Inspired by iamawesomer's original post about Fly Ball Charts (http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/2/2/744622/from-my-latest-post-on-rus), I've added some spray charts to TexasLeaguers.com PITCHf/x Tool, but I have some questions for those interested in providing some feedback.

Jump ahead to help me out.

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I was going to make this a FanShot, but it didn't really fit with the options...

I am looking for a screen shot of the close up of Feliz's change-up grip. It was shown after his first strikeout (Adam Kennedy on the 91-mph change-up).

Evan Grant swears that Feliz throws it with a split-finger grip, but I'm not convinced yet. If you've got the skills, please post your screen cap here.

Thanks.

Here's the final entry in my Texas Rangers prospects video series:

Texas Rangers Prospects: Robbie Ross and Joseph Ortiz

I also made a couple of changes to my site's appearance. A couple of excerpts are included below.

Robbie Ross:

Out of the wind-up, Ross has a very high leg kick, reminiscent of Nolan Ryan's leg kick. After the kick, he starts to drift forward before sitting down on his back leg. This loads the leg very well, but it also lowers his potential release point.

Joseph Ortiz:

Ortiz's arm also wraps slightly across his body, but with a more alarming recoil. Ortiz's arm appears to collide with his rib cage after the throw. The collision doesn't appear to be terribly violent, but the leverage caused by the impact can place extra stress on the posterior capsule of the shoulder where the muscles are already contracting to help decelerate the arm.

Here is my second-to-last Rangers prospects video entry. This time, I bring you two 2008 draft choices: 4th round pick RHP Joseph Wieland and 7th round pick RHP Matt Thompson.

Texas Rangers Prospects: Joseph Wieland and Matt Thompson

Joseph Wieland excerpt:

When Wieland's front foot lands, his pitching forearm is nearly vertical, and active external rotation has already stopped. Though he picks up the ball with his elbow, he avoids an inverted arm position.

Matt Thompson excerpt:

Thompson flexes his trunk and rotates his shoulders simultaneously, and he does so while staying fairly tall. This description is similar to what I said about Neftali Feliz's trunk and shoulders, and even though Thompson does this very well, Feliz does it much better.

This is latest entry in my Texas Rangers Prospects video scouting series. It features LHP prospects Martin Perez of whom you've heard good things and Juan Grullon of whom you've probably heard nothing.

Martin Perez:

Perez pronates like this on each of his pitches - fastball, curveball, and change up - and it is excellent for both health and performance. Pronation allows for better ball rotation (more spin therefore more movement) and helps protect the elbow from forearm flyout. This is a good thing because Perez doesn't get his arm nearly as vertical when he throws his fastball and change up compared to when he throws his curveball.

Juan Grullon:

The simplicity of his motion allows Grullon supreme control over his follow-through. Under such control, Grullon's pitching arm stays on the pitching arm side of his torso; it does not wrap across his body. His pitching arm is decelerated so well by his latissimus dorsi that his elbow actually winds up tucked in next to his rib cage as he finishes his follow-through.

Read the whole thing here: Texas Rangers Prospects: Martin Perez and Juan Grullon

Since I rearranged my blog a couple of weeks ago, I don't really have a place to post this anymore.

My long-held suspicion was confirmed this morning. I tore the labrum in my pitching shoulder a little over 8 years ago. I tore it playing hockey (Ironically, I was tripped.) as a freshman and still "pitched" at UT Dallas for 4 years after the fact.

How was I able to do this? I have no friggin' clue, but after I stopped throwing all the time, my rotator cuff atrophied making the labrum issue more apparent. The discomfort from that, along with symptoms similar to thoracic outlet syndrome, finally pushed me to see a local doctor.

I got the MRI results this morning, and it looks like I've pulled a decent chunk of my labrum right off the bone. A few quick phone calls later, and I'm scheduled for labrum repair at 2:00 PM on Tuesday.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will have only 1 functional arm, and there's a good chance that I will be on a steady stream of Lortab and Naproxen.

I'm sure this will affect my blogging in some way, but I probably won't know until later this week. You might not hear from me for a while, but I've got plenty on my plate for those that are interested...

- I will be in Surprise all next week, and I should get some good photos and maybe some short video clips.

- I still have six scouting reports from the Astros College Classic: Kendal Volz, Craig Fritsch, Alex Wilson, Ryan Berry, Taylor Wall, and Trevor Bauer

- Other topics lying in wait:: kinetic chain, mechanical causes of SLAP lesions (torn labrums), and mechanical causes of torn rotator cuffs, among others.

Some of this stuff will probably start trickling out mid-week.

I've posted the first follow-up article to my UCL article from two weeks ago.  I've brought up some new words and concepts, but I'm sure I haven't explained all of them well enough.

My goal is to make my articles as easy to understand as they can be without writing gigantic 3,000 word articles.

Here's the link: Delayed Internal Rotation: Performance Implications

Here's a brief excerpt from the article:

The rotational mechanics involved in over-hand throwing strongly indicate that the kinetic chain functions more efficiently when internal rotation is delayed until after arm extension.  This means that less energy is wasted on movement that doesn't directly contribute to pitch velocity.

Paul Nyman and Dr. Mike Marshall both agree on the principle reason behind delaying internal rotation - to utilize the triceps muscle as a key link in the kinetic chain.

Really? The Rangers are interested in a 40-year-old DH scheduled to make $14MM in 2009? REALLY?

The guy threw this line at the world last season in 114 games: .225/.326/.400/.725. Sheffield has passed the decline phase of his career and is approaching the 4:00 PM dinner phase.

Fraley is long removed from his tenure as a Rangers reporter, but apparently he's still something of a sucker. What on Earth could possibly be happening in Las Vegas that would allow this to make any kind of sense?

The Ranges [sic] need a middle-of-the-lineup bat to replace Milton Bradley, headed out of town as a free agent. Sheffield carries risks. He is 40 years old and has been troubled by shoulder problems in recent seasons. Sheffield last had a 30-homer, 100-RBI season in 2005. --Gerry Fraley