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Keeping up with the Mariners is hard.  Especially if they televise the games during ... lessee, what did they used to call it ... oh! yeah, "Work Hours."  And at this point, the performances and technique changes are ---- > not nothing.  Dr. D works hard so you don't have to.

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MIKE LEAKE

Take a Japanese baseball star on the video, hit 2x fast forward, and you've got the idea.

Leake effortlessly toyed with the Royals, "pitching backwards" with a new changeup, a slider-curve that moved up and down the velo scale, and the ability to throw either to spots.  Dr. D was particularly taken when it went this way against KC's cleanup hitter, Jorge Soler, to start the 2nd:

....

#1 = Slider to outside third of the plate, 0-1 called (nobody wants to see that pitch to start an AB; you can't drive it)

#2 = Slider way off the plate, 0-2 garbage swing (Soler was jumpy)

#3 = Slider outside third, STRIKE THREE YOU MOOK (Soler was confused)

....

Here, feel this .gif from Shannon Drayer.  Dr. D is here to tell you that Leake threw that shtick from pitch 1 to pitch 37.  If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'.

For those who don't watch baseball much, "Pitchability" is a term you hear and it means, when the hitter is amp'ed up you throw something soft or off the plate so his murderous swing causes nothing but a welcome, gentle breeze cooling the pitcher.  When the hitter is confused or passive, you go in after him hard because then you get nothing but a too-late arm swing, also a situation that promises something less than a .300 batting average.

Leake threw 30 strikes in 37 pitches and averaged about 4 seconds between pitches.  The coaches gingerly told Leake he could have 2 innings and we'll see how things go for your 3rd inning.  Blowers later asked, "How long you going today?"  Leake raised his voice THREE

.....

The Mainframe outputs that Mike Leake is not an Opening Day starter.  But boy, watching his ridiculous command of offspeed stuff, it's hard right now to pull off a' comping him to the prime Jered Weaver.  That's how good he looked, today anyway.

He's got a lifetime ERA+ of "only" 100, that's 8 years, and obviously you can't get away from that any more than you can get away from Dr. D hyperbole.  It was, though, 170 for us last year, he has had several 110 seasons, he has changed leagues, and here is that nice article about how he has increased his changeup separation from [-5 MPH] to [-8 MPH with more dive].

Yes, I fully agree no doubts at all, I'm too giddy with Mike Leake right now to remember his lifetime stats.  But it's heads-up, that Northwest Sports .gif against Leake's baseball card, 10 rounds no standing 8 count.  If the guy has a career year he becomes Dipoto's C.J. McCollum, I guess, a big time player who comes out of nowhere. 

What would be the precedent for late-blooming pitchers?  hmmmmmmmm.... Moyer, Fassero, Al Leiter, go back y'self for the Dazzy Vances and Preacher Roes... :: shrug :: whateva ::  Even if Leake only goes 100, 105, 110, that's great.  But bask in that .gif one last time.

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CASEY LAWRENCE

After his first outing we were gonna say something.  We were like, Whoa, what's this all about.  Lawrence was loose, whippy, with a parachut(ish) changeup and even his third pitch, an overhand -10 MPH curve, had authority.  Way ahead of everybody else in camp.

He wasn't quite that today, but he came out for the 3rd inning and cashed in a 3.0 ip, 4h, 1r, 0:2 box score that is PRECISELY what the M's are looking for as a Pokemon Wall in the #8 spot.  Buffer some innings, ride the Cheney Carousel, give the M's a #14-17 set of pitchers to Wolf Pack it.

Wait.  He does have an option left?  Sho' Nuff he's got 2 of 'em!  Great charts, ain't they.  Anyways Bill Krueger sez the M's want three things out of their buffer men:  

1. Strike one.  (Lawrence 0:2 CTL today and 1.57 walks last year at Tacoma) 
2. Get both L and R out.
3. Go several innings to shelter the Pack of Wolf Closers.

He's got to keep his fastball down to cut the HR, which he will with time, but this guy is a fringe major leaguer, operative phrase major leaguer.  It was interesting; having him and Leake in there made the game feel like a reg-season game, first 6 innings.

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CHASE DE JONG

Blew the save, threw the ball like Chase De Jong.  Not wanting to be mean, some guys are AAAA pitchers.  The Mainframe liketh not his chances to join the #14-17 Cheney Carousel.

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Good game all around.  One week in, the M's are looking pregnant with possibilities (as GM Jan Timman liked to say) and there's a lot of rumble about how they all are feeling like the playoffs are in the bag, or should be.  Well, a good first ST week is better than a bad one.  

Enjoy,

Dr D