Has anybody else noticed??????

Randy Jones

Yes, he was a great pitcher, which is why I questioned your quote. "There were a few of them back then." Why are there not a few of them now? Are scouts and GMs just afraid to push the pitcher that doesn't throw 90? Doesn't fit the mold?

 

atlheel, I wasn't picking on Carolina's pitching, their success this season speaks for itself. I was answering Braves original post and just used the Carolina/ Miami series as an example. None of the pitchers on either team seemed to really come at the hitters with 90+. Most all of these guys were signed because they have that capability but have chosen to go to other pitches and different strategies to get hitters out. Randy Johnson and Roger Clemmons pushed their way into the big leagues with GAS, they started winning with sliders and splitters. Personally when I see two top teams like Carolina and Miami give up 65 runs in 3 games , makes a great argument for wood bats in college baseball.

 

You hit the nail on the head with your own questions. Not many scouts are going to risk their jobs on a Randy Jones type pitcher. Sure, there are a few that make it..Jamie Moyer comes to mind. But Pro Baseball is run with a different mentality than 15-20 years ago....it's corporate now, which means it has a cookie cutter approach.

 

Miami Vs. UNC series

The game on tv. The radar gun on saturday night was reading about 4-6 mph below what the pitchers were throwing. At some points in the game it said Bards fastball was 61 mph. That would have to be false.

 

90 mph fastballs?

i think pitchers are throwing the same they've always thrown. i've been a scout and know that the number of guys who really throw 90mph is not nearly what we are told. typically college pitchers will throw mid 80's. juco pitchers are usually harder throwers as more prospects go there after high school. in my home town there are supposedly at least 3 guys who throw over 90mph. do they really? i doubt it. the other night one pitcher who supposedly was throwing 91-93 vs a bad high school team under terrible lights got ripped.if a guy is truly throwing over 90 against a bad high school team in a bad league under bad lights wouldn't he be dominating? the same night i saw big league hitters dominated by 94 mph fastballs. remember the people telling you they are hitting 90 are usually selling something that easier to sell at 90mph than at 85 mph.btw these radar guns are like bathroom scales and can be set to show anything