. A man got on [an error by the Jays], but we got a double play ball to get out of that. Jeter came up [Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter]. I threw a fastball away from him, on the left side of the plate. Then I came back with a fastball inside -- hitting Jeter in the upper rib cage.

There was no incident or anything. Jeter ran down to first. Pretty much, hey, just the game of baseball -- no, let me take that back, just the game of hardball. Right there.

After the game, the reporters asked me about my location. And then they said, "Was your location good on that Jeter pitch?" And I told them exactly what that pitch was: a fastball inside. It was a very meaningful fastball, sure, but it was just an inside fastball. In the major leagues.

Q: Some reporters were asking you, after, if you feel pitchers sometimes have to retaliate when their teammates get hit in the head.

Roger: And my only answer to that it is extremely unsettling when one of your teammates gets hit in the head. I can't underline that enough. I have to dress and be with these guys, every day, day in and day out, seven months of the year. I want their respect.

But I want Jays fans to know that Irabu sent his interpreter over to apologize to Alex in the clubhouse. I was in there when that happened. I thought that was very professional.

Q: Do you think he was aiming for Alex, because of that long at bat? Or did it just get away?

Roger: I can't comment on what was going on in his head. I just take at face value what his interpreter told us in the clubhouse: It was unintentional.

I hope Alex is okay. We won't know until tomorrow how he is. It's scary. Think about it. You've heard all the devastating things that can happen to a boxer from a punch. Well, here we have a baseball, a sphere that is harder than your knuckles. And it comes in at 95-plus mph. And that hits you in the head. It is dangerous. Myself, anytime I've ever gotten a fastball up around a guy's shoulder or head, it even scares me, let alone the hitter.

I pitch inside for a purpose. I believe that that is what got me to the bigs. And I believe that that is what has kept me in the bigs. I consider pitching inside part of my job up there on the mound. That's my livelihood.

But, I also understand that batters have kids and families. And I respect that. And that's why you never want to play around with a guy's head. A pitcher can get the job done in and around the belly button, maybe as high as the chest, to get a hitter to back off the plate.

Q: Many great pitchers of the past have said they can't believe the way some modern batters take the whole plate.

Roger: I have to pitch inside. I enjoy it and it's necessary. Sometimes, my control with my fastball can be detrimental because it lets guys get real comfortable up there. So I have to come inside.

Hall of Fame pitchers like Don Drysdale and Bob Gibson talked to me a fair bit, early in my career -- and Nolan [Ryan], to some extent. And that's where I learned about pitching inside. I mean, "Big D," before he passed on, he told me that he thought his "most important pitch" of any game was "the second knockdown pitch."

Q: [Laughter]

Roger: 'Cause then the hitter knew the first one wasn't a mistake.

Q: After the second brushback, I bet they were a little more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, huh?

Roger: You bet. In my first two years in the majors, I had to learn that just because you can throw hard doesn't mean everything. You keep throwing it right over the middle, guys are going to start turning it around on you big time at this level of play. They will hit it all over the place.

So you have to throw pitches that then set up other pitches. If you have a guy who is covering both sides of the plate, you have to get one side back.

Unfortunately, there are just some stubborn hitters. [long pause] Well... there are some stubborn pitchers, too.

That's what pitching inside is all about.

Don Drysdale requests you please pay attention.