When To Pull Your Pitcher (According To Earl Weaver)

1. Pay attention to foul balls. When a pitcher gets in a good groove, the hitters will usually foul his deliveries straight back. There'll be plenty of foul tips. But if the hitters start making solid contact and belting the ball down the lines, watch out: they're catching up with the guy on the mound. 

2. Watch the catcher. Sometimes the catcher will give a knowing glance to the manager in the dugout, letting him know that the pitcher is not throwing as well as he has been. 

3. See if the pitcher continues to take the same amount of time between deliveries. If he starts taking longer pauses as the game progresses, it's probably a sign that he's tired. 

4. Beware of leadoff walks. If the pitcher has a three run lead in the eighth inning and walks the first hitter on four straight pitches, it is probably an indication that he's tired. Every pitcher knows that this is the worst time to issue a walk. Therefore, he did it because of fatigue or a flaw in his motion. 

5. Watch the guys low in the order, the hitters who usually hit the ball weakly or slap it to the opposite field. If they start pulling the ball, it's a sign of trouble. 

6. Watch where the pitches are going when they miss the strike zone. If a sinkerball pitcher like Tommy John is wild high, odds are that he is not destined to spend a lot of time on the mound. But if he is wild low, there is probably little reason for concern. 

7. Watch the pitcher's delivery. If it seems out of sync or if the pitcher appears to be falling down during his follow-through, there is probably something wrong. Jim Palmer has one of the most fluid motions the game has ever seen. If he should appear awkward, you know something is wrong.