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GLS sez,

Looks like Cano can still pull the ball after all. :)

.....

And did you see the attack in the swing?   Tomorrow's news today, babe.

Do you rule out the idea that somebody pointed out the 'net debate to him?  HEH!  In any case ... nice timing there Robby.  A couple of days ago we guessed that there were:

• 80% chance he is choosing to throttle back
• 15% chance he just needs to be reminded to attack
• 5% or less chance of a physical cause (in himself, Safeco, whatever)

Today, after the election returns the last couple days, it would be more like

• 65% chance he was choosing to throttle back
• 33% chance he just needed to be reminded to attack
• 2% or less chance of a physical cause (in himself, Safeco, whatever)

You don't care about SSI's self-promotion.  You do care that Robby blasted an inside pitch, 107 MPH off the bat, without extending his arms.  Cano hit 27 homers last year, and the average was 103 MPH off the bat.  Most of those were arms extended.

Sometimes one swing answers the question.  It reminded you of Ichiro's first spring training, a week in, when Lou asked, "Ichiro, are you capable of pulling a ball?"  Whereupon Ichiro rifled three lasers to RF that day.  And then went back to hitting .350.

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Bat571 sez,

Is it my imagination, or has Cano hit every one of his homers immediately after either Saunders' or Jones' baserunning has caused disruption - either errors or stolen bases?

...

An interesting question, since House's changeup was supposed to be low, and he missed inside and up.  (It's a general -- not absolute -- principle that you don't want to "speed the hitter's bat up" with a breaking pitch inside.)

Maybe House's focus was just a bit jarred?

Robby fans need not fret; home runs are hit, 90% or more of the time, when the pitcher misses.  Robby will get his share of mistake pitches either way, but it's easier to get mistake pitches when other people have already kicked the SP's rocking chair around a little.

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SabrMatt sez,

We're starting to get into Greg Maddux territory with Felix....he's moving off of the Seaver comp and becoming "the guy who never...ever....ever makes a mistake"

.....

Which inspired a postgame, elsewhere on the site.  Thanx Matty.  We celebrated two reasons he has been able to improve on dominance:  "For one thing, for a second thing" ...

For a 2nd-and-a-half thing?  Felix as a competitor is a whale of a lot of fun to watch.  The guy screams after 3rd outs like J.J. Watt after sacking a quarterback.   Does Felix realize that he's been living out of hotel rooms for 10 years?  Speaking as an old guy, how long can you retain new-guy gusto?

But that isn't the greatest thing.  The greatest thing, is that this massive competitor handled the years of losing with such class and grace.  Very similar in that respect to Ichiro, who (ignoring his facial expression) is a murderous competitor.

...

We remember ARod going on TV and saying he had to leave Seattle:    "The losing is killing me.  It's just killing me."  You get it?  It wasn't even really his choice, it's just that such a great man cannot tolerate less-than-great circumstances.

You remember how intensely Ken Griffey Jr. enjoyed the playoffs, once he got there?  Felix, and Ichiro, and various other Inner Circle HOF'ers :- ) like Walter Johnson, Ernie Banks, Derek Jeter, etc., wanted to win worse than ARod did, but when their teammates did let them down?  They responded with great character and loyalty.

Felix' attitude about his teammates, that's what I call leadership.