Worst and best parts of being a pitcher? (list your Top 3)

General Pitching Topics
#1

#1 = shagging fly balls during batting practice (or even worse, bucket duty when shagging fly balls during practice)

#2 = charting other pitchers/hitters on non-pitching days

#3 = poles :slight_smile:

But the best far outweigh the worst ANY DAY! My Top 3 best part of being a pitcher:

#1 = striking out the side

#2 = coming in relief or closing out a game and closing the door. There’s no other rush like it, in my opinion

#3 = the pride that you have after a great bullpen or a hard workout in the weight room, knowing that you’re so lucky to have the opportunity to help your team win

#2

Getting injured and sitting out.

#3

At 13 things work a little differently:

1- Coaches making you take grounders with the team

2- Coaches not understanding your seriousness towards pre-game rituals

3- During the game coaches telling you to throw strikes, well them telling me isn’t going to help at all!!!

#4

[quote=“metfan6986”]
3- During the game coaches telling you to throw strikes, well them telling me isn’t going to help at all!!![/quote]
nice! :slight_smile:

#5

[quote=“metfan6986”]At 13 things work a little differently:

1- Coaches making you take grounders with the team[/quote]
At age 13, you’re not a pitcher - you’re a ball player. You’re too young to be pigeon-holed into just one position. IMHO.

Agreed!

#6

[quote=“Roger”][quote=“metfan6986”]At 13 things work a little differently:

1- Coaches making you take grounders with the team[/quote]
At age 13, you’re not a pitcher - you’re a ball player. You’re too young to be pigeon-holed into just one position. IMHO.[/quote]
Agreed![/quote]

Tell you what, though, if you think you’re taking a lot of grounders now, just wait until college or pro ball. You haven’t seen anything yet! :slight_smile: Spring Training? Oh man! But I always kind of liked PFPs. You can make a game out of it with your teammates, which makes it a little more fun.

#7

Worst

  • Foul ball duty (frosh rookies)
  • Pickups
  • Facing a lineup with 9 lefties

Best

  • Brushing a hitter back, followed up with slide piece
  • Hangin out in bullpen day after throwing a complete game
  • Girls…they love the guy on the hill !
#8

3 Worst

  1. Losing Pitcher
  2. Mop Up Duty
  3. Getting Whiplash

3 Best

  1. Winning Pitcher
  2. Starting and Finishing Games
  3. Charting and Bucket Duty(Steve that ment I was still in the rotation)lol
#9

[quote=“Emo”]
3. Charting and Bucket Duty(Steve that ment I was still in the rotation)lol[/quote]

Glass is half full! Very true, Emo!

#10

Steve is so right about the grounballs in Spring Training. Last year during Spring Training I counted the number of fungos I hit in one day. 637. Long Day. LOL

#11

3 worst
losing a game
taking crap from kids the next day
umpires that are mentally challenged

3 best
absolutely humiliatin people at the plate
it’s just awesome
coach yells at you and says in a redneck voice, “Nut up and throw strikes!!”(normally not a great thing for coach to be yelling at you, but it is hilarious)

#12

Worst:
-Getting jacked for a game winning grand slam
-Bucket Duty
-Line Drives!

Best:
-Throwing a complete game
-Completely confusing the hitter
-Celebrating with the rest of the team after a complete game.

#13

I meant that they put me at shortstop or third and make me take grounders. One time my idiot coach made me take grounders before the game, and he hit a rocket that took a bad hop and it hit my shoulder so I wasn’t able to pitch that day.

#14

Awesome Thread!!

Worst:
-Shagging wiffel balls at indoor practices
-Being DHed for
-Keeping pitching charts when not pitching

Best:
-Winning a complete game
-All eyes on you
-Blowing a fastball by the #3/4 hitters to strike them out

#15

Interesting perspectives, some “worsts” noted so far that I really enjoyed:

  • charting hitters
  • shagging fly balls in OF (beat running sprints)
  • hitting fungoes during bp ( we used to fight for the fungoe…although it was not always my goal to hit the perfect 2 hopper !)
#16

Worst

  1. The injuries ive gone through in pitching.
  2. Those days where you just dont have it
  3. All the running a pitcher has to do! I hate running!! :lol:

Awesomeness of a Pitcher

  1. Good Morning, Good Afternoon and GOODNIGHT!! Grab some pine MEAT!
  2. No better feeling than comin in to close out a tight game (and closing it out :smiley: )
  3. The game is at your own pace, Your fielders got your back and gaining that respect from a good outing
#17

For me…The best was
Getting the ball
watched strike 3
a ground ball when I needed it

I hated pitching in cold wet weather where your fingers get numb
Crappy mounds of baked unmovable clay…like you’re walking on concrete
An ump who didn’t understand the strike zone.

My son loves to plunk a cocky hot shot and then pick him off before he throws another pitch (Particularly if he is going back to the 3b dugout and has to walk back past him),
strike 3 to end the inning (Walkin off like he owns em).
Making a batter mess his britches on a breaking strike 3

I don’t know if he dislikes any aspect of it…

#18

worst:

  1. getting injured
  2. coaches taking you out when you still want to be in (can’t really help that, but if you are competitive as I am, you hate that, I prefer to finish what I start)
  3. bases loaded, get batter to chase pitch and they get a little groundball squeaker past the infield that gets them 2 rbi’s (AAAARRGGH)

best:

  1. complete games
  2. throwing a 2 seamer off the plate and watching it move back on the corner for strike 3 (Loved watching Maddux do that to lefties all day)
  3. Shutting up all the people who ever doubted you
#19

best: 1) 3 pitch inning ending in a triple play

     2)triple play followed closely by a double play(2nd best play in baseball)

     3) pitching when you can throw all three pitches for strikes at will.

worst: 1) pitching when you have none of your pitches

       2) your best pitch hit in the seats

        3) pitching when your coach doesn't believe in you (that's why dads who have a clue and know their role are so important.
#20

3 best

1 Winning
2 Adrenaline to compete
3 A ground ball double play to end the inning

3 worst

1 Losing
2 Politics
3 Shagging for BP in August.