Editor's Notes: In the ClubHouse today, former Major League pitcher, Zane Smith talks about pitching and the importance of the change-up for youth pitchers. If you like this show, be sure to check out our "Videos On-Demand" feature for more great shows on your favorite subject: youth sports. You can subscribe to CHG or share today's show with your friends and family by clicking on the "Subscribe and Share" tab in the menu at the top of the page and following the directions.
Video Transcript:
Casey: Today on Clubhouse Gas we’re luck you enough to be joined by friend of the show Zane Smith 12-year Big Leaguer and we’re going to talk about it quite controversial topic but that is whether or not to have your kid throw the breaking ball and Zane is going to weigh in on that and maybe give us an alternate pitch so stay tune, it’s a very informative edition of Clubhouse Gas.
Zane Smith thanks again for joining us.
Zane: Good to be here.
Casey: We really appreciate it now the last time we talked about some stuff in the batters box, today we’re going to talk a little bit of more about your expertise which is pitching. Now the big controversy and it has been for years and years is whether or not to have youngsters throw in curve balls and if you are throwing a curve ball what type of curve ball and if you’re throwing that kind of curve ball how many curve balls do you throw and whether or not it’s good for the arm or bad the arm or there’s just so many different things I can’t get into them, what is you’re opinion 11 year old throwing sliders.
Zane: Well, that would be a big no, no. Well I think most people’s concern are that when these kids are throwing breaking balls, they’re not throwing them correctly and I mean even in the you know when you get to the big league level you can— the guy is still breaking balls but they may not be throwing them correctly and I hate to say it but sooner or later you will hurt your arm if you’re not throwing or breaking balls correctly.
Casey: I mean you can just do when you feel the motion, when you do a motion of any kind of snap that kids are using you can feel it.
Zane: Well it’s more; you know what the kids try to manipulate the ball you know by using their wrist or doing this. Their doing it’s not a natural motion anyway it’s all in the baseball you know over the top so you know when you start twisting your arm and wrist and stuff it will you know it will mess you up.
Casey: So what do you do, you just throw a much faster ball and get yolked?
Zane: Well you know what I played with a few guys that you know what have had long careers and very successful careers and basically they’ve got you know if you can throw a fast balls change ups in the big league level and be successful, why can’t you do it down here in the little league level.
Casey: Sounds good enough for Tom Glavine, Trevor Hoffman, Greg Maddux is good enough or—
Zane: I think its good enough for everybody.
Casey: Why don’t you just show us how to throw a change up?
Zane: Well I think that really right now that it’s the circle change is what everybody is throwing which is basically you know just kind of in these three fingers and it just, and you’ve got a circle right here and that’s why they call it circle change and the beauty about this pitch is that you don’t have to manipulate it, you don’t have to do this or that all you’ve got to do is basically throw like you’re throwing a fastball and the ball is going to come out slower than your fastball just because of the grip and that’s the beauty of the pitch.
And I wish somebody would have taught me this when I was you know growing up because once a young player learns how to pitch and that’s what I call this. Once you get a change up and a fastball you become a pitcher, once you learn how to pitch it makes pitching so much easier that you know I mean it’s going to make these kids so much better at an early age that when they get to it you know the next level, you know it might be easier for him to become a big leaguer.
Casey: Well explain to me what you mean by pitching. If I take one of my kids and put them out on the mound in the game and he throws to a batter he’s a pitcher?
Zane: Well he’s a thrower.
Casey: Okay so what’s the difference?
Zane: Well I think most of us you know and I fell right into that category coming up. I mean I threw hard. I was a left handed pitcher that threw hard and basically I had no idea, I mean I could throw strikes but I mean I didn’t know really what pitching was as far as looking at a hitter, watching him take a swing off me and saying well you know what he almost hit that fast ball maybe I should take something off or you know close up and that breaks to basically get him out.
Casey: So the trick is you teach him how to change speeds and then you teach him how to fake, is that the key? Those are the two things that are—
Zane: I think you hit it on the head, you know what, when you learn to pitch you become a faker. And you know a thrower, you don’t really have to fake, you know what, yes to row back and throw the ball as hard as you can what faking is there in there in that plays. There’s really nothing, you just try to throw it as hard as you can.
Casey: Well that’s more fan Randy Johnson throwing 99 miles an hour or a Greg Maddux throwing 85 miles an hour and just making guys look foolish.
Zane: Well I think, I really think Greg Maddux making guys look foolish is probably the better way to go.
Casey: I mean how frustrating is it for a Major League hitter to stand in there and the guy is throwing watermelons and they just can’t touch it?
Zane: Well all you got to do is listen to the big league hitters come in after they get out off of a guy like Maddux going. You know the first thing they say is, “Man, I can’t believe I didn’t hit that pitch” because he’s not going to get it by me but you know being able to pitch you know you’re going to really get in the hitter’s hats.
Casey: And the key for Maddux a lot of times is he gets them to hit the ball where he wants to hit the ball?
Zane: Well I know I was talking to you earlier, basically when I learned or tried not to strike guys out you know I became a better pitcher as far as you know when you try to strike guys out yeah it looks good you know you’re out there and you know strike out but you know what, it doesn’t do you any good. I mean I could strike out 12 guys and I could still get beat.
Casey: Right.
Zane: Now you know you just— pitching it just makes a lot easier.
Casey: You’ll have a ground out to the short stop than a strike out.
Zane: No, it saves your arm. You know I’m a firm believer as you got so many pitchers in your arm and then you know you’re going to get hurt.
Casey: Well take me through one more time another grip besides the circle change grip.
Zane: You know just a like palm ball like this, I mean really there’s a bunch of ways to throw a change. I play with guys that you know I don’t know if you guys remember but there was a guy. Randy Tomlin used to throw a pitch. It was basically, you know it’s like a split finger but he did it like this and it was called— he called it the Vulcan so you know it’s just kid’s going to play along because I understand that some of these kid’s hands are going to be pretty little so I mean really the more you stick it back in the palm the slower the ball is going to come out.
Casey: Because there’s more contact with that.
Zane: The more you get it out of your finger tips, the harder it’s going to be and once they learn that then they could start playing with take and putting on and taking off.
Casey: So the key is contact with the hand, exact same arm motion so you’re throwing the ball exactly just as far.
Zane: Just take your fastball.
Casey: Like fastball it fools the batter and then you can learn to be a pitcher and not a thrower.
Zane: Well and like I said we don’t want these kids to try to take something off of it that’s what the beauty of this pitch, you don’t want to try to fool the hitter by stopping your motion. Just go ahead and do it just like your fastball.
Casey: So I’m hitting a full pitching wedge as opposed to a half ball.
Zane: We’ve all seen the cartoon right. You know where the guy strike one, strike two, strike three you know what that change up is just like that.
Casey: Just like that.
Zane: All as a pitcher once you learn how to pitch all you are trying to do is throw the hitter off enough to where he’s going to take a good swing off.
Casey: It is so if the kid’s arm and prolongs his career and keeps him out of the doctor’s office.
Zane: Oh yes, you going to break the ball eventually you will hurt your arm.
Casey: Thank you so much we really appreciate it a lot of good information there. Now it’s time for you, click on the message board link start a post right there and tell Zane why he’s wrong you know do you find a lot time when you’re coaching kids with the dads and want to tell the big league player or pitcher that know what he’s talking about.
Zane: Well you know unfortunately there is a lot of times where you know we get a lot of people that seem to thank that they know more than us you know just because they play little league baseball and you know they all are entitled to their own opinion but I have seen enough to know I have a little idea of what I’m doing.
Casey: I’m going to stick with the pros but I want to hear it from you, go to the message board and let’s talk about this. Don’t forget share this link, click on the button you can send this to all your friends and show them if Casey Bass knows Zane Smith. I told you dad there he is right there. That’s going to do it for us today. We’ll see right back here tomorrow for another exciting edition of Clubhouse Gas.
Zane: Can you tell that was a change up.
Casey: It moved a little.
Zane: Yeah. See but I mean there’s no difference between it, you know there should be know difference between you. You know your arm speed.
Casey: I’m catching with a big league pitcher at 45 feet. [Laughs]
