Sergio Romo’s first career start just happened - McCovey Chronicles

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

This will be the Rays next contribution to the so-called "Sabermetric Revolution" (after shifts). It is what David has to do to defeat Goliath. If the Rays had the resources to pack the starting rotation with four Max Scherzers, would they be doing this? Probably not. So maybe it's more of the "Competitive Balance Disparity Problem" rearing its ugly head again. Like the allegedly dead and buried PED issue.


from McCovey Chronicles:
Sergio Romo’s first career start just happened - McCovey Chronicles:

A long time ago, Sergio Romo used to be an ace reliever with the Giants. A long, long time ago, Sergio Romo used to start games from time to time. 

Now that he’s made his way to the forward-thinking, penny-pinching Tampa Bay Rays, they’ve turned him into some slider-throwing hybrid of the two by declaring him their “opener” in their series with the Angels.

Baseball Prospectus’ Bryan Grosnick coined the term “opener” as a bookend to the end-of-the-game “closer” and it’s basically a riff on the Bullpen Game approach we’ve seen employed by these very Rays and some other teams from time to time. The opener idea is a bit more direct — one inning from a quality reliever to basically help the team “settle in” and have a chance to get through a first inning without much damage."

'via Blog this'

This won't spread too far or too wide. I don't know that I would trust the gas-can carriers in the Giants bullpen to be "openers" for the starters. But I would like to see a sub 30-pitch, 3 runs allowed first inning every now and again. Although you could make the argument that the Giants starters have been "openers" for the last two years. Because they open the can of "Whup Ass" that the opposition uses to beat us by giving up large, early inning deficits.

I can't wait to hear the purists cry, "Oh Lord, we're skewing the GS stat". Wait, what? Who cares? The Rays are trying to win ball games and this is one way to do it. If a team, like the Rockies versus the Giants for instance, consistently jumps out to a lead against your starting staff, maybe one way to stop the bleeding is to throw an "opener" out their instead of an ineffective "starter". These guys are more accustomed to being ready to go on first pitch whereas starters sometimes suffer from "first inning-worst inning syndrome". This takes care of that. Wait a minute! Maybe this will spread. Maybe we need a "FIWI" stat to identify starters who can't warm-up and answer the opening bell efficiently and allocate pitching resources more appropriately if somewhat unconventionally.  Isn't that what shifting was all about? Not being a prisoner to convention? 

Viva Le Rays!! Viva Senor Romo!!

BTW: Sergio Romo is still a freaking warrior and the perfect choice for this type of experiment. Pound for pound, the best reliever of all time.

P.S. - I'm trademarking the "FIWI" stat name.

Giants baseball - fun and frustrating

It is fun to be a Giant and a Giant fan. Fun, but frustrating as well, as this story alludes to. Who would have thought we would have been cheering .500 so soon after hoisting the pennant? But that's what it means to be a Giants fan.

from Giants Extra:
Dominant Bumgarner takes no-hitter into the seventh as Giants blank Padres - Giants Extra:

“I mean, it’s just fun to be a Giant,” Romo said. “It’s just really fun to be a Giant.” 

Especially now. It’s not easy to stand at .500 after 26 games when you’ve mixed in an eight-game losing streak. Having a legitimate ace certainly helps – especially one that already has come out on the winning side twice against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw. 

“Conviction, brute force, pitching finesse – he can kind of do it all and it’s impressive,” Romo said. “Now he’s finding his stride. I think that’s what’s going on with us as a team in general. We’re all finding our ways to contribute and it’s fun right now.” 

Casey McGehee remains on the other side of the glass, though. The third baseman committed a throwing error to start the game, he stunted two rallies with disastrous at-bats and the murmurs of dissatisfaction from the sellout crowd have bloomed into throaty boos."

'via Blog this'

It's fun because you get to watch excellence on a nightly basis in the form of Bumgarner dominating opponents and making it seem routine. It's fun watching Brandon Crawford perform magic with his glove every night and make it look routine. It's fun watching Buster Posey grow from rookie to regular to star and perhaps eventually to legend. It's fun watching the uniquely talented Hunter Pence perform at an all-star caliber level and do it in a manner that is certain not no to make any past or future Tom Emansky video tapes. It's fun watching Romo throw slider after slider by batters who know it's coming and still can't hit it.

At the same time, it's fun watching Lincecum transition from power to finesse and frustrating to watch him struggle with it at times, sometimes from one start to the next, careening from excellence to frustration like a drunk driving home at 3 AM.

It is frustrating watching McGehee melt down on a nightly basis and last night was a microcosm of his brief stint with the Giants. The first inning error was on Belt, who seems to waver in and out of his own private morass with the bat and more recently, with the glove as well. Both look lost at times on the field. McGehee looks almost as if he's playing scared or tight. Gripping the bat too tight and the ball too tight is a sure recipe for disaster. If anyone was a candidate for a slump-buster it's Casey McGehee.

But that is Giants baseball. Fun and Frustrating. Many times, on the same night.

Sergio Romo re-signs with the Giants for $15 million | HardballTalk

Yay!!! Giants win one!!! After losing Panda and Morse, this victory was needed for the fan base. Romo wanted to stay, was popular with the fans and after the Dodgers DFA'd Brian Wilson, I was beginning to worry we'd lose him too. The salary is about right and he just wouldn't have looked right as a Yankee or Red Sox. It was beginning to look like the one I thought we could afford to lose the most, we would keep in Jake Peavy. Maybe now Vogie will stay, but like Morse, it sounds like the Giants already gave Vogelsong the cold shoulder. We shall see. Morse at 2/$16M was pretty reasonable. I'm still in shock that we couldn't match the offer and end up losing a free-agent to the Marlins, of all teams.

from HardballTalk:
Sergio Romo re-signs with the Giants for $15 million | HardballTalk:

After testing the open market as a free agent Sergio Romo has re-signed with the Giants for two years and $15 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Romo lost the closer job this year and his overall numbers slipped, but he finished the season by allowing just two runs in his final 23 appearances along with a 23/3 K/BB ratio. At age 31 his durability is a big question mark, but he’s been one of the best relievers in baseball for basically his entire career and the Giants obviously know what they have in Romo after seven seasons together.

'via Blog this'

We're still down about two bats and some of the solutions proposed out here in Blog-ville and BLB radio are downright absurd. Like, "let's trade Panik and Susac for a stud 3B or a LF'er". WTF, let's just toss in Posey and Bumgarner and get both at the same time. Why you would trade Panik and create a hole at 2B that you presumably just filled for a few years to patch another hole at 3B is beyond me? Maybe me not losing sleep over tossing Crick into a deal would sound just as ludicrous but IDK, Hot Stove League is in full throttle mode right now. Everybody is Monty Hall making deals.

Some guys still believe that Matt Duffy or Adam Duvall can do what Panik did, given the opportunity. IDK, I still subscribe the football coaches maxim about how if you have 2 QB's you really don't have one QB. The Giants would go to the post today with a tri-headed monster of Blanco/Perez/Ishakawa in LF and Arias/Duffy/Duvall at 3B. So, I guess they really, really don't have one 3B or one LF. If that makes sense.

Bottom line, Romo stays, good news for Giants fans.

Just for this, he's worth all the money the Giants give him. I feel like this today. 
http://m.mlb.com/video/v25462635/ws2012-gm4-romo-fans-cabrera-to-seal-series-win

Crasnick: Yanks, Sawx, Dodgers eye Romo - Yankees Blog - ESPN New York

It looks like it's going to be bye-bye Romo and the Yankees-Sawks-Dodgers Trifecta is a sports agents wet dream come true and a nightmare to Sabean. I get that you pushed all your chips to the center of the table in a noble effort to acquire Lester. But now your other competitors, specifically the Dodgers, are clearly beating you to the punch in executing Plan B. Not a good Winter Meetings for the Giants so far, maybe Sabean needs a breath mint.

Unless the Giants Plan B is to wait for the big dogs to eat and then scoop up whatever scraps they miss.

from ESPN New York:
Crasnick: Yanks, Sawx, Dodgers eye Romo - Yankees Blog - ESPN New York:

SAN DIEGO -- We have mentioned a number of times that the Yankees could try to sign Sergio Romo as their closer, allowing them to leave Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller as setup men. Jerry Crasnick says the Yankees are not alone in their interest in Romo. 

'via Blog this'

Several Giants will ring the cash register shortly - Who stays and who goes?

We're going to find out pretty quickly whether the core of the Giants stays intact or cracks. As I've said before, I think the Giants can be compete for Pablo Sandoval @ about 5 years / $80-$90M. If it goes much higher, he is likely to leave.

from SI.com
After another World Series title, what's coming for Giants in offseason? - MLB - SI.com:

For starters, series MVP Madison Bumgarner isn't going anywhere. While the 25-year-old lefty spent the past month making it clear that he belongs on the short list of the game's elite pitchers, he's not headed for a Clayton Kershaw-like payday anytime soon. Bumgarner just completed the second year of a five-year, $35 million extension signed in April 2012; he made $3.75 million this year, and will make $6.75 million next year, or $23.25 million less than the Dodgers' ace lefty. His contract is guaranteed through 2017, after which the Giants hold $12 million options on his 2018 and '19 seasons. Those options can vest based on innings thresholds, and increase to as much as $16 million if he wins a Cy Young award — still a bargain by the standards of the game's top-tier starters. Bumgarner is one of four Giants under contract through at least 2017, with Hunter Pence, Buster Posey and the injured Matt Cain being the others.

On the other side of the coin, the team does have several players headed for free agency, and they won't keep all of them, even with around $62 million worth of room between their 2015 commitments ($127.3 million, according to Cot's Contracts) and the $189 million luxury tax threshold. Closest to their core is Pablo Sandoval, who probably earned himself a few extra million dollars thanks to a .366/.423/.465 showing in 78 postseason plate appearances, with an OPS above 1.000 in both the NLCS and the World Series, not to mention some dazzling defense.

'via Blog this'

Jake Peavy likely will be too rich for the Giants blood and with Cain back healthy and Petit and option in the rotation, the starting rotation has enough quantity, a return to form by Tim Lincecum would help with the quality.

I think Romo and Vogelsong can both be retained at almost the same salary between the two of them. The Dodgers interest in Romo could be the deciding factor. I would like to see Romo stay in case Machi forgets how to throw the fork-ball and Strickland doesn't figure out how to keep left-handed batters in the park.

Michael Morse is the wild-card. The experts are assuming that AL teams are going to come a knocking for Morse to play a DH heavy role next year. If he's good with that, he may be gone. The problem signing Morse if he is going to want three years minimum and I would feel better with a two year deal in case the Giants need to make room for Mac Williamson or Gary Brown develops into more than a bongo drum for Hunter Pence.

I love the folks who say, well let Sandoval go, let Morse go, we'll just sign Hanley Ramirez or the Cuban free-agent Tomas or God forbid Melky Cabrera. Do they think those guys will cost appreciably less than retaining Sandoval or Morse? At least Jake Peavy is replaced by a returning Matt Cain. It's why he was brought over here.

The ghost of Aubrey Huff still lurks by the Giants cash register, that's for sure. That's creepy!!!

WORST BUSTER HUG EVER!!!

Giants capture 3rd title in 5 years - Dynasty? YES!! YES!! YES!!

It's cool that this is even a discussion. When they have to compare you against the top teams of all time, some of whom played in an entirely different era that was more conducive to building a dynasty ( ie: teams that played before the dissolution of the Reserve Clause ).

from Yahoo Sports:
New dynasty: Giants capture 3rd title in 5 years - Yahoo Sports:

Eight players have been on all three winning World Series teams: Bumgarner, slugging third baseman Sandoval, Posey and relievers Jeremy Affeldt, Javier Lopez, Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo and Tim Lincecum. Matt Cain, too, but he was hurt this year.

General manager Brian Sabean, longest-tenured in baseball, can't put a finger on why the mix keeps working. He is proud of the core of players who were drafted and came through the system and played such a huge part this time.

"It's a testament to player development and scouting. That's what we all hope for, that you can plug your holes from within and build your team from within," Sabean said. "That's a surefire way to kind of keep things moving forward. It prevents you from having to go into the market, whether it's free agency or more so the trade market."

'via Blog this'

I'm more concerned with how many of the core guys can be re-signed. I think Pablo can be had for 5 / $90 which would be in the same neighborhood as the Hunter Pence money his neophyte agent was looking for at the beginning of the season. If it gets much higher than that either through Pablo's agent overplaying his hand or another team submitting a crazy bid and Sandoval is gone. Oh, and Pablo, tell your dumb-ass agent that comparing your contract to another teammates is bad form. There are plenty of other comparables he can make a) behind closed doors and b) after the season is over. By the way, I define a crazy bid as one that takes Pablo's number significantly over Pence's numbers and approaching or greater than Buster Posey's number. Let some other team take the chance on that one.  

Romo I think can be had by taking the $5M I believe he was making and the $5M Vogelsong received last year and splitting it $5.5M Romo and $4.5 Vogie or 60/40. You might lose both if Vogelsong gets a nice offer from another team, but Affeldt has the bullpen bar set at $6M and deservedly so. Plus, Casilla will be due a nice raise shortly, to say nothing of Bumgarner. Bumgarner recently signed a team friendly extension that seemed fair to the pre-legendary Bumgarner, but might have to be looked at again quite soon.

World Championships come with a cost, but it's a nice cost to have. WTH it's not my money, pass the hat among the billionaire owners.

Giants core strength

The Giants not so secret weapon. Two lefties and two righties provide Bochy a ton of flexibility and maneuverability in the late innings. As we have seen lately it has allowed him to leave both Matt Williams and Mike Matheny lying in a cloud of second guessing the wake of their series with the Giants.

from Yahoo Sports:
Giants rely on core of 4 relievers - Yahoo Sports:

Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt, Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo are among the seven players who have played in all three postseason runs for San Francisco since 2010, providing stability to a role that can be so hard for some teams to fill come October.

'via Blog this'

Is it time to start calling him "Big Game" Bumgarner?

Why not? The stats don't lie. He's been as tough as nails in the post-season since he arrived on the major league scene. Sometimes overshadowed by Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum, but never under-appreciated by his teammates or the fans.

from Giants Extra:
POSTGAME NOTES: Forget retirement, Ishikawa is now making a push for another ring; Bumgarner slams Cardinals - Giants Extra:

I found this to be incredible: Bumgarner has made nine postseason starts for the Giants and four of them were shutouts (he went nine in one of the four). “You know, he’s so good at what he does,” Bochy said. “He executed all night against a tough lineup. He’s a guy that you want out there to start things and he gave us all we were asking.”

In the past week, I’ve heard a lot of Bumgarner’s teammates say they’re thrilled that he’s getting so much notice nationally. He’s now officially one of those guys, the Lesters and Verlanders and others with reputations for coming through in the postseason. (On a related note: Why does James Shields get the ‘Big Game’ nickname? Seems there are better options.)

'via Blog this'

On this play with Kolten Wong, it went without mention by the genius commentators at Fox, but:

a) Wong was inside the baseline, not in the running lane where he belonged when the contact was initiated. If anything Wong is interfering with Bumgarner rather than Bummer obstructing Wong.

and

b) Perhaps if the Cardinals didn't waste the umpires time reviewing this play, they would have been more focused on what was going on ie: the phantom Bumgarner balk. Replay will never totally remove the human element from the game and it is not outside the realm of possibility that the crew was mentally replaying the prior play with Wong in their mind to prepare for the post-game analysis and commentary and just whiffed on the mini-balk when it snuck up on them.  

And it was a balk, IMO. However, unless it was mysteriously ruled a three-run homer balk, the Cardinals still have no chance of coming back. So there. 


http://m.mlb.com/video/v36795853/nlcs-gm1-bumgarner-nearly-balks-before-fanning-cruz

I get that these guys don't know the rules, and if Tim McCarver over the years wasn't proof positive enough, then Harold Reynolds spinning a web of rule book ignorance trying to explain the early inning drop / catch by the Cardinals RF should be the final straw. If you don't understand the definition of a catch, you have no business whatsoever trying to explain the rule book, much less question umpires judgment. And he spun himself a nice little 180 there BTW by trying to imply that the rule book was a bit tricky there. No Harold, the rule book is pretty black and white there, it's your understanding, or lack thereof, that is a bit sketchy. Nice try though.

Note to MLB: Do what the NFL does and have a rule book expert on stand-by for these "tricky" replay scenarios. It would help the credibility of the broadcast.

Nice picture of Ishakawa with the Eagle backdrop as well as a great back-story to yesterdays game and that being the story behind Ishakawa's last and likely final chance in this latest stint with the Giants. It goes to show that sometimes there is a thin line between success and "what might have been" in baseball. Good to see Ishakawa having this type of success.

BTW2: Did anyone else pick up on Verducci mentioning Romo and the persistent use of the slider by saying "you could wake him up from an afternoon nap" and he could throw that pitch? And how is that not at least a subliminally offensive comment given Romo's Mexican heritage? I mean, he didn't mention a pre-game nap or any old time of the day nap, but a siesta. Maybe Romo can wear a T-shirt to voice his displeasure.  I hereby lodge a political correctness protest on Mr. Romo's behalf and demand an immediate apology from Fox Sports for the offensive comment against the Mexican-American community in general and Sergio Romo specifically.

For future reference (definition of a catch):

A CATCH is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it; providing he does not use his cap, protector, pocket or any other part of his uniform in getting possession. It is not a catch, however, if simultaneously or immediately following his contact with the ball, he collides with a player, or with a wall, or if he falls down, and as a result of such collision or falling, drops the ball. It is not a catch if a fielder touches a fly ball which then hits a member of the offensive team or an umpire and then is caught by another defensive player. If the fielder has made the catch and drops the ball while in the act of making a throw following the catch, the ball shall be adjudged to have been caught. In establishing the validity of the catch, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove that he has complete control of the ball and that his release of the ball is voluntary and intentional.

Rule 2.00 (Catch) Comment: A catch is legal if the ball is finally held by any fielder, even though juggled, or held by another fielder before it touches the ground. Runners may leave their bases the instant the first fielder touches the ball. A fielder may reach over a fence, railing, rope or other line of demarcation to make a catch. He may jump on top of a railing, or canvas that may be in foul ground. No interference should be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk.

If a fielder, attempting a catch at the edge of the dugout, is “held up” and kept from an apparent fall by a player or players of either team and the catch is made, it shall be allowed.

 

Romo Photobombs Reporter....We need a return of "The Machine"

All right, there's photo-bombing and then there's photo-bombing. This team is missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it but, I think this team misses Brian Wilson!!

from Bleacher Report:
Romo Photobombs Reporter:

CSN Bay Area's Amy Gutierrez went live from the Giants' dugout, and closer Sergio Romo had to think fast. So he grabbed a catcher's mask and a bat and ... well, he did his best.

'via Blog this'

Brian Wilson - Cheap Seats Interview - "The Machine" Revealed

Police issue Sergio Romo summons at Vegas airport - Yahoo! Sports

GREAT!!!

Disturbing how quickly fame can affect behavior. Romo went from "I just look illegal" to "I just act illegal" in one off-season. TSA agents don't discriminate. They will pat down granny's diapers in a heartbeat, so I hear.

Hopefully, this is a one-off incident for Romo.

from Yahoo Sports: 
Police issue Sergio Romo summons at Vegas airport - Yahoo! Sports:

''I would like to sincerely apologize about the recent events at the Las Vegas airport which brought negative attention to the San Francisco Giants' organization and its fans,'' Romo said in a statement released by the team Thursday night. ''I love and respect the Giants, my teammates and our fans and promise to conduct myself in the future in the 'San Francisco Giants Way.'''

'via Blog this'

San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors)

There has to be room enough in the bullpen for two beards.

Keep Wilson and Romo, save on razors.

San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors):

"It’s going to be a big decision for them to decide if Brian Wilson should be offered arbitration or non-tender him. Wilson made $8.5 million in 2012. The Giants could be considering a deal that doesn’t guarantee as much for 2013 but can be loaded with incentives. It’s a big risk to offer arbitration and risk him getting paid another $8.5 million or so and not be able to pitch in 2013.
Since 2010, Sergio Romo has the lowest WHIP (0.85) in the Major Leagues. Romo was the Giants closer as the season starting winding down and the entire 2012 playoffs."

'via Blog this'

WORLD SERIES NOTES: Romo comes up with a new trick; Scutaro sums it up | Giants Extra

I have been meaning to get to the Driveline Baseball article on pitch sequences and the use of data to optimize pitch selection, but the WS ender (and I can't get enough of this one) illustrates the "old-school" way (gut feeling) of doing same.

The Hardball Times article is the basis for Kyle Boddy's work at Driveline. I highlighted some of the areas I founf most helpful. I especially liked his point about telling pitcher that rather than focusing so much on "first-pitch strike" it was more important to string more 1-2 counts than 2-1. That way a miss on the first-pitch doesn't make them press later in the count to make up for the initial miss. More 2-2's than 3-2's are pretty important as well.

This is the battlefield where the war is fought in the pitcher-batter confrontation. The count. When the count is in the pitchers favor, good things happen. Sometimes, great things.


from Mercurynews.com:
WORLD SERIES NOTES: Romo comes up with a new trick; Scutaro sums it up | Giants Extra:

Miguel Cabrera, possibly the most dangerous hitter in the game (*non-Scutaro division), was sitting on a slider. The Sergio Romo slider — of which there are different variations — is as good as it gets, and Cabrera was waiting for it. He took the first one for a called strike and swung through the third one. With a 2-2 count, Cabrera fouled off another slider.

Five in a row, in the season’s biggest moment. Romo was protecting a one-run lead in the World Series, and he was doing what he does. Slider, slider, slider, slider, slider.

Then: Fastball. Right down the middle at 89 mph.

Cabrera was stunned as Buster Posey roared past him, both arms in the air. Posey had called for the slider and Romo shook his head. In the biggest moment of his career, Romo wasn’t going to throw his best pitch. It was a ballsy moment in a season full of them.

 It’s a pitch that will be played over and over again for years to come. There’s the fastball and then there’s Romo, fists pumping, chest heaving, words screaming out of his mouth. In the background, there’s Cabrera, trying to figure out what the hell happened to that slider that he was sitting on.

“From the first pitch to the last pitch,” Cabrera said. “I was looking slider.”

'via Blog this'



from drivelinebaseball.com
http://www.drivelinebaseball.com/2012/05/28/choosing-the-correct-pitch-sequences-data-driven-decisions/

All pitchers (and parents of pitchers):

My fellow author at The Hardball Times wrote an awesome article 2+ years ago about pitch types, and updated it in 2011. It’s pretty data-intensive:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/updated-benchmarks-for-pitch-types/

Large-scale data mining of MLB pitches using my database as well as Harry’s work has formed the backbone of why I teach the pitches I do, and the sequencing of them. Though I don’t get too in-depth into this when I work with you guys one-on-one, I figure it’s good to get this information out there for those who are really interested.

For the younger guys, we always recommend training as a starter first, which means commanding two fastballs (four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball/sinker), a curve ball (12-6 or 1-7, preferably the former), a slider/cutter (depending on arm angle and comfort level – how we teach the cutter is basically a slider anyway), and a change-up (can just be the sinker if four-seam velo is < 80 MPH).

Reproducing the relevant chart:

Aside from splitters (not a pitch we generally teach for a variety of reasons), sliders (SL) have the best Whiff Rate, while curveballs (CU) have the best Watch Rate. Fastballs (FA) are the easiest to throw for strikes and generate a lot of foul balls, but the primary reason to throw fastballs is to set up the other pitches. Change-Ups (CH) and Sinkers (SI) have very good GB% rates.

Everything works together. It’s important to realize the role of each pitch:

-Fastballs set the hitters’ expectations for velocity, location, and allow you to easily get ahead in/back into strikeout counts (at the risk of being the easiest pitch to hit)
-Curveballs should be thrown early in counts to tough hitters to disrupt timing and late in counts (2 strikes) to weak hitters who are likely to take strike 3 (at the risk of being a pitch most brutally punished when the spot is missed)
-Sliders should almost always be thrown late in counts to strike hitters out; giving hitters an early look at your left-right breaking ball is generally a huge mistake (at the risk of being a very hard pitch to throw for reliable strikes)
-Change-Ups should be saved for the 2nd and 3rd time through the lineup for a secondary “breaking ball” to get hitters out with; can be used for GIDP situations (at the risk of being a high-contact high-average pitch)
-Sinkers/two-seam fastballs should be used against opposite-hand hitters as you would use your fastball; lean on it heavily to neutralize the platoon advantage and minimize the # of four-seam fastballs thrown to opposite-side hitters (at the risk of being a high-contact high-average pitch)
–Use sinkers/two-seam fastballs for GIDPs, though I recommend against this for pitchers not playing for elite college/select teams (how many GIDPs does the average youth team turn anyway?)

A same-handed hitter perceives a pitch thrown up-and-in to be up to 10% harder than a pitch thrown low-and-away. Watch/take rates go up the bigger the difference between pitch n and pitch n+1 become – this means you should use fastballs in to setup curveballs which setup sliders. Be economical with your pitches and don’t be afraid to experiment. While you don’t need to throw your cutter/slider for strikes reliably, you need to get into as many 1-2 or better counts as possible.

First pitch strikes are important, but the first three pitches together matter the most. The difference between 1-2 and 2-1 is incredibly huge, which is why pitchers should be able to throw all pitches for a combined strike rate of 66%+.

Hope this isn’t too much data!

GIANTS WIN!!!

Just to make sure I didn't wake up from a dream.  The two iconic moments of the series. How fitting a memory of the series is the most unlikely Giants pitcher -- a 28th rounder turned closer -- freezes the Tigers best hitter, a Triple Crown winner, and dances in the rain once again.

A dream come true for Romo and Giants fans. 2012 World Series Champions.

ROMO CELEBRATES GIANTS NLCS VICTORY OVER CARDINALS

ROMO CELEBRATES NLDS VICTORY OVER REDS

ROMO DOING THE ROMO DANCE

After waiting for opportunity to shine, Romo grabs his defining moment | Giants Extra

Finally, a Romo who is clutch!! Sergio Romo that is. The Bruce AB was epic stuff. With each pitch the advantage shifts more and more towards the hitter, so I was not feeling good when it reached double digits.

The Mini-Beard did his job and had to have made his mentor proud.

from Mercurynews.com
After waiting for opportunity to shine, Romo grabs his defining moment | Giants Extra:

"As his teammates doused the clubhouse in champagne, Sergio Romo stood in a corner, hands on bent knees, eyes welled with tears. The magnitude of the moment hit him: The Giants had just become the first team in MLB history to wipe out a two-game deficit in a best-of-five series by winning three straight on the road, and Romo had sealed the deal.

 He got four outs, including a flyout to end an epic 12-pitch battle with Jay Bruce, who represented the winning run in the ninth inning.

“I’m just very proud to be the guy they asked to get that last out,” Romo said quietly. “I couldn’t let them down. It’s easy to be emotional about things like this because it’s good emotion.”"

'via Blog this'