When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

06.06.2007
More Right Arm

Quick hit for now: if you haven’t seen yesterday’s discussion thread, follow the links David Arnott provides in his comment at the bottom. Very interesting stuff to add to this debate on how to develop young pitchers. Unfortunately radio host Boog Sciambi did his listeners a huge disservice by hanging up on Buzz Bissinger in the middle of their interview.

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SMALL PRINT UPDATE: Now listening to Keren Ann’s new eponymous release. I just bought it, so I don’t have too much to say except I’m disappointed there are no songs in French. Nothing stands out so far, but I said the same thing about Nolita at first blush, and it has become one of my favorite albums.

Now reading Allegra Goodman’s novel Intuition, a fine fictional follow-up to my previous reading assignment, The Billion-Dollar Molecule. Molecule detailed the painful birth of a Cambridge, Mass. drug company, Vertex, that still exists nearly 20 years later; Intuition explores political and personal intrigue at a biomedical research lab in Cambridge.

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P.M. UPDATE: Speaking of pitch counts, I was on hand last night to see Daisuke Matsuzaka throw 130 pitches in 7 innings against the A’s at the Coliseum. He threw 100 through five and 115 or so through six, and I was shocked to see him out there for one more. I guess Francona wanted to give him one more shot at a win, seeing how he’d only given up two runs.

He was fun to watch, with his exaggerated arm reach and his pause-and-hip-wiggle before he starts his motion. But overall Dice-K wasn’t overwhelming. Lots of nibble, nibble, nibble. My host Mr. Ben of Spruce St. said that in Japan, pitchers like the 3–2 count. It is the Pitch of Reckoning.

I’d guess he threw 70% off-speed pitches, and the A’s two big hits — Chavez’s opposite-field HR and Swisher’s opposite-field double — came on fastballs. I wouldn’t kick him off my roster, to be sure, but so far he doesn’t seem to be the surefire staff ace touted all winter.

Nota bene: Tomorrow the amateur draft starts. The Giants have six of the first 64 picks. Come on by, I’ll be commenting throughout the day.



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[June 6, 2007 7:55 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Brian said

I haven't been impressed by Dice-K at all. His fastball is mid-nineties, but he seems to be afraid to throw it. The nibbling is out of control. He isn't going to succeed against disciplined lineups unless he works off his fastball and gets ahead in the count.

Usually, Japanese imports are more effective in their first time through the league, then hitters adjust to the funky deliveries. I don't see him reversing this trend.