Sky Sox work on art of pitching inside

Mark Redman was a confident rookie eight years ago with the Minnesota Twins. He'd always been successful, through five minor-league seasons and while posting a 27-5 record in his last two years at Oklahoma.

Redman had earned all-tournament honors while leading the Sooners to the 1994 College World Series title.

But, to his surprise, he still didn't really know how to pitch.

"I had never pitched inside," said Redman, who was recalled by the Colorado Rockies from the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Thursday. "I learned my rookie year of pro ball with the Twins. My manager, Tom Kelly, told my catcher if I ever shook off an inside fastball that I was going to be shipped out."

Redman, who had been with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox since May 13, was recalled by Colorado on Thursday and started for the Rockies.

The Sky Sox begin a three-game homestand against Las Vegas today, although the opener is sold out. Fireworks will follow the first two games.

Despite the loss of Redman, the Sky Sox have played better lately, thanks in part to three players named Thursday to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team: starters Joe Koshansky and Seth Smith, and reserve Christian Colonel.

All three played Division I college baseball, where pitchers find it even tougher to work inside to hitters wielding aluminum bats.

"It's obviously easier to take advantage of the hitter inside when he has a wooden bat," said Sky Sox pitcher Sean Smith. "With aluminum, he can still get a jam-shot single instead of a broken bat."

It's human nature to pitch away from a hitter's strength, which is usually the inside half of the plate. Redman said a pair of Hall of Fame teammates changed his thinking.

"I sat and talked with Kirby Puckett and Paul Molitor when I was a rookie," Redman said. "They were the veterans and I learned how they didn't like inside fastballs and really don't like it when you double up. And especially from a soft-tossing left-hander."

Redman "doubled up" to start his most recent Sky Sox home game, throwing the first two pitches inside. He tied up the hitter and got an easy out.

"You have to be able to pitch inside, especially early in the game," said Sky Sox pitching coach Chuck Kniffin. "Starters have to establish the inside part of the plate, partly so relievers can stay away. Relievers don't want to get beat coming inside late in the game."

Sky Sox catcher Edwin Bellorin said he can see when to bust hitters inside.

"Hitters cheat a lot and lean out over the plate, looking for a pitch away," Bellorin said. "It's 100 percent important for me to make my guy come inside then."

Sky Sox manager Tom Runnells said he constantly reminds pitchers to throw inside.

"Not to hit anybody but to back guys off the plate," Runnells said. "It enables you to throw the pitches you want on the outside part of the plate. That's even more important for guys who don't throw as hard."

Tom Glavine, a soft-throwing southpaw, started coming inside more often a few years ago.

"You have to pitch east-west and north-south, move it around," Redman said. "But umpires aren't giving those three to four inches outside like (Greg) Maddux and Glavine got in the ‘90s. Now Glavine even throws his change-up inside."

Reading the hitter and keeping him off-balance is a big part of pitching, Sean Smith said.

"Sometimes I'm throwing in to get guys out when I've been working them away," Smith said. "Other times I throw inside to set up going away. After you stand a guy up, low and away seems a little bit farther away."

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