Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
April 11, 2005
Pitching to Your Park

Here's an interesting article on how Orel Hershiser got the pitching staff to use Ameriquest Park to their advantage.]

Starting at spring training a year ago, Mr. Hershiser proselytized about the sinker to any pitcher he passed in the clubhouse, the practice fields, even on a street corner. The sinker, he said, could save them. It takes the wind, which is the biggest factor in the park, out of play. In Ryan Drese, he found an acolyte whose successful turnaround from fly-ball failure to ground-ball genius made him a living, breathing illustration for Mr. Hershiser's cause.

"You have to pitch according to your park," Mr. Hershiser said. "The ball is going to carry to right field. A ball that gets in the air has a better chance of being a homer. Part of pitching is executing pitches, but part is strategy, too."

They also let the grass grow, to slow down grounders in the infield. The result was their lowest home ERA since 1995.


Posted by David Pinto at 02:02 PM | Pitchers | TrackBack (0)
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