ESPN baseball analyst Orel Hershiser was at Stephen Strasburg’s debut. He has since watched the rookie pitch on TV and the legend is impressed. It takes a lot to impress Hershiser, who spent 17 years in the big leagues and won a Cy Young. Hershiser was an NLCS MVP, ALCS MVP, World Series MVP and a Gold Glove winner. He even won the 1993 Silver Slugger Award as the best hitting pitcher in baseball.
Hershiser was in Omaha covering the College World Series when we spoke over the phone about Strasburg. And he gave me a detailed lesson on both pitching and the rookie phenom:
Hershiser on what Strasburg does well » He is a pitcher with a world-class fastball. He has the command of his fastball, curve and slider — all pitches he can get batters out with anytime he throws them. He spots his pitches well, does not have a set pattern and is quick to learn from his mistakes. He can throw his two- and four-seam fastball to spots where he can strike out a batter in 12 different locations.
Hershiser on things Strasburg will improve on » He needs to know that right now, depending on the team he faces, that up to 50 percent of the lineup simply can’t hit him. So he needs to know those hitters and never try to over pitch, just get in there and dismiss them. … Try to cut at least a pitch per inning off his pitch count. Right now he is on a strict pitch count, so if he wants to go really deep into games and perhaps throw a complete game he needs to know that he has the ability to get a hitter out without striking him out. A well placed fastball on the outside of the plate could get him a weak grounder. A high fastball will get him a popup. Learn to conserve is the real key to his early development. … [Finally], learn to make adjustments. This is something that I think he is able to do right now which puts him ahead of many pitchers. He will face adversity at some time in his career and his ability to adapt will serve him well.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
