=== Catfish, Dept. ===

Now, keep in mind that SSI doesn't believe that Kelley's change-speed game is the issue for him. 

For those who haven't yet run screaming into the night, we'll say it again:  Catfish Hunter, Robin Roberts and Fergie Jenkins won for no other reason than that they threw better than average FB's with real good command.   And they won, what, about 5,000 games just between those three. 

Throw a good fastball, with something on it, for a strike -- but not into that little blue oval that is the hot zone.  It's been workin' for a hundred years, and in a hundred more years, it will still be workin'.  Joe Mauer his ownself isn't going to take you downtown if you're 93 and on the edge of the plate.

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=== Let's Go! To! the VIDeo! Tape! ===

That said, as exciting as Kelley's located 93 heater is, on Monday night his change speed game was a true 80 on the scouting chart.

Kelley's 80-83 mph pitches hit them early, hit them often, and left the A's needing a cut man.  Kelley's offspeed blows suffered no worse for the 40%-of-selection overexposure.  Thusly according to GameDay:

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=== vs Rajai Davis ===

1-0 count:  changeup* fouled away.  Thrown right down the middle with impunity.  As Dr. Mike Marshall says, they don't hit you when they guess the location right.  They hit you when the guess the velocity right.  Cross them up and you're safe.

2-2 count:  changeup, garbage swing, strike three:  Johnson set up for a Beltre pitch, Kelly threw it well outside and down, and Davis fished.  Back to the dugout.

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=== vs Daric Barton ===

0-0 count:  Called strike.  It was probably a ball.  Ump might have blown it.

0-1 count:  Called ball.  Thrown down below the knees.  Barton didn't fish, as he never does.

1-1 count:  Swing through a high change thrown right down the middle.  Note carefully that Kelly started Barton off with three consecutive changeups, left the third one up -- and Barton flailed and missed.  That is the textbook definition of a 70-80 pitch:  you can use it a ton, use it when they're ready for it, and it still wins games for you.

1-2 count:  Called ball on a pitch that got all kinds of the plate.  The ump blew a clear strike three.  You could look it up.

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=== vs Ryan Sweeney ===

1-0 count:  Called strike right down the middle.  Note carefully (Davis above) that Kelly "repairs" hitters' counts with his changeup.

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=== vs Kevin Kouzmanoff ===

0-0 count:  Called ball on the black.  Pitch could have gone either way.   Kouzmanoff popped up on the IF on a gorgeous 93-mph jam pitch on 1-0.  Look at the chart.  SSI is boggled at the number of weapons that Kelley brandishes, ahead in the count, behind in the count, first pitch, whatever.

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=== vs Kurt Suzuki ===

1-2 count:  changeup foul tipped for strike three.  Located on the black, outside, waist high. 

.

Leaving the count at 9 offspeed pitches, zero balls put into fair play ... 3 called balls, 6-7 strikes, two swinging strikeouts, a third guy should have had strike three called on him.  In one inning!

So, you be the judge.  You expect Jamie Moyer to get better results than the above off his change-speed pitches?  Or was that an 80 change-speed game, in that inning, at least?

And that ain't the first time.

................

'twould take Jarrod Washburn a month to shore up our rotation.  Kelley could go 75-80 pitches next outing, and 6 innings the start after.

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Cheers,

Dr D