Has anyone here ever stood in the box against Major League pitching? Didn't want to make a whole FanPost, just curious. I maintain that I would be able to at least foul-tip the ball but nobody else agrees with me. I was average in High School.
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Never but I did face a kid throwing 95, and thats no exageration, in High School and I did manage to foul tip it, granted against me he probably didn’t need to juice it up to 95.
I faced a kid throwing 95 once too. I had 3 ABs, struck out bad the first time, hit a monster foul to the opposite field int he second at bat before whiffing bad again. By my third at bat our team still hadn’t had a baserunner, so, knowing that he had been pitching me inside, I leaned into one of those 95 mph fastballs that hit me square on the elbow. I was pure man though because it bounced off my arm and I just ran to first and didn’t touch it. The next guy struck out, which pissed me off, but I did understand. I didn’t get another AB and spent the rest of the game in RF praying nobody hit a fly ball because I couldn’t raise my glove hand. I did have a single out there but I barehanded it. I thought my elbow was broken but it was just swollen to twice it’s normal size.
The only other guy I ever faced that was worth a damn had a wicked 12-6 curveball and he dominated my team, but I loved offspeed stuff, especially from a lefty (for whatever reason, as a lefty, I loved hitting lefties) so I was 3-3 with 2 doubles, a triple, and a walk off him.
To answer the original post, I’ve never hit off a Major Leaguer, but I have stood in the box a few times at various parks and practices. I don’t want any part of it. Those guys throw hard and their crap bends like crazy. I have no doubt I’d go down without contact every time. If you gave me a week’s worth of ABs I could get a tick or two, and maybe lay down a bunt.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Dude, I have almost the exact same story! We were facing a kid who was throwing 92 mph in highschool. There were a couple of scouts there watching him.
He no-hit us, and his only mistake was that he hit my friend on the arm. After my buddy reached first, the next guy struck out for the 3rd out.
I faced some guys on the small college “fall-ball” team I went out for who could throw gas, but none were very accurate, so I decided I did not want to play in that league anymore.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Mar 2, 2010 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
I have
though it was shortly after his career ended. For comparisons sake, I thought of myself as a good high school baller. No HR power, but I could rack up doubles. Speed and D was my game mostly, though I did hit over .400 in both my junior and senior years.
Having said that, the guy was somewhere around 36 years of age and he was considered an average major league pitcher. Think Jo-Jo Reyes or Kyle Davies (level of success, not stuff). He started off pitching me some BP until I made the comment about wanting to challenge myself – something like “let’s see the good stuff”. MISTAKE! He only threw me fastballs and change-ups and I never touched one, not even close. I remember hearing the ball (fastball) clink against the fence behind me as my bat was crossing the plate, then the next pitch (change-up) my bat would be slapping my back before it ever left his hand. At least that’s how it felt.
As to whether you, or anyone for that matter, could at least foul one off. My guess is that I’m sure it is possible but I would put my money on unlikely. I had never faced anyone who could change speeds like that. It was extraordinarily deceptive and after about the 10th pitch I realized just how good a real MLB pitcher is!!! Now, if he goes up against you throwing only fastballs – sure, eventually you are going to hit one.
"I think the Tigers really overpaided here" ... 2/21/2010 by Holty_Panthers_Fan on Johnny Damon signing for $8 Million
Okay, now that I’m not drunk I will concede that I probably wouldn’t hit anything. Unless Mark Redman was pitching.
Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.
I think given a bit of time anyone athletic enough could make a little contact, maybe not fair, but some contact, but yeah, if you were just given one at bat or a even a couple, I doubt most regular joes could do anything other than look foolish.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Remember that lame show Pros vs. Joes?
One episode, they had an ancient John Franco on pitching to the “Joes,” who were all pretty athletic guys in their own right. I don’t think any of them made any genuine contact much less a clean base hit.
Now I’ve never faced anything close to real talent, but my guess is if a person faced Chris Resop who threw nothing but the same arrow-straight 98mph gas consecutively, they’d eventually figure out the timing and be able to make contact. But any pitcher that has the ability to change looks and speeds at even an elementary level, your average joe doesn’t have a prayer.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
No MLB level talent
But like a few others have stated I have seen pitches in the low to mid 90’s while playing on a traveling club during my H.S. years. I actually had decent success against them, probably because I liked the opposite field to begin with and I would just shorten my swing and let them provide the punch.
That is a long ways from facing a MLB caliber pitcher though who would also have the secondary pitches that break explosively like cbwilk was describing and/or can change speeds so deceptively like scstrato experienced.
I have
Long time lurker, first time poster here. I played college ball at D1 UTArlington, so I faced some really good pitchers. However the best I ever faced was a high-school senior by the name of Clayton Kershaw. I taught private lessons at DBAT in Dallas, where he, and some other high profile guys would come to work out with our pitching guy. Well he’d been working on a new change-up, so one day the pitching guy decided to let him face a couple hitters.
So me and another instructor grabbed a helmet and bat and were prepared to show this “high-schooler” what its like to play with the big boys. Well needless to say he shoved it down our throats pretty bad. I’d never heard a fastball whistle like his, and his curve was just as sick then as it is now. We all knew he was special then, but looking at where he is now, just makes those AB’s against him the most enjoyable K’s of my life. I did hit a couple slow rollers off him, but other than that…we didnt stand a chance.
Editors note…I have a brother playing in the Braves system, so I have been following this board for a couple years now. I love reading the posts, keep up the good work!
Awesome. Kershaw is nasty. I saw him pitch a few innings late last year with the Dodgers and he was by far one of the best guys I saw all year.
Who’s your brother? I can almost guarantee I’ve met him.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
My brother is Shayne Moody, he played with Rome last year. On a side note, one of this boards favorite players Matt Young works out up at the academy as well. So there’s another reason I keep track of Braves minor leaguers.
by Huckleberry13 on Mar 2, 2010 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, good deal. Shayne’s a really great guy. I liked him before I ever met him cause I went to UNCC too.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Oh nice…yeah I’m kinda fond of him as well lol He’s actually workin out with the Charlotte team right now getting ready for Spring Training. I can’t wait myself, as I’ll be down there for my second spring training to watch him. Its a blast down there in Orlando!
by Huckleberry13 on Mar 2, 2010 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
Yes indeed! I’m leaving next Thursday and I’ll be in Orlando Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, Shayne had told me he worked with those guys before coming down. I’ve talked a few times with Adam Mills who played with him at UNCC and plays for the Red Sox now. He’s a good pitcher, but nowhere near as cool as your bro.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Yeah, Mills is a great guy….haha, thanks, Shayne’s a good kid
by Huckleberry13 on Mar 3, 2010 2:56 PM EST up reply actions
Hey….Shayne is super nice. He was really kind to our son while here in Rome. I have a lot of pics of him from last season. Drop me an email and I’ll send you a link if you’d like. We are headed to Orlando soon too. Can’t wait! :-)
Shayne really enjoys hanging out and talking with the fans…he had lots of great stories about Rome. I’d love to see those pics for sure!
by Huckleberry13 on Mar 3, 2010 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
Heyward?
Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.
Haha
If only…
Omar Minaya is my hero!
by Scott Coleman on Mar 3, 2010 12:27 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
This reminded me of a story in one of Tim Kurkjian’s books:
Of all the stupid hypothetical questions I like to ask, my favorite is, “How many hits would you get in a hundred at-bats against Randy Johnson?” The answer for me is simple: zero. Any other fifty-year-old who hasn’t played since high school, and thinks it’s higher than zero, has no idea what he’s talking about. Why? Because Johnson would sense my fear, he’d buzz the tower my first time up, and I’d never get back in there, and neither would you. I told this to ESPN’s Dan Patrick on his radio show, explaining that he, too, would get zero hits in a hundred at-bats against Randy Johnson. Patrick is a good athlete, so he disagreed. I told Dan that he would get zero hits in a hundred at-bats against 200-game winner Jamie Moyer, whom I chose only because he’s left-handed (Dan hits right-handed) and is a finesse pitcher who throws 83 mph, and not quite as scary.
“I’d get a hit off Jamie Moyer,” Patrick said.
The next day, Jamie Moyer came on his radio show.
“You would never get a hit off me,” Moyer said.
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
I’d bunt off the unit. Let him hit me, how cool of a scar story would that be?
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
btw
bought your book yesterday…amazon shipping is slow as shit…
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
Still, that’s a pretty sweet dying story.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
yeah
you just wont be around to tell it
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
You know that bird is telling the shit out of his death story.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Mar 3, 2010 9:45 AM EST up reply actions
Could I get a MLB hitter out?
I think this is much more possible. I throw submarine and have a sinking pitch that hovers around 80mph. All my secondary pitches are severely minus, as is my location.
Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.
No. I will say that given some time your average joe could tick a few foul balls off a ML pitcher, but no way in hell is any average joe getting out a ML hitter. Chad Bradford’s submarine sinker is much better than yours and he gets knocked around on the reg.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
I once had a dream that I was called in to pitch to Bobby Abreu since he was a lefty, and I walked him on five pitches. He fouled one of them.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
hahahaha
In your own dreams, you couldnt get him out :)
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
Even in my dreams, I'm realistic
I remember being scared shitless, and amazed that I got him to get even a single strike on a foul off a pitch which was clearly a ball. I was also immediately removed from the game afterward.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
I dunno, I think I could conceivably pitch a scoreless inning. We’ve all seen position players come in to pitch during a blowout and do okay. I remember Chipper hitting in to a DP against some bullpen catcher. Some of my pitches might be crushed but hit right at someone.
Here are Pujols's stats: 1.000/1.000/4.000/5.000. That's right. He is batting a thousand, with a thousand OBP (naturally), and every hit has been a home run, and thus his OPS is a perfect 5.000.
You need to stop drinking.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
I think not
because the scoreless innings usually come in like the 8th of a 12-2 game where its not worth it to put in a pitcher anymore, and by the same token, not worth it to actually get hits anymore, so really anyone could throw a scoreless inning against 3 guys trying at 12%. If they stood in top of the 1st, I doubt you could throw a scoreless inning.
"Batting second and playing shortstop-he's Cuban. Yeah, his name's Pablo...no, eh, Yunel Escobar, sorry"
Even the best hitters only get hits 3% of the time.
I think there’s a higher likelihood of an average Joe getting a ML-hitter out than getting a hit of an ML-pitcher.
Hey, there was that business executive who beat MJ in a game of one-on-one. Sure, they were playing to 3, but still.
I disagree. You have defenders and there is a fair chance he hits it at someone. I don’t doubt that I could get more outs facing 20 ML batters than I would hits in 20 AB’s vs ML pitchers. I think more relevant comparison is how many strikeouts could you get vs how many hits but I put the odds at well below zero.
"Four of us wolves, running around the desert together in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine..."
I've never faced a pro pitcher...
But one of my best friends pitched against Ian Kinsler and Shelly Duncan when they were teammates in high school down here in AZ. I’ve never played with either (both were about 3-5 years before my HS time) but I’ve worked out with both when they come back home in the offseason. Both are real cool guys but neither of them were so kind to my buddy when he pitched lol.
Omar Minaya is my hero!
by Scott Coleman on Mar 3, 2010 12:36 AM EST via mobile reply actions
major league experience...
I faced Edwar Ramirez. He just got DFA’d by NYY
He threw me a total of 4 pitches… struck out swinging on a nasty change-up.
In college, I was bullpen catcher for Chris Perez. I got two hits off of him in a fall practice game.
Not sure if this counts
but I faced Jeff Francis of the Rockies in college. I was asked to lay down a sac bunt. The first attempt wasn’t a bunt so much as it was a reaction and I fouled it back. Got the second try down, but it wasn’t fun (I’m a lefty so it was especially dicey).
He only pitched once through our order, so I didn’t get another AB.
How did you manage that?
Unless you were being sarcastic, in which case, never mind.
by hoboken_wood on Mar 3, 2010 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
yes
stood in twice against david price. pure filth. Took Deunte Heath to the warning track on a night where he was consistently in the mid-upper 90’s.
Also Pedro Alvarez is a career 0-2 off of me on the mound and I struck out Pedro Borbon numerous times.
Never hit against a big league pitcher but I did pitch to Justin Upton at the perfect game showcase. As far as making contact, I’m pretty sure most of us could make contact with a fastball. It’s the slider that we wouldn’t touch.
"Four of us wolves, running around the desert together in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine..."
yes
Jesse Chavez (current Braves RHP), Abe Alvarez (had a cup of tea in the ML with the Red Sox 2004-2006), Jason Rice (A+ Red Sox Prospect) all were on my high school and travel ball team. Abe was the best of the 3, he was a soft throwing lefty with pinpoint location.
In our league we faced Ricky Nolasco (Marlins RHP, pitched at Rialto High) and Tommy Hanson (Braves Ace, pitched at REV). Nolasco was the best of them all, he had everything.. Heat and filthy stuff.
1-2, 2 BB vs. Nolasco
0-2 vs. Hanson
[only built for cuban linx]
That’s funny, I was just talking about Abe the other day, about what a bunch of douche bags ESPN were for making fun of the way he wears his hat, not knowing that he did it because he’s blind in one eye. And about how he makes his autograph look like stick figures.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Yes
In college, we were scrimmaging against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and guess who was pitching?….BRAD CLONTZ. (This was of course after his heyday with the Braves) I was so excited to be hitting off him (I didn’t even know he was on the team). Anyways, first pitch was a fastball down the middle that I looked at in admiration, then I grounded out to first on a changeup. It was the first time I hit off someone w/ his delivery style.
Actually,
I grew up with Macay McBride, so I faced him a few times. I was a freshman when he was a senior, so I came up in intersquad games while he was pitching…and no, I didn’t get a hit.
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