Anyone that played baseball as a position player will attest that playing behind a pitcher that throws strikes makes for better defensive plays. Sharper performance.
Willie Mays once was asked who were the best pitchers he faced. He mentioned Robin Roberts. He chuckled saying , “the managers always say take some pitches, make this guy work out there. I tell them, Skip, this guy ain’t gonna walk anybody unless he wants to. We start taking pitches we going to be 0-2, 1-2 just like that. Might as well get my cuts in.”
Beautifully written. Very interesting about Paul Derringer!! I give extra credit to David Wells and Mike Mussina for pitching to a DH for virtually their entire careers.
Anyone that played baseball as a position player will attest that playing behind a pitcher that throws strikes makes for better defensive plays. Sharper performance.
Willie Mays once was asked who were the best pitchers he faced. He mentioned Robin Roberts. He chuckled saying , “the managers always say take some pitches, make this guy work out there. I tell them, Skip, this guy ain’t gonna walk anybody unless he wants to. We start taking pitches we going to be 0-2, 1-2 just like that. Might as well get my cuts in.”
Beautifully written. Very interesting about Paul Derringer!! I give extra credit to David Wells and Mike Mussina for pitching to a DH for virtually their entire careers.
Thanks. Good point on Wells and Mussina.
Well done!