Chapman Hits 100 MPH: What Does It All Mean?
by Slyde on Mar 8, 2010 7:55 PM EST
in Spring Training
Email
PrintThe blogosphere and the twitterverse are all abuzz right now with the news that rookie sensation Aroldis Chapman hit 100 MPH on some radar guns at Goodyear Ballpark this afternoon. I don't believe we've seen that kind of heat in Cincinnati since Officer Dibble was patrolling the mound. And I'm almost certain we've never seen a left-hander throw that hard in the Queen City.
It's a rarity indeed. How rare? In 2009, according to the pitch f/x data compiled at Joe Lefkowitz's Pitch F/X tool, only 2 pitches thrown by a left-hander reached 99 miles per hour, both by Bobby Seay on July 10, in the same at bat against Asdrubal Cabrera. That's it. No other left-hander reached even 99 MPH, and Chapman is rumored to have reached 100 MPH a couple of times, with one scout claiming he saw 102 MPH. That's ridonkulous!
According to pitch f/x, there were 263 pitches of 100 MPH or more in the big leagues in '09 with Joel Zumaya throwing the fastest recorded pitch of 102.7 (the lunatic fringe), which he did twice. Zumaya had the most recorded pitches of 100 MPH or more at 138. Next on the list was Jonathan Broxton at 37 such pitches, with sixteen pitchers overall reaching triple-digits at least once on the gun.
Chapman is in rare company. And that company becomes even more rare when you consider that the only starters to do the deed last year were Justin Verlander, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Bobby Parnell. Who knows if Chapman can do the same when he's not pitching just two innings, but 'tis a rare thing to have a starter that can pump that sort of gas.
Does it mean anything besides the impressive number? Well, not if he can't control it. By all accounts, he has had much better control that was expected at this point, so that's a good thing. You have to imagine that he feels an enormous amount of pressure with all of the attention he has received so far, so it's good that he's been able to impress. Then again, expectations were high when he came in and they seem to get higher every time he touches a baseball. As Homer Bailey can attest, the stress of being a savior can be quite a burden for a youngster to bear.
I still think that Chapman should start the season in the minors, regardless of how good he looks the rest of the way. There are still going to be adjustments that need to be made and it doesn't hurt to have a few starts under his belt against some easier competition. The real key at this point is to keep getting him acclimated to the U.S. and to professional baseball and for the Reds to keep him healthy. Clearly the talent is there, but forcing it out before it is ready may delay it from fully blossoming or worse yet ruin it all together.
153 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
"Chapman Hits 100 MPH: What Does It All Mean?"
It means I have a hard time walking around is what it means.
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
Sabathia didn't hit 100?
Who else am I thinking of but forgetting? Burnett or Felix maybe?
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
according to pitch fx
Sabathia hit 98 once. Jon Lester hit 98 four times. David Price hit 98 six times. Matt Thornton is apparently the hardest throwing lefty. He hit 98 fourteen times. Bobby Seay only hit 98 twice (both pitches were over 99). I’m guessing his 99 MPH pitches were pitch fx errors.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
I forgot about Price
Can Strasburg (or however you spell it) hit 100 mph?
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
yep
he’s a righty though.
Neftali Feliz also hit 100 several times last season, but he didn’t start any games in the big leagues. Chapman is not alone in being a badass, but he’s definitely in rarefied air.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
I cannot believe this guy is on the Reds.
100 MPH lefty. Able to locate his pitches… I just can’t get past the fact that we never see guys like this in a Reds uni.
RR: Proud home of the most mods in SBNation.
ssssshhhhhhhh, they'll hear you
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
From Tony Fossas (minor league pitching coach and Chapman translator)
“He’s very bright, very smart and he already brought pretty solid mechanics,” Fossas said. “He’s a work-a-holic and, with the technology and video room we have here — he’s never seen himself before — he’s only going to get better.”
So much for attitude issues…
He’s almost too good to be true. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Oh my god, he's gonna be gay
Or would you prefer queer?
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
I'd prefer Salam Hayek.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 8, 2010 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
Salma.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 8, 2010 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
aSalma Lakum?
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
No better than if he were Salma Hayek.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 8, 2010 11:56 PM EST up reply actions
I recall reading
How this bitter-pill Cuban writer kept telling us about Chapman’s shortcomings.
Somebody seems to be wrong.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
It's only been a few weeks here
I’m excited as anyone, but how he handles his first shellackings will be very important.
The writer you mention did mention maturity issues, but it was couched more as “why hasn’t this guy improved.” Chapman might’ve simply needed a change in scenery and coaching.
by ken on Mar 8, 2010 9:44 PM EST up reply actions
yabbit
He was also down on Chapman, per se, saying he wasn’t one of the top guys on the Cuban team, etc etc. Seemed to me like the writer (I can look up his name, sorry) was chewing on bitter root because the guy left for Andorra.
It was kind of like the Reds got screwed, according to him, but it was about maturity.
Like, it takes a real man to stay in Cuba. Only kids bolt for the money.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
his comments were published on RR
I find him insightful. I just got the sense that he was a little beefed that Chapman defected, as opposed to saying he hoped the kid would succeed.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
agreed
It’s way too early to claim anyone’s wrong or right about Chapman. If he did have maturity issues, I doubt they’d have surfaced so soon. I’m sure he’s on his best behavior, and if he wasn’t, they wouldn’t be announcing it to the press.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
maturity is a strange thing
Give a 22-year-old guy a lot of money, his own Porsche and life in the fast lane in downtown Zebulon, and hey … ya kneffer nose.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
Is that what I have to look forward to?
Oh boy!
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
by crolfer on Mar 8, 2010 10:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Are you a strong-armed lefty?
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
No...
Can they at least give me an Infinity or something?
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
Chevy still makes a Citation
Mostly they give them out to guys who have a nice pick-off move.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
I have a pretty sick move for a righty...
At least I did- haven’t pitched in a couple years. :P
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
well, we will send you to Zebulon
the fast lane is up next to the tarpaper shacks.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
Are you speedy and havoc-y?
I hear they give Citations for stealing.
by the finest muffins on Mar 8, 2010 10:14 PM EST up reply actions
Base stealing, sacrifices, flashy defense... that's me.
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
ah ... crolfer
… guys don’t get Porsches for that sort of stuff.
Try for the scaled back Hyundai SUV, maybe with the rack on top.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
That doesn't sound so bad.
I could carry a bike around!
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
maybe something in an 85 Dodge pickup
gun racks optional.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
Give us time, show him video all day...
He’ll be throwing 92 mph sinkers and pitching to contact by June.
by Brian B on Mar 9, 2010 8:49 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Didn't you hear? He's actually 28, not 22.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle
what about Kyle Farnsworth?
He was over 100 mph routinely in Yankee Stadium, but the YES gun is rumored to be overly generous.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
I saw Farnsworth hit 102 on the gun during the last season @ Yankee Stadium
And Griffey hit a wall-scraper solo HR to RF
by Highlifeman21 on Mar 8, 2010 8:50 PM EST up reply actions
Me too
Unfortunately it was the one game they lost that series. And it rained.
by ken on Mar 8, 2010 9:06 PM EST up reply actions
I definitely fell asleep during the rain delay
Combination of a long, wild and crazy night the previous night, and plenty of drinking that day
And by fell asleep, I maybe mean passed out
by Highlifeman21 on Mar 8, 2010 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
I saw Kyle Farnsworth hit Paul Wilson in Cincinnati...
Volquez, Bailey, Cueto, Chapman, and Leake. The future is so bright I have to wear sunglasses.
by justin007000 on Mar 9, 2010 12:20 AM EST up reply actions
those today were on the way OUT, however.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
Here's what I've always wondered..
Is there really a big difference between 98 and 100? 96 and 100?
Can even a good fastball hitter stand up there and know what he wants to do with it at 97mph… and just hope that it doesn’t have those extra two or three miles per hour?
Once you get up over 93, 94, 95… isn’t it all about having just a little bit of movement on it?
Maybe flamethrowers are able to show the fastball (at say 96) for strike one and then hope to be able to reach back and add some juice and get it to 100 which would be just enough to disrupt whatever timing the hitter might think he has?
I don’t know. I’m asking.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
I dunno
My guess is that at 97+, unless you guess the location nearly exactly right you’re fucked. Crank it up to 100+ and the odds get even worse.
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
If it's right down Broadway, I think a good hitter can still hit a high 90s fastball
Wonder how the changeup looked today.
by ken on Mar 8, 2010 9:10 PM EST up reply actions
I always think of that one time Junior took Zumaya deep when he was throwing 102
"aaron harnann is so aweseom" - justin
by BK on Mar 8, 2010 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
Canseco vs. Unit?
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
I always think of the time Bubba Crosby homered off Zumaya
It was only spring training, but I was listening to the Detroit broadcast (the NY one wasn’t working for some reason). They were gushing over Zumaya, talking about what a stud he was, and could barely be bothered to mention who was at the plate, since it was only Bubba Crosby. Until he hit the go-ahead, game-winning homerun. (To the announcers’ credit, they noted the irony.)
And the guy on base ahead of Bubba that day was Miguel Cairo.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
I was at that game
It was my birthday in 2006, and I called the shot. Coolest moment ever at a game I attended.
They still lost the game.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
yes
Griffey’s blast was a game tying grand slam in an opponent’s park. It was power vs. power. It still gives me chills.
Though the EdE home run is a close second. That was a ton of fun.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Or what about that one time
when Junya owned Wagner after a lengthy battle featuring repeated 100 mph offerings.
He fixes the cable?
by Colin Auscapee on Mar 8, 2010 11:07 PM EST up reply actions
That's where "life" comes in
If it’s a flat fastball it’s one thing. If it has the mythical “life”, you’re pretty well screwed methinks.
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
It begs the question...
Which is more effective? Low 90’s heat with ‘life’? or 100 MPH flat fastball.
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
I'd say the 94 mph fastball with life
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
I can say for sure that a 67 mph bp fastball
will send me back to the dugout.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
100 looks different from different pitchers even when it's a straight 4-seamer down the middle
Somehow hitters were able to see exactly where the ball was going before it ever got out of Matt Anderson’s hand, for example.
by Brian B on Mar 9, 2010 9:09 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
FWIW
Al Leiter calls 96 mph “the speed limit.” According to him, big league hitters are used hitting pitches that fast. Even a couple of mph faster than that – “over the speed limit” – will cause trouble for hitters.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
it's incredible what charisma will do for you.
I’ll buy just about anything that comes out of Al Leiter’s mouth.
by Brian B on Mar 9, 2010 9:11 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Brian B's next google search:
“Al Leiter” + “teeth” + “eBay”.
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
by crolfer on Mar 9, 2010 9:12 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
serial killer joke
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 11:08 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I starred it on Google..
I love the odd stuff that comes up in google searches that link right back here..
Education is what you get from reading the directions. Experience is what you get from not reading them.
from the looks of it
39 of the 263 pitches over 100 MPH were put in play. 10 of those 39 went for hits, all singles.
102 of the 263 pitches were swung at and ended up a strike, 36 of those were swing and miss. So, that 141 swings in 263 AB. 105 of 141 put wood on the ball, but only 10 of 141 swings ended up as hits.
Clear as mud?
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Once again, stats have made everything so much easier to understand
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
You don't even have to be good at math
You can take Slyde’s word for it!
by Brian B on Mar 9, 2010 9:12 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
ain't baseball great!
Only such a sport could yield this kind of information!
A ballpark, a brew and your sweetie at your side … and a notebook full of Slyde notes, what more could you ask for on a summer evening?
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
So 14% were put in play, and 4 % were hits.
and 100% of the hits were singles.
I guess now we would need to look at the numbers for say… 96mph, and I almost sure they would be less impressive.
by Eastwindquinn on Mar 9, 2010 1:26 AM EST up reply actions
Sounds like I've got a post to work on this morning!
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Chapman hitting 100 mph on the gun means he threw 100 mph, duh
I’m not reading anything else into it.
MLB hitters can time fastballs if they see enough of them, just sayin’
I care more about his non-fastballs thrown
yeah but you hate everything cool
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
by Slyde on Mar 8, 2010 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
I care more about wins
And Arroyo is a winner.
I also care about RISP and game winning RBIs.
by Brian B on Mar 9, 2010 9:16 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think you just broke my sarcasm meter
Or maybe it was my bullshit meter.
Regardless, that was a lot of either of them, or both.
by Highlifeman21 on Mar 9, 2010 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
Poz on Aroldis
But the amazing part was the ease … there was no grunting, no straining, no laboring. You hear that line all the time about athletes who look as if they were born to do something. Chapman struck out David DeJesus on a hard-sweeping slider that seemed to break two feet. He struck out Chris Getz on a 100-mph fastball that sliced the outside corner – anyway Stewart clocked the pitch at 100 mph. Another scout clocked it at 102. Another got it at 98. Chris Getz’s speed approximation: "It was moving." ….
But, Art Stewart concedes, even the Herb Score comparison isn’t quite right because Score had a famously violent motion. Chapman makes you think he could throw 115 mph if he was really trying.
'Cept ours is no joke.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 12:05 AM EST up reply actions
oh, good!
When I saw Chapman was pitching against the Royals, I hoped Poz would weigh in. He’s just such a great writer:
Two batters later Chapman struck out Rick Ankiel on a slider that Ankiel missed by so much he had to be rebooked on a later flight. Watching Ankiel trying to hit Chapman was somewhere between comedy and tragedy; you got the sense that if Ankiel faced Chapman 100 times, he would strike out 100 times.Not in the article, but re: the comments: I have to say I’m getting bored by all the talk about Dusty’s inevitable ruining of his arm.
by the finest muffins on Mar 8, 2010 9:33 PM EST up reply actions
yeah
I’m all for criticizing Dusty when it’s deserved, but that ruining young pitchers thing is not deserved, and is more than a little tedious already.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
blame that on the chucken fickers in Chicago
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
And give birth to a new Babe.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 12:02 AM EST up reply actions
Video...
Daaaamn. Wonder what it’ll look like when he sets that laser from “stun” to “kill.” I half expect to see smoke billowing out of the catcher’s mitt.
by the finest muffins on Mar 8, 2010 9:56 PM EST reply actions
John Fay - "A must read"?
I guess it’s good to see John is getting his TV interviews in, I suppose.. Loved the “must read” commentary..
Education is what you get from reading the directions. Experience is what you get from not reading them.
More like a "must read twice just to comprehend"
That’s not the video that was there yesterday when I posted that link, though. Crazy changeable internets.
by the finest muffins on Mar 9, 2010 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
Boondock Saints II advertised on ESPN
perfect.
"And then there was the USAID guy in Kandahar who drove a giant pink Cadillac, which the locals set on fire one day. If you wanted to destroy something symbolic during a riot, you just could not do better than that. Good stuff." - Ghosts of Alexander
Andoidis is the lead story on Yahoo tonight...pretty good pub for the Reds...
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew
Gleet:The chronic morbid discharge as from the nostrils of horses.
Now, as an old scribe
I would love to discuss with David Brown, the author of the Wahzoo report, just what kind of journalistic integrity allows for this sort of comment:
Wouldn’t it be cool if Chapman were the next Sandy Koufax?
Not a quote or an attribution. Just plain old narrative from the writer.
I just knew that I would now be having train sex with a very odd broad in no time. I didn’t expect the bitch to shoot me though. (Pops Daniels)
hey! look who else is on Yahoo tonight...
by the finest muffins on Mar 8, 2010 11:09 PM EST up reply actions
Red Reporter mentioned in an article,
that’s a drink right?
Education is what you get from reading the directions. Experience is what you get from not reading them.
Cheers!
That might explain the new folks.
Welcome, new folks!
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 12:35 PM EST up reply actions
VERY excited about this.
I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself because it was the KC Royals and it IS just spring training but you can’t help but to get excited to see this kid go out there and pitch well. I really like that he didn’t get down and frustrated after giving up a quick hit. I’m looking foward to seeing this kid pitching in Cincy eventually this season.
The thing I'm most excited about it how friggin easy it looks for him
It’s the second week of ST, it was kinda cold in Arizona yesterday, and Chapman repeatedly gunned it up to 100, seemingly with very little effort. He even said as much in his presser afterwards.
The kid is a freak show…and I like it.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle
Today's Game...
I’m sure there will be another posting for today’s game but I’m looking forward to seeing Maloney improve upon his appearance on Friday. He pitched well, especially in comparison to Lincoln. I’d like to see him move up into a ‘front runner’ position to lock up that 5th spot.
i like it too.
he could have walked everyone he faced and i’d still be pretty amped.
Sonny my pitched my wild
I think no
Everyone seems to think the Reds would be smarter to start him in the minors.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
I really hope not.
The smart decision is to save the money and start him in the minors.
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
i also think there's no need to rush him.
i’m even in favor of letting him pitch a few games at AA to get his feet wet.
Sonny my pitched my wild
Absolutely. No reason to take any unnecessary risks.
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
I agree
esp since there are a ton of off days in the beginning (or at least it seems that way – what’s with not playing on mondays?) But come May, I really hope to see him. (And if it is May, I’m gonna have to hop another plane to Cyprus or something so I can get a decent internet connection to watch the game.) Then, if you put the letters of the starters together and add a -US, you get BACCHUS, which is appropriate, because I will be drunk with happiness with such a rotation.
Definitely
Spring Training is not like regular season and big leaguers adjust a lot faster than minor leaguers. Good hitters might catch up to him after seeing him once or twice.
I don’t think they should even consider him in the rotation until May or June. His long-term future is much more important right now than 2010.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Yeah,
I actually kind of hope he gets shelled sometime in the next week or two, or has an outing where he walks 5 guys in 3 innings or something.
Anything to convince Walt he should start in the minors.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle
C'mon, this isn't Wayne Krivsky.
I have almost full trust in Jocko’s ability to run this team in the optimal way possible.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 2:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yep
And just wait until Eddie Volquez gets back and is 100% healthy. That starting rotation around the All-Star break including Volquez and Chapman will be an amazing thing.
I wouldn't expect anything from Volquez before August
unless the Reds are in the thick of it and really need him, I doubt they’ll do anything to rush him.
But yeah, the future of Reds pitching looks very bright right now.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine got nothing on Volquez, Cueto, Bailey, Chapman, and Leake!
Say those five names over and over again and you still can’t believe it…
So bright that you've gotta wear sunglasses... at night.
We need Corey Hart on this team.
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
Good point...
NO COREY HART! NO COREY HART!
"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."
ack
My dad wanted to name me “Maria” because of those lines, from that song.
And he’s an atheist.
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
dodged a bullet there, didnt you?
BubbaFan is a much cuter name.
by Charlie Scrabbles on Mar 9, 2010 10:38 PM EST up reply actions
totally
Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is named Maria around here!
All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?
Limit your 2010 Volquez expectations.
He will be ready to rock and roll in 2011, but in my opinion any production from Volquez in 2010 is gravy, because if he returns this year he probably won’t be very good. He probably won’t have command and full velocity until 2011.
Volquez, Bailey, Cueto, Chapman, and Leake. The future is so bright I have to wear sunglasses.
by justin007000 on Mar 9, 2010 10:22 AM EST up reply actions
Talk of Volquez pitching this year
makes me think of Francisco Liriano.
Before the curse of stastics fell upon mankind we lived a happy, innocent life, full of merriment and go and informed by fairly good judgement.
-Hilaire Belloc
The Reds should handle Volquez
the way the Cubs handled Dempster and the Cardinals handled Matt Morris.
Volquez, Bailey, Cueto, Chapman, and Leake. The future is so bright I have to wear sunglasses.
I don't know how much perspective this adds on yesterday's B game, but here is the local coverage
Primarily to give pitchers work after the rainout Sunday…
Nine pitchers threw an inning apiece, including 2009 first-round draft pick Eric Arnett, who later was reassigned to minor league camp. Center field prospect Lorenzo Cain homered in the Brewers’ 4-2 victory, and second baseman Brett Lawrie, a first-round pick in 2007, collected a pair of hits and knocked in a run.
Left-hander Mitch Stetter was the only Brewers pitcher to work an inning in that game. John Axford, who saw big-league action last September, struck out all three batters he faced on 13 pitches.
Tim Dillard, still working on a new delivery, surrendered both Cincinnati runs.
“That was a lot better (than his previous outing),” said Macha. “That’s a major change for somebody. I thought he threw the ball pretty good.”
Well, there might have been tweets. I guess I’m going to have to break down and find some way to track those.
100MPH & Movement
actually, the ball moves a lot less the harder it’s thrown, so the higher you get on the radar gun, the more ‘straight’ the pitch will be. A 90mph breaking ball will break much less than a 60mph breaking ball, and the same is true of fastballs. It may have a more effective break— later, more sudden, but it will move less. Sometimes, that’s all you need, at higher speeds, the reaction time is less, so just a little movement can be a big deal.
If you look at the pitchers who were known to have a lot of movement on their fastballs, with the exception of Pedro Martinez, none threw all that hard— I’d say Martinez, Maddux, Derek Lowe and Jason Schmidt had the most movement of any starters I’ve watched much of. Martinez is tricky anyway, because when he was really dominant, he was just more extreme in his changes of speed— now he can’t run it up there quite as fast, but I’d bet that the fastballs one remembers ‘moving’ from his hand were in the 90mph range, not as hard as he could throw them.
Rising fastballs
If you look at the upward movement on The Ryan Express, or that up and out tail on Randy Johnson’s fastball, you’ll see a lot of movement. The harder you throw a four seamer, the more it rises, I believe he’s throwing both the four seamer and the cut fastball.
There is no such thing as rising
It’s a physical impossibility. It just drops less.
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
That is the finest bread, not the finest muffins
n00b.
"They're the ones that gave you the keys, they can’t get upset when you crash the car" -- 'tHan on my being a mod
Yes, banish the bread.
This is now a muffin zone. Zucchini still permitted.
by the finest muffins on Mar 11, 2010 12:08 AM EST up reply actions
After carefully thinking about Androidis over my #5 breakfast at Frisch's this noon...
I predict that we’ll see Chappy up at the MLB level by mid-June at the latest. There’s not a lot to lose and heck of a lot to gain, even if he just comes up prior to the AS break and get some innings in and then goes back for a while to tume it further.
I like the fact that he’s a bit wild..and he strikes me as a bright and emotionally mature guy…if he could get into the rotation at some point before the end of 2010…then 2011 could really be interesting.
Gleet:The chronic morbid discharge as from the nostrils of horses.
teh fya said the same thing on ESPN today.
The Reds have had 9 straight losing seasons. What’s to lose?
"Red Reporter - An elitist clique full of like-minded douchebags." - BK
John Fay's not thinking about sunk costs.
And John Fay’s still not thinking about what Slyde describes below:
The benefit of holding him back from the start of the season is that it makes it unlikely he will be arb eligible in 2013, which means that he won’t get paid any extra money than what the contract already states.
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
I think we will be on the mound with the big club...
as soon as his contract allows while giving us the full 6 years of control. Even if he were to throw 4 perfect games between April and June, in the long run it would not be worth it to halve his contracted years for the same money.
by Eastwindquinn on Mar 9, 2010 1:42 PM EST up reply actions
he's guaranteed 6 years of control
based on MLB rules. The issue is that he could have the majority of his money crammed into the first 3 years of the deal if he is arbitration eligible after 3 seasons, and then the Reds would have to pay him whatever he gets in arbitration.
The benefit of holding him back from the start of the season is that it makes it unlikely he will be arb eligible in 2013, which means that he won’t get paid any extra money than what the contract already states.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
"Good-sized crowd today as Aroldis Chapman goes four his fourth consecutive perfect game to start his major league career."
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
actually
I think that’s about the only game he couldn’t completely blow out of proportion.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
"And here's Chapman, the tall lefty pacing around the mound."
“Boy is he an impressive specimen. Reminds me of another impressive young lefty.”
by Charlie Scrabbles on Mar 9, 2010 4:48 PM EST up reply actions
For God so loved the world..
..that He gave us GIS: “Tebow + girlfriend + bikini”
"Let's get this movie. We already have the underwear."
by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 9, 2010 5:25 PM EST up reply actions
Except for that's not his girlfriend.
She’s actually my age. Maybe she’s single?
"Red Reporter - An elitist clique full of like-minded douchebags." - BK
I'm conflicted
I want him to beat up some kids in the minors and get used to life in the USA and all. But if he’s going to burn out by 30, then let’s not waste any time.
I’d be a horrible manager, wouldn’t I?
by Brian B on Mar 9, 2010 3:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Braves ditch insensitive patch on new throwbacks
- Tim Lincecum slims down with swim routine, loses appetite for McDonald’s
- Create-a-Caption: Kevin Youkilis shows up to the Super Bowl, gets ComicCon instead
- Baltimore flips Jeremy Guthrie to Colorado for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom
- Justin Verlander’s Super Bowl XLVI pick was perfect: Giants 21, Patriots 17
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
