The Official Queens @ Tennessee Game Thread (Tues. 3/25 6PM EDT) (SECNET+)

#564
#564
MAD said:
Love reading the comments of you guys watching some of the other SEC teams in action.

One thing is for sure, Tennessee baseball fans will never be accused of jumping on the SEC SEC SEC bandwagon.
Click to expand...
Oh I bet there's a couple of Tennessee fans that window lick for rest of league...
 
  • Like
Reactions: CobbWebb71
#566
#566
The big statement last night seems to be why do we rotate pitchers so much in midweeks. Reality is that only 4-5 pitchers on the team are starters. The rest are relievers. It is totally different for a pitcher to start than come in from the bullpen. I tell all of my guys going to college from HS to make sure their summer coach lets them relieve at times because most of them will not be starters in college. It is a different warm-up program, a different mindset, a different set of skills that most HS pitchers do not have because they pitch complete games. There are very few relievers or closers in HS baseball.
The goal in midweeks is to find out who can get going fast. I don't understand the "get in a rhythm" mindset. You should be able to go full blast from the first pitch. If you come in and walk a batter or give up a HR, you are gonna get pulled. You have to learn how to pitch not just throw to play for UT baseball. You should not have have time to "get in a rhythm". That rhythm should be started in the bullpen and you should be ready to go by the time you are on the mound.
If you do not let a lot of guys pitch in midweeks, you cannot see who can do what.
 
  • Like
Reactions: taylorvol, Orange., WillisWG and 11 others
#567
#567
preacherman20 said:
The big statement last night seems to be why do we rotate pitchers so much in midweeks. Reality is that only 4-5 pitchers on the team are starters. The rest are relievers. It is totally different for a pitcher to start than come in from the bullpen. I tell all of my guys going to college from HS to make sure their summer coach lets them relieve at times because most of them will not be starters in college. It is a different warm-up program, a different mindset, a different set of skills that most HS pitchers do not have because they pitch complete games. There are very few relievers or closers in HS baseball.
The goal in midweeks is to find out who can get going fast. I don't understand the "get in a rhythm" mindset. You should be able to go full blast from the first pitch. If you come in and walk a batter or give up a HR, you are gonna get pulled. You have to learn how to pitch not just throw to play for UT baseball. You should not have have time to "get in a rhythm". That rhythm should be started in the bullpen and you should be ready to go by the time you are on the mound.
If you do not let a lot of guys pitch in midweeks, you cannot see who can do what.
Click to expand...
Like, Like, Like.

How many times over the last couple years has someone come in to get us a big out?

What helped them prepare for that? They were used to coming in, throwing strikes, and getting outs.
How did they learn to do that in front of a crowd? Because they had done it. Whether for an inning or an out.

Coach V seems to use every out to try to get his guys opportunities to get better, so that they are ready when their number is called. And this applies not only on the mound, he does the same in the field and at the plate, getting guys reps in different situations. That benefits us in so many ways, both in preparation for games later this year and also in knowing what we have, or need to find, for the next year.

The man knows what he is doing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: taylorvol, WillisWG, preacherman20 and 4 others
#568
#568
preacherman20 said:
The big statement last night seems to be why do we rotate pitchers so much in midweeks. Reality is that only 4-5 pitchers on the team are starters. The rest are relievers. It is totally different for a pitcher to start than come in from the bullpen. I tell all of my guys going to college from HS to make sure their summer coach lets them relieve at times because most of them will not be starters in college. It is a different warm-up program, a different mindset, a different set of skills that most HS pitchers do not have because they pitch complete games. There are very few relievers or closers in HS baseball.
The goal in midweeks is to find out who can get going fast. I don't understand the "get in a rhythm" mindset. You should be able to go full blast from the first pitch. If you come in and walk a batter or give up a HR, you are gonna get pulled. You have to learn how to pitch not just throw to play for UT baseball. You should not have have time to "get in a rhythm". That rhythm should be started in the bullpen and you should be ready to go by the time you are on the mound.
If you do not let a lot of guys pitch in midweeks, you cannot see who can do what.
Click to expand...
Excellent point. Pitching vs throwing is a huge difference. I coached a kid who would pitch in college. He (and his dad) focused on velo and K's, but the best game he ever pitched was a complete game with only 2 K's against a top team in SC. I guess I failed as I could never get him to see the difference. Perhaps he could have gone to a bigger school had he bought in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WillisWG
#570
#570
preacherman20 said:
The big statement last night seems to be why do we rotate pitchers so much in midweeks. Reality is that only 4-5 pitchers on the team are starters. The rest are relievers. It is totally different for a pitcher to start than come in from the bullpen. I tell all of my guys going to college from HS to make sure their summer coach lets them relieve at times because most of them will not be starters in college. It is a different warm-up program, a different mindset, a different set of skills that most HS pitchers do not have because they pitch complete games. There are very few relievers or closers in HS baseball.
The goal in midweeks is to find out who can get going fast. I don't understand the "get in a rhythm" mindset. You should be able to go full blast from the first pitch. If you come in and walk a batter or give up a HR, you are gonna get pulled. You have to learn how to pitch not just throw to play for UT baseball. You should not have have time to "get in a rhythm". That rhythm should be started in the bullpen and you should be ready to go by the time you are on the mound.
If you do not let a lot of guys pitch in midweeks, you cannot see who can do what.
Click to expand...
Preacherman, I’m glad you posted this, because I want to pick your brain.
My son(12) is really big and really strong for his age, throws absolute gas but is still working on location.
His middle school coach is hooking him up with a former Major leaguer for pitching lessons and he’s been working on hitting with a former college guy and semi pro softball player, with the thought that they want him to play travel.
He has a ton of potential but is extremely raw. He knows the game and understands the game, just trying to catch up to his body physically.
Just this week I told him to focus on fielding and hitting and maybe work on trying his hand at relief.
How do you train for relief and not going several innings?
I plan on talking to his trainer about this, do you think this would be a good idea or not?
I don’t want the guy giving him lessons to thinknim a complete idiot for even bringing it up but long story short, I want him to be versatile. As of now he plays 1st, 3rd, CF, catches some and pitches a little.
I’m just looking for some advice from someone who has been there.
Thanks!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: WillisWG and knoxvol52
#571
#571
I really do not think you have to work on relief until late in HS because in HS most pitchers start and go all or most all of the game. Only a few elite schools have true relievers or hardly none true closers. I just think you have to learn to pitch early. Everyone gets caught up in how fast every pitcher throws but there is truly a lack of pitching and more hard throwing. That may work many places but there are guys like Coach V and A and myself that can't stand walks. You can't pitch for us if you walk guys. I tell my pitchers all the time that you can't complain about errors if you are walking guys because a walk is equivalent to an error. You are letting someone get on base by your mistake. So, long story short I would have him work on location, location, location. Once you have it you can add velo.
People assume Kirby could not throw hard but he hit 93 in HS and hit 94 at UT on pro day. But Coach A was adamant he was a more effective pitcher when he backed it down and made it move. As A says, any guy can hit 94 in SEC that is flat and straight. Make it move it in 2 directions and that number gets a lot lower very fast.
Relief is more mental than physical I think. If you are a pitcher that is just very little room for mistakes in relief. If you come in with 2 runners on in a 1 run game, you can't walk or give up a hit. I used to make my pitchers do it in practice. At the end of a session, I would challenge my pitcher to throw 3 strikes with no balls and hit spots. Just getting them used to that mental edge.
 
  • Like
Reactions: taylorvol, Orange., WillisWG and 3 others
#573
#573
preacherman20 said:
I really do not think you have to work on relief until late in HS because in HS most pitchers start and go all or most all of the game. Only a few elite schools have true relievers or hardly none true closers. I just think you have to learn to pitch early. Everyone gets caught up in how fast every pitcher throws but there is truly a lack of pitching and more hard throwing. That may work many places but there are guys like Coach V and A and myself that can't stand walks. You can't pitch for us if you walk guys. I tell my pitchers all the time that you can't complain about errors if you are walking guys because a walk is equivalent to an error. You are letting someone get on base by your mistake. So, long story short I would have him work on location, location, location. Once you have it you can add velo.
People assume Kirby could not throw hard but he hit 93 in HS and hit 94 at UT on pro day. But Coach A was adamant he was a more effective pitcher when he backed it down and made it move. As A says, any guy can hit 94 in SEC that is flat and straight. Make it move it in 2 directions and that number gets a lot lower very fast.
Relief is more mental than physical I think. If you are a pitcher that is just very little room for mistakes in relief. If you come in with 2 runners on in a 1 run game, you can't walk or give up a hit. I used to make my pitchers do it in practice. At the end of a session, I would challenge my pitcher to throw 3 strikes with no balls and hit spots. Just getting them used to that mental edge.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response!
I like my boy in CF to be honest. He has good range and a strong arm. This past weekend he gloved one off the wall and gunned the kid at 2nd, from left center and because of plays like this you are right, now everyone is getting caught up in how fast and hard he throws and everyone wants to make him a pitcher.
I have zero clue on how to teach a kid to pitch and wouldn’t even try and that’s what I’ve always told him.
But I also told him that if he would put in the work, I’d give him every resource I could to help him.
He’s been practicing and playing hard and he’s been doing a ton of tee work and throwing into the net at home, so I at least owe it to him to see if a former Yankee pitcher can help him, if just a little.
The guy working with his bat is really starting to help him and he’s always had a good glove.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WillisWG, Orange931 and knoxvol52
#574
#574
CobbWebb71 said:
Thanks for the response!
I like my boy in CF to be honest. He has good range and a strong arm. This past weekend he gloved one off the wall and gunned the kid at 2nd, from left center and because of plays like this you are right, now everyone is getting caught up in how fast and hard he throws and everyone wants to make him a pitcher.
I have zero clue on how to teach a kid to pitch and wouldn’t even try and that’s what I’ve always told him.
But I also told him that if he would put in the work, I’d give him every resource I could to help him.
He’s been practicing and playing hard and he’s been doing a ton of tee work and throwing into the net at home, so I at least owe it to him to see if a former Yankee pitcher can help him, if just a little.
The guy working with his bat is really starting to help him and he’s always had a good glove.
Click to expand...
You letting them boys skip tomorrow for Opening Day MLB tomorrow? I just renewed my MLB Package. $159.00 dollars for the year
 
  • Like
Reactions: AllVolinGA, Orange931 and CobbWebb71
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top