Lesson 3 Sal Maglie on the Art of Pitching

After twenty years in organized ball, I believe these are the things that make a big league pitcher:Control, both of his pitches and of himself.

Confidence and determination.

Knowledge and experience.

This may appear to be a very simple list, but it is not nearly so simple as it sounds. In talking about control, for example, I mean that real pinpoint control that enables a pitcher to put the ball exactly where he wants it every time. The type of confidence and determination I mean is the kind that keeps a pitcher going when everything says to him that he is beaten. And when I say knowledge, I mean the real, deep, inside knowledge.One gains not just through time spent at a job, but even more, from lots of study and experimentation. These things are not simple at all.

I mentioned control first, the ability to pitch to spots, to clip① those corners or—sometimes almost as important—barely to miss them. It is surprising how many pitchers really don’t know the strike zone the way they should. But it is also important to remember that the strike zone changes with the hitter and the way he stands.

The actual control of a pitch depends upon so many factors—the release point, the smoothness of the delivery, the stride—that it has to be a natural thing. One good way to develop control is to have a target every time you throw. Even when warming up on the side lines or fooling around before a game, a pitcher should be throwing at a spot:the other fellow’s right knee, or his left shoulder, or the buckle② on his belt.

As for control of self, I consider it just as important, and in some ways more so. I don’t mean merely staying in shape, although that is absolutely necessary. Self-control means controlling your temper and retaining your poise. If a pitcher can keep his head even when they’re hitting him pretty hard, then he is still in control of the situation.

Self-control also means controlling your mind, concentrating everything you have on the job at hand.

In some ways confidence and determination may sound like different things, but to a pitcher they have to go together. And without them no pitcher has ever become great. He has to be confident that he can beat the other team, and then he has to have the determination to do just that.

Determination really shows up when you get in a tight spot. I find that I just start to work harder. I notice that I’m pushing off the rubber harder, trying to get a little more on the ball. It doesn’t always work, of course. You have to lose a few. But without that something extra when the going gets tough, you would certainly lose more than just a few.

Confidence works in a lot of ways. A pitcher has to be confident that his best pitch can get any batter out. I’ve had a lot of people ask me who I thought was under the most pressure in a tough spot with the count 3 and 2. I always say the batter. That’s because I have enough confidence to believe that I can throw my big pitch in there for a strike, with the odds all in my favor that the batter isn’t going to hit it. I’m a curve ball pitcher, and I just don’t believe there is such a thing as a good curve ball hitter.

In baseball, there is no substitute③ for experience and the knowledge it brings.But for a pitcher, experience doesn’t mean just sticking around in the big leagues for a few years and hoping to absorb enough knowledge merely by being there. He only gets experience and knowledge by working for them.

The one most important thing a pitcher gains from experience is knowledge of the hitters. I never quit studying them. I study them when I’m pitching and when I’m not. I watch them in batting practice and, when I’m not working a game, I watch them from the bull pen or the bench. I watch how they stride④, and how they handle the bat. Every hitter is an individual, and I study him that way.

I think the pitches themselves are fundamental, of course. You grip⑤ a fast ball tightly, hold it deep in the hand, and let it slide straight off the fingers. You hold the curve out in the fingers a little more; throw it with the snap⑥ of the wrist, and let it go between your thumb and forefinger. The slider, which is a combination of these two,can be thrown either by releasing the index finger first and causing the ball to spin a little off center, or else by gripping the ball slightly off center. But the best pitch in baseball is the change of pace. For this, most pitchers take something off their fast ball,but other things will work, too. A slow curve is what I use.

A pitcher learns with experience, too, that no batter can be fooled all the time just by a random assortment⑦ of pitches. You have to pitch with a definite plan in mind,using one pitch to make another more effective. This is called setting up the batter.

It is often said that pitching is 90 percent of baseball. With two top pitchers,working against each other, I really believe, that figure is about right. But whatever the amount, pitching is a big part of baseball. If you are a pitcher and you realize how important you are to the team, you carry a big psychological, as well as physical,responsibility. And if you’re a fan, knowing a little bit more about pitching can make baseball just that much more rewarding to watch.

(974 words)

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Give the conclusion.] A big league pitcher must have control of___________ .

A. the batting order

B. the number of years he spends in the big league C. both his pitches and himself

2. [Draw a conclusion.] A big league pitcher must be confident that___________ .

A. his experience and knowledge are superior to other pitchers’

B. he can beat the other team

C. his own team will score many runs

3. [Note the details.] A big league pitcher has to___________ .

A. pitch with a definite plan in mind B. be rewarded for his efforts C. use a slow curve often

Ⅱ. Read for words.

Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined words.

1. In talking about control, for example, I mean that real pinpoint control that enables a pitcher to put the ball exactly where he wants it every time. (Para. 2)

A. domination B. ability to regulate C. check

2. Self-control also means controlling your mind, concentrating everything you have on the job at hand. (Para. 5)

A. make... stronger

B. putting together

C. fixing the attention

3. But without that something extra when the going gets tough, you would certainly lose more than just a few. (Para. 7)

A. strong B. stubborn C. hard to bear

4. I’ve had a lot of people ask me who I thought was under the most pressure in a tough spot with the count 3 and 2. (Para. 8)

A. oppression B. force C. stress

5. I think the pitches themselves are fundamental, of course. (Para. 11

)A. easy B. basic C. true

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