Im a huge advocate of pitching. You have to have good pitching as the solid core, the foundation. It keeps you in every game.
Tom SeaverTake a look at all of them: Marichal, Jenkins, Spahn - what do you think made them successful? They conditioned their arms by pitching more, not less, starting from when they signed their first contract.
Tom SeaverI would like to be a great artist. I would quit pitching if I could paint like Monet or Rousseau. But I cant. What I can do is pitch, and I can do that very well.
Tom SeaverSome pitchers want to be known as the fastest throwers that ever lived. Some want to win 30 games in one season. Some want to pitch a no-hitter. All I want to do is the best I can, day after day. In other words, I want to prove I am the best.
Tom SeaverOnce a year, I take my whole wine team down to see the Giants, and we meet the players. Ive never seen anyone pitch like Lincecum that can throw the ball and get through the front leg. He has that stiff front leg.
Tom SeaverThe artful pitcher must take the inevitable peaks and valleys of pitching in stride and never give in to the batters or lose sight of his/her own strengths.
Tom SeaverMy pitch count as a general rule was 135. And I knew how many pitches I had when I went to the mound for the last three innings.
Tom SeaverIt's (baseball) on the radio and in the newspapers every day, the only game you can follow on that basis. From whatever arm's length you choose, it's always there.
Tom SeaverIn baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted; if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end.
Tom SeaverThe concentration and dedication- the intangibles are the deciding factors between who won and who lost.
Tom SeaverThese kids today, they want to be men, they want to be foxhole guys, but they’re not being allowed to do that. Imagine if these computer geeks who are running baseball now were allowed to run a war? They’d be telling our soldiers: ‘That’s enough. You’ve fired too many bullets from your rifle this week!’
Tom SeaverOnly three or four outs directly affect the outcome of any given game...One of the greatest challenges of pitching is to recognize these critical situations and rise to the occasion with consistency and a competitive spirit.
Tom SeaverA good professional athlete must have the love of a little boy. And the good players feel the kind of love for the game that they did when they were Little Leaguers.
Tom SeaverPitching is what you have best on the day you work, and if you cant get your fastball over the plate, then maybe you can win with your curve.
Tom Seaver