Pitching in the Show - rudyjuly2's Blog

rudyjuly2's Blog

Pitching in the Show

Posted on March 10, 2009 at 03:23 PM.

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One area that the Show does extremely well in is how pitchers perform. The variation between each pitcher on your staff is tremendous.

Each pitch type is unique among pitchers. A slider just isn't a slider. A change up just isn't a change up. They all depend greatly on the pitcher who's throwing them. For example, Bonderman throws a really hard slider that has a lot of break but doesn't dip much. Galaragga throws a slider but it is slower without as much break and also dips more. The break and velocity of each pitch is unique for many of your pitchers. Trying to sneak a 90 mph fastball by a great hitter is far more difficult than one traveling 98 mph. You really have to learn each of your pitchers and know how each pitch behaves. Its one reason I think many people struggle initially with pitching in the Show. They don't know their pitchers well enough. As your season goes along, you will probably see improvement.

Pitch location also affects the amount of break on a pitch. The further away from your body you throw a sweeping type of breaking ball (slider, sweeping curve), the more break it will have. For example, a RHP trying to throw a slider on the inside corner to a RHB won't see a lot of break on the pitch. You only need to back the cursor off the plate a little. But if you are trying to nail the outside corner to a RHB, you better start the cursor on the inside part of the plate because it will have twice as much break to it. Just be careful you don't hang it. In that situation, accuracy can be tough so err on the side of a ball and not a meatball. Furthermore, don�t just pound the same location over and over and over. The cpu will key on that so make sure to mix it up. Some chin music never hurt anyone. Don't forget that the ball marker is the breakpoint and not the final destination on pitches.

The Show also ranks the pitcher's pitches in a counter-clockwise manner. Their best pitch is X (normally a fastball). The next best pitch is O, then Triangle, Square and R1. Even though your pitcher may have five pitches, you shouldn't be using them equally. Stick with your bread and butter stuff for the most part. Mix in your 4th and 5th pitches once in awhile to keep hitters off balance but don't use them in crucial situations. You really need to pitch to your pitcher's strengths rather than stick to the same routine no matter who is taking the mound that day. There is a reason major leaguers throw a lot of fastballs - it's because they are effective and reliable. Don't try to throw a big curve with three balls on a batter - try to stick to pitches that you have a little more control over.

The Show also throws users another curveball in how they differentiate throwing from the Mound vs. the Stretch. Not a big deal for Classic Pitching but it adds a totally different timing system for Meter. It ties the speed of the meter to the individual pitching animation and you better learn it or suffer the consequences. Some players have quicker deliveries than others.

We also have to realize that we can't just throw "get it over pitches" if we want to succeed on the higher difficulty levels. Walks happen in real life because pitchers don't want to give in to hitters and not just because they lack control. You don't just lay one in to David Wright because it's 3-2 and you don't want to walk him. It's better to try and hit your spots against almost any batter than just serve up a meatball to avoid a walk. This year's game features a more potent cpu offense that really takes advantage of mistakes.

Lastly, the confidence meter is important. Both from an overall standpoint and an individual standpoint. When the overall confidence is low, use a mound visit to see if you can regain confidence as low confidence really hurts your accuracy. Try to avoid throwing pitches that are low in individual confidence as well. Throw your weak pitches to weaker hitters in early counts to build a pitch back up. Stick to your good stuff in tough spots. Fastballs are less likely to lead to wild pitches as well, particularly when your confidence is down. If you are struggling and you go with the 4th pitch curveball in your repertoire, don�t curse the TV when you see a wild pitch. Blame yourself.

Overall there are a lot of great things that deal with pitching in the Show. From the strategy to the execution, the Show is excellent in this regard.

Comments

# 1 Marino @ Mar 10

I agree with everything here. The hardest thing for me is giving up walks, but this game, you are better off walking, then grooving one as I am learning.

# 2 GSW @ Mar 10

Amen to that Vlad made me pay last ngiht because i refused to walk him.

I'm stubborn as all hell.

# 3 Sammich @ Mar 11

Good point on the different breaks depending on pitch location. An inside slider to a RH hitter by a RH pitcher basically resembles a slower version of the cutter.

# 4 rudyjuly2 @ Mar 11

I think many people assume the break is the same way every time and it's not. I do love using cutters and tailing fastballs. There is a right handed reliever on the Reds who has both a Cutter (main pitch) and Running Fastball. Great to use these pitches on both righties and lefties.