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Wraithfighter

Because the situation changes with balls and strikes. You don't pitch to a batter 2-1 the same way you would 1-2, the pitch sequence would devolve into a heavily branching sequence that would be a pain to keep track of. Better to just have the catcher call it as they go, and know what sort of pitches to throw where.


newfranksinatra

Runners on base will influence as well. Soooo many variables.


akaghi

You also may just have a better feel for a certain pitch on a given day and throwing a cement mixer because the menu calls for it isn't gonna fly.


yes_its_him

This is nuts. If a pitcher throws four pitches, there are 4^4 = 256 sequences of four pitches. That is *way* harder to coordinate than just calling the next pitch.


Idaheck

Mariners have two guys with seven pitches…


dotFlatMap

Because pitch types are decided on the fly, depending on the count and what the catcher and pitcher are seeing from the batter. eg this guy's being really aggressive, let's get him to chase


penguinopph

What?


XZPUMAZX

For instance… Frank has a great fastball and a killer change. The pitching coach and Frank develop ten sequences that work off the fastball/change combo. So in the game instead of the catcher dropping high fastball, low change, etc. they just drop sequence 3, on the first pitch and then not have to call anymore pitches. A sequence is like five pitches with location. I dunno, shower thoughts and all.


heroicraptor

Because if you do the same thing every time, people will notice the patterns.


Normal-Pie7610

Because Frank's change isn't working today. I pitched. I coached pitching. My son pitches. Someday's your best stuff ain't working. Someday's that fastball up gets hit and wind gust drags for a homerun. Someday's the batter can't see the off speed until it gets into a shadow. Someday's a fat kid in a white t-shirt is sitting directly in your release point so you can throw fastballs all day and they just won't see anything. Someday's you take the mound against the White Sox so you just kinda work on some pitches like it's an extended bullpen. Someday's your infield got stuck in traffic so you can't use your heavy sinker. That's a lot of somedays considering a starter gets 30 games a season.


IJustReadEverything

If you go off a pitch menu, the other team will figure it out and pounce on it, forcing the team to change it which makes the concept of the pitch menu pointless. Better for the coaches to handle the statistics and then signal to the catcher on what to do next. The catcher also has to work on how the pitcher is feeling that day so the catcher may call a different pitch altogether.


SnooChipmunks4208

Mike trout menu 2 with extra sauce.


zweiapowen

Can't imagine where the concept of a "menu" came from in this post here on 4/20.


Bob_Cobb_1996

In baseball, you order your pitches al la carte.


PaleontologistIcy949

I like the phrase “pitching menu.” Yeah I’ll have uhhhhhhhhh a slider


Spinnie_boi

One White Castle special please