"The plea has echoed in Charlie Morton's ears from the first time he stepped on a Little League field. It is a two-word demand that is familiar to every pitcher. "If you're on the mound, you hear it: 'Throw strikes,' " Morton said. "Ever since I was 7 years old, I've heard my parents and the fans yell, 'Throw strikes.' " Morton rolled his eyes and sighed. "I mean ... you already know that." Throw strikes? If only it was that simple. As a pitcher gets older and his level of competition increases, command also changes. Throw strikes, yes, but now he must throw first-pitch strikes. And the more often the better. An average major league pitching staff will get an 0-1 count 59 percent of the time. Last season, the Pirates did it at a 58 percent clip. If the Pirates had nudged their rate up just two percentage points, they would have matched the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, two fine pitching staffs. But pitching coach Ray Searage is aiming even higher." Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_728264.html
