Comments on: The Slider That Won’t Age

By: Felonius_Monk

Felonius_Monk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:53:15 +0000

This post doesn’t really tell us much of anything about his slider quality (and the way it’s aged), just its velocity. You’d really need to look at its movement, or even just mention the fact that it’s retained value by pitch-type linear weights, or something. There are plenty of pitchers who throw garbage sliders at 84mph.

By: Sean Fairchild

Sean Fairchild — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:25:22 +0000

Edgar totally deserves HOF. There needs to be an Edgar statue outside of Safeco.

By: opisgod

opisgod — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:48:49 +0000

Basically yes. It’s movement relative to a equally fast knuckleball in a vacuum. Since such a pitch would only fall as fast as gravity, and would not change its direction of travel, pitchfx is the measure of how the seams affect the movement of the pitch.

It’s all relative. Johnson’s fastball has a whole bunch of tailing movement because he throws sidearm, but doesn’t sink much if at all. This gives the illusion that his fastball is more like Jered Weaver’s when it really isn’t, and a slider which actually doesn’t move at all will just mess with a hitters mind. The fact that it’s usually thrown to the opposite side of the plate increases the illusion, the pitch moves 4 feet horizontally from release point to catchers mitt.

By: neuter_your_dogma

neuter_your_dogma — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:59:12 +0000

Jamie Moyer could kill a bird with a changeup. Big deal. Now a black bear would impress me.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:37:53 +0000

One thing I’ve always wondered about the pitch f/x movement data is that it seems to only measure the movement of a pitch from release to the plate, as though it travels along a straight line. It’s unable to describe a pitch’s path. Basically, two pitches could register the same pitch f/x movement, but one could be travelling on a straight line and the other could for all we know be on a sine curve. Is this true or am I reading it wrong?

And so in Johnson’s case, could it be his slider has an exaggerated or irregular path, but the final movement registers as being very little?

By: Nolan

Nolan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:18:59 +0000

I would think movement would tell us a lot more about the quality of his slider than the velocity would.

By: pounded clown

pounded clown — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:01:20 +0000

What are you trying to say?
“Slider is such a misnomer as it travels as straight as a pitch can, it is all relative.” Relative to the movement of other sliders?

By: td32

td32 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:19:13 +0000

How much less break is on the slider since 2002? There are different grips and different breaks a pitcher can put on a slider. I would imagine his current slider does not resemble his past slider.

By: Benne

Benne — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:31:11 +0000

As a Mariners fan, here’s my dream scenario:

Randy and Griffey both decide to retire this winter. Both are easy first-ballot HOF candidates. And in 5 years, the writers finally figure out that Edgar is HOF worthy.

Griffey, Randy and Edgar all going into Cooperstown on the same day. One can dream, right?

By: joser

joser — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:05:41 +0000

And he didn’t just kill it, he made it explode. And change its velocity vector by 90 degrees instantaneously. Somewhere in avian heaven that bird is still being honored for giving up its life in such a spectacular fashion.