Location not velocity matters

 

Freddy Garcia and Mark Buehrle haven't exactly produced their desired records or earned run averages during the first two-thirds of the 2006 season. They also appear to be consistently missing at least 2 or 3 mph off their fastballs from years past, as shown by current speed gun readings.

 

But a fastball at 93 or 94 mph, in Garcia's case, or 91 mph in Buehrle's case, is not a necessity for either one to be successful.

 

"Too much is made of it," said Garcia. "I don't think velocity matters as much as location.

 

"You can throw whatever, but it's like if you throw 95 and don't hit the spot where you want to throw the ball, you are going to get hit."

 

They are a bit more than 2 to 3 mph off of their radar gun readings. Freddy last year was pounding the zone 91-94 and this year he is more like 86-88. Okay my take is this is a mixed bag. Mark lives by location, deception and movement on his pitches. This year he gets behind, and then leaves the pitch up and gets hurt. Take the same speed of the pitch and move it down a bit and it doesnt get hit over the fence.

 

Now on the other had Freddy is a whole different animal. He has never been a control pitcher. He doesnt have pinpoint control, and hasnt learned how to be a control pitcher. So his transformation is something of a mystery. Where Buerhle has been a control pitcher who has gotten away with guile and cunning, Freddy has been a stuff pitcher who could pound you with a sinking heavy fastball. The fact that they started this, I am a control pitcher with Freddy starting in Spring Training is a bit more revealing that Buerhle losing a few mph off his fastball.

 

Oh and and now the evil Questec is the reason Mark isnt getting the corners.

 

Buehrle pointed to the first-year presence of Quest Tec as a reason for his inability to get calls on the corners.

 

"When Quest Tec is out there and the umpires are getting judged on it, they won't give you the corners," Buehrle said. "It's big for me. I need the corners. I live on the corners."

Edited August 8, 200619 yr by southsideirish71

Velocity would help though when you aren't hitting your spots or getting the corners.

I have to admit, like Milkman has said, this is the JFK-type mystery of this year to me.

 

Like: how does something like this drop so dramatically (particularly with Freddy) barring injury?

 

Amazing. But it's killin us, that's for damn sure.

Bottom line, when your not getting it done people are going to look at things and try to analyze why you aren't getting it done.

 

One thing is obvious about Freddy...he's throwing more than a few MPH slower and in Buehrle's case maybe he's down in velocity but it seems like he's leaving his pitches up.