Scott Patterson’s Delivery

Scott Patterson, who I wrote about earlier, has a violent sort of delivery and a lot of people have been discussing it lately. I couldn’t find a tremendously great clip, but here’s one that gives you a fairly good idea about what he looks like and how he throws (the video is pixelated). Remember, that delivery is even more intimidating since it’s coming from a guy who’s about 6′ 7”.

Some Things Never Change

From Owen Perkins on Trot Nixon:

When D-backs left-hander Shawn Estes tried to sneak a strike in on Nixon after falling behind 1-0, Nixon applied what he’d been working on and took Estes out of the park to right field, dropping a two-run homer into the trees behind the bullpen, where a gaggle of Yankees fans had been heckling the Red Sox alum.

“If you want to get me right, bring in some Yankee fans,” Nixon joked after giving the hecklers a good glare as he rounded the bases.

I absolutely hated Trot Nixon while he was with the Red Sox and after seeing him play for Cleveland last year, that hate was further solidified. It’s good to know that I’m not the only Yankee fan harboring resentment.

A-Rod in Vogue Magazine

A-Rod will be the main attraction in the April edition of Men’s Vogue Magazine. Here’s the featured story by Seth Mnookin, thanks to the Bronx Liaison. It’s a long article but it’s got some very interesting info in there.

Chien-Ming Wang’s Workout Buddy is… Howie Kendrick?

As a tremendously obsessive fantasy baseball player, I tend to do some research on the players I draft (and the players I get stuck with), in the hopes that I’ll be able to envision their upcoming campaigns and therefore, trade or keep accordingly. Howie Kendrick is no different.

Kendrick is an interesting player. At 24, he’s a guy that the Angels were weary of trading to the Marlins for Miguel Cabrera. That says a ton about his talent. He’s not particularly fast, although Mike Soscia of the Angels expects him to steal a lot more this year, nor is he very powerful. However, his strength is his ability to hit everything and anyone, as many scouts project him to win a batting title one day (he’s never hit below .300 in the minors).

In a recent ESPN interview, when asked to name the “toughest pitcher” he had ever faced, Kendrick said the following:

Keri: Who’s the toughest pitcher you’ve ever faced?

Kendrick: Chien-Ming Wang. It’s that sinker ball. He’s one of those guys that you definitely have to be a little more patient against. He can throw two different sinkers. He has one that has a little more sink to it, where he takes a little speed off. Then he throws you a hard one also. So you have to be patient and really try to elevate the ball. He’s pretty much the only guy that I’ve had some problems with in the major leagues.

I know him too. He works out with me; he’s a great guy. I always joke around with him about it and he knows. But this year we’re looking to turn some things around, so we’ll see! I told him, “Watch out, this year I’m going to step back in the box and swing.” So he says, “Then I’ll throw you an outside fastball.” So it’s like an ongoing joke. This year, hopefully we’ll have some good competition.

Looking at Kendrick’s line from last year (he batted .322), when facing the Yankees, Chien-Ming Wang definitely did tie him up. In 4 AB’s against Wang, Kendrick had 3 K’s. Brian Bruney was the only other pitcher on the team that was able to keep Kendrick off the bases (1 AB = 1 K). Kendrick is an aggressive hitter and he doesn’t walk much so, I’m assuming he simply swung at whatever Wang threw at him (probably low sinkers). However, holding back Kendrick, a victory in itself, demonstrates exactly how devastating Wang’s sinker is.

As stated by Kendrick, Wang can throw a slower version of his sinker that dips a bit more, often tailing out the of the zone. The speed on that is probably in the high-80’s, while his (other) faster sinker is the low-90’s. Many people complain about Wang’s inability to throw a diverse group of pitches, but remember, Wang can dial up his fastball to around 96-97 mph. That’s what allows him to be so effective with that sinker. He can throw 2 different versions of it, and it’s not just a change in speeds, as the change in speeds varies the movement on it, essentially creating 2 pitches instead of 1.

Someone like Kendrick is bound to adapt to Wang’s style. The rest of the league is already trying to do it, so it’ll be very interesting to see how incorporating a changeup or slider (more often) will effect hitters who are waiting on that patented sinker. Brandon Webb has a curveball and a changeup, and it definitely seems to be working for him (even if it is the NL).

Traber Almost There

As I speak write the Yankees are beating out the Red Sox after feasting on Bartolo Colon’s repertoire of tasty pitches. Not only have they cast doubt upon Colon as a viable starter for the Sox, forcing them to rethink their scrap-heap strategy, but they were also able to showcase one of their storied spring arms, as Billy Traber pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and struck out 2.

Traber, at this point, appears have locked up his spot in the Yankee bullpen. I know that may sound premature, but, he has yet to allow a run during his Spring Training stint. Essentially, the lefty-reliever role is now his job to lose unless Kei Igawa makes an amazing run at it. Traber’s an interesting story and has had years of ups and downs, so he’s definitely the type of guy you can root for when he comes out of the pen. In fact, Bryan Hoch just posted up a nice read about him (probably while seeing Traber pitch in today’s game.). In his text, Hoch outlines some mechanical problems that Traber has cleared up, which could possibly explain his strikeout resurgence.

I must say, if Traber and Patterson can both make the team, we’d have one of the better journeymen bullpen in all of baseball. They’d be a great story.

Blog Bounce: Blogging The Bombers

Mark Feinsand of the Daily News has a nice Q&A with Ian Kennedy. The questions are all designed by Mark’s readers and a couple of them (along with the answers) are pretty interesting. Here’s a brief preview:

Ian, the criticism we hear most about you is the lack of velocity on your fastball. Where does your fastball actually sit, and how do you compensate for not being a power pitcher?

- Sensei John Kreese, NoMaas.org

Kennedy: “My fastball usually sits 88-92. My control and my ability to “pitch” has allowed me to stand out from pitchers who throw harder than I do.”

Make sure to check it out.

Clarifying Joba’s Role pt.2

From Bryan Hoch:

The 22-year-old right-hander has prepared during Spring Training as a starting pitcher, and the Yankees have not reached a final decision. But with five healthy hurlers primed for the rotation, Chamberlain has surmised that his role will be in relief.

“You stretch your innings out and you go from five or six [innings] to one or two, and it’s a little bit easier to go that way,” Chamberlain said. “It’s good. My arm strength is good, and I felt loose in my last outing. I’m looking forward to getting to New York.”

Chamberlain said that he plans to meet with Yankees manager Joe Girardi and the club’s coaching staff on Wednesday, following the team’s trip on Tuesday to play an exhibition game at Virginia Tech University.

“They’ve been great, so I can’t complain about not knowing anything,” Chamberlain said. “We’re getting close to crunch time and the beginning of the season. Physically it’s hard, but mentally, it’s a little bit harder. Just to have that idea of what the plan is will be good.”

Basically, we all know that Joba will end up in the pen and he knows it too. This waiting game is being prolonged because of potential injuries that could occur to our other pitchers (during ST). Girardi’s simply waiting until the end of camp draws near before clarifying Joba’s (fluctuating) position. Also, it looks like an announcement may even be made mid-week (after the VT game).

Monday Morning Bits: Scott Patterson, Jim Leyritz, CMW

You know the drill (I’m running out of opening statements, yes). I’ve got a different format today, simply because I’d like to comment on some of these stories without the bulletin points making it aesthetically awkward…

Tyler Kepner has a great read on Scott Patterson, the 28-year old reliever who’s really been a force for the Yanks during ST. His success isn’t sudden, unexpected or new, however, as he’s been an equally dominant pitcher in the minors as well. In 116 innings of primarily Double A ball, Patterson has an ERA of 1.47 and has struck out 136 (with a 0.81 WHIP). He’s expected to start the season in AAA, but he’s definitely making a case for himself as he vies for a spot in the pen. Even Ian Kennedy knows it, telling Kepner that Patterson’s old teammates call his fastball the “Invisiball,” because no one could hit it.

With Rivera, Chamberlain, Farnsworth and Hawkins as the only locks for the bullpen, that leaves about 3 other spots. Patterson, Albaladejo, Ohlendorf, Bruney, Britton and Traber have the best chances at filling out the other openings. I would think that Traber has already earned his shot (unless he implodes). Girardi would like a long reliever but that’ll ultimately depend upon performance, which has been less than stellar from the main candidates (Karstens, Rasner and the always popular, Kei Igawa).

Judging from the spring numbers on some of these guys, while sort of knowing what they’re actually capable of base on their minor league stats/scouting info, I would probably like to see Patterson, Traber (lefties), Ohlendorf, Britton round out the pen. Bruney, a talented guy, is often too erratic, and even with solid ST numbers, I’m not willing to forgo that aspect of his game.

Now, on to a less practical story…

There’s some controversy brewing over Jim Leyritz’s appearance yesterday at Legends Field (before the exhibition game). According to George King III, some players were actually unhappy having Leyrtiz show up at the clubhouse (of course, those players were unnamed in King’s report). Leyritz was allowed to stop by because he had Joe Girardi’s permission and he wanted to catch up with some of his former teammates. The players upset over Leyritz’s attendance felt that it wasn’t Girardi’s fault, and instead they blamed Leyritz, saying that he should have never asked Girardi if he could stop by.

Girardi defended his decision, saying that you don’t turn your back on former friends, especially during their tough times (essentially). He also offered his condolences to all the parties involved. I agree with Joe G., and I don’t really think Leyritz’s presence should be a big deal. I understand that he’s involved with a tremendously terrible off-field incident right now, however, I just don’t see the need to restrict him from having what was probably a one-time visit to the clubhouse in order to see some friendly faces. For those who don’t know about Leyritz or his current alcohol-related situation, he’s actually awaiting DUI/manslaughter charges in Florida.

And, finally, one tiny bit to end it all:

• Chien-Ming Wang, who was effective in terms of striking out his Cleveland competition, still says that he’ll rely primarily on his sinker in order to get quick groundball outs. “Strikeouts take too many pitches,” he says, when asked about his peculiar pitching performance.

That’s it for now… I’ll have more on Wang later.