6/11 Cubs (Arrieta) @ Braves (Wisler) 3:10 CT, CSN 670

[David]

KBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

[squally1313]

even when arrieta gives stuff up it's almost always off [expletive] lol

 

I know it's by design but I miss K everyone Jake and don't like pitch to contact Jake. Pitching to contact is boring.

 

His K rate is actually up for the current year, but I know what you mean. I'm fine with it today. The worst team in baseball on a 90+ degree day....do enough to get the job done and get out of there.

[David]

how did JD know that O'Flaherty had never committed an error that fast

 

when you go that long without one, it probably makes the pregame notes :dontknow:

[BigSlick]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Bryant on pace for the most casual 40 HR season

[David]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

 

some pitchers literally say they are looking to pitch to more contact, including arrieta and sale this year

[Agony and Ivy]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

 

Not true at all.

[squally1313]

You guys....this is what we do in hot weather.

 

Dong party, all day errday.

[Derwood]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

 

Not true at all.

 

You want to pitch to bad contact. You'd love a weak ground ball on the first pitch every time over a strikeout. It's more efficient

[UMFan83]

RIP Road Bryant meme

[David]

the worst part about last night's game was limiting awesome cubs to terrible braves comparisons

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Clem Fandango]

Something I just witnessed that you never do cause its a commercial break. Rondon just came out to the bullpen and everyone was doing their high five routines and hugging and having a blast just saying whats up to Rondon. Never seen so much jubilation just cause someone came out to the bullpen. Just an example of the comraderie on the team. Pretty cool.

[David]

that was shades of fowler w/his old positioning

[BigSlick]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

 

some pitchers literally say they are looking to pitch to more contact, including arrieta and sale this year

Pitchers say a lot of things. Sale I'm almost positive is trying to not scare people with his drop in velocity by saying something that sounds strategic but he's literally just not missing as many bars with his stuff anymore

[Transmogrified Tiger]

oh man the timing of that "you're envisioning yourself, aren't you" from Len just killed me

[David]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

 

some pitchers literally say they are looking to pitch to more contact, including arrieta and sale this year

Pitchers say a lot of things. Sale I'm almost positive is trying to not scare people with his drop in velocity by saying something that sounds strategic but he's literally just not missing as many bars with his stuff anymore

 

Sale and Cooper both said it was an objective before starting this season.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

"Pitching to contact" is a myth. No pitcher looks for contact, not even ones that have low K rates.

 

some pitchers literally say they are looking to pitch to more contact, including arrieta and sale this year

Pitchers say a lot of things. Sale I'm almost positive is trying to not scare people with his drop in velocity by saying something that sounds strategic but he's literally just not missing as many bars with his stuff anymore

 

Pitchers sometimes very explicitly throw pitches they want guys to swing and miss at, like chase sliders, high fastballs, etc. Other times they throw pitches that they're more okay with contact because they want to throw strikes and set up sequences. Or in other words, pitching to contact in the 'haha they're gonna pop this up just like I planned it' sense is pretty much a myth; pitching to contact in the 'even if you make contact I'm okay with that because of the pitch/location/your lack of skill' sense is absolutely a real thing.

[David]

haha that was sweet

[Aaron_Kennelly]

I'm worried about this team, guys.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Yeah, I normally think the whole idea of trying to "pitch to contact" is stupid. Most guys are "pitching to contact" because they have no other choice. But, when Jake Arrieta says it, I believe him.

[BigSlick]

Yeah, I normally think the whole idea of trying to "pitch to contact" is stupid. Most guys are "pitching to contact" because they have no other choice. But, when Jake Arrieta says it, I believe him.

Arrieta is one of the few non knuckleballers that's demonstrated the ability to generate consistent weak contact. He's definitely the exception that proves the rule.

 

I ain't backing down on Chris Sale. I think he lost a few miles per hour on his fastball and is grasping at straws. He can do what he wants but he's looking like a vastly diminished pitcher now (though still comfortably above average.)

[David]

Yeah, I normally think the whole idea of trying to "pitch to contact" is stupid. Most guys are "pitching to contact" because they have no other choice. But, when Jake Arrieta says it, I believe him.

i think for guys with great stuff it just comes down to them deciding to throw in the strike zone more consistently and throwing less of the waste pitches in borderline situations

[David]

Yeah, I normally think the whole idea of trying to "pitch to contact" is stupid. Most guys are "pitching to contact" because they have no other choice. But, when Jake Arrieta says it, I believe him.

Arrieta is one of the few non knuckleballers that's demonstrated the ability to generate consistent weak contact. He's definitely the exception that proves the rule.

 

I ain't backing down on Chris Sale. I think he lost a few miles per hour on his fastball and is grasping at straws. He can do what he wants but he's looking like a vastly diminished pitcher now (though still comfortably above average.)

 

what on earth are you talking about

 

they said it BEFORE the season and his "struggles" and his pitch mix has changed noticeably this year too

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Yeah, I normally think the whole idea of trying to "pitch to contact" is stupid. Most guys are "pitching to contact" because they have no other choice. But, when Jake Arrieta says it, I believe him.

Arrieta is one of the few non knuckleballers that's demonstrated the ability to generate consistent weak contact. He's definitely the exception that proves the rule.

 

I ain't backing down on Chris Sale. I think he lost a few miles per hour on his fastball and is grasping at straws. He can do what he wants but he's looking like a vastly diminished pitcher now (though still comfortably above average.)

 

I'll give you that, when a guy starts performing worse and says it, that's a red flag to me. But, generally, every pitcher is pitching to contact some. Whether they are trying to get first-pitch strikes, or they just don't want to waste as many pitches so they can go deep in games. I don't but it as a philosophy, but I think it's impossible to not pitch to contact at times.

[David]

Yeah, I normally think the whole idea of trying to "pitch to contact" is stupid. Most guys are "pitching to contact" because they have no other choice. But, when Jake Arrieta says it, I believe him.

Arrieta is one of the few non knuckleballers that's demonstrated the ability to generate consistent weak contact. He's definitely the exception that proves the rule.

 

I ain't backing down on Chris Sale. I think he lost a few miles per hour on his fastball and is grasping at straws. He can do what he wants but he's looking like a vastly diminished pitcher now (though still comfortably above average.)

 

I'll give you that, when a guy starts performing worse and says it, that's a red flag to me. But, generally, every pitcher is pitching to contact some. Whether they are trying to get first-pitch strikes, or they just don't want to waste as many pitches so they can go deep in games. I don't but it as a philosophy, but I think it's impossible to not pitch to contact at times.

 

except sale and his pitching coach said it before he started performing "worse"

 

it's just a coincidence that he's striking out 8 something guys instead of 11 per nine this year? he just got worse, and it was happy serendipity that they said it was his goal to be more economical with pitches and go deeper in to games and the season this year before even spring training started?

Edited June 11, 2016 by David