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When
I pitched high school baseball, Adrian High Baseball Coach Meine
Busack told me to get ahead with my fastball and throw my curve
to finish at bats. When I pitched minor league baseball, my minor
league baseball managers told me to get ahead with my sinking
fastball and throw my slider to finish at bats.
On
Memorial Day 1967, the Detroit Tigers called me to the major
leagues. I expected to learn how to pitch major league baseball.
However, my pitching coach only told me to get ahead with my
sinking fastball and to throw my slider to finish at bats. In
1967, I thought I pitched well. In 37 games, I pitched 59 innings,
walked 20, gave up 51 hits, struck out 41 for an 1.98 earned
run average. However, Detroit Tiger Field Manager Mayo Smith
permitted me to only pitch to right-handed batters. I had a good
slider and got right-handed batters out. Unfortunately, left-handed
batters hammered my slider. Therefore, during the 1967-1968 off-season,
I worked on learning how to throw a screwball.
When
I arrived in the 1968 Detroit Tigers spring training camp, I
had a fair screwball. However, Field Manager Mayo Smith wanted
me to be a right-handed sinking fastball/slider relief pitcher
to get right-handed hitters out. When he determined that I wanted
to also get left-handed hitters out with my screwball, he sent
me to Toledo in the triple-AAA International League. In Toledo,
Field Manager Jack Tighe welcomed my screwball and he used me
as a starting pitcher. In 31 games, I pitched 211 innings, walked
52, gave up 191 hits, struck out 190 for a 2.94 earned run average.
I had a good slider and got right-handed batters out. I had a
fair screwball and got left-handed batters out. I got ahead of
right-handed batters with my sinking fastball or screwball and
threw my slider to finish at bats. I got ahead of left-handed
batters with my sinking fastball or slider and threw my screwball
to finish at bats.
During
the 1968-1969 off-season, I worked very hard on my screwball.
In the 1969 major league expansion draft, the Seattle Pilots
obtained my contract. In spring training, I earned the Seattle
Pilots second starter job. After a good start, a group of young
toughs exiting a rock concert in downtown Cleveland, OH mugged
me. They partially separated my pitching shoulder and ended my
season.
During
the 1969-1970 off-season, I worked on my screwball. The Seattle
Pilots traded me to the Houston Astros. During spring training,
Houston Astro Field Manager Harry Walker told me that he wanted
a right-handed sinking fastball/slider pitcher to get right-handed
batters out. I started the season in Oklahoma City, OK in the
AAA American Association. In 16 games, I pitched 45 innings,
walked 16, gave up 32 hits, struck out 42 for a 1.60 earned run
average. The Houston Astros recalled me to the major leagues.
Two weeks later, the Houston Astros traded me to the Montreal
Expos.
After
a couple of weeks in AAA, I joined the Montreal Expos in the
major leagues. Field Manager Gene Mauch welcomed my screwball.
During
the 1970-1971 off-season, I worked on my screwball. Also, I decided
that I needed more objective data with which to study how to
pitch major league baseball. Therefore, I developed my Pitch
By Pitch Game Sheet and Individual Hitter Sheet.
On
my Pitch By Pitch Game Sheet, I recorded game number, date, opponent,
game site, day or night game, hitters, right or left-handed hitters,
pull or spray hitters, score, inning, number of outs, baserunners
on first, second and/or third, pitch selections, pitch locations,
at bat results and any comments. I circled called strikes with
green ink and swinging strikes with red ink.
Pitch By Pitch
Game Sheet
Game
# ___ Date __/__/__ Versus _____________ At ____________ Day/Night
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitter __________ R/L P/S Score __/__ Inning __ Outs __ 1st__2nd__3rd__
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyrighted (2000) Michael G. Marshall, Ph.D.
On
the Individual Hitter Sheet, I recorded hitter, hitter type (Left
or Right and Pull or Spray), date, current team, home or away
game, day or night game, score, inning, outs, baserunners on
first, second and/or third, pitch selections, pitch locations,
at bat results and comments.
Individual
Hitter Sheet
Hitter
_________________________________ Type: Right/Left Pull/Spray
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date __/__/__ Team_____ H/A D/N Score __/__ Inn __ Outs __ 1st_2nd_3rd_
Pitches ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___ ___/___
Result:
Comments:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyrighted (2000) Michael G. Marshall, Ph.D. |
