Chief Bender Quotes

Getting my curveball back and finding another pitch just helped me figure out how to pitch.

If I can execute pitches and keep the ball out of the middle of the plate, I know I can have success.

The big thing will be having two pitches you can throw for strikes and developing a change-up, too.

The reason I think I'm a good pitcher is I locate my fastball and I change speeds. Period. That's what you do to pitch. That's what pitchers have to do to win games.

If you talk to any pitcher, consistency is the most important thing.

I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.

I'm not executing my pitches. I'm not commanding my fastball, and I get behind in the count. When I try to throw strikes, I'm getting hurt. That's not the way I pitch.

My pitching philosophy is simple - keep the ball way from the bat.

I was short with my fastball and breaking ball.

Sandy Koufax is a great teacher. He just talks about competitiveness and being aggressive - about stride length, power, how to spin the breaking ball. The way he explains pitching is simple, which is something you don't see a lot.

That's why it's so important to have that gap between your fastball and off-speed pitches: then, when you effectively locate your fastball, it plays at a higher velocity.

You continue to try to hammer out fastball command the best you can.

I only know one way to pitch. I really do.

I never knew how to throw a fastball, never learned how to throw a curveball, a slider, split-finger, whatever they're throwing nowadays. I was a one-pitch pitcher.

I threw a good fastball and changeup, but a below-average curveball.

I've always been fastball-curveball and really relied on that pitch, and when it goes away, it just totally changes how you attack hitters.

Within the changing room, everyone has always known I'm best when I pitch the ball up and get a little bit of movement.

I know my fastball command will get even better.

That's when I'm at my best. When I can throw a fastball over in the count, just throw strikes both in and away, it just sets up all my stuff.

Any time first time out, you just want to make sure you can get hitters out again.

In my bullpen sessions, I'm just trying to feel comfortable, throw strikes, and not get too complicated.

There's more to pitching than just striking guys out, but also it is a big reason why you can have success.

I want to throw a faster fastball. I want a sharper curve. I want to improve all my pitches.

Because I have so much life on my pitches, I can get away with getting too much of the plate every now and then.

Give me 10 high school pitchers, let me spend a week with them, and I'll show you 10 pitchers who won't balk. It's not that difficult, and they better learn it.