with Ron Mentus, RLM Athletics
The Game Starts With Pitching
Photo credit of Sean Fesh - David M. Schofield
F
rom youth leagues to high school, to
college and the professional ranks, a
baseball game doesn’t begin until the
pitcher throws the ball. In essence, the hurler
on the mound sets the tone for the pace of the
game. It cannot begin, or continue, until the
pitcher winds up and delivers that white horsehide sphere to the batter.
The cliché is apt: the game starts with
pitching. Reliable pitching can throttle an
offense, stifle rallies and thwart even the finest
hitters. How important is it? Many baseball experts feel pitching comprises from 75% to 90% of the game. A team’s success is often determined by the effectiveness of its pitching staff.
For 17 years, ever since his graduation from high school in Bethel,
Connecticut, Sean Fesh was
a professional pitcher, mostly
as a reliever. From Class A to
Class AAA (one step from the
major leagues), Fesh was
doing what he always wanted
to do: pitch a baseball.
The 6-2, 165-pound southpaw appeared in 613 games
and hurled nearly 850 innings
in his career, posting a 53-38
record with a 3.33 ERA. As a
20-year-old with the Asheville
Tourists of the South Atlantic
League in 1993, he went 106, 3.61 and was credited with
20 saves. In 2003, he dazzled
opponents with a 9-1, 1.87
mark to help the Carolina
Mudcats nab the Southern
League championship.
Since his retirement as an active player, he has become the pitching
coach for Fairfield University, and the Danbury Westerners of the New
England Collegiate Baseball League.
Fesh is the name, and baseball’s the game. Following are his A-BCs of pitching fundamentals.
Keys to Success: Command; Poise; Control; Confidence;
Composure
“A pitcher must have command of his pitches, with the fastball being
the most important pitch. You need to have poise under pressure: keep
your cool. Control the tempo of the game; work at a comfortable speed.
Keep your teammates on their toes. Show confidence in your ability to
get the job done. Maintain your composure and learn to handle the
good with the bad.”
Types of Pitches: Four Seam Fastball;Two Seam Fastball;
Change-up; Curveball
“The fastball is most important and must be thrown for strikes. The
four-seam fastball goes straight and is the easiest to command. Due to
the rotation of the seams, it gives the pitch its best velocity. The twoseam pitch is gripped along the seams (not across) and has a tailing
action. It is a very good pitch by which to get groundballs.
“For the change-up, the key is to throw it in the same manner as the
fastball. It’s just a different grip, so grip it as tightly as you can. Master
the two kinds of fastballs and changeup first; then begin to learn use of
the curveball. But remember—changing speeds is so important. That’s
Page 104 • Baseball The Magazine • Issue 2 2009
pitching!”
Basic Pitching Windup: Focus; Pivot; Balance;
Step/Target; Follow Through
“Focus on your target; take a deep breath before each pitch.
The pivot foot should rest just in front of and in contact with the
pitching rubber. Take a short step back or slightly to the side
with the non-contact foot.
“Bring your (non-pivot side) leg up into a balance point. This
is the most important part of the windup. Pitchers need to work
on maintaining balance. Then step (straight) towards the target
to deliver the pitch. Follow through and get into fielding position.”
Fesh has given budding pitchers these simple but valuable
tips on the basics of pitching a baseball. Now that the ball has
been thrown, what’s next? There’s little time to admire your
delivery, the batter is about to attack that same pitch. You cannot become a spectator…so get ready to field the ball!
Following are Fesh’s fielding tips for pitchers.
Basic Position after Release
“Once the ball is thrown, the job is not over…the pitcher
becomes another fielder. After release, end up in a good followthrough position. The feet should be like an infielder’s stance,
about a shoulder width apart, with the glove and butt down.
“Now here’s the key: make a good throw; try and hit the
fielder in the chest. Use a four-seam grip so the rotation allows
the ball to goes straight and doesn’t tail.”
Covering First Base
“When the ball is hit to left side of the pitcher, he must break
towards the foul line and run straight to the base, staying on
the fair side of the foul line, so as not to interfere with the baserunner.
“As you receive the throw from the fielder, touch the inside
of the base with your right foot to stay out of the runner’s path.
After touching the base, turn inward (or left) towards the field of
play.”
Backing Up Third Base/Home Plate
“Once the ball is hit, break towards the foul line between
third base and home plate to size up the play. Once you know
where the throw is going, back up that base. Use as much territory as possible. Don’t stand too close to either base, where
you might get screened from the throw and not be able to react
if the throw gets past the fielder.
“Wait in an athletic position with your hands ready. You
become the last line of defense; if the ball gets past the fielder,
do anything you can to knock the ball down to prevent the
base-runner(s) from advancing.”
Covering Home Plate
“On a wild pitch or passed ball that gets by the catcher,
break quickly towards the plate. Don’t approach on an angle run straight to the plate.
“Get to the middle of the plate to receive the throw from the
catcher. Once the ball is received, put the tag down in front of
the plate towards the third base side. Do not reach for the runner’s body (which makes it easier to elude the tag).”
Depending upon the pitcher’s stage of development, Fesh
recommends that in order to prepare for the season, a throwing
program is implemented.
“The importance of long toss cannot be underestimated.
Begin at a short distance with a simple catch and throw version. Then gradually increase the distance in order to strengthen the arm. Use good throwing mechanics; this will prepare you
for the next stage: pitching a baseball.”
Fesh spent well over a decade in professional baseball,
attempting to puzzle batters with his array of pitches. Now that
he’s coaching, he tries to instill in his hurling staffs some of the
same qualities of tenacity and determination that became his
trademark. For virtually half his life, baseball has been his passion. “I’m trying to put off a regular 9 to 5 job as long as I can,”
he says amusingly.
While the object of the game is obviously to win, Fesh is
quick to remind everyone to respect the game for what it is: a
game.
And his final words to pitching prospects: “Pitching is very
simple if we let it be. It involves working on it so we can be
comfortable on the mound. But, above all - have fun and relax!
The game starts with pitching.
Ron Mentus was awarded Collegiate Baseball’s
Sportsmanship Award in 2002. He is available to conduct seminars/clinics and accept speaking engagements on the topics of sportsmanship and character.
Contact him at: 203-740-7986
or
[email protected].
RLM Athletics is
located in Brookfield,
CT.
www.baseballthemag.com•www.batwars.com • Page 105