Why Radar Guns are creating a generation of “throwers” not “Pitchers”
Everyone has always heard the old saying “Location, Movement, Velocity…in that order.” But how many people actually believe that anymore? Certainly not most little league fathers, especially not the fathers of the kids that have that above average fastball. “My little Johnny hit 50 mph!” How many times have you heard that saying? So many people rely on the numbers – how hard the fastball is; how hard it will be in 2 years when the pitcher hits a growth spurt. Here’s a shocker ladies and gentleman, the radar gun is just a small piece to the puzzle that is pitching. If velocity was everything, then Kyle Farnsworth would have more than 27 career saves. On the flip side, Trevor Hoffman would not be putting up 30+ saves a season.
So let’s take a closer look at this “I only need a 90 mph fastball to be successful” phase we are going through. Here are the top 5 active pitchers, as of 2008, with the most career wins:
1.Greg Maddux 355 wins
2. Tom Glavine 305 wins
3. Randy Johnson 295 wins
4. Mike Mussina 270 wins
5. Jamie Moyer 246 wins
See any trends with these pitchers? I do. Outside of Johnson, not one of these guys are consistently at, around, near, or even smelling 90 MPH for the most of their careers. So how do these guys get people out? By throwing there fastball effectively; the best way to explain this is there is more to the word velocity than the number on the gun. That number is considered to be the pitches actual velocity. There are another two velocities which are way more important to the “pitcher.”
Effective velocity: The best way to explain effective velocity is how fast the pitch looks to the hitter’s eye. You can also consider it “reaction time.” We’ve seen the spots to hit a fastball as a hitter. In order to hit an inside pitch, you need to catch it out front and to hit an away pitch, you need to let it travel. So can we use that to our advantage as pitchers? The answer is “absolutely.” There is a 12 mph difference across the plate with effective velocity. For example, when the gun reads 70, the hitter will react to a 70 mph fastball only if that pitch is straight down the middle of the plate. A fastball on the outside corner that reads 70 on the gun will look like a 64 mph pitch to the hitter’s eye. Same goes for an inside pitch, which would look like a 76 mph pitch. So with your one 70 mph fastball you’ve got yourself a 12 mph difference out to in.
Greg Maddux was once asked how he would get Barry Bonds out in the 7th inning in a big spot, his response was “change-up in for strike one, change-up away strike two, fastball in, strike three.” So let’s play that one out in our heads for arguments sake. Let’s say both change-ups were 75 mph and the fastball had an actual velocity of 85. That would mean, to Bonds’ eye, the first pitch was 81 mph, he might crush this pitch, but if thrown in the right spot, there is no way he can keep it fair. The second pitch would have been 69 mph on the outside corner; followed by a fastball with an effective velocity of 91 mph to complete the strike out.
For those of you that are still confused, the picture below explains everything I just said in picture form.
That is effective velocity. But still, there is another type of velocity; it is again a variation of effective as it’s based off what the hitter sees. Now whether you have been in the stands or in the batter’s box, you have seen a kid on the mound that you think “wow he isn’t throwing hard at all.” However, when you get into the box to hit, the first fastball is by you in a flash, and you are stuck standing there with everyone yelling at you because you just got blown away by the “slow” kid. Well, there is a little bit more to it than you not having the reactions. It is actually known as “second life” on a ball. It is where the ball seems to jump or accelerate towards the plate at about half way point. It works the same for kids who look as if they are throwing very hard then when you get up there to hit the ball seems to never get to you.
These are both cases of good and bad perceived velocity.
Perceived Velocity: Everyone has watched the Little League World Series and listened to Harold Reynolds say “that was equivalent to a 100 mph fastball on the big league field.” That calculation is made because of the distance between home plate and the mound being a lot closer. Perceived Velocity works in the same light, the closer you can let the ball go to home plate the harder the ball will be. Your stride as a pitcher should be equivalent to 6 of your feet if you go heel to toe from the rubber. For every foot you go past that you gain 3 mph on your perceived velocity chart; again, not on the gun. Which is why guys like Tim Lincecum – who aren’t very big and stride as if there 6’3” – are basically unhittable, his 95 mph fastball now looks to be in the area of 98 without any other factors. However, this is not me telling you to try and stride out of your shoes, because most of the time you are strong enough to do that and will, in turn, lose velocity because your body is trying to catch up to your stride. Basically what I am saying here is, in order to reach your potential on perceived velocity, your stride off the mound should be at least heel to toe 6 of your feet along with the extension on your release needed.
I will bring it all together by saying that “actual velocity” – what that gun says – will get you attention, but it is not everything. The gun will get you a college scholarship or get you on a travel team, but not everyone is blessed to throw hard. Do not sacrifice your mechanics to get that extra mph or two, because at the end it may actually make your fastball slower to the hitter’s eye and be hit harder. That’s the final goal, not to throw 90 but to get the guy out down there holding the bat. If you can’t get him out, trust me when I say, no one will care how hard you throw.
Matt Rosenberg
