11/21/24
March 28, 2010
Mets' Takahashi Throws Eight Different Pitches: New York Mets starting pitcher Hisanori Takahashi throws eight pitches: a straight four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, a cut fastball, two different sinkers and two curves. "Somehow a splitter and a knuckleball eluded him," writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.
Reminds me of an old Peanuts cartoon......"and nine fingers is a screwball.....ten fingers is the split-finger slider.....eleven fingers is the pitch-out......twelve fingers is fast side-armer......"
posted by NerfballPro at 03:59 PM on March 28, 2010
It's a bit overstated, I think. Most good pitchers actually have about two or three variations of pitches. Halladay throws two types of cutters (one moves in, one out), two types of curveballs (one for a strike, one basically like a forkball), a four-seamer and a change. In the past he also had a two-seamer and a slider, but shelved 'em.
And then you remember David Cone. He had like a dozen pitches if you include variation in arm angles. And he varied from over-the-top to an almost submarine-style.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:31 PM on March 28, 2010
And then you remember David Cone.
And the one thing David Cone had that was better than any pitch he threw was the tenacity of a pitbull. I've never seen a Japanese pitcher with that killer attitude on the mound. Cone could go out on the mound without anything on any given day and still win the game. To hell with seven, eight, twelve pitches.
posted by dyams at 06:12 PM on March 28, 2010
Somewhere, Mariano Rivera is reading this and asking himself, "why would you need those other seven pitches?"
posted by MeatSaber at 10:14 PM on March 28, 2010
Mariano Rivera has a point.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:16 AM on March 29, 2010
Please!! For the love of what's good in this world, just give my Mets some decent pitchers. I'm not at all interested or impressed in Takahashi havng eight pitches, just have one or two great to decent pitches and call it a day. I don't want to repeat what was already say but Mariano Rivera is a classic example of someone who perfected just one pitch and can throw it in many different ways. Batters know what's coming and they still can hit it.
posted by BornIcon at 10:19 AM on March 29, 2010
Batters know what's coming and they still can hit it.
But not very well. ;-)
posted by tommybiden at 10:32 AM on March 29, 2010
I've never seen a Japanese pitcher with that killer attitude on the mound.
How many Japanese League games do you watch a year? And I think you might be confusing the look on their face with their attitude.
posted by yerfatma at 10:53 AM on March 29, 2010
Mets pitchers just need one pitch. The "I can pitch in September with the pennant on the line" pitch.
We'll take as many as we can get.
posted by cjets at 11:18 AM on March 29, 2010
Batters know what's coming and they still can hit it.
But not very well. ;-)
Sorry, I meant CAN'T get a hit off of Mariano. I'm still pissed about Duke winning yesterday and was punching the keys. My bracket is toast.
posted by BornIcon at 12:43 PM on March 29, 2010
I've never seen a Japanese pitcher with that killer attitude on the mound.
How many Japanese League games do you watch a year?
I believe (but could be totally off base) that dyams was speaking about Japanese pitchers that have pitched in the MLB.
posted by BornIcon at 12:50 PM on March 29, 2010
How many Japanese League games do you watch a year?
I get the JBL package on my dish. No, not really.
I was making my own observation based on Japanese pitchers who have pitched in the U.S. major leagues. The more-sedate, calm, introverted personality seems to be more of a cultural trait with Japanese players than with MLB pitchers from other cultures, especially Latin players (ex. Pedro Martinez).
And no, I haven't done any (or read any) detailed studies of the topic.
posted by dyams at 12:55 PM on March 29, 2010
Hoyt Wilhelm FTW!
posted by billsaysthis at 04:00 PM on March 29, 2010
That Mariano Rivera is the exception is precisely what makes him so exceptional.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:01 PM on March 29, 2010
At this point, I'd be happy if Dice-K could throw one pitch well.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 01:31 AM on March 31, 2010
At this point, I'd be happy if Dice-K could throw one pitch well.
Just hope it's not that mysterious gyroball.
posted by BornIcon at 01:34 PM on March 31, 2010
More hype about a Japanese pitcher? I've never seen a single one live up to the huge expectations. Dice-K had the gyroball, or whatever the hell it was. All that seemed to really do was kill his arm (or maybe that was the World Baseball Classic that did that. Regardless, he's obviously not smart enough to take time off when he needs it). As for Takahashi, he should focus on doing a few pitches really well rather than eight pitches at a mediocre level.