Around Baseball 2015

[HERPDERP]

According to Brooks baseball:

 

Tanaka average FB velo in 2014 = 92.74 mph

Tanaka's average FB velo last night = 92.63 mph

 

Pat and Buck were bordering on unprofessional talking about how he lost 4-5 mph on his fastball from last year. He wants to throw fewer 4-seamers this year because his 4-seamer got crushed last year. It remains to be seen whether or not he'll be able to effectively set up his splitter while doing this, but the broadcast last night was bush league.

 

not to rain on your anti Pat/Buck parade, but

 

 

 

Dan Brooks @brooksbaseball · 2 hrs2 hours ago We're working out some issues to our velo corrections that may have affected low temperature games on opening day yesterday.

[BTS]

Yeah, I though the same thing. Seemed like he stopped inducing swinging strikes later in the game when it became obvious that he was living low in the zone. The bad high fastball might be a necessary evil for him to be at his most effective. There's no evidence that A) it's any worse than last year's, and he can't be incredibly effective while using his bad 4-seamer to change eye levels and set up the nasty split/slider.

[Sammy225]

I don't think that is stuff was bad it was that The Jays laying off the lower pitches and when the ball came up they did not miss. And i agree with what NJH said he never tried to get anything up in the zone if he was that concerned about his fastball or what.

[KingKat]

Yeah, I though the same thing. Seemed like he stopped inducing swinging strikes later in the game when it became obvious that he was living low in the zone. The bad high fastball might be a necessary evil for him to be at his most effective. There's no evidence that A) it's any worse than last year's, and he can't be incredibly effective while using his bad 4-seamer to change eye levels and set up the nasty split/slider.

 

Hutch arguably had worse command than Tanaka yesterday but he did a much much better job of mixing it up.

[G-Snarls]

Yeah, I though the same thing. Seemed like he stopped inducing swinging strikes later in the game when it became obvious that he was living low in the zone. The bad high fastball might be a necessary evil for him to be at his most effective. There's no evidence that A) it's any worse than last year's, and he can't be incredibly effective while using his bad 4-seamer to change eye levels and set up the nasty split/slider.

 

Also helped that we didn't have Arencibia, Lawrie (less so), Rasmus (the most), Gose (actually maybe the most), Francisco (also maybe the most) and Goins helping him get strikeouts by swinging at balls down low

[Sammy225]

Hutch arguably had worse command than Tanaka yesterday but he did a much much better job of mixing it up.

 

True he was throwing a lot of balls and had a lot of deep counts and was missing up a lot. The thing with hutch is i don't think i seen 1 straight pitch which helps him out a lot.

[GoldBull]

Also helped that we didn't have Arencibia, Lawrie (less so), Rasmus (the most), Gose (actually maybe the most), Francisco (also maybe the most) and Goins helping him get strikeouts by swinging at balls down low

 

It's so refreshing having a group of hitters that work the count and don't swing at junkballs outside of the zone.

[ScientificReason]

Also helped that we didn't have Arencibia, Lawrie (less so), Rasmus (the most), Gose (actually maybe the most), Francisco (also maybe the most) and Goins helping him get strikeouts by swinging at balls down low

 

Agree, just not having hitters in the lineup like those guys should help immensely. Nightmares from seeing Francisco and rasmus going back to back in the lineup last year.

[DickeyJohnsonWang]

It's so refreshing having a group of hitters that work the count and don't swing at junkballs outside of the zone.

I can't stress enough how great Martin's 2RBI single was, going the other way. Situational hitting at its finest. He fits great in that two hole.

[flafson]

As soon as the hitters found out he doesn't throw any fastballs high they just didn't bite on anything low and it was game over.

[KingKat]

It's so refreshing having a group of hitters that work the count and don't swing at junkballs outside of the zone.

 

Also refreshing to have a good catcher to maximize the contribution of the pitchers. I knew Martin was a great defender and pitch framer but I wasn't really a believer in the whole game calling thing but Hutch's success yesterday seemed to have as much o to do with sequencing than with pure stuff. That might be reading too much into one start but we all know that Martin definitely is a good catcher before you even consider what game calling might be worth. Minor quibbles about AA aside, the fact that he is finally equipping his pitching staff with a partner like this feels like a watershed moment in his tenure.

[HERPDERP]

fangraphs called him a junkballer ;p

 

honestly though, at +$170m, he is throwing junk.

[Abomination]

This is interesting with Tanaka:

 

2014:

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/plot_profile.php?s_type=2&gFilt=&pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&time=month&player=547888&startDate=01/01/2014&endDate=01/01/2015&minmax=ci&var=whiff&balls=-1&strikes=-1&b_hand=-1

 

and yesterday:

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/plot_profile.php?s_type=2&gFilt=&pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&time=month&player=547888&startDate=01/01/2015&endDate=01/01/2016&minmax=ci&var=whiff&balls=-1&strikes=-1&b_hand=-1

[KingKat]

When did B.J. Upton decide to confuse everyone and change his name to Melvin Jr.? I kept thinking I was seeing misprints yesterday.

[Laika]

http://cdn.streamable.com/video/e0ef55d0dcaa11e4ba1531553374f557.webm

 

Ah, the old Patrick Roy.

 

http://i55.tinypic.com/wa3hjm.jpg

[Governator]

Also refreshing to have a good catcher to maximize the contribution of the pitchers. I knew Martin was a great defender and pitch framer but I wasn't really a believer in the whole game calling thing but Hutch's success yesterday seemed to have as much o to do with sequencing than with pure stuff. That might be reading too much into one start but we all know that Martin definitely is a good catcher before you even consider what game calling might be worth. Minor quibbles about AA aside, the fact that he is finally equipping his pitching staff with a partner like this feels like a watershed moment in his tenure.

 

I liked seeing him really emphasize where he wants the ball at times, like reminding him we want this ball right down there using his fist to communicate.

[KingKat]

I liked seeing him really emphasize where he wants the ball at times, like reminding him we want this ball right down there using his fist to communicate.

 

Yeah I thought the announcers would annoy me with their emphasis on Martin but as long as they are focusing on actual in game stuff like that, it's cool to have it pointed out. Much more interesting than most of the stuff they blather about.

[Spanky__99]

BTS insufferable during a Keuchel start, North defending his assets...I see this neck of the woods hasn't changed!

 

Hah!

[Spanky__99]

Matt Cain scheduled for an MRI today due to forearm tightness..

 

R.I.P....TJS!

 

 

 

 

 

cf

[Jimcanuck]

The only thing i am thinking is that Pillar has been ripping the cover off the ball most of spring and yesterday. If he continues this i don't think it is as simple as saying your our 4th outfielder now and not give him steady at bats. If Pompey is up he should be playing everyday or you could risk hurting his development and Saunders is somewhat of an unknown at this point with injury troubles.

 

He has been a steady hitter all the way through the minors and i don't think it is that unlikely that after only 150ish PAs against big league pitching he is starting to figure it out. I just don't think it is as cut and dry as appointing him the 4th outfielder if he keeps having good At Bats and playing Solid D.

 

If Pillar continues to hit and becomes a starter option, all 4 of Pompey, Pillar, Bautista, Saunders should be in there almost every day. Smoak and Navarro are the guys that will lose playing time.

[Spanky__99]

th

 

Looks like DeSclafani is third(!) on the Reds depth chart according to MLB. Nice spot - I'll have to look out on the 9th again.

 

Holy Crap: DeSclafani at 12:35pm, Woj. at 2:10 pm, Graveman at 3:35pm and Norris at 7:05pm. Crazy.

 

Sweet, that'll be fun to watch.

[Spanky__99]

As soon as the hitters found out he doesn't throw any fastballs high they just didn't bite on anything low and it was game over.

 

They adjusted admirably.

[awsomest]

The Rays are terrible

[awsomest]

LOL @ latos

[fatcowxlive]

Latos got rekt and pulled from the game... Top of the 1st aint over yet looooool

[jaysfan2014]

The Rays are terrible

 

6-0 after 2. Karns won't last long. Combined with the bad offense, it's going to be a long season in Tampa.

[TRM]

6-0 after 2. Karns won't last long. Combined with the bad offense, it's going to be a long season in Tampa.

 

Shut the f*** up

[King]

6-0 after 2. Karns won't last long. Combined with the bad offense, it's going to be a long season in Tampa.

 

The playoffs will be easy to make.

[King]

Stanton bout to go deep

[King]

Or pitch around