So it seems that I am keeping a keener eye to the New York market these days, but please rest assure I am not partial…. they just happen to be in the news these days! Pitching Tips never seem to go bad.. except when they are horrible ideas!
I found a good read on Mets Today that speaks to Dontrelle Willis’ woes and what has been keeping him back as of late. I’ve been saying this for quite some time, but please do not have your pitcher lose his confidence but altering his mechanics for the sake of having better movement on his breaking pitches. Rehabilitating pitchers…. that’s another story. Adjustments need to be made.
Q: What’s up with D-Train? Are his troubles due to something mental, mechanical, or do you think there’s a hidden injury?
It’s part mechanical and part mental but not in the way you think. The Marlins pitching coach came up with the “brilliant” idea that if Willis change his delivery and threw his pitches slower he could get more movement. So instead of throwing his fastball in the 90’s he is throwing it in the mid 80’s.
This experiment has been a complete disaster. His pitches do have more movement but he doesn’t have any command of them. If you watch him tonight, watch his delivery, it is not the same as it was in the past. You will get to see the new calmed down version which has all of the scouts aghast and wanting him to speed up his motion again.
In order to go against his tendencies to pitch with high a high energy delivery, he will be out on the mound trying to remind himself to slow down. If Treanor is catching he will try to speed Willis up which usually results in the pitching coach visiting the mound and Treanor and the coach getting into an argument as Dontrelle just stands there. It is quite a sight.
http://www.metstoday.com/series-previews/2007/10-questions-florida-marlins/
– Todd
