Keys to Pitching

Baseball is one of the few sports where the player can fail seventy percent of the time and still be considered good. Hitters who get a hit thirty percent of the time they go up to bat are considered some of the games best. One may ask how someone gets paid millions of dollars to be this unsuccessful. The answer is simple: good pitching will always fool the best pitchers. While there are several key components to being a successful pitcher, nothing is more important than confidence and a positive relation with the catcher.

Pitching wins and loses baseball games, so it is vital to have a pitcher who is confident. Being confident allows the pitcher to focus solely on getting the batter out. Often times you will see base runners try to distract the pitcher or a batter to step out of the batter's box for an extend period of time, all in hopes to get the pitcher out of his rhythm. The best pitchers in the game are those who do not let the opposing team get into their heads, thus allowing them to perform at their optimal level. In addition to blocking out the other team, pitchers must remain poised on the mound when things do not go their way.

If an umpire makes an incorrect call or one of the fielders makes a costly error, the pitched must remain poised and confident. This is vital because the rest of the team that is in the field is essentially playing for the pitcher. The pitchers confidence will rub off onto the fielders, thus allowing them to perform at their optimal level. While being confident on the mound is a very important part of pitching, the pitcher's relationship with the catcher is equally, if not more important.