3 replies to this topic

[Greg Pappas]

A couple of years ago on another site- I discussed an interesting idea designed to give hope to struggling/failing prospects... mostly pitchers.

The concept was to have a camp of sorts wherein these players would be given the opportunity to learn something different. Pitchers would receive amazing instruction from great hurlers of the past on how to throw a specific specialty pitch... be it a knuckleball, screwball, split-fingered fastball, knuckle-curve, etc...

How often have you read about a success story that included something akin to how "Player A" discovered by accident how to change his grip on a pitch he had difficulty throwing, or perhaps he learned from an old teammate how to throw "Pitch X" and it saved/improved Player A's career? It happens. R.A. Dickey is one such success story. Why can't we as an organization look to provide a camp such as this in the off-season, and perhaps find these efforts bear fruit?

Why not take a guy like Kenny Moreland, who knows how to pitch, but just doesn't have enough stuff to get him to the big leagues, and have him attend the camp? Why not offer this camp to any of our organization's players?

Hitters can learn unusual stances, if the ones they're utilizing are obviously not working. I'd think you'd find a far better chance of pitchers finding success than hitters, but it doesn't hurt to try. I see it as a "What do we have to lose? -versus- What might we gain?

Thoughts?

[fan4life]

If ran a MLB organization, I certainly would have a camp for pitchers that would focus on:

2 seam fastball that has movement
Forkball / Sinker
Changeup
Curveball

Optionally, knuckleball, Slider, Cutter, etc

2 things come to mind:

1) Some pitchers will have some of these pitches already established and will focus on adding others
2) There is likely some physical traits (hand size, finger length etc) that assists with perfecting the pitches listed above. Your organization should use that information as part of their scouting and drafting processes.

In the end, all pitchers who reach MLB in your organization will have at least 3 plus pitches.

Also, I would have camps that run int he offseason for these guys to attend and work on areas that need help. It may not be voluntary so to speak.

[Mackus]

With actual prospects I'd be more inclined to think that this time would be better served improving the things they already can do rather than try to learn how to throw a knuckleball or whatever.

But for fringey type guys, it makes some sense. I would imagine that a lot of this goes on anyways, just not in a structured format. But trying to teach mediocre prospects new pitches or new arm angles couldn't hurt much. I wouldn't want to push too hard on actual prospects though. You could risk injury trying to throw from new arm angles but moreso I just think honing what they already have been doing is more important and more likely to make an impact than trying to learn something completely new.

Definitely not a bad idea. You could also throw in trying to convert crappy hitters with big arms (C, SS, maybe some OF) to pitching.

[Greg Pappas]

With actual prospects I'd be more inclined to think that this time would be better served improving the things they already can do rather than try to learn how to throw a knuckleball or whatever.

But for fringey type guys, it makes some sense. I would imagine that a lot of this goes on anyways, just not in a structured format. But trying to teach mediocre prospects new pitches or new arm angles couldn't hurt much. I wouldn't want to push too hard on actual prospects though. You could risk injury trying to throw from new arm angles but moreso I just think honing what they already have been doing is more important and more likely to make an impact than trying to learn something completely new.

Definitely not a bad idea. You could also throw in trying to convert crappy hitters with big arms (C, SS, maybe some OF) to pitching.

Right, actual prospects would typically stay away, which is why I put the emphasis on struggling/failing prospects. I agree with you about the failed hitters trying pitching... that's a thought I've had, but forgot to include in the OP.