When you’re managing the worst team in baseball over the last decade+, why not break out the worst cliche in baseball? Pirates manager Clint Hurdle on James McDonald:
He needs to pitch. I don’t think he’s been pitching. There’s been more throwing going on.
Double bonus for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Colin Dunlap throwing (not pitching) it into his headline:
Pirates Notebook: McDonald must pitch, not throw, says Hurdle
Travis Swachik, of the Charleston Post and Courier, wasn’t sure if you’d understand that throwing hard wasn’t as useful as throwing accurately and well, so he went to the well, though throwing “synonymous” definitely took the old saw up a level in sophistication describing a Clemson pitcher.
Still, to prove velocity isn’t everything, to prove pitching is not synonymous with throwing is exhibit A: Jonathan Meyer
As old school as Rays Manager Joe Maddon’s glasses are, so are his cliches, this time to the St. Pete’s Times about Wade Davis:
So as of right now, I’m liking what he’s doing. I like the feel. He’s using all of his pitches. He’s pitching. He’s not just out there throwing.
Like a kid on the playground imitating his favorite player’s stance, Sheffield, AL coach Chuck Smith obviously takes his cues from the pros, as he told the Florence, AL Times Daily:
The main thing now is that they have learned how to pitch. A lot of high school kids know how to throw, but not how to pitch.
Yahoo’s Joba Chamberlain fantasy advice (through Rotowire) features our favorite chestnut:
Recommendation: Unlike fellow Yankee Phil Hughes, however, there’s no real reason to be concerned about Chamberlain’s velocity, as he’s reached 96 mph multiple times this season. He believes he’s become more of a “pitcher” and less of the throw-as-hard-as-possible “thrower” he was when he was first called up. He has pitched very well at times this year, and although he’s also had three shaky outings, he remains the Yankees’ first choice in the seventh inning.
Following up on the PD’s lead, Tribe blog Wait For Next Year threw this out on their 4.17.11 post:
What separates Tomlin from others though is his ability to “pitch”, not simply throw as some pitchers do.
(Nod, again, to Nikhil Rao on the notification)
Cleveland Plain Dealer headline from 4.4.11:
(Thanks to Nikhil Rao for the heads up)
