unhittable pitch for a strike?

[The Express]

my buddies have all started throwing an "s" or a "z" pitch on the outside of that plate that is pretty effective. with a pitcher with high curve rates, and depending on where the batter is in the box, is it possible to throw a pitch that can't be hit for a strike?

i would imagine that if the batter was at the very top of the box a pitcher could possibly throw a pitch that was out of the batter's reach and then bring it in for a strike? i dunno, just wondering if you guys had any thoughts on this.

[Darky]

No.
Any pitch for a strike can be hit. It's all circumstantial depending how the hitter approached that pitch. I will say that certain pitches have a better percentage not to get hit on a consistent level. Sometimes in a tight game, that one "unhittable"pitch out of ten that gets hit can cost you the game in a tight battle against an elite player. I would argue that a good S pitch just outside the black is one of the best pitches when a hitter swings for it. At best  upon contact, it only results in a hit.

I honed the S pitch back in hs in the 90's with Reushel and Krukow. Reushel's is a little better than Krukow's and they are 1-2 for the best S pitch by a right hand pitcher. Fernando has the best S pitch from the left side.

My best friend that I would always play against, learned how to counter this pitch. He always used American. The other RBI Junkies that we would play with used NA. So I learned very quickly how to carefully pitch against a powerful lineup and read the hitter as he approaches the pitch....what is his first initial movement towards the plate..inside or outside, did he start up or down in the box.

In my experience,  it's all  about reading the batter when you throw the S pitch. If a right handed hitter moves away from the plate and is out of position to effectively hit the S pitch, then I bring it back in for a strike. If his first move is towards the outside part of the plate, I bend the S pitch so it lands barely outside of the black so he can either miss or make minimal contact. On lefty's, it's all in the read as well. If they don't move away from the plate, then I bust it for a strike. If the left hand hitter moves away from the plate and anticipates the pitch, I just don't bring it back and get him swinging on a really inside pitch...or it can be a ball if he does not swing.....but if left out on the inside half of the plate for lefties....it can be exploited. Same for righties if the S pitch is left on the outerhalf and the hitter initially moves up on the pitch to be in great position to hit the pitch.


My SF Giants is your Astros. Your Astros would not score on my Giants.....considering that you are not on a first name basis with the S pitch......I like to talk a big game. I still think I am the best rbi player here. I am undefeated outside the State of California, and have won 7 tourneys in my bay area league in hs.....back in 91. After that, it was just team tourneys in A Ball in which I never lost a game to players from all over America, and one on one battles with my best friend when he came home from college on the holidays. JoeDirt, I'm winking right at you.

[BeefMaster]

Well, any strike would technically be hittable, but it's certainly possible to throw one that the batter can't hit because he's too far up in the box.  The strategy of leaving the ball off the outside corner and then bringing it into the strike zone late is one that's often used at the highest levels of RBI - I know that was JoeDirt's main strategy when I played him online.

[ryno]

dirt is excellent at the unhittable strike.

[ultimate7]

http://forums.dee-nee.com/index.php?topic=3815.20

required reading for this topic

[Polish Rifle]

Do always pick one side of the mound to set up on before you execute your "S" pitch Dark Side?  Or do you set up in the middle?

[JoeDirt]

There are variations of the S pitch...highly effective from many different angles on the rubber.

[bonny]

Greinke's 58mph curveball

[JoeDirt]

who let this Dick in the RBI forums?  Go back to where you belong!

[bonny]

Im here more than you know.

[JoeDirt]

all up in our shit?

[ryno]

Greinke's 58mph curveball

yes

[Darky]

Do always pick one side of the mound to set up on before you execute your "S" pitch Dark Side?  Or do you set up in the middle?

Not always, but definitely about 98 percent of the time with Krukow, Reushel and Witt from the right side of the rubber (tv view). I set up Fernando on the opposite side of the rubber.

The S pitch is a great pitch to have in your arsenal and should be used with brisk creativity. With pin point control and mixed in with an assortment of other pitches, the S pitch is a great 0-0 pitch and 2 strike pitch.

The S pitch is hittable if the hitter guesses correctly,  or reads it quickly enough to position the sweet spot near the ball.

[fknmclane]

I really need to play some RBI.

[fightonusc]

The problem with the S-pitch is the one that you bring in too far back over the plate (like the left-most track in Dark Side's image). If you do that, and the batter guesses right, you're in major trouble. I believe that 90 percent of the runs I give up pitching come from hanging S-pitches over the middle of the plate.

[AlecTrevylan006]

RBI Players are like necrophiles. You hang 'em, we bang' em.

Or wait... we ARE necrophiles.

[Attezz]

RBI Players are like necrophiles. You hang 'em, we bang' em.

Or wait... we ARE necrophiles.

I like the old "You miss, I hit" saying myself.

Bucky Walters is the king of this kind of pitch.

[fknmclane]

I really like AlexTrevlan.

[BDawk]

Who here is shocked that darkside was able to post that image?

[Darky]

I'm trying really hard to persuade people against Darky. I must be the fool on the hill after all since nobody jumped on my wagon.