Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine stated that he is not a believer in pitchers using the windup as part of their delivery, according to the Boston Red Sox website. Valentine stated that pitching exclusively from the stretch position is common in Japan, where he has served as manager on two separate occasions, and he doesn't get why the windup is so common in Major League Baseball. Last month Valentine banned alcohol in the home clubhouse at Fenway Park and on return flights home. Then he fired a shot at the rival New York Yankees, stating that Derek Jeter was out of position on the "flip-play" in the 2001 ALDS, and also made the claim that there was no way Jeter practiced that play. All of this talk, and the first pitch of the 2012 regular season has not even been delivered yet.
Pitchers utilize the windup to create a rhythm for themselves, distract the hitter with all of the motion, and create more momentum by shifting their weight backward than forward toward the plate. When a batter is waiting for the pitch, it is definitely a distraction seeing the pitchers arms, legs, and body all move then deliver a 90 mph fastball toward the plate. It creates deception by the pitcher which is an important part of getting hitters out. The windup is a perfectly legal way to distract and hide the ball from the batter. Furthermore, when a pitcher uses the windup it can help him concentrate on the target rather than using a slide step then rushing the pitch. Everything in baseball happens in a split second, so just a little extra time to pick up and see the target could be the difference between a strike on the corner or a fastball that catches too much of the plate and ends up in the seats. A windup might not create more speed on a fastball but with the deception of the arms, legs, and body a pitcher will appear to be "sneaky" fast and the pitch will seem to have more velocity when it reaches the plate. Valentine also stated that it is common for the pitchers in Japan to only throw from the stretch, but how many Japanese pitchers had great big league careers? The answer is none. Hideki Irabu, Hideo Nomo, Daisuke Matsuzaka, came into the league and were good but not as great as the hype generated. They had good seasons and Hideo Nomo even pitched a no-hitter, but it will be a long time before a pitcher from Japan is elected into the Hall of Fame, and the windup vs. the stretch position has nothing to do with it. Yu Darvish still has the opportunity to prove this fact wrong, but if he follows the trend he will be another Japanese pitcher who will have a good not great career in the major leagues.
Bobby Valentine also banned alcohol from the Red Sox clubhouse after last season when some of the pitchers were drinking beer during games on their off day. This is an understandable move and other teams already have this rule in place, however the former manager of the Red Sox, Terry Francona thinks that it was a P.R. move and he might not be that far off. Remember that it was Bobby V. back in 1999, as manager of the Mets, who was ejected from the game and returned to the bench wearing a fake moustache and sunglasses. That stunt got him fined $10,000 and suspended for two games, but worse of all ridiculed for making a mockery of the game. This is also the same Bobby V. who was at the helm when Mets players Rickey Henderson and Bobby Bonilla played cards in the clubhouse during a game, rebelling against the philosophy of their skipper. Bobby Valentine has been proven to run a loose clubhouse, so for Terry Francona to call his latest rule a P.R. event might prove to be fact. What is the policy going to be if the Sox win in the playoffs, no champagne or beer? Valentine can talk as much as he wants, after all he has been a manager on and off in the big leagues since 1985. However, time will tell if he can win in Boston, his players respect him but Bobby Valentine has a way of letting his ego get in the way. Just like the pitchers that he managed in Japan, he will go down in baseball history as being a good not great manager, and a long way from being a Hall of Famer.
No comments:
Post a Comment