Batting Practice for tonight’s Starter

[justD]

The new coaches Fuller and Borgschulte are bringing a method used in the Minors to Major League BP: After an initial round of grooved fastballs to loosen up, the player will be given the option of seeing a mix of game-like pitches based on who’s starting that night. 

The idea is to get better prepared for what they’ll be facing. 

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2022/01/os-will-take-bp-program-from-the-minors-to-the-majors.html

 

[Can_of_corn]

That sounds like something that should have happening back in the '90's.

[InsideCoroner]

6 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

That sounds like something that should have happening back in the '90's.

Ironically, opposing coaches can prep their teams for Orioles pitching by purely grooving fastballs. 

[emmett16]

10 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

That sounds like something that should have happening back in the '90's.

Yea.  We did this in high school in the 90s.  Heck back in the 60s, my high school’s HOF basketball coach (Morgan Wooten) implemented a similar strategy, when he ended Kareem Abdul-Jabbars 71 game HS winning streak, by making the forwards and centers play defense with tennis rackets the week before the game.  

[Tony-OH]

6 hours ago, InsideCoroner said:

Ironically, opposing coaches can prep their teams for Orioles pitching by purely grooving fastballs. 

I don't care who you are, that's funny right here! Well played.

[Tony-OH]

When I was coaching at Archbishop Spalding I would do this. Not so much to plan for a specific pitcher, but I would throw curveballs during BP (later rounds) to keep them from cheating on grooved fastballs.

[waroriole]

I just assumed this was already done. Are they just trying to build up their confidence in batting practice? 

[LA2]

1 hour ago, waroriole said:

I just assumed this was already done. Are they just trying to build up their confidence in batting practice? 

In response to the Tweet, Ross Grimsley says it was, but:

Quote

Replying to

@masnOrioles

This is not a new approach to BP. It's been done before. It's very hard on coaches & BP pitchers to do this every day. They use to have starters throw BP in between starts. Not at full speed, of course. Helps hitters & pitchers.

 

[SilverRocket]

I had assumed this sort of thing was already in place. I remember reading about how Ohtani didn't take batting practice on the field, instead doing his work in a cage against more realistic pitches from a machine.

[sportsfan8703]

The obligatory… Don’t our Starters always throw batting practice?

[jarman86]

Yeah...as pointed above, I don't see this lasting too long. In addition to we'd need to hire like a rotation of BP pitchers, due to not just effects on the arm but having to learn a knuckleball or Honeywell's Forkball(if he still throws it), but also, most pitchers throw the same pitches, its just how they throw and release it. I would think that would have to be replicated too.  2 seamer coming from Scherzer vs. AA scrub pitcher hits different...or not at all. Even if they were using a machine that could throw all pitches.

Edited January 18, 2022 by jarman86

[jarman86]

Been targeted for this VR batting thing recently. Looks like you can put it on your bat, choose pitches, and essentially take BP. I don't know why, but it made me think of this thread. Won't need BP pitching in the future lol. 

[Tony-OH]

53 minutes ago, jarman86 said:

Been targeted for this VR batting thing recently. Looks like you can put it on your bat, choose pitches, and essentially take BP. I don't know why, but it made me think of this thread. Won't need BP pitching in the future lol. 

I do think the VR training will be used and should be used. I think it's probably a much better alternative to some BP pitcher trying to throw like a major league starter. I'm not even sure how they are going to create the break of curveball or slider from a shorter distance.

I've seen those VR things but I haven't hear of major leaguers using them to see the starter's repertoire. It would make sense though that they could put the stuff into a VR and allow a batter to see and react to 20-30 pitches. that to me makes more sense then some coach trying to throw the shape of the breaking ball of that night's starter.

[LookinUp]

This VR stuff is fascinating to me. My son's Oculus (?) is unreal. Actually, it's too real. It makes perfect sense to me that they'd develop a program to allow someone to swing an actual physical bat (connected to the VR) and simulate contact. You would be able to have natural timing too because you'd see the pitcher's wind up. Seems like a ton to develop, but I bet it'll be a real thing in the future.

[jarman86]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

I do think the VR training will be used and should be used. I think it's probably a much better alternative to some BP pitcher trying to throw like a major league starter. I'm not even sure how they are going to create the break of curveball or slider from a shorter distance.

I've seen those VR things but I haven't hear of major leaguers using them to see the starter's repertoire. It would make sense though that they could put the stuff into a VR and allow a batter to see and react to 20-30 pitches. that to me makes more sense then some coach trying to throw the shape of the breaking ball of that night's starter.

Yeah, so far I've only seen college players as the spokespeople. I think one plays for Tennessee and the other LSU, so could be hasn't gotten to MLB yet, but still neat.