Writeup on the Cobra at Baseball Analysts

by haymister on Jun 11, 2007 10:45 AM EDT

Al Doyle at Baseball Analysts writes What Good is an 83-MPH Fastball, a piece on Byrd and how pitchers like him maybe deserve more opportunities. Doyle went to the May 25 game at Comerica and spends a few lines detailing the particulars of Byrd's performance and poses the following:

So how do Byrd and his fellow finesse types survive in a time when radar guns and numbers like 98 have a slavish, cult-like following? The desperate need for even semi-competent pitching and depth in the rotation means teams have to tame their one-track quest for power arms and settle for other options.

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Re: Writeup on the Cobra at Baseball Analysts

Very good overview on what's made Byrd so successful.

If a pitcher can change speeds, miss bats, and throw (quality) strikes, he should be able to be reasonably successful, no matter what kind of fastball he has. Having a 95+ mph fastball certainly doesn't hurt, but if that's all you have as a pitcher, you'll have less success than the Paul Byrds of the world. It's not what you have, but how you use it.

by Ryan on Jun 11, 2007 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

Re: Writeup on the Cobra at Baseball Analysts

Case in point: Jason Davis.

Railing against the sacrifice bunt since 2000.

by jdudas on Jun 11, 2007 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Writeup on the Cobra at Baseball Analysts

"It's not what you have, but how you use it."

Reminds me of all those dating self-help philosophies ....

by talonk on Jun 11, 2007 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Writeup on the Cobra at Baseball Analysts

"It's not the size of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean"

"The hibachi is coming to a city near you. I'm cooking chicken and shrimp, but if you want to throw a double team my way, filet mignon gets cooked too"

by Rayman @ Let's Go Tribe! on Jun 11, 2007 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions