Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Amateur Baseball Started In 1958 At The Request Of Our Nation’s Baseball Coaches Vol. 64, No. 9 Friday, May 7, 2021 $4.00 College Baseball’s Ultimate Ironman Bethany’s Chase Lorg So far this season, he has pitched in 11 games with 8 starts for Bethany and has thrown 177, 161, thrown 1,158 pitches while facing 326 156, 141, 127 and 126 batters. pitches in six games. There is no question he is a throwback to a previous generation. By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. According to The C u l t u r a l Editor/Collegiate Baseball Encyclopedia Of Baseball, pitch counts were not utilized for many years in pro INDSBORG, Kan. — Chase Lorg baseball. of Bethany College is without The main factor was how successful question the ironman of college the pitcher was. If his velocity went down L or he was laboring, the pitcher was simply baseball. Few pitchers in the history of college taken out. Common sense ruled the day. baseball, if any, have ever taken on the Sandy Koufax averaged 155 pitches massive workload this man has. per game in one season during the early He has thrown 177, 161, 156, 141, 1960s which was not unusual for that 127 and 126 pitches in six games this era. season which simply doesn’t happen in Washington Senators’ pitcher Tom this day and age of American baseball Cheney threw 228 pitches in a 1963 game when 120 pitches is the maximum that is as he struck out 21 Orioles in a 16-inning recommended for college age pitchers. contest. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound righthander Luis Tiant threw 163 pitches in a has unusual physical endurance to complete game win by the Red Sox over withstand these outings without tearing the Reds in Game 4 of the 1975 World the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow Photo Courtesy Bethany College Sports Information or sustain a shoulder injury. See MASSIVE AMOUNT, Page 2 RHP Chase Lorg of Bethany College has taken on a massive workload. Jim Schwanke Gives Numerous Examples Teams With Great Hitter Discipline Can Beat Elite Pitchers Creating highly at the highest level. Creating a going to make 10 to 15 mistakes sense of discipline throughout a game and throw another 20 disciplined hitters is a lineup is one of the secrets of to 30 pitches a game when the a secret to winning championship teams. hitter is ahead in the count. championships. First, hitters must have an As a team, the hitters would attack plan to beat the pitcher like to have some scouting By JIM SCHWANKE rather than worrying about what information about the opposing Special To Collegiate Baseball the pitcher is going to do to pitcher. them. Next, the coach must show For example, let us assume OUSTON, Tex. — On patience and understanding the lineup is going to face a opening day of the that developing disciplined starting pitcher with a dominant 1999 Division Series, hitters is the best way to beat curveball. Of those 40 breakers, H the talented pitchers you face in how many would be “called” I watched the Houston Astros defeat the decade’s best pitcher, championship contests. strikes? Greg Maddux, 6-1. Finally, a coach must have Great curveball pitchers The Astros took the four-time an understanding of his own rarely throw more than 60% Cy Young Award winner deep players’ capabilities and the strikes with their breaking pitch into counts repeatedly, drawing flexibility to change his team’s including swings. In this case, four walks and 10 hits. Maddux attack when the opponent or an assume 20 are in the zone and left after seven innings and 110 umpire negates his disciplined 20 bounce in the dirt or miss pitches. approach. the zone, roughly 50% called In 1997, the Florida Marlins As a ball club, hitters must strikes. Of the 20 called strikes, beat Maddux during their have an understanding of what 10 will be “hangers” and 10 are championship run, drawing an they are trying to do. Citing going to be tough pitches on the unheard of number of free passes major league examples like corner. by forcing the right-hander to those above reinforces the idea That means this pitcher with throw extra pitches. The 1998 of “getting a good pitch” to hit. the great curve is only going to New York Yankees saw more Discuss pitch counts, 150 or throw 10 pitches that will be pitches than any other team more a game, strike percentages really tough to hit. enroute to their World Series of fastballs and curveballs, As a disciplined team, the title. and soon players will begin to curveball becomes less of a These are major league understand that even the best factor because this guy is only examples of hitter discipline pitchers are not invincible. going to throw 10 of 100 pitches helping teams beat an elite Even Cy Young Award Great hitters destroy pitches they are waiting for in games. pitcher and win championships winners and All-Americans are See STUDYING, Page 3 Inside Collegiate Baseball Web Site: www.baseballnews.com Unbelievable Comeback Win Red-Hot Hitting Luis Vargas NCAA’s 1-Time Transfer Rule Georgia St. scores 9 runs in 9th, Wayland Baptist slugger leads Be prepared for some craziness including grand slam, to pull off NAIA in 11 offensive categories, if this rule is finalized in late miraculous 15-13 victory/Page 8 including homers (24)/Page 14 April by NCAA Board/Page 4 Page 2 Collegiate Baseball Friday, May 7, 2021 Massive Amount Of Pitches Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Thrown By Bethany’s Lorg Amateur Baseball Continued From Page 1 to give my arm a rest. My coaches are concerned for me and at times Series. use me as a DH instead of putting Collegiate Baseball (ISSN 0530-9751) is published twice a month In 1987, there were 106 me out in rightfield so I don’t have January-May and once in June, July, September and October performances where a pitcher to make long throws after I have (14 total issues) by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Inc., 2515 pitched. N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705. Periodicals postage paid at threw at least 140 pitches in a Major Tucson, AZ. League game. Eight years later in “When our season started, I 1995, that total was only 36. The have stuck to a routine with a post- protocol by the late 1990s was 120 game workouts that has helped me Postmaster: Send address changes to: pitches as the limit to keep pitchers recover fairly quickly even after Collegiate Baseball throwing over 150 pitches in a P.O. Box 50566 healthy. Tucson, AZ 85703 If you think these numbers by game. starting professional pitchers years “The best part of this is that Overnight Mail: 2515 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 ago are excessive, the Japanese my coaches trust me. I am very really push the envelope when it transparent and honest with them Past Publishers: Abe Chanin, Lou Pavlovich, Sr. comes to high pitch counts. about how my arms feels during Single 1-Year Subscription Rate: $28 for 14 issues. In a story by Jeff Passan of games and after. If I am not throwing Single 1-Year First Class U.S. Subscription: $45 Yahoo Sports several years ago, with the precision I want, we will Single 1-Year Foreign Air Mail Subscription: $50 he discussed Japan’s national high cut it off. But most of the time this Special Team Subscriptions: 11 papers each issue sent to one school baseball tournament which Photo By Jim Turner season, I have felt great.” address — $110 (save $198 off the single subscription price), and 21 papers each issue sent to one address — $189 (save $399). CHASE LORG It was pointed out to Lorg that takes place twice a year. During a Other Multiple Subscription Offers: Please inquire with sub- spring championship several years old. That guy could do it all. He he threw 161 pitches against York scription department at (520) 623-4530. ago, a young 16-year-old boy wasn’t afraid to throw 190 pitches (NE) over 8 1/3 innings with 15 named Tomohiro Anraku of Saibi and then extend himself in his next strikeouts. Then nine days later, High School threw 772 pitches over outing after recovering properly. he threw 177 more pitches against Directory 46 innings in five days. “There is nothing wrong with Friends (KS) as he went 11 2/3 He started the tournament with following the mentality of Nolan innings with 18 strikeouts. Area Code (520) a 94 mph fastball and threw 232 Ryan as I have done with my He mowed down 33 batters over Publisher: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530) pitches over 13 innings in his first workload and mindset during 20 innings during those back-to- Editor: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530 to report stories) contest. games. I carry this everywhere I back outings and compiled 338 Advertising Director: Diane Pavlovich (Call 623-4530) Then he threw 159, 138, 134 and go. I learned a long time ago that if pitches. Subscription Department: (Call 623-4530) 109 pitches in succeeding games. In you work hard at pitching, you will “The most amount of pitches Fax Machine: (Call 624-5501) [email protected] be rewarded. I have ever thrown was 177 over E-Mail: his last game, not surprisingly, he Web Site: www.baseballnews.com could barely muster enough arm “Nolan Ryan believed that once 11 2/3 innings against Friends strength to throw fastballs 80 mph you got good at pitching that you University this season.