Question about pitching development

Obviously we've had some great arms come through recently, so I'm not questioning Foxhall or anything....but does every other team in the SEC have at least two guys every season that throw smoke but can't hit the broad side of a barn? Going back to Evan Mitchell, and now Stinnett and Fristoe, even Ethan Small until it finally clicked...we have always got an arm or two that could really help us if they could just throw strikes somewhat consistently. Is that an everybody problem, or just us? And what does a pitching coach do to get a guy out of his head, maybe dial it back a few mph, and throw strikes? It's the damndest thing. If we had the Fristoe we had his first several starts, we'd be locked in on weekend rotation. And if we had a better locating Stinnett we'd be locked in at closer. Just thought it was interesting how we have a few every year and what could be done if anything

It's certainly everyone. Those guys are everywhere.

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Originally Posted by CadaverDawg

Obviously we've had some great arms come through recently, so I'm not questioning Foxhall or anything....but does every other team in the SEC have at least two guys every season that throw smoke but can't hit the broad side of a barn? Going back to Evan Mitchell, and now Stinnett and Fristoe, even Ethan Small until it finally clicked...we have always got an arm or two that could really help us if they could just throw strikes somewhat consistently. Is that an everybody problem, or just us? And what does a pitching coach do to get a guy out of his head, maybe dial it back a few mph, and throw strikes? It's the damndest thing. If we had the Fristoe we had his first several starts, we'd be locked in on weekend rotation. And if we had a better locating Stinnett we'd be locked in at closer. Just thought it was interesting how we have a few every year and what could be done if anything

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An issue everywhere, I'm sure.

A pleasant change for us compared to years past, however, is we've turned the page from having just 1 or 2 guys that slang heat on the roster, to now having a staff filled with them.

Not everyone can find the strike zone consistently like Cerantola**

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

Not everyone can find the strike zone consistently like Cerantola**

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Lol Lord have mercy how did I leave off big red?

It's not just college or us, it's mlb, minor leagues, college , juco, hs, travel ball, little league, you name it. Hard throwers that can't command their fastballs have been the scourge of many a pitching coach lol

It's on nearly every team who sign electric arms. It may take them until 24-26 years old to grove their mechanics to repeatable body control, arm slot and release at such high force. And the idea of taking a little off is talked a lot but when all they have known and been taught is max effort, max velocity then IF it actually makes them accurate then a lot of times it flattens the ball and they lose the revs. It's a two edge sword. Maybe they do get some more control but it becomes straight and hitable. You just have to be patient and hope for those who figure out a repetitive motion sooner rather than later.

It's combination of things:

1. Some people are just born with better control. Whether throwing a football, baseball, or shooting a basketball- some people are just born with that free flowing accuracy. I was one of these people. It was just always easy for me to throw strikes or put the ball where I wanted it. And that's a big, big plus when you only throw 81.

2. Some people develop it thru better mechanics and lots of hard work. Eventually they get to the point they can get the ball to where they want it fairly consistently. As was mentioned- some do it 18, some 20....and some at 26-27

3. Some people never find the consistency they need. They just cant do it on a consistent basis and that power arm just goes to waste unfortunately.

4. Some people develop it- but they arent mentally tough enough to do it when it matters. Their control is solid when pitching 5 runs ahead or 5 runs behind- but with the game on the line- they cant handle it. It's the same as the QB that struggles in crunch time or the guy on the basketball team you and everybody else knows doesnt need to take the shot when the game is tight or on the line.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

It's combination of things:

1. Some people are just born with better control. Whether throwing a football, baseball, or shooting a basketball- some people are just born with that free flowing accuracy. I was one of these people. It was just always easy for me to throw strikes or put the ball where I wanted it. And that's a big, big plus when you only throw 81.

2. Some people develop it thru better mechanics and lots of hard work. Eventually they get to the point they can get the ball to where they want it fairly consistently. As was mentioned- some do it 18, some 20....and some at 26-27

3. Some people never find the consistency they need. They just cant do it on a consistent basis and that power arm just goes to waste unfortunately.

4. Some people develop it- but they arent mentally tough enough to do it when it matters. Their control is solid when pitching 5 runs ahead or 5 runs behind- but with the game on the line- they cant handle it. It's the same as the QB that struggles in crunch time or the guy on the basketball team you and everybody else knows doesnt need to take the shot when the game is tight or on the line.

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You summed it up well!

Accuracy for some people does come naturally but focus has a lot to do with it as well. And I am talking about the focus of a 7-10 year old along with the parent. It absolutely kills me to see 8 year old throwing curve balls. When I was growing up I had a trailer tire hanging on a wooden pallet. I was told very sternly that if I was seen throwing anything with spin on it I would be in trouble. I threw nothing but fastballs until my sophomore year in HS. I was not overpowering by any stretch of the imagination but I always threw strikes. It was drilled into me, accuracy wins more consistently than velocity.

I played in college and a little after but give me a guy throwing strikes upper 80s to low 90s all day over the 95-100 guys that can’t sniff the zone.

Guys like Sims and the like are obviously exceptions to the rule, as Coach said, Some guys to get it naturally.

I played some college ball and this may be a random observation but I?ve always felt like the more compact guys (shorter) who throw gas have more control. The taller lanky guys have the tendency to let it sail.

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Originally Posted by HaggardDawg

I played some college ball and this may be a random observation but I?ve always felt like the more compact guys (shorter) who throw gas have more control. The taller lanky guys have the tendency to let it sail.

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Makes since to me. Kinda like golf using a driver vs a PW - better accuracy on PW.

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Originally Posted by HaggardDawg

I played some college ball and this may be a random observation but I?ve always felt like the more compact guys (shorter) who throw gas have more control. The taller lanky guys have the tendency to let it sail.

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That has a lot of truth, and part of what I was talking about with body control. Longer levers, thinner tendons and ligaments, coordination, etc. takes longer for taller lankier people to harness their control

And I'll add some of it is a pitcher finding his role. Some guys can start and thrive there. Some thrive closing out games but would get shelled as starters. And probably did get shelled as a starter in their process to becoming the pitcher that they would become. Some have to change their arm angle to make it as a pitcher to various extremes as well. Some guys can start and relieve- usually it's someone like a Randy Johnson or a John Smoltz.

Some guys get hung up on radar gun and just refuse to back off even a little to improve control. Cerantola seemed like that because he couldn?t finish guys off when he got ahead. It was a 55? overthrown breaking ball and then the wheels fall off.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

It was just always easy for me to throw strikes or put the ball where I wanted it. And that's a big, big plus when you only throw 81.

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This was me too. Throwing a strike was the easiest thing in the world. Putting it where I wanted within the strike zone was the easiest thing in the world. Doing that with a 4 seamer, 2 seamer or a curve was the easiest thing in the world. My problem was the only time I could sniff 81 was with a very stiff breeze behind me. I'm guessing I was in the mid 70's. If I happened to hit you, it probably wouldn't even have pissed you off much less hurt you. I relied on studying the batter's stance, distance from the plate and other things to decide how I wanted to pitch somebody. It also helped that I'm left handed and most pitchers in our league in both high school and summer ball back in the day were right handed so a crafty lefty kind of threw them for a loop.

ETA: We had another lefty on our team. A big country-strong redneck who threw pure heat. We tried to teach him to pitch and it was obvious after about a week that it wasn't going anywhere. He couldn't come close to the zone. Actually, the catcher was getting a workout just trying to knock balls down they were so all over the place. But, in RF, he looked like Renfroe. Knee high strikes right over the plate from deep right. He was the perfect example of the difference between pitching and throwing.

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Originally Posted by bulldogcountry1

Some guys get hung up on radar gun and just refuse to back off even a little to improve control. Cerantola seemed like that because he couldn?t finish guys off when he got ahead. It was a 55? overthrown breaking ball and then the wheels fall off.

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Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember Hunter Renfroe on the mound hitting 98 but looked like Cerantola doing it. He'd slow down to 93 and start pounding the zone with control but there was no movement on his fastball and it would get tattooed.

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Originally Posted by Mjoelner34

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember Hunter Renfroe on the mound hitting 98 but looked like Cerantola doing it. He'd slow down to 93 and start pounding the zone with control but there was no movement on his fastball and it would get tattooed.

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Renfroe was just a baseball player without a position at that point. We tried him at catcher too and I remember him gunning down some runner for Arkansas by about 10 feet. He has the talent to play several positions and probably any position adequately. But his best position is right field. I remember him saving a game against Ole Miss when he stole a home run playing center field for us.

Florida has a pitcher that Sits 97. Can throw 100. 88 mph power breaking ball.

But hitters batted 330 on him. Almost the same BB as Ks.

But Florida and most schools love to have the prospect- the upside is massive. The fully polished 18 year-old kids go to MLB, everybody else has to develop less polished talent