25 Quotes About Pitching You Need to Hear

by Editorial team

Baseball is an interesting game with different unique positions. Many players at some point in their career have been a pitcher or trained as a pitcher. It’s an important skill as a baseball player to have the ability to throw the ball extremely well. We want to tell you 25 of the best pitching quotes we think you need to hear now! 

Notable Pitchers 

There have been numerous skilled and unbelievably talented pitchers to play in the MLB. To start this blog, we wanted to mention some of the most well-known pitchers who made big impacts on each of their respective MLB teams, 

  • Tom Seaver 
  • Steve Carlton 
  • Jacob deGrom

Tom Seaver 

Tom Seaver began his MLB career as a pitcher for the New York Mets in 1967 at age 22. He played 20 seasons in the MLB before retiring in 1987 saying “there were no more pitches in this 42-year-old arm that were competitive. I’ve used them all up.” 

He won various awards during his time in the MLB including the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, 3 National League’s Cy Young Awards, and is a 12-time All-Star. He had a very successful and impactful MLB career and eventually was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame as well as the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. His jersey, number 41, from the New York Mets was retired in 1988 in honor of Tom Seaver. 

Steve Carlton

Steve Carlton was a left-handed pitcher who began his MLB career at the age of 21 in 1965 for the St.Louis Cardinals. He had accumulated 4,136 total strikeouts during his career before he retired in 1988. 

He had also won many awards including 4 National League’s Cy Young Awards, the Gold Glove Award in 1981, and was a 10-time All-Star. He was later inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame and his jersey, number 32, was retired from his time playing with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Jacob deGrom 

Jacob deGrom had been playing shortstop until his final year at college he became a pitcher. He was drafted in 2010 at age 22 by the New York Mets, he eventually made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2014, where he continues to play. 

He still has the ability to play for many more years and continue to accumulate many more awards. Currently, he has been awarded National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2014, 2 National League’s CY Young Awards, and has been a 3-time All-Star. 

Tips and Tricks 

These quotes are some tips and tricks from former and current baseball players about pitching. Some of them are about how a player should imagine or visualize the ball as they are throwing it. Hopefully, some of these quotes will help you find another way to look at pitching and you can implement it into your game to become a better player. 

  1. “My pitching philosophy is simple - keep the ball away from the bat.” - Satchel Paige
  2. “A guy that throws what he intends to throw, that’s the definition of a good pitcher.” -Sandy Koufax 
  3. “To get the feel of how the slider should roll off of your index finger, use this grip and practice at half speed and roughly half the distance to the mound.” - Steve Carlton  
  4. “Basically, hitters fall into a pattern, and once you know what they like, you can set them up for the putout with something else.” - Tom Seaver
  5. “The final release point for the fastball is the tips of your fingers” - Steve Carlton
  6. “Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” -Warren Spahn 

Pitching Mentality 

Baseball and really any sport is so much a mental game as much as it is a physical game. Having the right mentality and control are vital for success as an athlete. It shows that if you want to make it to the big leagues and make an impact your mentality is just as important as your physical abilities as a baseball player. Here are some quotes about baseball, pitching, and having the right mentality: 

  1. “Everything I was, physically, and mentally, that’s what I put on that field.” - Steve Carlton 
  2. “You never want to see a guy struggle. And we’ve all struggled. It’s part of the game. -Jacob deGrom
  3. “The pitcher has to find out if the hitter is timid, and if he is timid, he has to remind the hitter he’s timid.” -Don Drysdale  
  4. “Normally when I look at stuff, I try to look at the good things. When I watch video, I try to watch the good starts so I can see how my mechanics are in those. -Jacob deGrom
  5. “Mental attitude and concentration are the keys to pitching” -Ferguson Jenkins
  6. “One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something.” -Nolan Ryan 

Working as a Team 

It takes more than one player to win a game, which is why working as a team is such an essential part of baseball. It not only provides a support system in life and friendships but the ability to work as a cohesive unit is what can propel a team to win games. Here are some quotes about baseball, pitching, and working as a team:

  1. “That’s how you win - pitching and defense.” -Derek Jeter 
  2. “No baseball pitcher would be worth a darn without a catcher who could handle the hot fastball.” - Casey Stengel

The Art of Pitching

There are many skilled pitchers in the MLB each with a unique ability and way of pitching. Being able to throw the ball well in addition to having the right strategy is what makes a great pitcher. It's important to listen to your coach, manager, and your body to know what is best to improve your game. Here are some quotes about baseball and the art of pitching: 

  1. “My job isn’t to strike guys out; it’s to get them out - sometimes by striking them out.” -Tom Seave
  2. “My approach every game is to try to keep the ball down and get ground ball outs” -Jacob deGrom
  3. “I’m a huge advocate of pitching. You have to have good pitching as the solid core, the foundation. It keeps you in every game.” -Tom Seaver
  4. “There is no set numerical value you can put on a pitcher. They’re all different” - Tom Seaver
  5. “I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I toss one that ain’t never been seen by this generation.” -Satchel Paige
  6. “There's nothing wrong with pitch counts. But when it’s spit out by a computer, the computer does not look at an individual's mechanics. And you can’t look at his genes. It should come from the individual and the pitching coach and the manager.” - Tom Seaver
  7. “The reason I think I’m a good pitcher is I locate my fastball and I change speeds. Period. That's what you do to pitch. That’s what pitchers have to do to win games.” - Greg Maddux 

Inspiration 

You have probably seen your favorite MLB players playing in games, but it's interesting to hear their journeys and how they got to play in the big leagues. Those who get the opportunity to play in the MLB are grateful and want to make the most out of it. Here are some quotes about baseball and pitching that will hopefully inspire you to continue chasing your dreams and aspirations:

  1. “Whenever we had career day at elementary school, and we could dress up like what you wanted to be when I got on stage, mine was playing major league baseball.” -Jacob deGrom 
  2. “I think all of us are thankful every day we get to put this uniform on, and we play this game. So try not to take any days for granted. Every time you take the field, give a hundred percent and leave it all out there.” - Jacob deGrom
  3. “I had 12 years under my belt of baseball at the amateur level before I got to the big leagues” - Tom Seaver
  4. “But I would say basically, I would just like to be remembered for what I did on the field” - Steve Carlton 

Summary 

Baseball is such an exciting game to watch and we have all been able to see the different journeys of so many unique baseball players. Now each of these unique baseball players get to share their memories and advice to their fans and the next generation of baseball players. 

Hopefully, these 25 quotes about pitching from tips and tricks to the mentality of baseball to the ability to work as a team to the art of pitching, and the inspirational quotes have been able to show you a different side to baseball. 

 

 

Be sure to check out Ryan Weiss's coaching program and his other training programs to elevate your game.

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