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#1
06-28-2006, 12:17 PM
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The Pitching Appreciation Thread
The main reason why I enjoy baseball so much is because of great pitching. A great pitcher can shut down a great offense 9 times out of 10.
I am a Red Sox fan and am so looking forward to Beckett vs Pedro (yes I would cheer Him  ) and tomorrow of Shilling vs Glavine (combined almost 500 wins!)I was watching John Smoltz pitch earlier today and even at 40 he still has it. A misnomer about great pitching is that you have to throw hard ala Nolan Ryan to be successful. It helps but if you do not know how to attack a hitter, you have no chance to be really special. Talent helps, but smarts help more. A right handed pitcher must go inside on a lefty to keep him honest. You can not live on the outside corner or you will eventually get hit hard and not be successful. Vice versa on lefties on right handed batters. Some of my favorite active pitchers are Johan Santana. He throws 95 but has a nasty slider and changeup at 82 MPH. This guy has filthy stuff and knows how to pitch. I also enjoy watching Mike Mussina pitch. He might only throw 90-91, but he moves the ball in and out and has a great curve to compliment his fastball. Curt Shilling also comes to mind. He almost single handedly beat the Yanks with his gutty performance in the 2004 ALCS. Others who I enjoy are also relief pitchers, Mariano Rivera, Eric Gagne (before the injuries fit the mold above), Jon Papelpon (yes he is young, but already gets it in his first full season) Some of my favs of yesteryear are Ferndando Valenzuela, Orel Hershisher, Tommy John, Dennis Eckersly, Roger Clemens (yes he is still active, but I am talking about the young CLemens with Bos who was overpowering and had pinpoint control) Greg Maddux (when younger), Jim Palmer, Lamarr Hoyt, Dennis Lenard, Jack Morris and Frank Viola, (I could go on and on but I will spare you  )I am just curious everyones opinion. MLB is littered with people who can throw hard, but that does not make you special (just ask Jose Mesa and Armando Benitez) Any thoughts from anyone  
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#2
06-28-2006, 03:37 PM
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Great pitcher's duel in the Yankees/Braves game.
Smoltz: 7 IP 110 pitches 1 ER 6 H 1 BB 4 K 7 GO. Wang: 8 IP 7 H 2 ER 1 BB 2 K 91 pitches...... and.... are you ready for this?? 19 Groundball outs  !!What a game!! Oh yeah....someone hit a 2-run walkoff HR, too. __________________
R.I.P. Darrent Williams 1982-2007  Originally Posted by #1snake_fan: Keep talking your **** Yankees fans i say Phillies in 4
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#3
06-28-2006, 08:20 PM
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Quote:
Also some other team hit the crap out of Pedro today. I wonder who  Josh Beckett looked awesome. The Sox look awfully good now. This is going to be an interesting rest of the season for them.
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#4
06-28-2006, 08:29 PM
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The only MLB I watch is the rockies..so I don't have much to say, but my little brother is a pitcher...and a heck of a good one at that. I'm not just saying that cuz he's my bro either. Anyway...I know how hard he works at it and I know how much pressure he has placed on him and he's only a Sophomore in High School! I can only IMAGINE what kind of pressure the MLB pitchers feel. It would be a tough job and I have a ton of respect for them.
__________________
my graphics gallery  sig made by my bff Skywalker "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from." -No Country for Old Men
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#5
06-29-2006, 01:10 PM
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Pitching and defense wins championships. You need to hit, but without pitching you have no chance. If you hit and can not pitch, you are the Texas Rangers. Some new good young pitchers in baseball are this kid Lirano from Minnesota and Pabelbon from Boston. These are the two that will go neck and neck for the AL Rookie of the year, unless they fall off the table in the last 3 months of the season. It is not likely to happen 
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#6
06-29-2006, 01:29 PM
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They clocked him at 104 on one of his pitches. That is heat!  __________________
Broncs All the Way Baby!
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#7
06-29-2006, 01:41 PM
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I love Smoltz obviosly, but do not give up the future to get him ala Jeff Bagwell (minor league Red Sox player ) for Larry Anderson of the Astos to win now for one Year. Anderson was long out of baseball and Bagwell won MVPs and is a borerline Hall of Famer.
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#8
06-29-2006, 02:06 PM
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I would keep Zumaya but I am not the general manager.  __________________
Broncs All the Way Baby!
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#9
06-29-2006, 02:22 PM
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Todd Jones is not that great, Trust me he throws 90 and does it with mirrors. They should keep this kid and eventually let him close ala Papelbon. Smoltz is on the downside of his career(although still great). IF I was Det, just do not make a colossal mistake like Boston did with Bagwell.
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#10
06-29-2006, 04:01 PM
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I got Papelbon too. __________________
Broncs All the Way Baby!
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#11
06-29-2006, 04:03 PM
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great pick my friend
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#12
06-29-2006, 04:15 PM
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Pitching appreciation, eh? I have to get nostalgic to really appreciate anything the Reds have done, because it's been so long since they've had solid pitching all around (although Harang and Arroyo have been great for us this year).
The Reds team of 1990 boasted arguably one of the best bullpens in baseball. Randy Johnson, Norm Charlton, and Rob Dibble were always waiting in the wings, and you knew, and I mean KNEW that the Reds would win if the game got to the 7th with the Reds ahead. Like him or not, Rob Dibble was awesome. They truly were the Nasty Boys. I miss those days.  ... but the Reds will rise again! Yes! __________________
HEAR ME ROAR!
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#13
06-30-2006, 07:58 AM
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do not forget Tom Browning, Mario Soto, Danny Jackson, Tom Seaver and many others These are the Reds I remember growing up that were awesome every year
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#14
06-30-2006, 08:11 AM
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Medford, I think you are correct about pitching.
I played baseball all through college. Good pitching is what it takes for team success. That is starting pitching and relief pitching. Throwing hard is good. Throwing the good fast ball is good. However, pitchers who are good at placing the ball in the right spots are the most successful pitchers. You can throw fast and hard, but if you throw it over the plate you will get hammered most of the time. However, if you throw fast and hard and hit those inside corners or outside corners you'll be more productive. The best pitchers are ones with great control and good movement. They also know how to pitch both inside and outside. Pitchers that are student's of the game and are good scouts of the other teams players hitting abilities are the pitchers that survive the longest at any level and especially the pro level. __________________
Emancipate your mind! The People's Poster I make it do what it do!
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#15
06-30-2006, 08:51 PM
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Yankee Pitching Appreciation:
A 1+ hour rain delay cost Moose his 10th win. Moose: 4 IP 0 H 0 BB 4 K. Villone: 2 IP 1 H 1 BB 2 K (including one when Posada gunned down the baserunner)1 Pickoff. W (2-1) Proctor: 1 IP 1 K . Farnsworth: 1 IP. Rivera: 1 IP 1 K. SV (18). Mets: 1 reached on an error vs. Moose. 1 H 1 BB. El Duque pitched very well (2 ER in 7 IP), but took the loss. Yankees 2 Mets 0. It's unusual to have 5 pitchers combine on a 1-hit shutout, to say the very least. __________________
R.I.P. Darrent Williams 1982-2007 Originally Posted by #1snake_fan: Keep talking your **** Yankees fans i say Phillies in 4
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