Pitching 101, Controlling the Running Game

Dan Cevette
Director, New York

I get asked a lot of questions about baseball, mainly about Pitching. I was a Professional Baseball Pitcher for 11 years in three different MLB Organizations where I was able to fill my knowledge bank on pitching from some impressive instructors. John Farrell, Scott Radinsky, Charles Nagy, and Steve Belcher just to name a few, and I have also picked the brain of Giants Gold Glove Catcher Kurt Manwaring (1992) a time or two. It's the heart and soul of the game, let's get to it.

Pitching 101, Controlling the Running Game
In game pitching responsibility should be broken down into three sections. Attacking hitters, covering and fielding your position, and controlling the running game. If you do all three of those things well you will find success more ofter then not during your outings. Some may argue that "Damage Control" or stopping the "Big Inning" should be mixed in, but in my mind they already are. If you attack hitters with confidence you will most likely eliminate walks. If you cover bases and field your position well the small things that can really hurt will be minimized. (example: Bunt singles, not backing up 3rd and ball gets past the bag...) And if you control the running game you can keep runners in check, and out of scoring position.

How to Control the Running Game Effectively
- Hold the ball - Varying times will disrupt the runner and the batter.
- Change your looks - Switching up different head looks will keep the runner honest, no patterns.
- Throw over - Throwing over will show the runner your not afraid to come after him.
- Be aware of running counts - It's much easier to run on an off speed pitch vs. a fastball.
- The slide step - *Note* the slide step, in my opinion, is a more advanced move. If your mechanics are not sound the slide step can really mess with control and feel.
- Attack hitters - The more you go at the batter the better off you will be, less walks eliminating as much on base traffic.
- Know the guys that can run - Be aware of the type of player on the bases. We never want to lose focus on the batter, at the end of the day getting outs in your No. 1 priority.

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