Location, location, location.

The exaggerated example is Randy Johnson during his Yankee tenure.  Throwing 95 down the middle, he’d get creamed.  Hitting the catcher’s glove=success.

Actually, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a “mechanical flaw” resulted in a 1-2 mph loss of velocity.  I don’t know if THIS one has anything to do with CC’s diminished FB speed, but the idea that a mechanical flaw could impair velocity to such a small degree doesn’t seem farfetched.

CC’s velocity isn’t really down that much from where it was at this time last year.  Maybe 0.6 to 0.7 mph.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see a mechanical flaw causing a drop like that, but even if it hasn’t I think if he gets his command tighter he’ll pitch about as well as we expect him to even if he’s lost a bit of zip.

Velocity and location are key. I watched Phil Huggies the other night and I was surprised just how effective he was throwing the four seamer about 90% of time. Same approach in April and he was hammered. Phil has to have location AND throw 93. 91-2 doesnt cut it for him.  Perhaps CC’s slight decrease is an issue but to me he hasn’t been good locating with it and getting ahead on counts. To some degree I have had issues with our catchers setting up in poor locations. The homer that McCann hit was the catchers fault as he set up inside when CC was ahead in the count 1-2.  I thought it very dumb at the time.

Erp, meant “fixing” the mechanical flaw adding velocity. 

As long as this tinkering doesn’t lead to injury, I will consider it a success.

Then again who thought a minor swing fix could turn a guy who couldn’t hit lefties into a guy that can lefties AND hits 40+ HRs a year?

So what could it take, prospect wise, to get Span from the Twinkies?

I can’t imagine fixing this “mechanical flaw” will also add 1-2 MPH to his fastball

Why not? Mechanics are about efficient transfer of energy. Less efficient mechanics means less energy transferred (instead of lost), which means less velocity.

[8]
That says nothing about what level of resulting transfer would be far too much to expect and what level would be well within reasonably likely transfer.

Personally anytime someone talks about fixing flaws or changing mechanics I think there is a 50/50 chance they are talking about placebo voodoo. If Sabathia doesn’t improve this article will be forgotten, if he does it might not be, but who knows if it means anything.

[9] What says nothing about it? Cutters statement or mine? He says that it won’t be enough to add 1-2 mph. Adding 1.5 mph (which would coincidentally and conveniently for this analysis align nearly exactly with his fastball velocity from last year, 2012-92.3, 2011-93.9, so a 1.6 mph difference) represents a pitch with 3.3% more kinetic energy. Adding 1 mph to his 92.3 mph average fastball is a kinetic energy increase of 2.1%.

So while Jonathan isn’t explictly saying how much more energy transfer he’ll achieve, he’s essentially saying it will result in something very marginal or close to zero because he’s saying it won’t be +1-2 mph.

which would coincidentally and conveniently for this analysis align nearly exactly with his fastball velocity from last year, 2012-92.3, 2011-93.9, so a 1.6 mph difference

Again I’ll mention that CC’s average fastball at this point in 2011 was around 92.9.  He threw 94+ mph on average over the last four three and a half months of the season.

What seems like a 1.6 mph drop is partially due to where we are in the season, and he should pick some of that velocity if he makes the same sorts of second half gains he’s made in the past even if little else changes.

J, actually - yours, not his.

You say it could help - sure, I agree.  But the fact that it could help tells us nothing about whether this degree of help is outlandish or ordinary.
That’s all.

[13] Despite SG’s constant reminder that Sabathia is pretty much on track with where he is, I’ll make one more point on mechanics.

But the fact that it could help tells us nothing about whether this degree of help is outlandish or ordinary.

All I’m saying is that it doesn’t need to ‘help’ a whole lot for Sabathia, or any pitcher trying to get more velocity, to see a 1-2 mph increase. If it helps, it’ll likely be 1-2%, and we’ll see more velocity.