Dirk Hayhurst is a retired major league pitcher, a national MLB correspondent and the author of “The Bullpen Gospels.”
“Baseball is like church,” former major league infielder and manager Leo Durocher once said. “Many attend, few understand.” And pitching is one of the most lionized, misunderstood and mythologized aspects of the game, even among other pitchers — hence those pointless titanium-infused necklaces they’re always wearing. Here are five myths from the mound, dispelled in time for opening day on Sunday.
1. Pitchers feel bad about beaning batters.
2. Umpires are inaccurate.
3. The closer is the most important pitcher in the bullpen.
4. Players want a clean game.
5. Today’s pitchers are babied.