How Would You Build The Perfect MLB Pitcher?

[ToightLikeATiger]

Had a very good discussion about pitching in today's MLB at work. We got to thinking if possible what pitches would we take from pitchers across the majors and build a pitcher. We went with the standard 4 pitches for a starter.

I came up with.

Pitch #1 Josh Beckett's Fastball
PItch #2 Roy Halladay's Curveball
Pitch #3 Brandon Webb's Sinker
PItch #4 Johan Santana's Changeup


What would you guys take for pitchers pitches to build the perfect pitcher? I might now have explained this correctly but hopefully my example got the point across.

[NotoriousVesaToskala]

MIke Mussina's strike zone
Chien-Ming Wang's good luck
Johan Santana's change-up
Roy Halladay's curveball
Justin Verlander's fastball

[unccyankeesfan]

Jake Peavy has the nastiest curveball
Greg Maddux's strike zone (come on, he won 349 games with his accuracy)
Santana's change up is a gimme
I agree with Webb's sinker
If we're doing current players abilities I take Joba's fastball, if we can use current players past ability I take Pedro's fastball in his prime
And while I'm being greedy give me Wakefield's knuckleball

[Team Rocket]

Kerry Wood's Fastball and Slurve when he first came up + Tom Glavine's career health = Best Pitcher of All Time

[wibubba]

How to build the perfect MLB pitcher?

Take an above average NFL quarterback and remove his brain. There ya go! One pitcher.

[ToightLikeATiger]

if we can use current players past ability I take Pedro's fastball in his prime

Pedro's changeup was his best pitch during his most dominating time. Of course the 95mph fastball helped but that changeup was just sick with its movement.

[Team Rocket]

How to build the perfect MLB pitcher?

Take an above average NFL quarterback and remove his brain. There ya go! One pitcher.

Are you implying it takes more thinking to throw a football than pitch in the major leagues? If so, uhm, no.

[wibubba]

Ummm...yeah. It takes a LOT more to throw a football than a baseball.

[matt nolan]

HOPEFULLY I ALREADY DID
HES ONLY 4 THOUGH..
HEE HEE HEE
MATT

[Team Rocket]

Ummm...yeah. It takes a LOT more to throw a football than a baseball.

Not even close.

[ComradeFlyer]

Pitch #1 Josh Beckett's Fastball
PItch #2 Roy Halladay's Curveball
Pitch #3 Brandon Webb's Sinker
PItch #4 Johan Santana's Changeup

I like this, but add Mustache #1 Rollie Fingers

[Elias_Devil]

Not even close.

I guess you've never had to read a defense.

[ComradeFlyer]

I guess you've never had to read a defense.

not talking about being in a game... but the act of thorwing a football is not a difficult as the act of thowing a baseball. i can get a good spiral and some distance on a football, but having a variety of pitches on a baseball is much different.

[Tanner2126]

Zumayas fastball
Marianos Cutter
Wangs Sinker
Santanas Curve

[theman52]

Randy Johnson's Slider from about 8 years ago/Bonderman's now if I have to go with current pitcher
Chamberlain's Fastball
Santana's Changeup
Webb's Sinker
Maddux's (pitching) ability
Glavine's durability
Kenny Rogers/Verlander's Pickoff move (depending on what hand the pitcher is)
Kenny Rogers fielding

That would be one heck of a pitcher.

[Team Rocket]

I guess you've never had to read a defense.

I guess you've never had to read a hitter.

not talking about being in a game... but the act of thorwing a football is not a difficult as the act of thowing a baseball. i can get a good spiral and some distance on a football, but having a variety of pitches on a baseball is much different.

Completely agree pitching is physically harder than throwing a football as well.

[wibubba]

Who CAN'T throw a baseball? It's easy. Swing arm back, throw it forward, let go. Done. Putting a football on the correct spot at the correct moment is far more difficult. Ask TheFavre in the NFC Championship game this year.

[Donnellk13]

Who CAN'T throw a baseball? It's easy. Swing arm back, throw it forward, let go. Done. Putting a football on the correct spot at the correct moment is far more difficult. Ask TheFavre in the NFC Championship game this year.

Ok well now try throwing a baseball with spin on it so it curves into the strike zone.... not so easy now is it

[RipkenFan8]

How to build the perfect MLB pitcher?

Take an above average NFL quarterback and remove his brain. There ya go! One pitcher.



So NFL QB's are smarter than MLB Pitchers??

I would rather have Mike Mussina do my taxes than Vince Young

Young probably can't even spell "tax"

[madden821]

Felix Hernandez in 3 years. That will be my perfect pitcher.

[RipkenFan8]

Felix Hernandez in 3 years. That will be my perfect pitcher.


Or Erik Bedard if he ever gets healthy ;)

[EDBSIP]

Joel Zumaya's fastball
Roy Halladay's curveball
Francisco Rodriguez's slider
Brandon Webb's sinker
Mariano Rivera's cutter
Johan Santana's changeup

[Donnellk13]

Joel Zumaya's fastball
Roy Halladay's curveball
Francisco Rodriguez's slider
Brandon Webb's sinker
Mariano Rivera's cutter
Johan Santana's changeup

most catchers only have 5 fingers lol :p

[deogg]

Okay, since nobody has given the smartaleck answer yet:
Don't forget to add Roger Clemens' steroids

[Team Rocket]

Who CAN'T throw a baseball? It's easy. Swing arm back, throw it forward, let go. Done. Putting a football on the correct spot at the correct moment is far more difficult. Ask TheFavre in the NFC Championship game this year.

you're kidding right, if a pitcher misses by a foot, its a homerun, if a qb misses by a foot its a good throw

[Metros69]

4-seam Fastball - Justin Verlander
2-seam Fastball - Jake Peavy
Slider - Francisco Rodriguez
Changeup - Cole Hamels
Cutter - Mariano Rivera

With the wind-up of Dontrelle Willis, the intensity of Papelbon, the control of Greg Maddux, and the pickoff move of Andy Pettitte.

[Relacson]

Who CAN'T throw a baseball? It's easy. Swing arm back, throw it forward, let go. Done. Putting a football on the correct spot at the correct moment is far more difficult. Ask TheFavre in the NFC Championship game this year.

Ever watched people try to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game. I have very rarely seen people get it to the catcher, let alone with some accuracy.

[Hardcore Legend]

I guess you've never had to read a defense.

You've never seen a baseball team get penalized for simple arithmetic: Too many men on the field.

[Hardcore Legend]

They already built the perfect MLB pitchers. From the rightside, Bob Gibson. From the leftside, Sandy Koufax.

[Green-eye Glow]

this thread is ******ed because the people posting don't even know what kind of pitches certain pitchers throw

watch, someone's gonna write "mariano rivera's curveball and johan santana's knuckler"

[NotoriousVesaToskala]

Tim Wakefield's fastball

[Donnellk13]

Tim Wakefield's changeup because his fastball is a fast as most changeups

fixed

[otter05]

Tim Lincecum :D

[J3-M8]

Roger Clemens' dating regimen

[dallasstars06]

Who CAN'T throw a baseball? It's easy. Swing arm back, throw it forward, let go. Done. Putting a football on the correct spot at the correct moment is far more difficult. Ask TheFavre in the NFC Championship game this year.

Wow.. just wow. You are a complete idiot. I really didn't think it could get any worse than your failure to construct a sentence in one of the NHL threads. You proved me wrong. A Gold Star for you.

[Elias_Devil]

Verlander fastball
Wakefield knuck
Rivera cutter
Santana change up

[Waudodat4]

Just put Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax together. That's all you need!

[Xar]

How can no one say Tim Wakefield's Knuckleball?????

[Xar]

Verlander fastball
Wakefield knuck
Rivera cutter
Santana change up

THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUU

Note : Im not a Wakefield fan, but he has the best knuckleball I have grown up seeing.

:D

[Elias_Devil]

THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUU

Note : Im not a Wakefield fan, but he has the best knuckleball I have grown up seeing.

:D

I just think it would be interesting to see a batter's reaction to it after seeing a 100MPH fastball. :D

[SmartassBoiler]

You guys are over-thinking this. If you build a pitcher with more than 3 plus pitches, you're giving him too much to think about. If you have 3 A-graded pitches, you're going to be the elite pitcher. No current pitcher has an arsenal like that. That being said:

Fastball: Felix Hernandez
Curveball: Ben Sheets
Changeup: John Santana

I'll happily avoid a slider as it causes the most damage to a pitcher's arm. If you combine that arsenal with the ability to spot your pitches like Greg Maddux, you'd have one amazing pitcher.

[brewer fan]

Curveball: Ben Sheets

.

Best curveball in baseball....now if he can only stay healthy for a whole season.

[tvp2003]

Rick Vaughn's fastball.

Done and done.