▁pitch ers ▁or ▁as ▁pitch ers ▁who ▁exhib it ▁the ▁t endencies ▁of ▁both ▁ground ▁ball ▁and ▁fly ▁ball ▁pitch ers . ▁Gr ound ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁rely ▁on ▁pitch es ▁that ▁are ▁low ▁in ▁the ▁strike ▁zone ▁with ▁substantial ▁down ward ▁movement , ▁such ▁as ▁split ters ▁and ▁sink er ▁balls . ▁ ▁Baseball ▁anal yst s ▁and ▁sab erm etr icians ▁Tom ▁T ango , ▁Mitch el ▁L icht man , ▁and ▁Andrew ▁Dol ph in ▁agree ▁that ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁are ▁generally ▁better ▁pitch ers ▁than ▁those ▁with ▁fly ▁ball ▁t endencies . ▁Meanwhile , ▁baseball ▁writer ▁and ▁anal yst ▁Bill ▁James ▁arg ues ▁the ▁opposite ▁because ▁of ▁injury ▁patterns ▁among ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers . ▁ ▁Batt ed ▁ball ▁t endencies ▁Again st ▁a ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er , ▁bat ters ▁tend ▁to ▁ground ▁out ▁rather ▁than ▁fly ▁out . ▁A ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er ’ s ▁ability ▁to ▁keep ▁balls ▁in ▁the ▁in field ▁in ▁turn ▁keeps ▁balls ▁from ▁resulting ▁in ▁home ▁runs ▁which , ▁according ▁to ▁Hard ball ▁Times ▁writer ▁David ▁G ass ko , ▁is ▁the ▁strong est ▁benefit ▁of ▁a ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er . ▁When ▁a ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch er ▁does ▁allow ▁a ▁pitch ▁to ▁be ▁bat ▁into ▁the ▁air , ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁line ▁drive . ▁ ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁fly ▁ball ▁pitch ers , ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁generally ▁allow ▁fewer ▁extra ▁base ▁hits ▁yet ▁more ▁total ▁hits . ▁Like wise , ▁ground ▁ball ▁pitch ers ▁tend