Pineda vs the Royals, 4.17.11 - the LHB's
Q. So does that put "paid" to the discussion?
A. For you it does. Being the creme' de la creme' of the 'net rat grotto and all.
If you've now watched Michael Pineda throw ~300 pitches and you don't know whether he should be in the minor or major leagues, Dr. D can't help you. Euthanasia has its supporters.
The discussion was feebleminded to begin with, and is now boring Dr. D. One more treatment regimen on the Pineda vs. LHB delusion, and we're Triaging this patient. Down to the morgue, where it belongs.
.
Q. This was a real LHB lineup that Pineda just hog-slaughtered?
A. The Royals' numbers coming into Sunday:
- #1 in the AL in AVG
- #1 in the AL in OBP
- #1 in the AL in R
- 116 OPS+
- 6x lefthand hitters in the lineup
- Beat Felix the day before, 7-0
The Royals were smoking hot: they had 6x lefty hitters along with (1) RH Francoeur slugging .684 the past week, (2) RH Butler their best hitter, and (3) even RH Escobar SS hitting .300 the last week.
They were swinging the bats about as well as an AL team swings it, as confirmed by their easy wins over Erik Bedard and Felix Hernandez.
We said before the game that Michael Pineda would make Felix look like a dead man. He did exactly that.
.
Q. How many hits by lefties?
A. One.
They were 1-for-12 with four strikeouts, the hit being a broken-bat bloop by Gordon on a 98 mph jam pitch. That's the picture above.
This following 2-for-10 by the Blue Jays, last time. Like we said, the whole Pineda vs LHB snarl-up was an affectation from one blog that didn't care for the idea of Pineda being in the majors so soon.
What is remarkable is the cyber-resonance this achieved, especially in view of the fact that SSI explained in excruciating detail why the idea was off track. And it did it humbly, too.
Kudos to the guy for having such amazing influence. He said that Pineda was too weak vs LHB to be in the majors, and just about everybody said "oh, okay." Never ceases to amaze me. Even Roger Jongewaard doesn't deserve that kind of blind loyalty, and he's a modern-day prophet.
Three games in, Pineda has splattered three tough lineups, and everybody still says, "Whatever you say, baba sheba. Any idea when he'll get that change going?" Now that's what I call authority. Whooo.
.
Q. Would Pineda need to change speeds to get lefties out?
A. He would not, no.
Nolan Ryan has stated that he threw 100.00% fastballs his first several years in the big leagues -- and fanned over 9 men per game. ... Then, he threw an overhand 84-88 drop pitch, just like Pineda, throwing two pitches until exactly age 38, when he added a changeup.
Bartolo Colon, Curt Schilling and many others have thrown essentially 100% fastballs for long stretches of time. Hey, Felix Hernandez has worked through lineups throwing practically all fastballs; you've seen it.
Granted, Pineda would only run a 110'ish ERA+ using only fastballs.
.
Q. Why doesn't a 97 mph pitcher have to change speeds?
A. Look. Were you here when Randy Johnson was losing games, back in 1989-1992?
When a guy is 98, there's one way they hit him. (1) Ignore the offspeed (fight it off if it's a strike). (2) LOOK FOR THE HEATER IN A VERY SMALL AREA.
Randy Johnson used to be wild with the curve, and was a one-pitch guy WHO CENTERED THE FASTBALL.
They'd let him walk a few guys, watch a 6-inch square and when the ball was in it, they'd square it up.
............
Michael Pineda throws 97-99 and it is not in the center of the plate! You can't hit that.
But Pineda does have a wipeout slider, creating redundant awesomeness, and STILL people want to know when he starts doing the things that David Pauley needs to do. Somebody blow my head off with a 12-gauge.
.
Q. Supposing I just am always going to want to have a changeup. Can he develop it in the majors?
A. Of COURRRRRSE! The change will take care of itself. Like it did for CC Sabathia, about year three. Like Clemens got his splitfinger going, about 50 wins in. :headdesk: Anybody ever watch a HOF'er hit the bigs before?
And he's throwing the change 10% now, anyway. His 60-30-10 pitch distribution is identical to CC Sabathia's.
...........
Can you tell how charmed I am by this whole discussion? Just enjoy winning the Lotto, can'cha. :- ) Here's your righty Big Unit, and one blog told you that he's fatally flawed, and you listen to that guy rather than Zduriencik.
As a Foo Fighter told Kurt Cobain, yer missin' a great game. Or was that Dr. D's wife, referring to his suddenly-manic net ratting.
Hey, man, I've seen plenty 'nuff Batistas, Silvas and Washburns. I'm basking in every Pineda pitch.
.
Q. Will Pineda ever get hit by a lefty lineup?
A. Sure. I notice that Felix gets hit sometimes, too.
Supposing that Pineda gave up a 100 OPS+ to LHB's and decimated righties? Analysts would go, "See? tolja", Pineda would finish top-10 in ERA, and Dr. D would wallow in the minor leaguer who doesn't deserve to be here.
.
Q. Does Pineda's slider work against LHB's?
A. The results with the "slider" against the Royals' 6-lefty lineup:
- 25 pitches
- 19 strikes
- .... 7 swinging strikes = 28% = three times Felix' level)
- .... 6 called balls of any kind
- 0 base hits
- 3 strikeouts (Getz, Ka'aihue, Escobar)
- 0 walks (all walks occurred on fastballs)
Can I ask you a question?
Pretend that you had not been notified that Michael Pineda lacks an ML slider. Pretend you just watched the games, is all you knew.
Then would you think that Michael Pineda's breaking pitch was good or bad?
Watch the games fer yerself. That's free advice. It's more fun, too.
.
Q. And what would I see, if I just watched the games?
A. That the Seattle Mariners appear to have one of the most exciting young 1-2 starter combos since 1970.
Felix is the best pitcher in the game. But he's got a job to do to run with Pineda right now. Watch the Royals series?
BABVA,
Jeff