Pitching is a complicated task in baseball. Many pitchers would like to dominate a game with an overpowering fastball like Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax or Nolan Ryan. However, pitchers rarely have those kind of gifts. The most consistent and effective pitchers have great control, command and a game plan when they take the mound so they know how to attack the hitter.
Overpowering Velocity
When a pitcher with great velocity takes the mound, he has an immediate advantage. When the hitter steps in the batter's box, he must prove he can catch up to the fastball and make solid contact. In many cases he cannot. However, if the pitcher fails to demonstrate enough control of his pitch, it doesn't matter if the batter can catch up to it. An overpowering pitcher who lacks control will either miss the strike zone or put the ball right over the middle where the hitter has the best chance of making solid contact.
Control Pitcher
A pitcher with excellent control does not put the ball over the middle of the plate. Instead, the pitcher throws a variety of pitches -- fastball, slider, curveball and change-up -- over the corners of the plate. Some of those pitches will appear to be going over the middle of the plate and then dart inside or outside, high or low. That's what makes hitting difficult. A pitcher with good control will own the strike zone and make the batter swing at the difficult pitch and not offer many pitches over the heart of the strike zone.
Command
Command of the strike zone is what separates great pitchers from good ones and good ones from average pitchers. When a pitcher has command, he has studied hitters and understands what pitches they are expecting in specific situations. A top-level pitcher has sufficient command of his pitching arsenal to throw a variety of pitches throughout the game with effectiveness so the batter is confused and does not see the pitch he expects in specific situations. The velocity of the pitch doesn't matter because the batter is looking for one pitch in a specific location and the pitcher throws a different pitch at a different location.
Control Pitchers
Greg Maddux was a star pitcher primarily for the Cubs and Braves during his career. He never topped 92 mph on the radar gun, yet he had a 355-227 career record and regularly confounded hitters with his off-speed pitches. Whitey Ford was a dominant pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and '60s even though he did not have an overpowering fastball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame with a 236-106 record for a .690 winning percentage. Jamie Moyer was still an active pitcher in the major leagues at the start of the 2011 season at the age of 47 because of his command and control. His fastball barely reaches 84 mph on the radar gun, but his ability to hit the corners helps him strike hitters out.
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