Just throw strikes

by. Anthony Demangone

I was a Little League assistant coach one year. It was a wonderful experience. I played Little League baseball nine years myself, and I think the organization does a ton of good.

One day, we had a young pitcher (11 years old) who was struggling. He had walked a few batters in a row. After the second walk, the opposing team whooped and hollered. The kid put his head down, and I could see that he was rattled.

“Just throw strikes,” bellowed our head coach. Now it was my head that dropped. 

I turned to him and asked…”Just what do you think he’s trying to do out there?”

I called time, and met the pitcher for a chat.  Which I recall involved asking him what was his favorite topping on a pizza. He seemed puzzled.  I was just trying to get him to think about anything but throwing a strike. I told him that there was nothing I needed to tell him to get him out of his rut. He knew how to pitch. My only practical advice was to tell him to look at the catcher’s mitt, clear his mind, rock, and then fire.

Telling a pitcher who is struggling to “just throw strikes” is anything but useful. Anything but.

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