Skill Development–Pitching

Posted on April 1, 2001 by JimR in From The Dugout

Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com.

Position players scornfully deride pitchers as being “non-athletes.” Most pitchers cannot hit or run, and few field the position well. Yet a team cannot have too much pitching, and a team cannot win championships without solid pitching. There is no truer axiom in baseball than “good pitching beats good hitting.” The purpose of this article is to describe the mechanics of pitching, but, unfortunately, instructional techniques cannot create 90+ mph velocity. That ability cannot be taught, but good mechanics can increase the velocity that a pitcher has and can improve his control. Although this discussion examines pitching mechanics step by step, the pitching motion and delivery are, or should be, fluid and seamless. All examples of what the pitch will, or may do, are of a RH pitcher throwing to a RH hitter and of a LH pitcher throwing to a LH hitter.Read More

Larry Dierker: A Flawed Diamond

Posted on October 19, 1999 by JimR in Bleacher Rap

By Jim R.
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on October 19, 1999.

Smug smirks and an occasional loud guffaw greeted the announcement of Larry Dierker’s appointment to be manager of the Houston Astros. Absolutely no one predicted that decision. Dierker was an entertaining and successful broadcaster, was an erudite occasional newspaper columnist and showed the world a personality that was relaxed to an extreme. Nicknamed “The Wrangler” by broadcast partner Milo Hamilton, he affected Hawaiian shirts, did not mind hoisting a few and spent more time on golf courses than in ballparks. Media wags suggested he would manage more like Jimmy Buffett than Jimmy Leyland. Yet Dierker has had the last laugh on his initial detractors, and no one honestly can say “I told you so.”Read More

The Timeless Game

Posted on April 6, 1999 by JimR in Bleacher Rap

Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com.

How can I explain what baseball has meant to me so that it will make sense to other people? My mother told me that my dad started rolling a ball to me when I was less than a year old, so I guess I never had a chance. Playing the game was a major part of my life growing up: Little League, Pony League, Austin High School, American Legion, the University of Texas. I was a pitcher, and my dad caught several million pitches from me in our back yard. Dad emphasized control, control, control, and I could hit spots when I was eight years old. My dad, who was a good enough player to be offered a contract by the Detroit Tigers, was my first and best coach. My mom was my biggest fan. My brother played from Little League through his freshman year at UT. We spent most spring and summer afternoons and evenings at one ballpark or another, at my games or my brother’s games or watching UT or the Austin Senators/Braves. My dad and I played catch for years and years, until he was too old to see the ball well enough to play, and I treasured those times with him. He is dead now, and I wish I could bring him back merely by building a baseball field.Read More

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