While the hurler can rely on his natural talent, the pitcher must rely on everything else.

That list includes previous pitch location, similarity of release point, what the prior batter saw and what this batter faced last time, where is the umpire standing and what does his strike zone look like today.

It’s the time of day and who’s catching. It’s who’s on base and are they a threat to steal. It’s a glance to see how the infield is set up since it’s more than likely the ball will be put in play. It’s hoping the outfield is in position to track down any fly balls.

It’s pitching inside with a purpose; pitching inside for a strike and pitching inside to move the batter off the plate. It’s pitching to the outside black and then going just a little bit farther out, hoping to fool the batter, the umpire or both in believing the pitch is a strike.

It’s throwing at the batter’s eye level in hopes he pops it up or fouls it back, only to follow with something at his shins, hoping he thinks it’s too low and watches it go by.

All of this is necessary because while pitchers do possess natural talent, they can’t rely on it. And without that reliance, everything else has to go right for consistent success. It may seem like a lot, but as a pitcher I wouldn’t have it any other way…

Unless, of course, I could combine my pitching tactics with natural talent and become a superstar.