:''This article is about the sport of baseball. For the container, see pitcher (container).'' In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball) a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a base on balls. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. In most cases, the object of a pitch (baseball) is to deliver the ball to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball. The ball is delivered in such a way that the batter either can't hit a pitch through the strike zone or is compelled to swing at a pitch outside of the strike zone. If the batter elects not to swing at the pitch, it is called a ''strike'' if the ball passes through the strike zone and a ''ball'' otherwise. Nearly all action during a game is centered around the pitcher for the defensive team. A pitcher's particular style and skill heavily influences the dynamics of the game and will often determine the victor. The type and sequence of pitches chosen depends upon the particular situation in a game. Because pitchers and catchers must coordinate each pitch, a system of hand signals are used by the catcher to communicate choices to the pitcher, to which the pitcher either vetoes or accepts. Keeping a foot on the ''pitcher's rubber'' at the center of the pitcher's mound, which is 60 feet 6 inches from ''home plate'', the pitcher throws the baseball to the catcher, who is positioned behind home plate and catches the ball. Meanwhile, a batter stands in the batter's box at one side of the plate, and attempts to bat the ball Hit (baseball statistics) into fair play. Although the object and mechanics of pitching remain the same for all pitchers, pitchers may be classified according to their roles and effectiveness. The starting pitcher begins the game and he may be followed various relief pitchers, such as the long reliever, the left-handed specialist, the setup pitcher, and/or the closer (baseball). Famous past Major League Baseball pitchers include Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, and Nolan Ryan. Famous current pitchers (as of 2004) include Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Johan Santana, and Pedro Martinez. ==Pitching in a game== Effective pitching is vitally important in baseball. In baseball statistics, for each game, one pitcher will be credited with win (baseball statistics) the game, and one pitcher will be charged with losing it. However, pitching is also physically demanding, especially if the pitcher is throwing with maximum effort. A full game usually involves 120-170 pitches thrown by each team, and most pitchers begin to tire before they reach this point. As a result, the pitcher who starts a game often will not be the one who finishes it, and he may not be recovered enough to pitch again for a few days. The act of throwing a baseball at high speed is very unnatural to the body and somewhat damaging to human muscles, thus pitchers are very susceptible to injuries, soreness, and general pain. Teams have devised two strategies to address this problem: rotation and specialization. To accommodate playing nearly every day, a team will include a group of pitchers who start games and rotate between them, allowing each pitcher to rest for a few days between starts. Also, teams have additional pitchers reserved to replace that game's starting pitcher if he tires or proves ineffective. These players are called ''relief pitchers'', ''relievers'', or collectively the ''bullpen''. The relief pitchers often have even more specialized roles, and the particular reliever used depends on the situation. Many teams designate one pitcher as the ''closer (baseball)'', a relief pitcher specifically reserved to pitch the final inning or innings of a game when his team has a narrow lead, in order to preserve the victory. Generally, relief pitchers pitch fewer innings and throw fewer pitches than starting pitchers, but may be able to pitch more frequently without needing multiple days to recover. {| align=right | | |} A skilled pitcher often throws a variety of different pitches in order to prevent the batter from hitting the ball well. The most basic pitch is a fastball, where the pitcher throws the ball as hard as he can. Some pitchers are able to throw a fastball at a velocity of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Other common types of pitches are the curveball, slider, changeup, forkball, split-fingered fastball, and knuckleball. These generally are intended to have unusual movement or deceive the batter as to the rotation or velocity of the ball, making it more difficult to hit. Very few pitchers throw all of these pitches, but most use a subset or blend of the basic types. Some pitchers also release pitches from different arm angles, making it harder for the batter to pick up the flight of the ball. (See List of baseball pitches.) ==After the ball is pitched== The pitcher's duty doesn't cease after he pitches the ball. He has several standard roles at that point. The pitcher must attempt to field any balls coming up the middle, and in fact a Gold Glove Award is reserved for the pitcher with the best fielding ability. He must also cover first base on balls hit to the right side, since the first baseman might be fielding them. On passed balls and wild pitches, he covers home-plate when there are runners on. Also, he generally backs up throws to home plate. ==Significant pitchers== ===Baseball Hall of Fame members=== Grover Cleveland Alexander - Chief Bender - Mordecai Brown - Jim Bunning - Steve Carlton - Jack Chesbro - John Clarkson - Stan Coveleski - Candy Cummings - Leon Day (Negro Leagues) - Dizzy Dean - Martin Dihigo (also 2B/OF; Negro Leagues) - Don Drysdale - Dennis Eckersley (Relief pitcher) - Red Faber - Bob Feller - Rollie Fingers (Relief pitcher) - Whitey Ford - Bill Foster (baseball player) (Negro Leagues) - Rube Foster (also manager and executive; Negro Leagues) - Pud Galvin - Bob Gibson - Lefty Gomez - Clark Griffith (also manager and owner) - Burleigh Grimes - Lefty Grove - Jesse Haines - Waite Hoyt - Carl Hubbell - Catfish Hunter - Ferguson Jenkins - Walter Johnson - Addie Joss - Tim Keefe - Sandy Koufax - Bob Lemon - Ted Lyons - Juan Marichal - Rube Marquard - Christy Mathewson - Joe McGinnity - Hal Newhouser - Kid Nichols - Phil Niekro - Satchel Paige (Negro Leagues) - Jim Palmer - Herb Pennock - Gaylord Perry - Eddie Plank - Charles Radbourn - Eppa Rixey - Robin Roberts (baseball player) - Bullet Joe Rogan (Negro Leagues) - Red Ruffing - Amos Rusie - Babe Ruth (also RF) - Nolan Ryan - Tom Seaver - Hilton Smith (Negro Leagues) - Warren Spahn - Albert Spalding (also manager and executive) - Don Sutton - Dazzy Vance - Rube Waddell - Ed Walsh - Monte Ward (also shortstop) - Mickey Welch - Hoyt Wilhelm (Relief pitcher) - Smokey Joe Williams (Negro Leagues) - Vic Willis - Early Wynn - Cy Young ===Other noteworthy pitchers=== Bert Blyleven - Bob Caruthers - Roger Clemens (*) - David Cone - Roy Face (Relief pitcher) - Wes Ferrell (also OF and pinch-hitter) - John Franco (*) (reliever) - Eric Gagne (*) (reliever) - Tom Glavine (*) - Dwight Gooden - Rich Gossage (reliever) - Ron Guidry - Orel Hershiser - Trevor Hoffman (*) (reliever) - Tommy John - Randy Johnson (*) - Jim Kaat - Greg Maddux (*) - Firpo Marberry - Pedro Martinez (*) - Carl Mays - Jack Morris - Billy Pierce - Jeff Reardon (reliever) - Dick Redding (Negro Leagues) - Dan Quisenberry (reliever) - Lee Smith (baseball player) (reliever) - Bruce Sutter (reliever) - Luis Tiant (*) active ==See also== * Baseball * List of baseball pitches * Baseball fielding positions * Cy Young Award winners Baseball pitching Baseball positions Major league pitchers
What are the different stages of the pitch called (like in the 4-part picture at the top of the article)? I know that the beginning is the wind-up, but are there other names for the other parts of the routine? --User:DropDeadGorgias User_talk:DropDeadGorgias 19:08, Nov 22, 2004 (UTC) :I don't know that there are specific names, but carrying on from your label for the first one ("the wind-up"), I might say that the next three stages could be referred to as "the delivery" (referring to the forward motion of the arm), "the release" (strictly speaking, when the ball leaves the hand), and "the follow-through" (the continuation after the ball is gone). HTH. :User:Rdikeman 18:32, Nov 24, 2004 (UTC) :Should we talk about the different styles of throwing the ball? This article seems to make no mention of the fact that different pitchers throw the ball differently than normal, like sidearm (Rockies' B.H. Kim) and submarine (Red Sox's Tim Wakefield) styles. ==Move proposal== There are a huge number of articles linked to Pitcher, which is currently a disambiguation page; I couldn't find any linking to the page for the container, as they are virtually all for the baseball position. The number of articles linking to Pitching is much lower. I would propose shifting the article to Pitcher, with a note directing to the article for the container. I suppose making Pitcher into a redirect rather than a disambig would be another option, but I think it's less preferable. User:MisfitToys 22:46, Mar 18, 2005 (UTC) *Support. User:Violetriga User_talk:violetriga 23:04, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC) User:Violetriga User_talk:violetriga 19:09, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Pitcher:
Pitcher
Pitcher
Pitcher's_mound
Pitcher's_plate
Pitcher's_rubber
Pitcher,_New_York
Pitchers
Pitcher_(baseball)
Pitcher_(container)
Pitcher_plant
Pitcher_plant
Pitcher_Plants
Pitcher_plants
Pitcher
:''This article is about the sport of baseball. For the container, see pitcher (container).'' In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball) a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a base on balls. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. In most cases, the object of a pitch (baseball) is to deliver the ball to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball. The ball is delivered in such a way that the batter either can't hit a pitch through the strike zone or is compelled to swing at a pitch outside of the strike zone. If the batter elects not to swing at the pitch, it is called a ''strike'' if the ball passes through the strike zone and a ''ball'' otherwise. Nearly all action during a game is centered around the pitcher for the defensive team. A pitcher's particular style and skill heavily influences the dynamics of the game and will often determine the victor. The type and sequence of pitches chosen depends upon the particular situation in a game. Because pitchers and catchers must coordinate each pitch, a system of hand signals are used by the catcher to communicate choices to the pitcher, to which the pitcher either vetoes or accepts. Keeping a foot on the ''pitcher's rubber'' at the center of the pitcher's mound, which is 60 feet 6 inches from ''home plate'', the pitcher throws the baseball to the catcher, who is positioned behind home plate and catches the ball. Meanwhile, a batter stands in the batter's box at one side of the plate, and attempts to bat the ball Hit (baseball statistics) into fair play. Although the object and mechanics of pitching remain the same for all pitchers, pitchers may be classified according to their roles and effectiveness. The starting pitcher begins the game and he may be followed various relief pitchers, such as the long reliever, the left-handed specialist, the setup pitcher, and/or the closer (baseball). Famous past Major League Baseball pitchers include Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, and Nolan Ryan. Famous current pitchers (as of 2004) include Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Johan Santana, and Pedro Martinez. ==Pitching in a game== Effective pitching is vitally important in baseball. In baseball statistics, for each game, one pitcher will be credited with win (baseball statistics) the game, and one pitcher will be charged with losing it. However, pitching is also physically demanding, especially if the pitcher is throwing with maximum effort. A full game usually involves 120-170 pitches thrown by each team, and most pitchers begin to tire before they reach this point. As a result, the pitcher who starts a game often will not be the one who finishes it, and he may not be recovered enough to pitch again for a few days. The act of throwing a baseball at high speed is very unnatural to the body and somewhat damaging to human muscles, thus pitchers are very susceptible to injuries, soreness, and general pain. Teams have devised two strategies to address this problem: rotation and specialization. To accommodate playing nearly every day, a team will include a group of pitchers who start games and rotate between them, allowing each pitcher to rest for a few days between starts. Also, teams have additional pitchers reserved to replace that game's starting pitcher if he tires or proves ineffective. These players are called ''relief pitchers'', ''relievers'', or collectively the ''bullpen''. The relief pitchers often have even more specialized roles, and the particular reliever used depends on the situation. Many teams designate one pitcher as the ''closer (baseball)'', a relief pitcher specifically reserved to pitch the final inning or innings of a game when his team has a narrow lead, in order to preserve the victory. Generally, relief pitchers pitch fewer innings and throw fewer pitches than starting pitchers, but may be able to pitch more frequently without needing multiple days to recover. {| align=right | | |} A skilled pitcher often throws a variety of different pitches in order to prevent the batter from hitting the ball well. The most basic pitch is a fastball, where the pitcher throws the ball as hard as he can. Some pitchers are able to throw a fastball at a velocity of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Other common types of pitches are the curveball, slider, changeup, forkball, split-fingered fastball, and knuckleball. These generally are intended to have unusual movement or deceive the batter as to the rotation or velocity of the ball, making it more difficult to hit. Very few pitchers throw all of these pitches, but most use a subset or blend of the basic types. Some pitchers also release pitches from different arm angles, making it harder for the batter to pick up the flight of the ball. (See List of baseball pitches.) ==After the ball is pitched== The pitcher's duty doesn't cease after he pitches the ball. He has several standard roles at that point. The pitcher must attempt to field any balls coming up the middle, and in fact a Gold Glove Award is reserved for the pitcher with the best fielding ability. He must also cover first base on balls hit to the right side, since the first baseman might be fielding them. On passed balls and wild pitches, he covers home-plate when there are runners on. Also, he generally backs up throws to home plate. ==Significant pitchers== ===Baseball Hall of Fame members=== Grover Cleveland Alexander - Chief Bender - Mordecai Brown - Jim Bunning - Steve Carlton - Jack Chesbro - John Clarkson - Stan Coveleski - Candy Cummings - Leon Day (Negro Leagues) - Dizzy Dean - Martin Dihigo (also 2B/OF; Negro Leagues) - Don Drysdale - Dennis Eckersley (Relief pitcher) - Red Faber - Bob Feller - Rollie Fingers (Relief pitcher) - Whitey Ford - Bill Foster (baseball player) (Negro Leagues) - Rube Foster (also manager and executive; Negro Leagues) - Pud Galvin - Bob Gibson - Lefty Gomez - Clark Griffith (also manager and owner) - Burleigh Grimes - Lefty Grove - Jesse Haines - Waite Hoyt - Carl Hubbell - Catfish Hunter - Ferguson Jenkins - Walter Johnson - Addie Joss - Tim Keefe - Sandy Koufax - Bob Lemon - Ted Lyons - Juan Marichal - Rube Marquard - Christy Mathewson - Joe McGinnity - Hal Newhouser - Kid Nichols - Phil Niekro - Satchel Paige (Negro Leagues) - Jim Palmer - Herb Pennock - Gaylord Perry - Eddie Plank - Charles Radbourn - Eppa Rixey - Robin Roberts (baseball player) - Bullet Joe Rogan (Negro Leagues) - Red Ruffing - Amos Rusie - Babe Ruth (also RF) - Nolan Ryan - Tom Seaver - Hilton Smith (Negro Leagues) - Warren Spahn - Albert Spalding (also manager and executive) - Don Sutton - Dazzy Vance - Rube Waddell - Ed Walsh - Monte Ward (also shortstop) - Mickey Welch - Hoyt Wilhelm (Relief pitcher) - Smokey Joe Williams (Negro Leagues) - Vic Willis - Early Wynn - Cy Young ===Other noteworthy pitchers=== Bert Blyleven - Bob Caruthers - Roger Clemens (*) - David Cone - Roy Face (Relief pitcher) - Wes Ferrell (also OF and pinch-hitter) - John Franco (*) (reliever) - Eric Gagne (*) (reliever) - Tom Glavine (*) - Dwight Gooden - Rich Gossage (reliever) - Ron Guidry - Orel Hershiser - Trevor Hoffman (*) (reliever) - Tommy John - Randy Johnson (*) - Jim Kaat - Greg Maddux (*) - Firpo Marberry - Pedro Martinez (*) - Carl Mays - Jack Morris - Billy Pierce - Jeff Reardon (reliever) - Dick Redding (Negro Leagues) - Dan Quisenberry (reliever) - Lee Smith (baseball player) (reliever) - Bruce Sutter (reliever) - Luis Tiant (*) active ==See also== * Baseball * List of baseball pitches * Baseball fielding positions * Cy Young Award winners Baseball pitching Baseball positions Major league pitchers
Pitcher
What are the different stages of the pitch called (like in the 4-part picture at the top of the article)? I know that the beginning is the wind-up, but are there other names for the other parts of the routine? --User:DropDeadGorgias User_talk:DropDeadGorgias 19:08, Nov 22, 2004 (UTC) :I don't know that there are specific names, but carrying on from your label for the first one ("the wind-up"), I might say that the next three stages could be referred to as "the delivery" (referring to the forward motion of the arm), "the release" (strictly speaking, when the ball leaves the hand), and "the follow-through" (the continuation after the ball is gone). HTH. :User:Rdikeman 18:32, Nov 24, 2004 (UTC) :Should we talk about the different styles of throwing the ball? This article seems to make no mention of the fact that different pitchers throw the ball differently than normal, like sidearm (Rockies' B.H. Kim) and submarine (Red Sox's Tim Wakefield) styles. ==Move proposal== There are a huge number of articles linked to Pitcher, which is currently a disambiguation page; I couldn't find any linking to the page for the container, as they are virtually all for the baseball position. The number of articles linking to Pitching is much lower. I would propose shifting the article to Pitcher, with a note directing to the article for the container. I suppose making Pitcher into a redirect rather than a disambig would be another option, but I think it's less preferable. User:MisfitToys 22:46, Mar 18, 2005 (UTC) *Support. User:Violetriga User_talk:violetriga 23:04, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC) User:Violetriga User_talk:violetriga 19:09, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
P
PA | PB | PC | PD | PE | PF | PG | PH | PI | PJ | PK | PL | PM | PN | PO | PR | PS | PT | PU | PW | PX | PY | PZ |Words begining with Pitcher:
Pitcher
Pitcher
Pitcher's_mound
Pitcher's_plate
Pitcher's_rubber
Pitcher,_New_York
Pitchers
Pitcher_(baseball)
Pitcher_(container)
Pitcher_plant
Pitcher_plant
Pitcher_Plants
Pitcher_plants
These materials are based on Wikipedia and licensed under the GNU FDL
YouTube.com videos better site than Turbo Tax 2007
