We are all witnesses, but few actually see. In fact, we exist in a state of making others see what we want and describe it as such. Every pitcher worth mentioning is a magician, using optical illusions to fool the batter into believing something while the opposite is en route.

Like any good magician, we work tirelessly on our craft. We work to make our movements effortless and unnoticeable, knotting away a knuckle or readjusting a finger nail for more movement.

Anything to take what is known and turn it into the unknown.

What is known is what batters have previously done and it’s all available. What they’ve done against us in the past, what they’ve done in the past week, the past month. What they’ve done against a specific type of pitch.

The breakdown of the results can take away from the humanity of the game, turning human beings into numbers and then wondering why they don’t match up or divide evenly.

Whether founded by analytics or old-fashioned notes from the past, we take all this information and form a plan. We plot out what we will throw, when it will work best and what the alternative to that will be.

No one ever plots out a path to allowing six runs in two and a third innings. We all are planning for success, planning to pitch our best and dominate.

We’re all planning to turn perception into reality.

To predict the future and have a plan of attack ready, as if we’d already determined what the previous outcome was that led to this moment.

And when it’s done correctly, it’s nothing but magic.