Smoltz's Success Due to Helpful "Tip"

Sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, John Smoltz, received a helpful "tip" from his teammates and coaching staff once he reached St. Louis in the middle of August, after struggling and being released by the Red Sox.

Pitching Coach, Dave Duncan, makes all of his starting pitchers watch each other while they throw their bullpen sessions, hoping the more eyes watching the pitcher, the better chance of finding something only one pair of eyes could catch. His everyone-watch mentality was key in helping Smoltz figure out what was holding him back from his old form.

The group of starters picked up on something very minor that Smoltz was doing which allowed hitters to gain an advantage: seeing what grip Smoltz had on the ball which allowed them to know what pitch was coming.

After beginning his windup, Smoltz would raise his glove over his head, rock back, and as he rocked back with the ball in his hand, he would move the glove slightly back which exposed the grip on the ball.

Although the tip was very faint, hitters pick up on the smallest details of a pitchers delivery and make them pay the consequences.

Duncan worked on Smoltz's windup to doctor the dilemma. Results were immediate as Smoltz took the mound against the Padres, bulldozing an already anemic offense. The remainder of his outings have been strong for the most part, exemplifying the presence of Dave Duncan.

It's evident why Duncan is such a highly touted commodity and noted as one of the best pitching coaches, if not the best, in all of baseball. His success is a testament of the meticulous mentality he possesses.

Sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, John Smoltz, received a helpful "tip" from his teammates and coaching staff once he reached St. Louis in the middle of August, after struggling and being released by the Red Sox.

Pitching Coach, Dave Duncan, makes all of his starting pitchers watch each other while they throw their bullpen sessions, hoping the more eyes watching the pitcher, the better chance of finding something only one pair of eyes could catch. His everyone-watch mentality was key in helping Smoltz figure out what was holding him back from the form he was once at.

The group of starters picked up on something very minor that Smoltz was doing which allowed hitters to gain an advantage: seeing what grip Smoltz had on the ball which allowed them to know what pitch was coming.

After beginning his windup, Smoltz would raise his glove over his head, rock back, and as he rocked back with the ball in his hand, he would move the glove slightly back which exposed the grip on the ball.

Although the tip was very faint, hitters pick up on the smallest details of a pitchers delivery and make them pay the consequences.

Duncan worked on Smoltz's windup to doctor the dilemma. Results were immediate as Smoltz took the mound against the Padres, bulldozing an already anemic offense. The remainder of his outings have been strong for the most part, exemplifying the presence of Dave Duncan.

It's evident why Duncan is such a highly touted commodity and noted as one of the best pitching coaches, if not the best, in all of baseball. His success is a testament of the meticulous mentality he possesses.