Author: Neal Heaton
Neal’s Knowledge: The Season is Over–Now What?
(Editor’s Note: Neal Heaton is our Pitching Analyst. He spent 12 seasons in the Major Leagues as a LHP for several teams. He was named to the National League All-Star Team in 1990 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 MLB Draft out of Sachem HS. He opted to attend college at the University of Miami, where he set several program records and was named to their H...
Neal’s Knowledge: What is the Best Arm Angle for a Pitcher?
No two pitchers are exactly alike. A major reason for this is because everyone has a slightly different release point. For that reason, certain pitches will be more effective for pitchers. I’ll go over the three most common types of release points, as well as which pitches work best for pitcher’s that employ those arm slots and then you can choose which one is best for you… High 3/4 (AP Photo/Ted ...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Control the Running Game
I had the pleasure of playing for Jim Leyland for three years. Sitting next to him was like going to Harvard for 12 years and studying baseball. I learned a lot from him and he taught me if you don’t hold guys on properly you will run yourself right out of the game. It is very important for pitchers to keep the running game in check and there’s several ways to do it. I will break it down for lefti...
Neal’s Knowledge: How To Approach a Start on Three Days Rest
I will start off by saying it is the coach’s responsibility to take care of a pitcher’s arm. No kid in their right mind will tell the coach they don’t want the ball in a big game–especially not a team’s ace in a playoff game. Assuming the pitcher is healthy and he is asked to take the ball on three days rest, as opposed to the usual four or five, it is now the pitcher...
Neal Heaton: Who Are the Top 3 Arms in the Class of 2017?
I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of great pitchers over the years. The group of arms in the 2017 class gives them all a run for their money. Here are my top three based on what I’ve seen. Brian Morrell (Shoreham-Wading River, Notre Dame-commit) The thing I like about Brian Morrell is he pounds the strike zone. Electric arm and his curveball is flat-out nasty–it’s...
Neal’s Knowledge: What is ‘Pitching Backwards’ and Why Should You Do It?
If hitting is timing, then pitching is disrupting timing. There is no better way to do that than to be unpredictable as a pitcher. Hitters are taught to look for fastballs in particular counts–0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2. They sit back and look for a pitcher’s fastball. If they have any doubt what type of pitch is coming–they lose a little bit of confidence. That can be just eno...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Control the Running Game
I had the pleasure of playing for Jim Leyland for three years. Sitting next to him was like going to Harvard for 12 years and studying baseball. I learned a lot from him and he taught me if you don’t hold guys on properly you will run yourself right out of the game. It is very important for pitchers to keep the running game in check and there’s several ways to do it. I will break it do...
What Is the Proper Way to Warm Up Prior to a Start?
It’s no secret that arms are getting injured at an alarmingly high rate. With that being the case, why wouldn’t you do everything you can to prevent an injury? It starts with warming up properly before a start. Here’s a rundown of what I did before my starts and it’s something that helped me avoid any arm injuries through out my career. A pitcher should be taking a light jo...
Neal’s Knowledge: Should You Be High 3/4, Low 3/4 or Submarine?
No two pitchers are exactly alike. A major reason for this is because everyone has a slightly different release point. For that reason, certain pitches will be more effective for pitchers. I’ll go over the three most common types of release points, as well as which pitches work best for pitcher’s that employ those arm slots and then you can choose which one is best for you… High ...
Neal’s Knowledge: What Should a January Throwing Program Consist Of?
A pitcher should be treated like a race horse–carefully groomed and you cannot accelerate that process. When a pitcher picks up the ball for the first time in January, they haven’t pitched off a mound for over two months. I tell my pitchers before I see them on the mound they should have done a bit of long-tossing. You should not be going from inactivity to a mound. I took a lot of pre...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Approach The Recruiting Process
One of the things people always ask me is–“how did you get noticed by the University of Miami?” Well, things are very, very different than they were in 1978. First off, the school only recruited from the list of the top 25 or so players in the country and I was fortunate enough to have had a good enough junior year that I was on their list and they found me. For the average Long ...
