How to Brush a Batter of the Plate

When a batter is crowding the plate he makes things difficult for the pitcher. The batter eliminates some of the strike zone as well as makes it easier for him to get a base hit. Sometimes a pitcher may need to move that batter back into the box a little bit.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Wait for the sign from your catcher before throwing a brush back pitch. You want to surprise a batter with a high and inside fastball but not your catcher. Develop a sign with your catcher for a brush back pitch. It may also be necessary for you to come up with a way to inform a catcher when you want to brush the batter off the plate.
2. Brush the batter off the plate early in the count or if you're up on the batter. Falling behind on the batter 1-0 due to brushing him off the plate isn't too big a deal. Neither is going 2-2 on the batter in order to brush him ff the plate. Remember that the point of a brush back pitch is to give you, the pitcher, an advantage. Going 3-1, for example, is hardly an advantage.
3. Keep your windup and pitching motion normal when throwing a brush back pitch. The last thing you want to do is overthrow or miss the mark. Hitting the batter will cost you a base and overthrowing could cause you to throw the ball either over the plate or even outside, thus failing to brush the batter back off the plate.
4. Aim your brush back pitch at about the letters of the batter and in between the plate and the inside line of the batters box. Once again, you don't want to hit the batter but you do want to send a message. In order to achieve this kind of accuracy you may need to practice your aim. Just like with any pitch, practice makes perfect when throwing a brush back pitch.
5. Throw a moderate fastball as your brush back pitch. A breaking ball will most likely not be intimidating enough to brush the batter off the plate. A straight ball near his body, though, will send a clear message to the hitter. You don't want to throw a 96 mph fastball at a hitter; well, you may want to but it's probably not a good idea.
6. Prepare for retaliation after you've thrown a brush back pitch. Chances are that a hitter will not be happy after being brushed back off the plate. If you have a history with this particular batter, he may even decide to charge the mound.