Hill to Work on a Third Pitch

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

According to the Trib, Rich Hill thinks he needs to find a third pitch.

 

Link.

 

Rich Hill said he knows he has to develop a third pitch if he wants to succeed. His curve is above average, but his fastball isn't good enough for Hill to get by. He doesn't feel he's throwing that much differently than he did during the first month of the season.

 

"I just think I need to add another pitch, instead of just continually throwing fastballs and curveballs," he said. "Just maybe executing pitches a little bit better."

[UMFan83]

Really? You just figured out now that as a starter would would need more than 2 pitches to be successful?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

screwball please

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

In Bruce's article, I found this gem of a quote from Lou.

 

“We tried to set up the double play, but the shortstop doesn’t play in the bullpen,” Piniella said, referring to where Young’s slam landed.

[Soul]

Took him this long to figure it out?

 

Could take 2 years to develop another pitch. I guess that means Hill will suck for the rest of this season then.

 

Wonderful news. :?

[Pushfrog98]

screwball please

I'm sure he'll learn the "gyroball" that Matsuzaka "throws."

[YearofDaCubs]

I thought Hill was working on a changeup a couple years ago.

[NewUserName]

I think he ought to throw RHed somtimes!!

[NewUserName]

Ok seriously. Why did the Cub organization not teach him a 3rd pitch while coming up?

[Tracer Bullet]

Ok seriously. Why did the Cub organization not teach him a 3rd pitch while coming up?

 

Just a guess, but it might be the fact that he seemed to strike out 8 batters per inning in the minors.

[Outshined_One]

I thought Hill was working on a changeup a couple years ago.

 

Depending on who you ask, it was anything from a change to a splitter.

[killthegoat06]

Finally. Hopefully he can develop one relatively quickly.

[Brendan]

i'd really dig a cutter in his repertoire

[cubweiser03]

A changeup and all it has to be is average, it doesnt have to miss bats like his curve for all i care. Something to use in the lower portion of the zone and get ground balls, also to counteract the RH slg% split.

[Guest]

I thought Hill was working on a changeup a couple years ago.

 

Depending on who you ask, it was anything from a change to a splitter.

 

Change or cutter, I believe.

 

I'm sure his success from August to now put the development of a third pitch on the back burner but with his pitches (and yes, he has two types of curves, but still), he has to be really perfect with his control for him to have success. If he can add an even average third pitch, it will give him so much more room for mistakes.

[gflore34]

A changeup and all it has to be is average, it doesnt have to miss bats like his curve for all i care. Something to use in the lower portion of the zone and get ground balls, also to counteract the RH slg% split.

 

Hill had a K yesterday on what looked to be a change up of course, it could have been a rolling curve ball that effectively acted like a change up.

[Backtobanks]

A changeup and all it has to be is average, it doesnt have to miss bats like his curve for all i care. Something to use in the lower portion of the zone and get ground balls, also to counteract the RH slg% split.

 

Hill had a K yesterday on what looked to be a change up of course, it could have been a rolling curve ball that effectively acted like a change up.

 

I don't know who was batting, but the "rolling" curve balls I saw were being smacked all over the place. When his curve "rolls" it looks like I could hit him.

[Keener98]

3 pitch Rich just doesnt have the same ring too it. :wink:

[abuck1220]

Really? You just figured out now that as a starter would would need more than 2 pitches to be successful?

 

no kidding...he hasn't had ANY success to this point.

[Derwood]

maybe we can hire Jason Bere to teach him the legendary FOSH

[soccer10k]

I vote for a knuckleball.

[soccer10k]

In Bruce's article, I found this gem of a quote from Lou.

 

“We tried to set up the double play, but the shortstop doesn’t play in the bullpen,” Piniella said, referring to where Young’s slam landed.

 

That's good stuff.

 

A couple weeks ago Dallas Braden - who was on the River Cats at the time but is now with the A's - jokingly said that the next time he faced a certain hitter that he was just going to throw a 75 mph fastball in the middle of the guy's back because that hitter fouled off about 15 pitches, he saw 25 total, in two at bats against Braden.

[UMFan83]

Really? You just figured out now that as a starter would would need more than 2 pitches to be successful?

 

no kidding...he hasn't had ANY success to this point.

 

You know Shawn Estes had isolated stretches of success for the Cubs in 2003.

 

I'm not exactly on the hate Rich Hill bandwagon, I'm just saying.

[Marco4]

I vote for a knuckleball.

 

I'm all for knuckleballs. :D

[cubsfan5150]

I know that Hill doesn't throw overly hard, but if he could develope a change up that he only threw around 75-80, that dove down and away to the righties, he would win a cy young award in the next couple of years.