Imagine if poor Clay Buckholtz was in the middle calling them off and poppy and panda were going full speed to catch the ball and did not hear Clay? 
Our National Pastime: 2015 Baseball Thread
- Thread starter rumpleforeskiin
- Start date
Hoo boy. First, Pedro says Tanaka is going to get injured because he sees Tanaka holding back. Then Tanaka calls Pedro out. Now Tanaka says Pedro was right.
Tanaka doesn’t expect velocity to return this season
WASHINGTON — The Yankees are heading into Opening Day still not knowing what they’re going to get from Masahiro Tanaka and his fragile right elbow.
One thing even the right-hander made clear on Saturday, though, was he wouldn’t be the same flame-thrower he was when he was the best pitcher in the majors during the first half of the season.
“I’m trying to establish a certain pitching style for me this year, so maybe it’s not the wisest to ask for velocity from me this year,” Tanaka said through an interpreter Saturday at Nationals Park before the Yankees closed out spring training with a 4-3 win. “I think it will be a little bit, as far as miles per hour go, lower than last year.”
That’s not exactly good news for the Yankees, whose starting rotation is filled with question marks that haven’t been answered during spring training.
Tanaka opted to rehab his partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, foregoing Tommy John surgery and hasn’t looked as dominant as he did a year ago. Part of that is because he has been topping out at 91 mph this spring and often sitting in the high-80s, instead of low-to-mid 90s as in 2014.
When asked if the reason for the dip in velocity was the result of his elbow injury, Tanaka said: “Because of the fact I’m throwing more two-seamers, that would obviously make the velocity go down a bit. As for my pitching style and my mechanics, I’m trying to relax a little bit more when I’m throwing, so that might have something to do with it.”
Whatever the reason, it figures to have an impact on his performance on the mound.
“I don’t think I’ll be perfect,” Tanaka said. “I don’t think I was perfect last year. I think I could have been better last year and I’m always trying to progress. I’m not worried, I’m just trying to move forward and become a better pitcher.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi acknowledged, though, that Tanaka needed to use his four-seam fastball, as well.
“He was really working on his two-seamer and I think the change in velocity helps,” the manager said. “That’s part of the deception, the change of speeds on your fastball. Some guys are really good at it. It comes natural to them and I think it’s really important for him.”
Girardi also will be looking for Tanaka to keep his pitch count down.
“Quick outs would be good for him because he gets in a lot of strikeout counts,” Girardi said.
True, but that was last season, before he was injured and Girardi doesn’t want Tanaka to get away from what he did in 2014, when he went 12-2 with a 1.99 ERA in his first 14 starts, including 113 strikeouts in 99 ²/₃ innings.
Tanaka was shut down in July before returning for a pair of outings in September.
“We talked about him using his sinker, but that doesn’t mean you take the four-seamer away,” Girardi said. “You want all your weapons all the time.”
Girardi is hoping that the transition from spring training to the regular season will help. Tanaka was 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA this spring, fanning 13 in 14 ²/₃ innings.
“A lot of times for veteran pitchers, spring training is a time to work on things and to get in shape,” Girardi said. “When the competition starts, you see a different guy and I expect we’ll see that.”
How hitters can — and likely will — expose gas-less Tanaka
WASHINGTON — No hard-throwing ace. No icons.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome your 2015 Yankees. This is going to be different. And really, really interesting.
Few story lines will be more interesting than if this version of Masahiro Tanaka be successful.
Tanaka Time has slowed down considerable. Just like his fastball. This is Tanaka Lite.
And this will be tough to swallow over the course of a long season.
Tanaka took a little air out of Opening Day, making it clear before Saturday’s 4-3 victory at Nationals Park the Yankees are getting a much different pitcher than the one they shelled out $175 million for before last season.
Tanaka admitted what the baseball world has known. Don’t expect too much from his four-seam fastball.
“I’m trying to establish a certain pitching style for me this year, so maybe it’s not the wisest to ask for velocity from me this year,’’ Tanaka said through interpreter Shingo Horie.
While Matt Harvey has developed into Beast Mode again for the Mets following his Tommy John surgery, Tanaka, who opted to rehab and not have surgery, is trying to survive with a new pitching style to help relieve stress on his right elbow.
This version will be on display Monday in the Yankees opener against the Blue Jays.
Without a productive four-seamer, a major weapon is being eliminated from Tanaka’s arsenal. Spin it anyway you want, but that is never a good thing.
Tanaka’s small tear in his ulnar collateral ligament is having big implications on his pitching style.
“I’m throwing more two-seamers that could make the velocity go down a bit,” Tanaka said. “As far as my pitching style and my mechanics, I’m trying to relax a little bit more when I’m throwing, so that might have to do with it a little bit.”
Essentially, Tanaka is looking for more movement on his fastball and less velocity. That’s his game plan going into the season, and we’ll see if it works.
The problem with that philosophy is without a consistent four-seam fastball, the batter can focus down in the zone. Eye level doesn’t have to change.
That is a win for the hitter.
Hitters will adapt to this change. Now there is one less thing for the hitter to worry about.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the four-seamer still must be a weapon for Tanaka and hopefully velocity with increase. Tanaka has been in the upper 80s, low 90s this spring.
Last year, he averaged 91.2 mph but could get the fastball up to 95 on occasion.
“We talked about him using his sinker,’’ Girardi said, “but that doesn’t mean you take the four-seamer away.’’
The Yankees and Tanaka are looking for more outs earlier in the count and not as many strikeouts.
They can paint this anyway they want, but this is all about reducing the stress on Tanaka’s right arm. More two-seamers mean Tanaka does not have to throw as many four-seam fastballs — during which he airs it out — or splitters.
Think of it as defensive pitching. Maybe it will work. Plain and simple, Tanaka is not as intimidating now as when he was a healthy pitcher.
“Our expectations are high for him,’’ Girardi said.
As for the four-seamer, the former catcher knows the importance of the pitch.
“You want all your weapons all the time,” Girardi said. “That’s the thing. You want to be able to use all your pitches because you can get some long, grinding at-bats where people keep fouling pitches off. The more things they have to worry about, obviously, the better off you are.’’
It’s a different world for Tanaka.
Because of his injury, Tanaka has changed, too. But this is not a change for the better.
It's gonna be a looooong sad year in the Bronx.
Tanaka doesn’t expect velocity to return this season
WASHINGTON — The Yankees are heading into Opening Day still not knowing what they’re going to get from Masahiro Tanaka and his fragile right elbow.
One thing even the right-hander made clear on Saturday, though, was he wouldn’t be the same flame-thrower he was when he was the best pitcher in the majors during the first half of the season.
“I’m trying to establish a certain pitching style for me this year, so maybe it’s not the wisest to ask for velocity from me this year,” Tanaka said through an interpreter Saturday at Nationals Park before the Yankees closed out spring training with a 4-3 win. “I think it will be a little bit, as far as miles per hour go, lower than last year.”
That’s not exactly good news for the Yankees, whose starting rotation is filled with question marks that haven’t been answered during spring training.
Tanaka opted to rehab his partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, foregoing Tommy John surgery and hasn’t looked as dominant as he did a year ago. Part of that is because he has been topping out at 91 mph this spring and often sitting in the high-80s, instead of low-to-mid 90s as in 2014.
When asked if the reason for the dip in velocity was the result of his elbow injury, Tanaka said: “Because of the fact I’m throwing more two-seamers, that would obviously make the velocity go down a bit. As for my pitching style and my mechanics, I’m trying to relax a little bit more when I’m throwing, so that might have something to do with it.”
Whatever the reason, it figures to have an impact on his performance on the mound.
“I don’t think I’ll be perfect,” Tanaka said. “I don’t think I was perfect last year. I think I could have been better last year and I’m always trying to progress. I’m not worried, I’m just trying to move forward and become a better pitcher.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi acknowledged, though, that Tanaka needed to use his four-seam fastball, as well.
“He was really working on his two-seamer and I think the change in velocity helps,” the manager said. “That’s part of the deception, the change of speeds on your fastball. Some guys are really good at it. It comes natural to them and I think it’s really important for him.”
Girardi also will be looking for Tanaka to keep his pitch count down.
“Quick outs would be good for him because he gets in a lot of strikeout counts,” Girardi said.
True, but that was last season, before he was injured and Girardi doesn’t want Tanaka to get away from what he did in 2014, when he went 12-2 with a 1.99 ERA in his first 14 starts, including 113 strikeouts in 99 ²/₃ innings.
Tanaka was shut down in July before returning for a pair of outings in September.
“We talked about him using his sinker, but that doesn’t mean you take the four-seamer away,” Girardi said. “You want all your weapons all the time.”
Girardi is hoping that the transition from spring training to the regular season will help. Tanaka was 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA this spring, fanning 13 in 14 ²/₃ innings.
“A lot of times for veteran pitchers, spring training is a time to work on things and to get in shape,” Girardi said. “When the competition starts, you see a different guy and I expect we’ll see that.”
How hitters can — and likely will — expose gas-less Tanaka
WASHINGTON — No hard-throwing ace. No icons.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome your 2015 Yankees. This is going to be different. And really, really interesting.
Few story lines will be more interesting than if this version of Masahiro Tanaka be successful.
Tanaka Time has slowed down considerable. Just like his fastball. This is Tanaka Lite.
And this will be tough to swallow over the course of a long season.
Tanaka took a little air out of Opening Day, making it clear before Saturday’s 4-3 victory at Nationals Park the Yankees are getting a much different pitcher than the one they shelled out $175 million for before last season.
Tanaka admitted what the baseball world has known. Don’t expect too much from his four-seam fastball.
“I’m trying to establish a certain pitching style for me this year, so maybe it’s not the wisest to ask for velocity from me this year,’’ Tanaka said through interpreter Shingo Horie.
While Matt Harvey has developed into Beast Mode again for the Mets following his Tommy John surgery, Tanaka, who opted to rehab and not have surgery, is trying to survive with a new pitching style to help relieve stress on his right elbow.
This version will be on display Monday in the Yankees opener against the Blue Jays.
Without a productive four-seamer, a major weapon is being eliminated from Tanaka’s arsenal. Spin it anyway you want, but that is never a good thing.
Tanaka’s small tear in his ulnar collateral ligament is having big implications on his pitching style.
“I’m throwing more two-seamers that could make the velocity go down a bit,” Tanaka said. “As far as my pitching style and my mechanics, I’m trying to relax a little bit more when I’m throwing, so that might have to do with it a little bit.”
Essentially, Tanaka is looking for more movement on his fastball and less velocity. That’s his game plan going into the season, and we’ll see if it works.
The problem with that philosophy is without a consistent four-seam fastball, the batter can focus down in the zone. Eye level doesn’t have to change.
That is a win for the hitter.
Hitters will adapt to this change. Now there is one less thing for the hitter to worry about.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the four-seamer still must be a weapon for Tanaka and hopefully velocity with increase. Tanaka has been in the upper 80s, low 90s this spring.
Last year, he averaged 91.2 mph but could get the fastball up to 95 on occasion.
“We talked about him using his sinker,’’ Girardi said, “but that doesn’t mean you take the four-seamer away.’’
The Yankees and Tanaka are looking for more outs earlier in the count and not as many strikeouts.
They can paint this anyway they want, but this is all about reducing the stress on Tanaka’s right arm. More two-seamers mean Tanaka does not have to throw as many four-seam fastballs — during which he airs it out — or splitters.
Think of it as defensive pitching. Maybe it will work. Plain and simple, Tanaka is not as intimidating now as when he was a healthy pitcher.
“Our expectations are high for him,’’ Girardi said.
As for the four-seamer, the former catcher knows the importance of the pitch.
“You want all your weapons all the time,” Girardi said. “That’s the thing. You want to be able to use all your pitches because you can get some long, grinding at-bats where people keep fouling pitches off. The more things they have to worry about, obviously, the better off you are.’’
It’s a different world for Tanaka.
Because of his injury, Tanaka has changed, too. But this is not a change for the better.
It's gonna be a looooong sad year in the Bronx.
Congratulations to the New York Yankees pitching for finishing second in the AL and third in MLB in team ERA, could be a telling sign going into the regular season, let the season begin or as the Red Sox call it "reality sets in".:nod:
And the first home run of the year goes to Edwin Encarnacion.
And the first pounding of the year goes to Masahiro Tanaka.
First Yankee hit of 2015. Well, no one yet, but it's only the fourth.
Dustin Pedroia is now on pace to hit 324 HR this year.
And the first pounding of the year goes to Masahiro Tanaka.
First Yankee hit of 2015. Well, no one yet, but it's only the fourth.
Dustin Pedroia is now on pace to hit 324 HR this year.
Cy Buchholz with an Elite performance to kick off the 2015 campaign! What a dismantling in Philly. Manny I mean Hanley Ramirez with two blasts, one a grand salami and Pedey, well, welcome back Pedey!
How'd things go in the house that Ruth didn't build today? Haven't heard from any of their cheerleaders yet. Guess I shouldn't hold my breath either. Bwaahhaaahh.
How'd things go in the house that Ruth didn't build today? Haven't heard from any of their cheerleaders yet. Guess I shouldn't hold my breath either. Bwaahhaaahh.
Bwaahhaaahh
Bwaahhaaahh
Bwaahhaaahh
Bwaahhaaahh
Bwaahhaaahh
Bwaahhaaahh
Sounds like there was an error which kept an inning alive and then the next Mets batter got the first hit of the game to knock in two runs off Sherzer and take a 2-1 lead. So Sherzer had a no hotter for how many innings?
thanks, you just proved my point and more importantly won me $20 :thumb: But why did it take you so long, the ovah/under was for a few hours less :lol:
Same thing with Tanaka. David Cone was raving how good his stuff was, just lost his location for one inning and that happens a lot to many pitchers early in the season. His stuff was electric minus a inning kept alive by that error. Even hit 93mph, not the predicted 89/90 like some experts predicted lol. 161 to go, Boyzzzz
ROFL!!!!! Wow, talk about desperation, the rouge hosers signed rIck porcello to a 4 yr 80plus million dollar contract today for a guy with a career whip (for u rumps) of 1.36 and a 4.30 era!!! Unbelievable! I guess if you do not have an ace, you just stick an ace price tag on a guy and like magic, you now have one :lol:
20+million for a decent pitcher (a #3 guy at best) on a GOOD team (Detroit) making half his starts at a pitcher friendly ballpark in the Motor City to a much worse team making half his starts in that very hitter friendly "park", I LOVE IT!!!!! :lol:
20+million for a decent pitcher (a #3 guy at best) on a GOOD team (Detroit) making half his starts at a pitcher friendly ballpark in the Motor City to a much worse team making half his starts in that very hitter friendly "park", I LOVE IT!!!!! :lol:
Look at the article Buster Olney tweeted this am. Bwaahhhh!!!! Stupid desperate Yanks.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...-inevitable-masahiro-tanaka-article-1.2175661
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...-inevitable-masahiro-tanaka-article-1.2175661
Right, and you won lots of money on Joe's losing football picks. Of course, I believe you, because, as you know, I was born yesterday.
You know iggy, you've made a career out of making excuses for the Yankees, Second Place in Spring Training®, and their parade of failure through the 21st century, but this one takes the cake. Let me try to correct all the errors here.
1. Yes, his stuff was very good for the first two innings. Baseball, however, is a nine inning game.
2. He didn't lose his stuff for one inning. He just a) hung a bunch of sliders and b) doesn't have much of a fastball these days.
3.The inning wasn't "kept alive" by Headley's error. The error was made with none out. An inning can only be "kept alive" by a two out error.
4. Yes, he hit 93, but was mostly throwing his fastball in the "Sabathia zone" of 89-90. Last year, he hit 96-97, while sitting mostly 93-94. From Lohud, "After watching Tanaka in spring training and hearing him explain his approach heading into the season, there was nothing particularly shocking about the way Tanaka handled today’s start. He threw a ton of offspeed pitches, his fastball seemed to max out at 93 mph — which was his average four-seam velocity last season — but mostly sat around 89-91. He had some impressive strikeouts against breaking balls, but the first big hit of the day was a two-run single off a 93 mph fastball.
Why did he throw so few fastballs today?
“Because they were being hit,” he said.
Wow! Do you really know that little about baseball, or that little about Porcello? Do you know how old Porcello is? At 26, and coming off a year with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.23 whip, he is just entering his prime. Porcello gave up the chance to sign for much more at the end of this season.
And one more thing, B-R rates Comerica at 104, meaning it's a hitter's park. Fenway rates at 101, pretty much neutral. Yeah, I guess you do know very little about baseball. You could, you know, look things up.
Any player can get hurt at any time which I have said over and ovah so if he needs TJ surgery someday then so what, most teams never go through a near 100% healthy season (which is the only reason the rouge hosers won their last title, well that and the obvious *) so if Tanaka needs TJ then fine, if not that is also fine with me, injury is part of sport and I root for the Team first, player second like a real fan. Considering he had a bad inning and 3 very good ones against the best hitting team in baseball, in his first start of the season, I am fine with how he pitched, especially since Headleys error (made possible by Tanakas interferring) prolonged the inning.
Nobody is acting like the sky is falling in the Bronx, TJ surgery or not, BOYZZZ...
PS... Enjoy your new fake ace lol...... unreal, 20 million for a guy who has logged over 200 innings ONCE in a 6 year career pitching in a pitchers ballpark, winning 15 games or more just once! High Era's in 4 out of 6 seasons! for 20 million plus per!!!!!! Bwahahahahahaha... Well, the sox sure did BUY their ace, but still do not have one :thumb:
Nobody is acting like the sky is falling in the Bronx, TJ surgery or not, BOYZZZ...
PS... Enjoy your new fake ace lol...... unreal, 20 million for a guy who has logged over 200 innings ONCE in a 6 year career pitching in a pitchers ballpark, winning 15 games or more just once! High Era's in 4 out of 6 seasons! for 20 million plus per!!!!!! Bwahahahahahaha... Well, the sox sure did BUY their ace, but still do not have one :thumb:
You think the Yankees, Second Place in Spring Training®, are desperate, you should read iggy's response to your post. Now that's desperate!!!
Nobody but you, apparently.
was that dry sarcasm or hallucinatory psychosis?
Yanks overcome the obvious issues and hang tough throughout the long season to somehow gut out 81 wins.
Mets drift haphazardly looking for some kind of chemistry and find none but they find a way to lose 81 games.
It's Cleveland style mediocrity evenly spread all around with New York style hype and ticket prices.
Exciting season?
Imagine being at Olympic Stadium full of cheerful people excited to see a pro baseball game.
Now imagine being there with half the people and all the good vibes surgically removed.
This is the typical Citi Field experience, a now stale ballpark in its seventh season with no history or character and little chance of creating any on the horizon.
some advice for Mets fans as soon as reality sets in...
Tribute to the Yanks fans and their real outlook on desperation instead of the facade they present.
[video=youtube;aUyh2yaZPno]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUyh2yaZPno[/video]
[video=youtube;aUyh2yaZPno]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUyh2yaZPno[/video]
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