Does Wallace actually do anything for this club?

[Evil Yoda]

Because I almost never see him out to calm pitchers down. Maybe every ten games? I think they need better pitching and hitting coaches.

[Deleted]

That sort of thing is typically the catcher's job, and a good catcher typically won't go to the mound unless he senses that the pitcher is completely out of rhythm. Oftentimes those mound visits only serve to disrupt a pitcher even more. They also tend to state the obvious. "Don't give this guy anything good to hit." (No, I thought it might be better to put one right in his wheel house.) "You've got to throw more strikes." (Really? Do you think I'm doing this on purpose?)

When Earl Weaver was managing the Orioles, neither he nor his pitching coaches made a habit of going to the mound. One of Earl's more memorable visits was when Ross Grimsley had pitched himself into a bases-loaded jam. "If you know how to cheat, now would be a good time to start," The Earl advised his pitcher.

Another mound visit tale involved Billy Martin and Ron Guidry in spring training. Guidry, who was initially being groomed as the Yankee closer, was having a terrible spring, surrendering walks and loud hits in rapid succession. When Martin reached the mound, he gestured toward the opposing team's dugout and told Guidry, "If there's anyone over there you think you can get out, tell me and I'll let you pitch to him." Guidry, of course, would eventually go on to post one of the greatest single seasons ever for a pitcher during his Cy Young year of 1978.

It's the manager who decides whether or not to either, a) send out the pitching coach, or b) visit the mound himself. A good manager generally will only go the mound if he senses that the starter is tiring and he wants to buy some time for the bullpen. Otherwise, it's often a complete waste of time. The pitcher knows he's screwing up; he doesn't need the manager or pitching coach to come out there and remind him.