Tom Wilhelmsen is Miscast as a Reliever
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Q. What happened out there in the 8th today?
A. Two runs up, Wilhelmsen gave up a seeing-eye ground ball to Miguel Cabrera. Then Prince Fielder viciously turned around a 96 fastball for a line-drive single, two (plodding) runners on, nobody out.
Wilhelmsen, grinding, missed two curve balls to Delmon Young - one he yanked low and wide into the dirt, and the other missed badly. This is the 3rd batter, now, and Wilhelmsen wasn't yet in his groove. He did manage to scuffle a hard-hit fly ball out.
He got behind Peralta 2-0 ... tying runs on, now. He ain't tryin' to miss. He just missin'. This is the 4th hitter in. In the 8th, you don't have four hitters to get loose, do you understand me? On the 3-1 pitch, Wilhelmsen desperately aimed 97 MPH (!) right down the middle, which it wasn't, but Peralta fouled it off.
***CLICK***
That was the visual TW needed. He smiled. On 3-2, he cracked off an overhand curve that has my eyes tearing as I remember it. The snap of the wrist was epic. Later Blowers would say admiringly, "He just trusts the ump to make that call." The ball bisected the plate, dropping down out of the sky to finish exactly at the knees. I'd call it a Bert Blyleven curve ball, if Bert Blyleven ever threw a power curve like that.*
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Happily, Tom fired three curve balls to Alex Avila, THE left hand All-Star Alex Avila, and ratcheted the count to 2-2. By the time he fired a 95-MPH thunderbolt in for strike three, it looked 115 MPH. Would you please go look at this swing. About eight times.
That is BEFORE and AFTER, folks. After pitch 12, Tom Wilhelmsen was a holocaust and the Tigers were sorely lacking a bomb shelter. But! Before pitch 12, Wilhelmsen was scrounging.
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Q. Why does it take Wilhelmsen 10-15 pitches to get loose?
A. He stands 6 foot 6 inches tall. It looks like 6' 8". He has long levers. How many closers and setup men do you know who are 6'6"? Name them.
It is harder for him to move those forearms and shinbones into the right place.
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Q. Is that just SSI aiki baloney, or do tall pitchers really have a harder time finding their release points?
A. Grab a golf bag. Take out a 1-wood and take out a pitching wedge. You tell me which is easier to control. Is that just my opinion? Or is it a fact, and can we move on?
Of course, the 1-wood gives more centrifugal power. One reason that Wilhelmsen throws an EASY 95-97 miles per hour.
Short men don't have great control. Nobody has great control in the first 10 pitches. That's why relievers are max effort. They gain margin for error through velocity.
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Q. Supposing that Wilhelmsen's velo dropped to 89 in the rotation.
A. Then oh well whatever nevermind.
But at 90-92 he's still an obvious starter. Did Aaron Sele throw 92? Did the 30-something Blyleven? Josh Beckett throws 93 these days, fans 8+, and runs 4-5 WAR per (healthy) season.
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Q. Supposing Wilhelmsen could throw an easy 93-97 in the rotation.
A. When it's a strike, Wilhelmsen's curve ball is Sele-, Blyleven-, Beckett-class. Aaron Sele with a 94 fastball? He was tough enough with an 87 fastball.
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