Comments on: Dice-K: Get screwed by the Sox offense, local press http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/ Media, Baseball, Boston, the Red Sox, Music, Literature, and Mnookins Fri, 16 May 2008 20:39:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: tinisoli http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-174542 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:26:56 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-174542 I'd like to echo the congratulations, but I'm curious to know if having the announcement in the Times made you feel, I don't know, gross? I've always found those announcements to be sickeningly focused on where one went to school or what one's parents do for a living. Blech. I’d like to echo the congratulations, but I’m curious to know if having the announcement in the Times made you feel, I don’t know, gross? I’ve always found those announcements to be sickeningly focused on where one went to school or what one’s parents do for a living. Blech.

]]> by: mkp http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-174268 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:17:32 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-174268 Congratulations on the wedding. Saw the announcement in Chass' employer. Congratulations on the wedding. Saw the announcement in Chass’ employer.

]]> by: george http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-161110 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:10:46 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-161110 In the innings he's had problems I just think he loses his confidence. When he has his good fastball he's 94-96ish on his four seamer which seems to come around better on 5 days rest. If he starts falling behind with his off speed stuff and he doesn't have his good fastball he gets hit hard, real hard - Seattle home, Detroit home and Tampa Bay home last week come to mind. The fact that he tends to have one bad inning I think is more mechanical than environmentally related. DM has a bad habit, like a lot of pitchers, of rushing his delivery, thus letting his front shoulder open up and he loses his command. Remember at the beginning of the season some announcers made a big deal about how he wasn't as good out of the stretch, but that wasn't really the issue - it was more that he was rushing his motion and his shoulder flew open and he was throwing side to side rather than downhill. I think his little hesitation on the windup is his self help key to staying back and not rushing. Watch Tek, if he sees DM rushing he will point to or tap his left shoulder and point to his head. Note also how much better DM seems to be the next few innings after his bad inning, they obviously have a much easier time communicating with him in the dugout between innings. DM's on his own out there without anyone to communicate with and I just think his confidence suffers. I also think this will go away with time as he gains experience against major league batters. george In the innings he’s had problems I just think he loses his confidence. When he has his good fastball he’s 94-96ish on his four seamer which seems to come around better on 5 days rest. If he starts falling behind with his off speed stuff and he doesn’t have his good fastball he gets hit hard, real hard - Seattle home, Detroit home and Tampa Bay home last week come to mind. The fact that he tends to have one bad inning I think is more mechanical than environmentally related. DM has a bad habit, like a lot of pitchers, of rushing his delivery, thus letting his front shoulder open up and he loses his command. Remember at the beginning of the season some announcers made a big deal about how he wasn’t as good out of the stretch, but that wasn’t really the issue - it was more that he was rushing his motion and his shoulder flew open and he was throwing side to side rather than downhill. I think his little hesitation on the windup is his self help key to staying back and not rushing. Watch Tek, if he sees DM rushing he will point to or tap his left shoulder and point to his head. Note also how much better DM seems to be the next few innings after his bad inning, they obviously have a much easier time communicating with him in the dugout between innings. DM’s on his own out there without anyone to communicate with and I just think his confidence suffers. I also think this will go away with time as he gains experience against major league batters.

george

]]> by: tinisoli http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-160145 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 22:38:12 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-160145 ElephantMan, Are you suggesting that in the innings in which Daisuke walks 2-3 batters are innings in which the weather changes dramatically? That seems unlikely. It's not like it suddenly gets 10 degrees hotter in the 2nd and then cools back down in the 3rd, even in places like Boston where the weather can change abruptly. Yes, the atmospheric pressure and the presence of wind affects a knuckleball, but with Daisuke's pitches it doesn't matter a whole lot what's going on with the air. Judging by what Daisuke himself has said, his troubles are mental and he just can't find the strike zone in those moments. The differences in baseballs may have something to do with it, but if that were much of an issue you'd think he'd be consistently wild. If anything, his bouts with wildness seem like a rookie thing. Lester sometimes gets into the same kind of trouble. It'll be fun to see how Daisuke progresses. If he gets better with age he should be in the running for 20 wins and the Cy Young year after year. ElephantMan,
Are you suggesting that in the innings in which Daisuke walks 2-3 batters are innings in which the weather changes dramatically? That seems unlikely. It’s not like it suddenly gets 10 degrees hotter in the 2nd and then cools back down in the 3rd, even in places like Boston where the weather can change abruptly. Yes, the atmospheric pressure and the presence of wind affects a knuckleball, but with Daisuke’s pitches it doesn’t matter a whole lot what’s going on with the air. Judging by what Daisuke himself has said, his troubles are mental and he just can’t find the strike zone in those moments. The differences in baseballs may have something to do with it, but if that were much of an issue you’d think he’d be consistently wild. If anything, his bouts with wildness seem like a rookie thing. Lester sometimes gets into the same kind of trouble.

It’ll be fun to see how Daisuke progresses. If he gets better with age he should be in the running for 20 wins and the Cy Young year after year.

]]> by: ElephantMan http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-159423 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 05:57:38 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-159423 When Matsuzaka-San is on his game, he's pretty thrilling to watch. However, he does seem to have occasional bouts of wildness that can be very frustrating as a spectator, whether he's in your fantasy rotation or not. I may be nuts, but I wonder if his control problems all boil down to the weather, sweat, and stitches. We've been told that the Japanese baseballs are much easier to grip, in that the stitches stick out quite a bit more than in the states. I'm thinking that in the innings where he has his meltdowns, there's some change in the weather conditions in whatever ballpark he's pitching in, which increases his sweat, which impacts his grip. He would not have had that kind of problem in Japan, as the entire country has somewhat similar weather patterns, and the balls are easier to grip. I hold a similar opinion on Wakefield; barometric pressure and wind speed/direction play a much bigger role in his success than they do with any other pitcher in MLB. Well, except for the two Knuckle Charlies; Zink and Haeger. Thoughts? TEM When Matsuzaka-San is on his game, he’s pretty thrilling to watch. However, he does seem to have occasional bouts of wildness that can be very frustrating as a spectator, whether he’s in your fantasy rotation or not.

I may be nuts, but I wonder if his control problems all boil down to the weather, sweat, and stitches. We’ve been told that the Japanese baseballs are much easier to grip, in that the stitches stick out quite a bit more than in the states. I’m thinking that in the innings where he has his meltdowns, there’s some change in the weather conditions in whatever ballpark he’s pitching in, which increases his sweat, which impacts his grip.

He would not have had that kind of problem in Japan, as the entire country has somewhat similar weather patterns, and the balls are easier to grip.

I hold a similar opinion on Wakefield; barometric pressure and wind speed/direction play a much bigger role in his success than they do with any other pitcher in MLB. Well, except for the two Knuckle Charlies; Zink and Haeger.

Thoughts?
TEM

]]> by: rln2433 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-158574 Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:34:29 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-158574 If there is anything to rag on Dice-K for is his lack of command on some of his pitches. I do believe that it is hard to command more than 3 pitches but he and Tek seem to call pitches that he cannot get over for strikes. A bit more focus on his curve and a change up/slider and he will be even better which will result in lower pitch counts early on in the game and him making it into the 7th and 8th regularly. Also, if he can rid of the mid-game funk that he tends to go into where he forgets where the strike zone that would also help. Lastly, he should pull JD Drew to the side and explain something about the Warrior's Code from olden times in Japan and how failure was handled by the offender. If there is anything to rag on Dice-K for is his lack of command on some of his pitches. I do believe that it is hard to command more than 3 pitches but he and Tek seem to call pitches that he cannot get over for strikes. A bit more focus on his curve and a change up/slider and he will be even better which will result in lower pitch counts early on in the game and him making it into the 7th and 8th regularly.

Also, if he can rid of the mid-game funk that he tends to go into where he forgets where the strike zone that would also help.

Lastly, he should pull JD Drew to the side and explain something about the Warrior’s Code from olden times in Japan and how failure was handled by the offender.

]]> by: TupeloJoe http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-157513 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 19:38:27 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2007/08/23/dice-k-get-screwed-by-the-sox-offense-local-press/#comment-157513 ESPN's Jayson Stark started this season tracking what he calls "Criminally Unsupported Starts". In his Insider Blog entry from August 16th, Dice-K was leading the AL with 9 CUS starts, tied with Kansas City's Gil Meche. He defined CUS as "a game in which a pitcher goes at least six innings, but his offense scores no more than one run while he's in the game." He throws this tidbit later on. "Matsuzaka's record is 13-9. In games where he gets "normal" support or better, however, he's 11-3. If he'd gotten four runs of support in his CUS games (while he was out there) instead of one or none, he'd be 17-4." It's a shame Bill Ballou is holding on the outdated idea that number of wins is an accurate reflection of how well a pitcher is pitching. ESPN’s Jayson Stark started this season tracking what he calls “Criminally Unsupported Starts”. In his Insider Blog entry from August 16th, Dice-K was leading the AL with 9 CUS starts, tied with Kansas City’s Gil Meche.

He defined CUS as “a game in which a pitcher goes at least six innings, but his offense scores no more than one run while he’s in the game.”

He throws this tidbit later on.

“Matsuzaka’s record is 13-9. In games where he gets “normal” support or better, however, he’s 11-3. If he’d gotten four runs of support in his CUS games (while he was out there) instead of one or none, he’d be 17-4.”

It’s a shame Bill Ballou is holding on the outdated idea that number of wins is an accurate reflection of how well a pitcher is pitching.

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