Welcome to Stall Mode

In case you haven't noticed in most ballgames, pitch counts seem to dictate how far a pitcher will go. Usually for a healthy pitcher without a limit, 100 seems to be the magic number. Before a pitcher reaches that point, a manager must be prepared so he dials line one (the bullpen phone) and gets that guy warmed up. This tends to happen when a pitcher usually hits 90 pitches.

That isn't always the case. If a pitcher is cruising, it might not happen. If the pitcher is cruising and then gives up a hit or two, almost on cue the pitching coach will come out to discuss things. It's at about this point, the reliever warms up quicker as the team has gone into full-blown stall mode. They are trying to buy more time for the next reliever and following the mound conference, if the pitcher gives up another hit, the manager will come out and slowly make the change, further stalling for time.

So the next time you happen to go to a game, pay close attention to when the pitcher hits the magic number of 90 and you will be witnessing "Stall Mode".