I don’t know why you would trade a stud pitcher.
As a pitcher, you’re supposed to succeed, and you’re not supposed to give up a hit.
When I was 12, I had a coach tell me I would never be a championship pitcher. That devastated me. I was crushed.
The pitcher is in trouble, not me. He has to throw it over the plate and I have to put a good swing on it.
I want the pitcher to know he can’t take a pitch off, or I’m going to damage him.
I had some great pitchers while in St. Louis. At first, they only ‘pitched’ the ball fifty feet. They had an allowance of six bases on balls, which was neutralized to some extent by four strikes. Later on, the ‘throw’ became a free-for-all, overhand, or any style the pitcher chose.
That’s a thing you always hear – the hitters make adjustments. I think the pitcher has to make some adjustments, too.
