Pitchers: Stay ahead Of the Count!
August 5, 2012
Throw Perfect Like Felix
August 17, 2012
Yesterday around 2:45 my dad sent me a text that read, “Felix perfect through 8”. I was just leaving to go meet a friend at a restaurant, but had to stay and turned on the TV to watch the 9th.
Sure enough, everyone was on their feet in Seattle as Felix Hernandez began the 9th inning, perfect game intact.
After a strikeout, groundout, and a final strike out, Felix brought perfection to Seattle.
Growing up here in Seattle, this perfect game (3rd this season) was extra special. I just wish I would have see the whole game now!
I’ve attached the clip of all 27 outs here for you. Also, have a listen to manager Joe Maddon’s take on how Felix kept adding pitches later on in the game.
Some things to note on Felix’s performance:
- He needed just 113 pitches, 77 for strikes (68%).
- All 4 of his pitches were working (fastball, curveball, slider, change up).
- If you watch some of the later inning K’s, his 91mph change up was amazing with the downward movement.
- Introducing different pitches later in the game gave Felix an edge.
Felix yesterday is a great illustration of the message I write about often. That is, you absolutely must learn three pitches you can throw from strikes.
Secondly, master mechanics enough to allow your body to remain consistent. This will help your ball to strike ratio that you need to have around 60% overall.
Now is the time for you to work on these things; Our instructional Pitching DVD’s will teach you everything you need to know to get there.
