SB Nation User Blog: mlbnotebook

Gallardo's location from last night. He looks to be leaving balls over the plate, and will need to...

mlbnotebook — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:19:59 -0000

Gallardo's location from last night. He looks to be leaving balls over the plate, and will need to work on that if he wants to continue his success.

Pitch F/x: Ohlendorf vs Marlins

mlbnotebook — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:19:56 -0000

Pitch F/x: Ohlendorf vs Marlins

Ross Ohlendorf's pitch f/x from his start against the Marlins. Ohlendorf pitched 7 innings, giving up no runs.

Ohlendorf's Pitch F/x vs Marlins

mlbnotebook — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:13:40 -0000

Thought you guys might enjoy some Pitch F/x data from Ross Ohlendorf's start against the Marlins this evening.

Here was Ohlendorf's location today: (Click for bigger graph)

And his movement:

Ohlendorf's slider looked good. Some sliders don't look like they are moving anywhere, but you can tell that his slider has some life to it.

Ohlendorf's 4-Seam fastball had some good life to it, and his change-up had movement (to go with a ~10 mph drop in velocity).

Also, his sinkers and curveballs were most likely 4-Seam fastballs and sliders, respectively. Unfortunately, MLB Advanced Media doesn't always classify pitches correctly, but I showed them as is.

Joakim Soria's movement from today vs. the Yanks. He struck out all three batters he faced. That...

mlbnotebook — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:48:17 -0000

Joakim Soria's movement from today vs. the Yanks. He struck out all three batters he faced.

That curveball is awesome.

Note: First real attempt at Pitch F/x graph. Criticism is welcome.

Joakim Soria's pitch movement from today's game against the Yankees. His curveball was sick.

mlbnotebook — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:43:05 -0000

Joakim Soria's pitch movement from today's game against the Yankees. His curveball was sick.

Baseball Analysts story here. Coors is way up there. No surprises here.

mlbnotebook — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:22:42 -0000

Baseball Analysts story here.

Coors is way up there. No surprises here.

Sources: Adenhart Dead at 22

mlbnotebook — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:20:09 -0000

Sources: Adenhart Dead at 22

The above link is TMZ, and here is a local news story on the issue. The local news story says a family member confirms the story.

RIP. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

"Cops say someone driving a minivan blew through a red light, causing the Mitsubishi that Adenhart was riding in to hit a light pole. Three people were killed in the crash, including Nick.

Cops say the person driving the van fled the scene -- but was later caught and charged with felony hit-and-run. The suspect is currently being treated for injuries in a local hospital.

We're told one of the other men killed in the crash was also affiliated with the Angels organization."

Fun with Pitch F/x: Kevin Youkilis

mlbnotebook — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:09:23 -0000

Fun with Pitch F/x: Kevin Youkilis

Chad Cordero ---> M's

mlbnotebook — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:23:57 -0000

Larry Stone on Baker's blog

I'll have a full story posted soon, but we've learned that the Mariners have reached an agreement with former All-Star closer Chad Cordero on a minor-league deal.

Cordero is coming off major shoulder surgery (torn labrum) last July, so he's not ready to pitch yet, but it's a solid gamble for the future. If he returns to health -- and the Mariners have had a scout monitoring his throwing sessions for the past month, and like what they see -- he could easily wind up as their closer. This guy saved 47 games to lead the National League in 2005, and he's just 26 (he turns 27 in a few days).

Cordero should be in camp by the weekend. He became a free agent in October when the Nationals took him off their 40-man roster. He made $6.2 million last year.

UPDATE: The Mariners have officially announced the deal. It's a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. Cordero is expected in camp on Friday.

Here's a quote from Jack Zduriencik:

"We are going to take it one step at a time, but we are optimistic that Chad can help us this season," Zduriencik said. "Chad has been a quality Major League closer and we look forward to his contributions to our ballclub in 2009."

Interesting. So maybe Jack Z had an idea about the closer situation all along.

Poll

Do you like this signing?

Yes

135 votes

No

5 votes

No Comment

6 votes

146 votes | Poll has closed

Fun with Pitch F/x: Vlad

mlbnotebook — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:03:41 -0000

via mlbnotebook.com

Look at where those extra-base hits are located in the zone. They are scattered all over the inside of the zone, and a cluster of doubles are far outside and low. Amazing. This guy is truly ridiculous.

Also, notice where all the called strikes are. They are way towards the outside half of the plate. Vlad scares pitchers into keeping the ball away from him, mainly because he has proven to be able to turn on the ball. The fact that two of those HR are way inside is truly astounding.