THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Friday, August 08, 2008

Real men don’t throw underhanded?

What is it about the male mindset that obligates power over cunning?  There are literally thousands of minor league, college and high school pitchers who think they can make it to MLB.  Of all pitchers born between 1968 and 1977 (that’s 10 years), there have been a little over one thousand guys to pitch in MLB.  That’s about 100 pitchers born every year.  And yet, millions of parents and thousands of kids think they are part of the elite 100.

If you want to distinguish yourself, why not throw a knuckler or throw sidearm.  Really.  And why don’t MLB teams actively create a “sidearm” training program, selecting 10 low-prospect pitchers every year for their sidearm program.  That must have a better ROI shouldn’t it?