Fans and statisticians classify pitchers in two ways: according to when they enter the baseball game and what their role is, and by their pitching style. A pitcher's ability and talents generally dictates whether his manager uses him to start a game or to close it. Most pitchers also have a style of throwing and a certain type of pitch that is their favorite, and they can become known for using it and using well.
Starting Pitchers
A starter is the pitcher who begins the game. To record a "win," the starter must generally pitch five innings. His team must be leading when another pitcher comes in to relieve him and it must maintain the lead to win for a starting pitcher to be statistically considered the winning pitcher of a game. According to a column in "The New York Times" by Stephen J. Dubner, very few starters remain in the ball game through the entire nine innings. Starting pitchers usually only play every four days or so because the stress on their arms, throwing through five to six innings, can be tremendous, and they need to rest it for a period before throwing again.
Relief Pitchers
Teams have several relief pitchers, collectively called the bullpen. When a starting pitcher is having a bad time of it, giving up a lot of hits because his arm is getting tired, or maybe because the other team is starting to figure out how to consistently hit his pitches, the manager will pull him from the game and replace him with a pitcher from the bullpen. These pitchers are usually good for a few innings. Because they throw less pitches in a game than a starter, they usually don't need to rest their arms for as long after playing in a game. A closer is a type of relief pitcher who comes in at the very end of a game, usually to replace another relief pitcher who has taken over for the starter. A closer generally pitches an inning or just a few outs to hold onto a win.
Pitching Style
All pitchers, whether they are starters, relief pitchers or closers, have a certain style. Some pitchers throw very hard and fast. Others rely more on finesse. Because they usually throw less pitches per game and their arms don't get as tired, relievers and closers tend to be known as power pitchers. Many starters are finesse pitchers who rely less on the speed of the ball to strike out opposing players than on intricate types of pitches that are difficult for the batter to connect with. Starters who throw hard and fast usually do not stay in the game as long before being relieved as finesse pitchers do.
Expertise
Finally, there are the pitches themselves and a player's proclivity for throwing one more than others. Fans will identify him by a pitch he has perfected and excels at. For instance, power pitchers will throw a lot of fastballs, a hard pitch thrown directly across the plate with as much speed as possible. A fastball pitcher might be particularly adept at throwing sinkers or sliders, both of which approach the plate at high speed, but break from a straight path as they reach home plate. Finesse pitchers might be known for their knuckleballs, pitches hurled by the fingernails or knuckles which move in such a way that hitters can't accurately predict what they're going to do next or how they'll reach the plate.
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