So, I got this idea in my head about Cutter Crawford a while back. Watched him pitch a couple of times and thought, there’s something interesting there. Not flashy like some guys, but effective. I figured, maybe I could pick up a thing or two just by watching closely, you know, for my own messing around or maybe just to understand the game better.
My Little Project
I started recording his starts. Yeah, sitting there with the remote, pausing, rewinding, trying to see his grip on the ball, how he released it. Real nerdy stuff, I know. I even tried to mimic his motion a bit out in the backyard. Felt pretty foolish, honestly. Just picture a grown man trying to copy a pro pitcher’s windup with a tennis ball.
- Watched game footage. Lots of it.
- Tried slow-motion replay analysis (just using my TV’s basic functions).
- Took some notes on pitch selection in certain counts.
- Attempted (badly) to copy his arm slot in the yard.
Reality Check
Well, let me tell you, it looked way easier on TV. First off, you can’t really see the grip most of the time from the broadcast angles. Second, trying to copy that motion? Forget about it. My shoulder felt weird after like, five minutes. It’s one thing to watch, another thing entirely to do. These guys are built different, seriously.
It kinda reminded me of that time I decided I could totally rebuild the carburetor on my old lawnmower using just a YouTube video. Seemed simple enough watching some guy do it. An hour later, I had parts spread all over the garage floor, grease everywhere, and the mower was definitely worse off than when I started. Had to sheepishly take the whole box of parts to the repair shop. Some things just take real skill and practice, stuff you can’t get from just watching.
Shifting Focus
Anyway, back to Crawford. After realizing I wasn’t going to suddenly develop a big-league cutter by mimicking him in my backyard, I changed my approach. Stopped trying to be him and just focused on watching him.
What did he throw in 0-2 counts? How did he handle runners on base? Did his mechanics change late in the game? Stuff like that. It became less about copying and more about appreciating the strategy. It’s more mental than you think. Seeing how he sequenced pitches, how he tried to upset the hitter’s timing.
What I Learned (Sort Of)
So, what did I actually get out of this whole thing? Well, my pitching didn’t magically improve, shocker. My shoulder stopped hurting, though, once I quit the imitation attempts. But I definitely watch pitchers differently now. I notice the small things more. The setups, the sequences, the adjustments.
It was just a little personal project, something to focus on. Didn’t change the world, didn’t make me a better player. But it was interesting, you know? Just digging into something specific for a bit. It’s kinda satisfying, even if you don’t really achieve the original, probably dumb, goal you set out with. You just learn something.
