by David Uberti

Created on: December 29, 2008

It's the loneliest place in the world when you're not winning, standing alone in the middle of the diamond, the world crushing you on all sides. But when you're on top you are a god; in control; fate lies in the space between your fingertips; destiny within grasp. I know the differences between the two feelings, any pitcher does.

The good throwers are seperated from good pitchers as time goes on, as batters, leagues and umpires mature. Strength loses value and, although still important, is dethroned by the mental aspect of the game. Pitchers have to think because, quite frankly, they decide the fate of the game; the ball is always in their hands. Only a quarterback has more control on any sporting event, in my opinion.

Too use a cliche: there are two sides to being a pitcher, the mental side and the physical side. To be a successful pitcher, one has to take responsibility for a team's fate. Win or lose, a pitcher must live with the outcome of his play. There is no time during a game for him to pout, to put his head down or take a play off. A pitcher is the field general who controls tempo and body language of a team. He has to think hard about making the best possible pitch while at the same time not overthinking his decision or remembering his past successes or failures.

Baseball is a conundrum of sorts, as far as thinking goes, and the pitcher is in the center of it all. People often give the strategy of pitching little thought until the higher echelons of the game. For example, a high school hitter will be caught off guard by three curveballs in a row, while a major league hitter would not be quite as fooled. Pitch sequences to set up outs are of the utmost importance. Varying locations, speeds and cadences require batters to make adjustments that they are unaccustomed to.

As far as the physical side of the game, there are four important components of a good pitcher. Many understand this simple formula, but only the great put it into play.

1. Location

The goal of the pitcher is to put the ball where the batter cannot hit it, or at least make solid contact. Good location can make it impossible for a hitter to do either. Any pitching coach in the world will agree with this statement. Good location starts off at-bats the right way: with strikes. Hitters fall behind more, prompting them to make forced swings at bad pitches in pitchers counts.

Excellent location's effect on pitchers extends further, however, as it reduces pitch counts and prolongs the time a pitcher

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