THE ADVENT OF THE CUTTER

BY: DR. JOHN BAGONZI   

Dr. John A. Bagonzi is a former pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization, current director of the Championship Pitching Camp, and author of The Act of Pitching, published by Pitching Professor Publications.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK?

He’s been there a long time and nobody particularly noticed him as a strong personage.  He had various aliases – floater, sailor, drifter, fade away, and slider.  Now he’s more recognizable and being noticed as a visible and vital member of the pitching gang.  His identity is revealed as the CUT-FAST ball or simply the CUTTER.  He masquerades as the slider occasionally but because of the dominant presence of Marian Rivera and the urgency to duplicate the great “Mo’s” choice weapon, he has been intimately revealed and his efficacy and technique refined.  We now have the full-fledged cutter as a prominent member of the gang. He’s there to stay and will make himself visible more often. 

He bears and requires some serious attention.

“REINVENTION OF THE WHEEL”?

Occasionally one hears that there are NO new pitches in baseball.  That is that they have been there right along, but guised under different names such as in-shoot, out-shoot, out-drop, drop, sailor, fadeaway, etc.  These have been replaced by terms like screwgy, slider, tailer, sinker, splitter, and forkball.  Everything is a rehash of pitches of the past supposedly.

However, the refinement is quite exquisite on many pitches and the concomitant excellences associated with some pitches actuates the concept that they are NEW pitches – whereas in most instances they are better pitches not “Reinventions of the Wheel” so to speak.  One of these that my old battery mate – (and we were reversible) Bob Smith (Red Sox, Pittsburgh, Detroit) and I initiated in our early days, at least in our own minds was the cutter, although we called it the ‘sailor.”  Aerodynamically it was identical to today’s cutter, and we were fascinated by what it could do.  Now this was after the “riser.” the “drop.” and the “screwgy” had been experimented with – so there was a rudimentary aerodynamic consciousness already being developed.  This was because two very dedicated, probably obsessed pitching enthusiasts with a hunger for excellence in the world of breaking pitches, were in the serious experimentation mode.

POWER SLIDER OR HYBRID?

A slider thrown very hard becomes a power pitch and a very quick break.  In effect it has high velocity.  It is difficult to maintain a quality to it where it supports both speed and break.  This is where the cutter has its impact.  It essentially exists as a hybrid between a slider and a fastball, an in that respect becomes a “power” pitch with a very late but quick veer.  It is the opposite of a tailing fastball.  It is a “cutting” fastball.  This consciousness toward a fastball is what makes the cutter.  It is a great pitch devoid of arm stress because there is little or no twisting (torque).  The size of the break takes it away from the slider scheme, and its spin brings it closer to the fastball.  The true essence f the cutter is its fastball qualities.

ANATOMY OF THE CUTTER

The cutter must have a lot of backspin like a true fastball, because that’s what gives it its impact.  To over doctor a cutter is to weaken it.  While it may look like a simple pitch, it takes time to refine.  Ideally, the cutter is the complement to a tailing fastball, and in that respect is still a fastball velocity-wise.  To lose much velocity (ex. variation cutter-slider) a bigger break occurs, which is more recognizable earlier (to the hitter).  The slurve-slider is a big break and more in the curve category.  The true cutter is subtle, short and deceptive.  Spin-wise the axis on the cutter RHP) bends to the left a little and the nine o’clock dot comes into view some.  The ball takes a fastball course, and as it approaches the plate it takes on its majesty and veers quickly and suddenly to the glove side of its route.  Great cutters may appear to go up slightly when they take effect.  Of course this is what gives them their splendor (ala Rivera).

GRIPS FOR THE CUTTER

1.      FOUR-SEAM

Horseshoe left for a RHP – four seamer with more of the ball showing to the left, pressure on the middle finger tip and slight supination (thumb slightly to the right) is the best and preferred in my schematic (see photo #1).  However moving the thumb up on the ball (see photo #2) creates an off center action for some, and should be experimented with.  I feel strongly that tight spin is quite necessary for the quickness on the cutter and more obtainable with the 4-seam grip.

2.      TWO-SEAM

However that 2-seam grip which “soups” up a regular fastball frequently can also do the same for a cutter.  It’s likely the break may be bigger, although not necessarily, and the spin perhaps is more visible.  The grips should be experimented with.  Pressure on the middle finger should be varied.  Wrist tilt should be varied.  Thumb position should be changed and different presences with the thumb can be done.

THE SERIOUS POWER CUTTER (ALA RIVERA)

To arrive at the point of Mariano Rivera’s cutter is probably the preferred destiny of all beginning cut-fastballs.  It is unlikely that many or most beginning cutters will arrive at that esteemed point; however, many will achieve a high efficiency and produce a very beneficial addition to the toolkit.

Achieving the velocity and explosive late breaks to define a power cutter that can exist practically on its own is probably an aberration reserved for a few gifted individuals.  That should not deter aspirants who desire to implement a cutter as a very consequential pitch.

 WAYS TO USE THE CUTTER

 These are some ways the cutter can be used:

1.      Complement to the tailing fastball, East-West type of agenda in setting up the batter.

2.      To pitch inside to opposite side hitters.

3.     a)  To jam left hand hitter up and in (for a RHP)
b)  To jam right hand hitters up and in (for a LHP)

4.      Pitch on the outside to get batter to swing at a ball.

5.      One could pitch with only two pitches (A) fastball (B) cutter if they were of high quality and could consistently locate them.

6.      Jam and Jam, then paint and paint.

7.      Deception together with fastball – same arm angle – same delivery – practically the same release and rotation and yet two pitches that move oppositely.

In my opinion an effective cutter has to be involved more in a power dimension (FB) than a breaking dimension.

ARM SPEED ON CUTTER

Arm speed can obviously be generated better with a loose arm – so throwing a cutter with a long arm is preferred.  The arm needs to stretch out daily so that looseness can be maintained.  One needs to stay on “top” of the ball and the body needs to be involved in the throwing of the cutter.  There needs to be a finish, a follow through and balance has to be a key factor.  All these factors need to be emphasized in maintaining arm speed so essential to throwing an effective cutter.  A ¾ + or OH – arm angle surely is the preferred arm slot for the cutter, but this is the preferred arm slot for most effective pitches. Wrist and hand speed are so important on a power fastball and are equally important particularly on a power cutter.

FASTBALL OR BREAKING PITCH?

Less is more in this instance.  The break wants to be little and one must think fastball when releasing.  Its mystique is that it acts at the plate.  Everything happens at about 59 feet.  It’s a vital part of today’s pitching gang.

CONCLUSION ON THE CUTTER

It’s got to be a great pitch because of its deception and relative ease on the arm.