Certain types of throws/catches

By: Frank Fraschetti

 Long Toss:

    Long toss is a very important thing to a pitcher. It has been proven to benefit pitchers. This is done on certain days, and not done every day because the point of this is to throw the ball as far as you can. In the major leagues, you will see the pitcher before a start throwing from foul pole to foul pole. This is a way that the pitcher gets loose. Not every starter does this, but it is something that a lot of pitchers do. Some pitchers like to do this after they throw, meaning a couple days after because it helps stretch the arm out. 

90 Feet:

    If you hung out at a baseball practice you would hear the pitchers say "want to go 90 today?" This is pretty normal for pitchers because the pitching mound is 60ft 6 in, and going 90 feet is kind of stretching it out, but is no too much. This is a very good distance for pitchers because it helps them get a feel for their arms that day and is a good distance for accurate throws. Every pitcher is different, some may just go to 90 feet when getting ready to throw because that is what helps them get loose. 

Bullpen: 

    A bullpen is when the pitcher gets on the mound and throws 25-30 pitches. This is something that is done before their next outing. This is an opportunity to work on the things that weren't working the start before or the last time they threw. Also, this is an opportunity for the pitcher to work on his off-speed pitches.  For example, I throw my pen two days before my start. I do this because I like to get a feel for my pitches a couple days before I take the mound because it gives you confidence seeing your ball move and seeing the ball in the strike zone. Another reason is that if during the pen something is not working I still have another day to fix it. 

Conclusion:

    These are a couple different types of throwing that a pitcher does to help them prepare for the game or the next time they pitch. These routines vary due to the pitcher and what he feels gets him ready to compete in a game. That is what makes this game so fun because everyone is different and there is no set routine that needs to be done to get ready to compete.