Update on my pitching

Here are some interesting stats on my pitching. It is hard to say I have pitched well with an ERA above 7.00. But, it might not be as grim as it looks and here is why.

I have appeared in 15 games thus far (incidentally this is the most in the IBL.) Of those 15 appearances I have started 4 games and relieved in 11.

Batting average against me in those 11 relief appearances is .172
Batting average against me in my last 5 relief appearance .074
Batting average against me in my 4 starts is .355

Below is a chart demonstrating the gap between my relief and starting appearances as well as the improvement over the season.



Also interesting is my success against the mighty Blue Sox line up. I have pitched six innings against the Blue Sox and have given up only one hit and no runs. On the other hand, my pitching against Raanana, not a strong hitting team, has been terrible.



So what does it all mean? Well it demonstrates that so much of pitching is psychological. I never know when I am coming in to relieve. I am told to go warm up and I come in when I get the call. The second half of the season I have literally been lights out relieving no matter who I have faced. Starting is a whole different animal. I know a few days ahead of time that I will be starting and I do a lot of research on the hitters and develop a plan for the batters. I spend the days before a start thinking pretty much incessantly about the upcoming game. It turns out that this doesn’t work for me. Perhaps I over think and get to fine with my plan for each batter, perhaps the buildup gets me too tense. I am not sure, but I am starting Wednesday’s game and will be taking a different tact. I will only pitch the first three innings so I can be available for the playoffs. By the way, don’t count the Pioneers out, we might go all the way.

I also spent most of the season reworking my whole approach (mechanical as well as philosophical) to pitching. In the process I walked too many hitters and before I knew it I could not find my way back. Finally, with the exception of one bad outing where my arm muscles kept cramping up (deltoid and bicep of throwing arm, weird)I have solved that problem during second half of the season.

So I have shown lately that I have the “stuff” to be successful in this league, I just have to learn how to manage my approach to starting and leave the first half of the season walkathon in the past.

Winding Down

The season is winding down. By this time next week the first IBL season will be in the books and most of the players will be on planes heading home. Yesterday at the game I was trying to take in as much as I can knowing that soon it will just be a memory. Tomorrow is our last scheduled game at Gezer. I love that place. I say this as a romantic, a lover of baseball and of Israel.

As a pitcher…it has to be one of the least friendly parks ever created. A rough field where bounces take balls in many unpredictable directions, a non uniform slope upwards towards the outfield fences that are 280 feet down right field line and 316 to left. Gezer is the land where many routine fly balls have become homeruns. There is more but I think you get the picture.

But I will miss baseball here. The fans are enthusiastic, the field is situated among sunflower fields and rolling hills. I was talking to Ron Blomberg before a game at Gezer and he looked at the hills in the outfield and said “these are the hills of King Solomon.” Games usually end around twilight to beautiful sunsets. Some of my favorite moments this summer are going into the seats after a game to sign autographs for excited kids while watching the sun set. It is the field of dreams, it is perfect.


Twilight at Gezer


Homerun Derby at Gezer


Autographs at Gezer








You can see many great IBL pictures here

IBL Observations

Errors

The first two weeks of the season (June 24th – July 6th) there was an average of 1.98 errors per team per game. The second two weeks there was an average of 1.16 errors per team per game. This is staggering improvement in a very short time. The reason? We had no spring training, never played with our teammates and had some jitters. I looked up what the average errors per game are for an A level minor league team in the states and found that the average Southern Atlantic League team commits 1.33 errors per game (nine innings) this year. Considering that the field conditions are superior in the states the error rate in the IBL is in range for what was expected for the caliber of play. Why did I do this bit of analysis? Well I noticed that the sloppy play both in terms of physical errors and mental errors has diminished greatly and I wanted to confirm and quantify my hunch.

The next step would be to check the error rates at each venue and see if playing at the various fields, which are vastly different in quality, effects the error rates. Analysis for another day.


Diverse Talent

Coming into the season I assumed the Dominican players would dominate the IBL. There were approximately 170 players, all with professional experience invited to the tryouts in the Dominican Republic. Over a two day period 16-18 of the players trying out were signed. Some of the players were top prospects in the US pro leagues and had there careers stymied because of visa issues not performance issues. These include Maximo Nelson of the Yankees clocked at the IBL All Star game throwing 96MPH and my teammate Abel Moreno who was the number 3 prospect in the Angels organization and whose change up was considered tops in the Angels system. He also throws in the low 90’s. Juan Feliciano another Dominican pitcher played last year in the Japanese Major League and has an impressive repertoire of pitches including a 93 mph fastball. Then there is Julio Guerrero, Vladimir’s brother, whose pedigree alone can make a pitcher shutter. I could go on but I hope you see why most assumed the Dominicans would lead the league in just about everything.

This is not what happened. Looking at the league leaders what jumps out at me is diversity. Below is a list of the top 10 batting and pitching leaders with there associated nationalities.



I am impressed with the Australians. I did not realize that there is high quality baseball coming from there. Currently there are over 80 players in the USA minor leagues hailing from Australia and at least three major leaguers.

As expected, the group that is struggling are the Israeli’s. Approximately 12% of the players came from the amateur Israeli league and the goal is to expose them to a higher caliber of baseball in order to elevate the knowledge and play in Israel.



BB’s and K’s

One thing I find puzzling is the high rate of walks being issued. The league is averaging 5.9 walks per 9 innings. The pitchers in the IBL could not have survived in their previous playing experiences with such an astronomical walk rate. So what happened to them?

Some can be attributed to the Israeli pitchers who lack the experience of their league mates. But even without the Israeli pitching, the rate is still far more than I would have expected. Take for example Abel Moreno, he issued just 54 bases on balls in 272 innings in the minor leagues for the Anaheim Angels. In the IBL he has issued 21 walks in the 27 innings he has pitched. A couple weeks ago we were sitting in the dugout together and he started venting about his struggles. He did not understand why his command has suffered.

I too have had severe issues with control. For me though, it is clear why. First I had a lack of confidence in my stuff so was scared to put anything over the plate. Then my approach to pitching was completely altered through some discussion with my manager and pitching coach. The reworking of my pitching was a flop that cost my team and myself a high price paid in bases on balls. After the All Star break I changed back to my original pitching style but with some added insights and so far it has worked beautifully. I imagine my experience is not unique and that other pitchers have struggled with confidence and reworking of mechanics.

There is another possible reason. The hitters are not that comfortable. A couple weeks ago an umpire told me he has never seen so many pitches being taken. When batters are taking marginal pitches there will be more walks issued. On the flip side, if this is true there should be an abnormally high rate of strikeouts as well. Turns out there are, there are 8 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched in the IBL. So why are batters taking so many pitches?

Update

Desperatley Needed Win
The Friday game ended in a 1-1 tie. Games that end in a tie in the IBL are determined via home run derby. This idea is hard for me to accept but it is exciting for the fans and I was pretty tense myself. During the game we had five hits, three came from Ryan Crotin. Then he helped us win in Home Run derby to earn our second victory. It was great to get another desperately needed win. The picture below show’s our elation.



Painful Loss
Sunday’s game was brutal. It impacted me more than any game thus far, it was devastating. It was a seesaw battle throughout the game. The game only went six innings because the umps called the game due to darkness. There are no lights at this new field and games start at five pm. So if play is prolonged there is a chance for a game to be called on account of darkness.

In the bottom of the sixth and final inning we were down 8-7 and we proceeded to load the bases with no outs. Now I am almost positive we have at least a tie game as it is very rare to get out of that type of situation unscathed…but it gets worse. They switch pitchers and the new pitcher proceeds to throw three consecutive balls. So now we have bases loaded, no outs and a 3-0 count. At this point I am willing to wager a substantial sum that we will win this game. It is too painful for me to recount the specifics that follow. It is enough to say that we joined the very rare company of teams that were not able to score a run in the situation.

The loss was extra tough on me because I was the losing pitcher. I am trying to adapt to a revamped style of pitching that Kenny is encouraging me to employ. I don’t trust the approach and ended up walking four guys in just over three innings and as often happens the walks came back to haunt the team. Without going into the details of how my style is being changed the essence is that I threw nothing but fastballs and my groundball to flyball ratio was 7-1. Batters went 2-12 off me which is good, I just have to trust the style of pitching and not try to be so fine, the walks are a killer.

It is hard to lose game by one run but when you lose the game due to errors, bonehead plays and walks it really hurts. As an example, the fourth inning Netanya run comes to mind. With runners on first and second a ground ball is hit to the second baseman. He picks it up and throws to the shortstop covering second base. The runner who was on second notices the short stop not paying attention and runs home. Kenny was not happy and the Short Stop was benched on the next game. The run should never have scored but I am equally to blame as the runner initially got on base via a walk that I issued.


Pitching on Sunday


Big Win
Last nights game was beautiful! For some reason it all came together for us. Our hitters that usually struggle hit well. Alper pitched a shut out and it felt good to cruise through a game for a change. Baseball is a crazy game! Ryan Crotin and Ben Dashevsky our two consistant hitter go 0-6 while the rest of our line up, who combined is batting around 150, goes 10-21, go figure. So we have won two of our last three games and tonight we have Abel on the mound against the hot hitting Miracle.


Israeli National Anthem


Fans at Gezer


Out at Home


Discussion with Kenny

Status update

Pioneer update
We are eight games into the season and have only one victory. I don’t like losing. We are a below average hitting team. For us to win consistently we will need to stay away from mistakes and pitch well. We have made too many physical and mental errors and it has cost us. Ken Holtzman hit a breaking point this week, kicking the fence, throwing his hat down and cussing up a storm. Losing when we play well is tough but giving games away by playing poorly is unbearable. The good news is things are getting better.



Personal update
As for my personal performance thus far, it too is getting better. I have pitched in three games. My first outing was a disaster. Adrenaline and nerves got the best of me and I ended up walking five guys in two innings resulting in three runs. The good news from that outing was that I hurt myself, the opposing hitters did not hurt me. I came in doubting I had the stuff to compete with the hitters but it turns out that I do. I just have to pitch and not throw. Yesterday I came in to the game in the sixth inning to face a lefty. There was a man on third and two outs. I struck the batter out with a nasty slider. Today I faced the undefeated Blue Sox. I pitched two innings and went through there line up effortlessly, they did not get a hit. Thanks to some tips from Kenny and me executing on pitches they did not hit the ball out of the infield.



Today's Schedule
Today will be a busy day. It is 7:00 AM and after writing this blog entry I will stretch and do a mild workout. Then I will eat breakfast and get some physiotherapy on my arm by our trainer at Kfar Hayarok, the compound housing the players. I would love to get a massage today but will not have time. I have a meeting with one of our players who has some team issues he needs wants to discuss with me. Then I am driving to downtown Tel Aviv to pick up Kenny Holtzman at his hotel and bring him to Kfar Hayorok to work with some of our pitchers. By the time I get back from driving Kenny back to his hotel I will have to start preparing for tonight’s game. Tonight we play Raanana, like the Pioneers they are struggling; we have to win this game.

Victory

We won our first game on Friday 5-0. Abel Moreno threw a gem. It was a much needed boost after losing our first three games. We made some changes that I believe will help us win consistantly going forward.


Our top hitter Ryan Crotin about to hit a double down the line


Out at the plate


Our second baseman Willis Bumphus


Kenny and I


Celebrating our first victory

Play Ball!

So much has happened since I have arrived in Israel one week ago. I have been busy and preoccupied so have not posted any blog entries. Hopefully, I will post what has been happening soon.

Tonight is our second game and I am slated to pitch. Below are some pictures from opening night with comments.


Opening Day pregame ceremonies



The Hebrew on the sign includes the Israeli version of "If there is a will there is a way"


Fans down the first base line


My nephew Yishai, Mom, My sister Iyrit, My neice Renana with her fiance and my brother Hudi


Concession stand, the t shirt says "WOW! Baseball comes to Israel!"


Ex Yankee and manager of the Blue Sox, Ron Blomberg, being interviewed


Abel Moreno on the mound. Abel was the number three prospect in the Angels organization until visa problems kept him out of the USA. He struggled in his first outing for the Pioneers but will no doubt be a force on the mound for us throughout the season.


The Pioneers watching the first inning of pro ball ever played in Israel


Kenny Holtzman and I watching the game and discussing strategy


Kenny, dealing with our opening day loss

In Israel Paralell Worlds Converge

In 1972 I was 11 years old and lived in Israel. There was no baseball in Israel back then but I would take my glove and a tennis ball and throw endlessly against a stone wall in front of our house. I would pretend to be a Major Leaguer pitcher and the erratic bounces off the uneven wall were hits that I fielded. In those days the Jerusalem Post would publish the Major League standings once a week, delayed a couple days of course. I would go out early in the morning to beat my Dad to the newspaper which was delivered to our front stairs. I would glance at the standings outside and then bring him the paper. I loved baseball.

In 1972 Ken Holtzman was an elite Major League pitcher. He won nineteen games for the Oakland A’s that year and helped his team win the World Series by pitching them to victories in game one and four against the Cincinnati Reds. Kenny did not know me then but we were connected. I was a southpaw like Kenny, Jewish like Kenny and loved baseball like Kenny.


In 1972 the Olympics were held in Munich Germany. It was a big event in Israel, it was on TV and in my youthful naiveté I thought the Israeli athletes were sure to bring home some gold. When the Palestinian terror faction, Black September, shot dead two members of Israel’s Olympic team and took nine other team members hostage, I was heart-broken. Watching the masked terrorists on TV hour after hour and feeling the tension the adults around me were enduring, was disconcerting and haunting. Somehow I just felt that the athletes would be OK, they would survive. I was on the couch about 10 feet away from my mother when she answered the phone, suddenly she burst into tears, my world stood still, she sobbed, "they murdered all of the athletes." That moment sucked the naiveté of my youth from my core and replaced it with a gut punch whose impact will stick with me the rest of my life.


Back in the USA, upon hearing the news of the massacre Kenny and his Jewish teammate Mike Epstein walked around town for hours in shock. That day Kenny was scheduled to pitch against the second place White Sox. In an act that Kenny described as “the appropriate thing to do” he walked to the mound that day wearing a black arm band to honor and mourn the murdered Israeli’s. He wore it for all nine innings that he pitched and he beat the White Sox 9-1.

Kenny and I lived in parallel worlds. Worlds that were deeply connected yet were never to connect. In an unlikely twist the creation of the IBL altered the paths of our lives. On Monday Kenny will be leaving Missouri and I New Hampshire. We will journey thousands of miles away from our homes and converge at a another home that we share. Home plate in the Jewish Home land.

Pitching Wisdom from the Masters

My only day off is the day I pitch.
--- 7 time Cy Young Award Winner Roger Clemens


The wildest pitch is not necessarily the one that goes back to the screen. It can also be the one that goes right down the middle.
--- Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax


I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.
--- Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax


I can be successful pitching away because I keep the ball down and keep them honest inside.
--- 2 time Cy Young Award Winner Tom Glavine


Hit the catchers target with 2 or 3 different speeds and the rest will take care of itself.
--- Hall of Famer Robin Roberts advice to Ken Holtzman



If I tried to throw harder than I could, the ball went slower than it normally would.
--- 3 time Cy Young Award Winner Tom Seaver


If you make a mistake inside it’s a single if you make a mistake inside it’s a homerun.
---- Hall of Famer Bob Gibson



Our idea is simple: command the fastball and change speeds
--- Leo Mazzone, Major League Pitching Coach and in my opinion, one of the best.


If my curveball is breaking and I’m throwing it where I want, the batter is irrelevant.
--- Cy Young Award Winner Steve Stone


Once I am on the mound pitching becomes all about confidence.
--- 7 time Cy Young Award Winner Roger Clemens


Everybody talks about Schilling’s arm and great control, but nobody prepares for a start like he does. He studies the opposition’s hitters like he is preparing for a test.
--- Red Sox Manager Terry Francona


Only three or four outs directly affect the outcome of the game.
--- 3 time Cy Young Award Winner Tom Seaver



Your supposed to win when you have all your pitches working for you. You haven’t become a good pitcher until you can win when you don’t have anything.
--- Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax


Never the same pitch twice, never the same place twice, never the same speed twice.
--- 1951 All Star, 1953 ERA leader and winner of 5 world Series Eddie Lopat


Show me a guy who can't pitch inside and I'll show you a loser.
--- Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax



When they're in a jam, a lot of pitchers...try to throw harder. Me, I try to locate better.
--- 4 time Cy young Award Winner Greg Maddux


The fastball is the best pitch in baseball. It's like having five pitches, if you move it around.
--- 3 time All Star Luis Tiant



“Keep the ball down and your hopes up!”
--- 2 no hitters, 2 All Star Games and 5 World Series rings, Pioneer Manager Ken Holtzman

Major League Confession

I have something to tell you that you probably can’t relate to. I hope you don’t judge me too harshly.

I guess I have what people would call a mistress. We get together often during the summer months and then she leaves. Oddly, there is no prohibition against this in Jewish law. In my defense Julie knows about it. She is not always happy about our relationship but generally speaking she understands the love I have for my mistress. It is a passion that is hard to describe but it is so sensual, complete and magical. I am telling you this as a warning. She will be leaving shortly as the weather gets cool. She hates the cold. When she leaves I often get depressed for a while.

I am sure you have met her. Her name is baseball. My depression usually leaves when football arrives. I love football too. I guess I am a hopeless romantic philanderer.

Be well, Ari

I wrote the above paragraphs as an email to my manager and friend in 1999. I was the creative director in a technology consulting firm and had a large workload and felt he needed to be warned of my impending dip in spirits. I also knew he would get a chuckle. My wife, Julie, saved this email unbeknownst to me and presented it to me a few days ago.