Tim Richardson Memorial Baseball Varsity Coach Pitcher Daily Schedule 2016 Day 1: This is the day you pitch. It may be a game, or a simulated game. If you are pulled from a game before hitting 75 pitches you are expected to finish the rest of your day in the bullpen up to 30 more pitches. Starters: Relievers: 1. Daily warm up and stretch with everyone else. 2. Throwing routine with that days starting catcher, or if simulated any catcher. 3. In the bullpen you will throw anywhere from 30 45 pitches. You will start with 10 shuffle downs from the pitching rubber. Next you will throw 15 20 pitches from 45 feet to get a feel for your pitches rotating every pitch from the left side to the right side of the plate; throw all of your pitches. Then you will move back to the rubber and throw 15 25 pitches, the first five being from the wind up and the remaining from the stretch; again you should be throwing all of your pitches and rotating sides of the plate. 4. You will get a full body stretch of your legs and arms, including partner hamstring, and hip flexor stretches as well as triceps and forearm partner stretches. 5. Get water. Go to work. 6. Between innings you will be conferencing with the pitching coach and catcher about what s working and what s not working. 7. After your start or your day is done you will run 3 poles and grab ice from the trainer. 1. Daily warm up and stretch with everyone else. 2. Throw with everyone else to get loose. 3. If you are not in the game you should be playing catch in between every other inning and every inning as we get close to the end of the game. 4. If you are playing you should throw between innings as you normally would and then as we get close to the end of the game throw with someone while we are up to bat. 5. Stay hydrated throughout the game. 6. When you get called to the bullpen, you will do 5 shuffle downs then 5 10 pitches from 45 feet, than 15 25 pitches from 60 feet 6 inches. When you have two pitches you are confident in let the pitching coach know. 7. Go to work. 8. Conference between innings if you will throw more than one with the catcher and pitching coach. 9. After your day is done run 1 3 poles depending on the amount of pitches you throw. One pole for less than 45, 2 poles for 45 60, 3 poles for 60 and above. Grab ice.
Day 2: game site. This is a heavy conditioning day. You will not pick up a baseball today. Can be done at Starters: 1. Daily Warm up and stretch with everyone else. 2. Then find the pitching coach for conditioning. 3. Ab ripper is first, then shoulder exercises, rotator cuff work, 8 10 90 foot sprints, 15 minutes cool down run, 50 65% sprint. 4. After Conditioning go to work hitting, do not throw on this day. Relievers: Same as Starters, but only once every third appearance; unless you throw more than 60 pitches than immediately following that appearance. Day 3: site. This is a day that is a mixture of conditioning and heavy drill work. Can be done at game Starters/Relievers: 1. Daily Warm up and stretch with everyone else. 2. Throw out with everyone else. 3. Find Pitching Coach for drills. 4. Do your daily assigned drills, 1 3 bases on needs. 5. Throw a 45 foot pen of 30 pitches with a whiffle ball. This is pitch development, you will throw two fast balls, then a change up until you throw one you like, then two fastballs, then a curveball until you throw one you like, and continue the pattern until 30. 6. After completion of mini pen, you have 2 poles and 6 8 90 foot sprints. 7. Join practice at your other position. *see list of drills for specifics Day 4: at game site. This is a day of drill work and getting a feel for your pitches for tomorrow. Can be done Starters/Relievers: 1. Daily Warm up and stretch with everyone else. 2. Throw out with everyone else. 3. Find pitching coach for short pen. 4. Throw a 45 foot pen with a baseball, during the pen focus on getting the feel for all your different pitches. You will throw 30, 15 should be fastballs, 10 change ups, and 5 curve balls. 5. After completion join practice at your other position.
Drills: Five Step Delivery: 1. Rocker Step very small step backwards with non throwing foot, emphasis on keeping head as still as possible and locating big picture at the plate, focusing on catcher umpire and batter. 2. Step in lift your throwing hand foot and place it in front of and touching the pitcher s rubber. The focus is now just the catcher. 3. Lift to balance lift the non throwing hand foot directly to the balance point. Emphasis on not swinging but going in a straight line to the balance point. Focus is now just the glove of the catcher. 4. Power position From the balance position the hands should break and the throwing hand should form a small circle and rest above the shoulder with the baseball facing behind. The front hand should break and move to pointing at the target. The leg that was up in the air steps down with force into a stride position with foot resting flat and toe pointed at target. The back foot has pivoted but hips are still closed, the back heel should be off the ground. Focus is now on a specific spot in the catcher s glove the size of a quarter. 5. Finish from the power position the hips fire open, the shoulders rotate, the throwing arm comes violently but smoothly through the throwing zone and the back leg releases high in the air to come down into a ready fielding position. Emphasis on keeping the head up on target, going towards the glove with the chest and releasing the back foot cleanly. Throw through the target not to the target. Stride Rock Delivery: 1. Pitcher starts in the power position. 2. The pitcher then rocks his weight forward then backward. 3. At this point the pitcher finishes his delivery to a partner. All pitches can be thrown during this drill. Emphasis on finish and using momentum, back leg should release high. Figure Eights: 1. Pitcher starts in power position. 2. The pitcher then makes a delivery forward using a rocking motion with the legs but keeping the feet planted. 3. The upper body should perform the normal delivery to finish then reset in a figure 8 motion back to the start. 4. Continue this motion for up to 100 pitches. Back leg up Delivery:
1. The pitcher starts with his back leg fully extended behind him and elevated on a chair or bench. 2. His upper body should be closed off with non throwing shoulder pointed at target and hands in the set position. 3. The pitcher then does his normal upper body delivery and releases his back leg in and upward finish at the point of release. 4. The emphasis is on getting back bent and full extended follow through with the upper body. Balance Tap: 1. Pitcher starts in position three, or the balance position, with their non throwing foot on a chair or bench. 2. The pitcher then taps his toe on the chair or bench then lifts to a higher balance point and delivers the baseball to a partner. 3. The emphasis is staying upright in the balance position then getting the backside through and finishing high with the back leg. Back Leg over a chair: 1. The pitcher starts in the stretch position and has a bucket, large cone, or chair in line with the back leg about three inches in front of them. 2. The pitcher delivers a pitch to a partner 45 60 feet away. 3. The goal is to not hit the object at the pitchers feet. 4. This drill is to ensure getting the backside through and back toe release. Two Ball front and back hand release: 1. Pitcher starts in position three with a baseball in both hands. 2. The pitcher then does on hand break and separates hands and releases balls to the front and back of them. 3. The pitcher then delivers a dry pitch finishing the delivery motion. 4. The goal is to have the baseballs released in a straight line in front and behind the pitcher. Tokyo Drill: 1. The pitcher starts in the windup or stretch with a partner standing 70 ft away. 2. The pitcher then throws 15 pitches mixing change up and curveballs (or any other offspeed pitches) 3. The partner then moves to 80 ft. The pitcher throws 15 more off speed pitches. 4. The partner then moves to 60 ft. 6 inches and the pitcher throws 15 more off speed pitches.
Pitch Development: 1. The pitcher starts in the stretch with a partner 45 feet away in a squat. 2. The pitcher uses a whiffle ball and throws 30 pitches. 3. The sequence is two fast balls, then a curve ball until the pitcher throws his best curveball, then two fastballs, then a change up until the pitcher throws his best changeup, then repeat. Back leg towel hold: 1. A pitcher starts in the stretch position while one partner holds a towel wrapped around his back leg. Another partner is 45 60 feet away. 2. The pitcher lifts his leg and the partner holding the towel pulls back to give resistance after a one count hold the partner releases. 3. The pitcher should be trying to stay upright and wait for towel release to deliver a pitch to the other partner. 4. This drill works on keeping the pitcher from leaking out so they use their legs more effectively. Wall correction behind throwing arm/behind back: 1. The pitcher stands with their back against the wall in the stretch position. 2. The pitcher then delivers a dry throw. Repeat 15 times. 3. The pitcher then positions themselves so that their back foot is against the wall and they re in the stretch facing away from the wall. 4. Deliver 15 dry throws. Reverse Mechanics: 1. The pitcher goes through the three step delivery from the stretch. 2. At the end point the pitcher then repeats the delivery in reverse. Blind ups: 1. The pitcher starts in a wind up or stretch with a partner 45 60 feet away. 2. The pitcher gets to their balance point then closes their eyes and delivers the pitch. 3. This helps pitchers to know their delivery better and teaches them to change sides of the plate by changing their body not by aiming. Bounce to change up grip, toss to change up grip: 1. The pitcher starts in a pseudo stretch position with a partner 60 feet away. 2. The pitcher then bounces the ball on the ground grips a change up and delivers as quickly as possible to their partner. Repeat 15 times.
3. The pitcher then starts in the same position but this time tosses the ball in the air then catches it with their throwing hand and grips a change up as quickly as possible and delivers it to a partner. Repeat 15 times. 4. This drill works on getting comfortable with the change up. Football throws: 1. The pitcher starts in the stretch position with a partner 45 60 feet away. 2. The pitcher then delivers a football in a spiral to his partner. Repeat 30 times. 3. This drill works on curveball delivery.