What Do Starting Pitchers Do on Their ‘Off’ Days, Anyway?

Ivan Nova was the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Tuesday night. Wednesday, he’ll mostly be "a cheerleader."

Such is the life of a starting pitcher. Day of the week? Doesn’t matter. The city they’re in? They might not even play there. It’s all about what day it is in the five-day cycle. There’s the day they pitch and then everything else in a calendar that never has a weekend.

So what exactly do they do those other four days? Well, it depends a lot on the player. Much like a windup or a change-up grip, a five-day starting routine can very a lot from pitcher to pitcher.

Much like other aspects of pitching, they can also be handed down from generation to generation. Nova learned his coming…