Ted Lilly - baseball's most courageous pitcher?
by Wreckard on Jul 28, 2008 5:02 PM CDT
Email
PrintJohn Walsh at The Hardball Times has a fascinating article up about the change-up, how it's used, and how one - and only one - pitcher in the big leagues uses it differently from anyone else: our very own Ted Lilly.
It seems Ted Lilly not only challenges but flaunts conventional wisdom by throwing his change-up inside more often than he does outside.
This is the part where I add an unrelated sentence to the end of my diary because of the arbitrary word limit.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
13 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Really interesting article
It surprising that he’s been so successful with it. Great read, thanks for the link.
--www.AddictedToQuack.com
Interesting reading...
...and really reiterates the main purpose of what a changeup is supposed to do, and that is keep a hitter off stride, no matter where it is thrown.
I think the main reason Lilly has had success with his inside change, is because he also throws his fastball inside to RH hitters. Once you see a 90 mph fastball come in tight, your mental approach is to dial up your bat. If the hitter sees the next pitch coming in the same spot (and it’s a change with good arm motion), he knows he has to dial up his bat speed if it looks like a fastball. When a hitter recognizes an outside pitch, you know you don’t have to be as quick to get the head of the bat on the ball, and you can wait a tad moment longer. The whole key here is to set up the inside change with an inside fastball, otherwise, it could spell trouble if the arm motion is not perfect.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
The key of course is the arm motion...
Regardless of where you throw it, if you can make your changeup look exactly like your fastball, it has the chance of being successful. So much of pitching is about deception.
Right one...
...which is why the Kyle Farnworth’s of the world get lit up eventually, because the hitters can lock in to his heat.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
And the Bob Howry's...
... who don’t even throw as hard as Farnsworth.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Great suff Wreckard...thanks
...it would be interesting to know how often he is using the inside change up this year if he was that successful with in 2007?
It would be nice to see him execute a couple of nice ones to Braun tonight
"When I got to Chicago, fans came to Wrigley Field just to have fun, now they come to see us win. The expectations have changed, for the players and for the fans. It’s about winning." Kerry Wood, 7/14/08
Really interesting article...
I never played baseball, having been a cricket player, so one of the things I’ve always wanted to know more about is the lefty-lefty, righty-righty match ups and why they work that way….I can understand it in principle of course (cricket has many of the same dynamics) but having never stood in a batters box I’d like to learn more….
Does anyone know of a good place that provides a really good explanation of the physics of the matter?
It's really about timing...
...and making the hitter think that inside change is really a fastball (which requires a hitter to get the bat around quickly) which gets him out in front even more.
A real good changeup is devastating no matter where it is thrown, because the hitter has already committed himself and has nothing left to create any bat speed. Also, those inside changes probably get pulled way foul often, which is like a swing and a miss if a hitter has less than 2 strikes.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Let's not speak of greatness in the shadow of its burnout ..
Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!
be interesting
to see how he’s throwing that changeup this year. Anyone recall from last night?
’’If somebody had told me we were going to lose Soriano for eight weeks, lose [Carlos] Zambrano and Kerry Wood for a couple of weeks apiece, and then at the same time lose [Reed] Johnson, and then when we played the American League not have a DH [then-injured Daryle Ward], and be in first place by two games, I’d tell you we were pretty fortunate.’’ Lou Piniella (7/23/08)
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
Click here to order your copy, available now!
Recent Stories in Ticket Exchanges
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Marlins agree to unretire No. 5 for Logan Morrison, who will honor his father’s favorite player
- Weatherman Derek Holland does Dallas TV
- Ask Alex: Will Julio Teheran or Matt Moore win rookie of the year?
- Ku Klux Klan, umpires and bowling: Why the minor leagues tossed out Jim Evans academy
- The Cardinals Hall of Fame can now be found at Bill Clinton’s library in Arkansas (Huh?)
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
