by Scott Emerson, Pitching Coach, Athletics
Imagine putting monster tires on a little truck, lifting it and doing nothing else. It might look impressive, but underneath, it’s riddled with problems: the handling is off, the suspension struggles, and the brakes are inadequate. Eventually, the truck breaks down because it wasn’t built to handle the changes. The same is true for pitchers when we focus on one flashy attribute like – velocity – without addressing the entire foundation of their development.
What happens to the pitcher?
- Higher Center of Gravity equals Fragile Mechanics
- Like the truck’s higher center of gravity making, it prone to rollovers, focusing solely op velocity creates a pitcher who might dominate briefly but becomes unstable under presser over time
- Without balance and stability, delivery and demand suffer
- Handling and Control Issues
- Just as larger tires can reduce a truck’s steering control, a pitcher without proper mechanical refinement struggles with location and consistency
- A hard throw who can’t command the strike zone is a liability
- Strain on the System
- A truck’s suspension and drivetrain are like a pitcher’s arm and body
- When we ask them to perform at high velocities without building strength, mobility, we are asking for trouble, injuries, reduced longevity, and inconsistent performance
- Reduced Braking Performance
- A truck with monster tires needs upgraded brakes, just as a pitcher throwing harder needs proper deceleration patterns
- Without training to absorb force (safely braking), pitchers risk arm injuries like elbow and shoulder strains
- Fuel Economy Decline
- Inefficiency in the truck mirrors inefficiency in pitching mechanics
- If a pitcher throws hard but leaks energy through poor mechanics or lacks a repeatable delivery, they waste effort and eventually wear out
- Potential for Breakdown
- Without proper adjustments, the truck breaks down
- A pitcher without a solid foundation – mobility, strength, mechanics, and metal resilience – faces a similar fate: injury, burnout, or underperformance
Coaching Takeaways
- As coaches we must focus on building the whole pitcher, not just lifting “velocity,” or adding a new pitch to avoid the lift “truck syndrome”:
- Develop the foundation: teach pitchers efficient, repeatable mechanics that optimize their unique abilities
- Upgrade the whole system – build strength, mobility, and durability in sync with mechanical training to handle the increased demands of velocity and performance
- Don’t skip the small things – just as a lift trunk needs reinforced breaks and gears, a pitcher needs to refine deceleration, command, and mental preparation
- A pitcher, like a truck, is only as good as the sum of its parts
- When we make changes, we need to upgrade the whole system
- Flash without substance is unsustainable
- The goal should be to create sustainable, long-term success
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Scott Emerson has over 30 years in professional baseball starting as a pitcher in the Orioles and Red Sox organizations and progressing through the minor leagues as a pitching coach before becoming the A’s bull pen coach (2015) and A’s pitching coach (2017). Marty Demerritt was Scott’s first pitching coordinator as a coach in professional baseball (Pirates). Marty had over 50 years in professional baseball as minor league pitcher, minor league pitching coach for the Pirates, Brewers, Giants, Marlins, Cubs, and Ray, and Major League pitching coach for the Giants (1989) and Cubs (1999). Sadly, Marty passed away on January 11, 2025.