rolandp@tekgds.UUCP (Roland E. Parenteau) (09/22/83)
major league teams keep track of every pitch to every hitter: what pitch was thrown, where it was thrown, where it was hit, etc. The job of keeping this chart customarily goes to the next game's starting pitcher, since he'll be the guy who will most likely benefit from it. (I read about this in a book about sports statistics, but the title and author escape me; the author was a sportswriter for one of the New York dailies, I recall. Anybody remember the book?) Times I have found you can definitely "expect" certain pitches: - when the runner on base is a threat to steal, expect more fastballs, especially when the pitcher is behind in the count. That's the big advantage of speed, in my opinion; pitchers can't throw as much off-speed stuff when the runner can go; - when Reggie Jackson has two strikes on him, expect a fastball up around his eyes. You can also expect him to swing and miss. (Two thousand strikeouts have got to prove something!); - when Dave Winfield or Pete Rose are up, I can't think of any pitch I'd care to throw or any place to put the ball that would be safe. Does anybody have any idea what the "book" is on these guys? Go Red Sox! (Wait until next year...) -- Roland Parenteau, decvax!tektronix!tekgds!rolandp