"pitch to early contact"

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From a recent Will Carroll column in Prospectus -- anyone heard of this elsewhere?

Expect [A.J.] Burnett to be challenged to follow his teammates and go "P-TEC," the new acronym for "pitch to early contact." This strategy isn't new to Mark Wiley and the Marlins, but it's working. The Marlins pitchers attempt to induce hitters to hit their pitch on the first and second deliveries, keeping their counts down and making use of the defense. After those pitches, they go back to a more normal "missing bats, looking strikeout" mindset. This isn't the normal pitch to contact plan--the Fish don't groove the ball and play the odds. This one's probably going to spread around the league if there's not some breakdown.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

...which could explain the D-Train's rollercoaster of a ride over the past few seasons.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

fascinating stuff
but now that the secret's out
it's just a gimmick

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

That approach seems counter to the "pitchers can't control where the ball goes" notion, though. It's great if the balls go at a fielder, but if they don't, ye gods. Granted, the Marlins D is strong enough (up the middle, at least) that such an approach could yield (and has yielded!) positive dividends.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

Isn't this kind of pitching like Greg Maddux's usual method of operations?

The Marlins also have a spacious outfield which probably saves a few gopher balls.

D-Train seems to be a bit like Carlos Zambrano, at least until this season, in that he gets a bit out of his head on the mound and allows innings to blow up worse than they should be.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

D-Train seems to be a bit like Carlos Zambrano, at least until this season, in that he gets a bit out of his head on the mound and allows innings to blow up worse than they should be.

How anyone can say that Zambrano has "allowed innings to blow up worse than they should be" when they guy has a career 3.25 ERA in over 600 IP (over the last year) (har har har) blows my mind to bits. That's the same back-assward logic that makes people doubt Clemens' ability to win games because his stupid-ass teammates can't muster more than 1 run for each start. Pitch to THIS score right over here, please.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

Have you seen Zambrano pitch much? I have, the guy easily losses his cool on the mound and lets a game get away from him, it has happened a few times. Sometimes it is a bad call by an ump, sometimes it is an error in the field, sometimes it is losing in a tight at bat to a hitter, but the guy will be on cruise control and then all the sudden he is out of the game. It isn't an illusion that the guy has a temper.

I've seen Willis do this same thing a few times, his is more that he seems to lose his control and patience. I haven't seen him pitch nearly as much as Zambrano, but I have seen the D-Train melt down a few times, a couple in the playoffs with the Marlins.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

I don't doubt that CZ loses his cool, or that he has little brain farts, but when you're allowing just over 3 runs a game, you should have a better record than 3-3, and to blame THAT sad state of affairs on the pitcher because he hiccups while his brothers w/ the bat are bunting into oblivion and Neifi Perez is getting the 2nd most ABs on the team is spurious at best. If I knew I had to be nigh-on perfect every time I went to the mound in order to get my team a W, I'd lose my shit every so often too!

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

I can definitely see your point, but it still doesn't help me when I watch Zambrano melt down. The guy has already been tossed out of two games this year. I also don't doubt the bullpen of the doom has hurt Zambrano's W/L record over the past few years. With a bit more composure, the guy would be the best starter in the NL.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

Yeah David this is where looking at the forest misses the trees. Over 300 innings the ERA is good, yes. But it's an average that doesn't account for those moments when it all gets given away, i.e. pitch a few 2-run games and then have a game where you let in 5 in an inning.

I honestly don't see the difference between this and pitching philosophy in general i.e. "pound the zone", "get ahead in the count." What am I missing?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 2 June 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

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