Baseball Throwing Mechanics

Carpenter outduels Cueto as Cards win

July 4, 2011 -- Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter sends a final comment over his shoulder towards the home plate umpire as he walks off the mound after pitching in the sixth inning. Carpenter appeared upset after throwing several pitches, three of which were called balls, during Joey Votto's at-bat in which Votto finally singled. (Chris Lee / clee@post-dispatch.com)

Three times Monday evening, head groundskeeper Bill Finley ran onto the field between half innings to notify crew chief Dale Scott of an approaching storm. The tarp was uncovered, a cloudburst approached, yet Busch Stadium stayed dry while a classic pitching duel continued without interruption.

Nothing stopped Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter - not some stray cumulo nimbus, not a tedious 27-pitch first inning, not two difficult fly balls driven over right fielder Jon Jay, not the uncertain run support that has tracked him for much of this season.

Instead, two weeks after heavy gloom settled over an injury-depleted clubhouse, the clouds separated with a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds and nemesis righthander Johnny Cueto.

Offering his third straight win in as many starts, Carpenter (4-7) stifled the Reds for eight innings until rookie pinch-hitter Mark Hamilton outran third baseman Scott Rolen's near-miraculous fielding play in the bottom of the frame for a two-out, RBI infield hit that scored Colby Rasmus.

"I was just flat-out safe," declared Hamilton, referring to his belly-flop slide that beat Rolen's throw.

The Cardinals make no such pronouncement in a season that forced them to use the disabled list 14 times in the season's first 12 weeks. However, two weeks after believing they'd lost first baseman Albert Pujols for four to six weeks with a fractured left wrist, the Cardinals learned the three-time National League MVP could return as quickly as today with them somehow alone in first place.

"You lose Albert when he's on a tear, and that's tough," manager Tony La Russa said. "But the games count. Everybody goes through it to some degree. You play the games and see what happens. Those are certainties."

If he was something of a riddle in April, Carpenter is re-emerging as a sure thing now. By throwing Monday's eight scoreless innings, he improved to 3-0 while allowing two earned runs in 24 innings with Pujols on the disabled list.

Hamilton delivered the game-winning hit after Colby Rasmus led off the eighth inning with his second single, advanced on catcher Yadier Molina's two-strike bunt and took third on second baseman Skip Schumaker's deep fly ball.

I Want To Read About » baseball??

Why is it no matter how much i practice i could never throw a baseball hard i practiced three times harder than any body but they always threw four times better than me. whats the proper technique i just want to throw father. its ridiculose i make no progress.also with my batting i have no accuracy how can i get accuracy i have awesome power tho

Best answer:

Answer by ~I DeFiNe SuCcEsS~

Ted Williams used to hit golf balls with a bat because its harder to hit that than a baseball. If you want to go even further, hit popcorn seeds. To throw faster, play catch and work on your release. You might not be using your arm to its full capacity, if you have good power while batting, throwing shouldnt be that hard, your mechanics might be all wrong, pull your arm as far back as it goes on your throw, thats how I incresed my speed.

Yes, it is called flexibility and mechanics. Now before you look away from this let me explain. I can bet good money that you are not as flexible as a gymnast so until you are you have not done your job on making yourself flexible.

Now for mechanics, you have to video tape your throwing mechanics and learn where you are making errors in the throwing motion. Your body should be delivering the ball, not your arm. You can do the Jaeger Band workout routine until the cows come home, but if you do not have good throwing mechanics then nothing is going to change.

Video tape and learn and improve on one thing at a time and you will see results. Take a look at how Major League ballplayers field whatever position is it you play and take the quality basics of their mechanics and apply it to how you throw the baseball.

I have created a website service that is adding information daily about baseball and techniques and best practices. I suggest you take a look at it and feel free to email me with any questions at theprospect09@gmail.com . This is a professional service that I provide for the public so that we can educate kids just like you who are trying to pursure their dreams. Good luck and hope to hear from you.

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