Jack Zduriencik's Advice to an 8th-grade RHP

[Mass Haas]

I am an aspiring right-handed pitcher in the eighth grade. I play on an AAU team and my question is: What kind of pitches do you look for from an amateur pitcher when making draft decisions? -- Kyle

 

Jack Zduriencik, Brewers scouting director:

It's an interesting question with many variables. Some of what I will say is based on years of experience and a trained eye, but probably the most common answer would be velocity, simply because you really can't teach it: It's either there or it isn't. Pitchers have developed velocity over time, and in other cases velocity can be lost in time. It is, however, a starting point to begin to gauge a prospect.

 

What then ties into the equation or evaluation would be factors such as: 1. Fastball movement; 2. The breaking ball, what type, how sharp; and 3. The ability to control and command one's fastball, as well as the other pitches.

 

Then you get into a pitcher's body type, the looseness of his arm action and how well his arm works. You can also talk about the arm speed of a pitcher, as well as how well the ball comes out of his hand. Other issues that play into an evaluation are his age and how you see his body developing in the future (or not developing). Is this pitcher athletic or non-athletic? How much has he pitched? Is he a multiple-position player? Is he a multi-sport athlete with limited dedication to being a full-time pitcher?

 

You then have the considerations to what makes a pitcher complete, such as: Is he competitive, poised, under control of his actions and himself, does he know how to pitch, execute, have a plan? You sometimes judge pitchers or players differently depending on age or the level one is competing against. As an example, you'd most likely judge a 17-year-old high school kid differently than a senior in college. You might judge a player differently if he lives in Florida as opposed to living in Vermont.

 

In conclusion, there are many factors to consider, but the most important advice I would give to any young player is to maximize what you are. Work hard, seek good instruction and play as much as you can without being overworked to the point of risking injury. Listen, read, watch and realize that pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, and you can be successful in different ways. Greg Maddux pitches differently than Roger Clemens, and Steve Carlton was different then Bobby Shantz. Some pitchers win because of velocity while others because of other factors, but they all executed and perfected what they were able to do, very well. They understood who they are and what they had the ability to do, and then did it to the best of their capabilities.

 

Good Luck, work smart and work hard.

 

The entire article with responses from others in baseball can be found here:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp

[molitor fan]

Anyone else really, really impressed by that answer?

[pogokat]

That's a fantastic answer...

 

i think we should save this somewhere forever and use it as a reference for whenever anyone asks about the importance of skills in pitching..

 

but i seriously doubt the 8th grader has ever heard of bobby shantz

[reillymcshane]

What I liked was that he didn't talk down to the kid. It could have been 'Eat your veggies and never give up' type crap. Instead it was detailed and honest.

 

Great answer.