Danny Coulombe options lots of breaking balls, and he does so with scant fanfare. In 28 aid appearances and one outing as an opener, the 32-year-old Minnesota Twins southpaw threw 41.8% sliders and 24.8% curveballs final 12 months. He was additionally quietly efficient. Taking the mound for a group that carried out nicely under expectations, Coulombe logged a 3.67 ERA and a 3.75 FIP whereas fanning 33 batters and issuing simply seven free passes in 34-and-a-third innings.
Emblematic of the lefty’s lack of fanfare is that I talked to him final August, and whereas I did embody just a few of his quotes in a September column — these on a web based mission administration class that had him recurrently visiting FanGraphs — I’m simply now sharing the crux of our dialog. What we delved into was the evolution of his breaker-heavy repertoire.
“I used to be predominantly four-seam/curveball once I received drafted,” mentioned Coulombe, whom the Los Angeles Dodgers took within the twenty fifth spherical out of Texas Tech College in 2012. “Developing by way of the system I used to be principally a curveball man, and in 2014, a pitching coach I had, Scott Radinsky, advised me that I wanted one thing that appears like a fastball and strikes. He mentioned, ‘Proper now, if a hitter sees a pop he is aware of it’s a breaking ball, and if he sees it straight he is aware of it’s a fastball.’ So we labored on creating a slider that 12 months. I’ve all the time been capable of spin a baseball, and now I’m in all probability about 70% breaking balls, curveballs and sliders.”
For Coulombe, sustaining a constant differential between the 2 is a matter of mindset and grip. The latter required an adjustment, which was necessitated by undesirable mixing.
“That occurred in 2015,” defined Coulombe. “My slider was about 82 [mph] and it was getting type of massive, type of curveball-ish. My curveball was 80, so that they have been too shut. I needed to make my slider extra cutter-ish — round 85, with extra horizontal and fewer vertical — and spreading my fingers is what allowed me to do this. Once I put my fingers collectively, I wish to flip it over like a curveball. Pulling my fingers aside and staying behind the ball retains it as a slider.”
Scouting reviews assist dictate his utilization in a given sport. Coulombe shared that his curveball is mostly higher in opposition to right-handed hitters — “depth tends to be higher for opposite-handed” — however he’s additionally discovered that some righties battle with pitches coming in on their palms. Towards them, he’s extra apt to go together with his slider. After which there are lefties who battle with depth curveballs. An instance Coulombe gave was Houston Astros slugger Yordan Álvarez, “who is de facto good at hitting the slider, and doesn’t do as nicely on curveballs.”
As for his 90-mph fastball, Coulombe isn’t deterred by its lack of velocity. Not solely does he must throw it to maintain hitters trustworthy, it’s what units up his bread-and-butter breaking-ball mixture. And vice versa.
“My fastball doesn’t grade out nicely velo-wise,” admitted Coulombe, who was non-tendered by the Twins on the finish of November, then re-signed to a minor-league contract the next day. “But when I’ve a man sitting off-speed and I throw a fastball, it performs nicely. No matter what you throw, it’s all about executing your pitches.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Whit Merrifield is 26 for 58 in opposition to Matthew Boyd.
Whit Wyatt went 7 for 20 in opposition to Paul Derringer.
Ernie Whitt went 6 for 36 in opposition to Moose Haas.
Mark Whiten went 5 for six in opposition to Blas Minor.
Possum Whitted went 7 for 12 in opposition to Sweetbread Bailey.
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John Perrotto was a visitor on Friday’s episode of FanGraphs Audio, and among the many topics addressed by the longtime Pittsburgh Pirates beat author was the group’s famously parsimonious possession. The penny-pinching methods date again to the departure of Barry Bonds through free company in 1992. I requested Perrotto if there was there any likelihood that the the reigning NL MVP was going to remain in Pittsburgh.
“No, the Pirates weren’t going to pay him,” Perrotto mentioned on the podcast. “The image that has been painted right here over time is [that] Barry hated it in Pittsburgh and couldn’t wait till the minute he may get out of city. That’s not true…. In reality, in the course of the 1992 season — this was a while after the All-Star break, in all probability in August — I talked to him after a sport. Let me set just a little background right here earlier than I get forward of myself.
“The 2 Pittsburgh newspapers have been on strike, so that you didn’t have as a lot media as you usually would within the clubhouse after the sport,” continued Perrotto, who was protecting the group for the suburban Beaver County Occasions. “He’d been the star of the sport… and after we talked about that, I mentioned, ‘Hey, what would it not take so that you can keep right here?,’ considering he was going to say, ‘I don’t know. That’s one thing for my agent to debate.’ [Instead], he goes, ‘5 years/25 million and I’ll signal tomorrow.’ I mentioned, ’Is that on the report?’ He mentioned, ‘Yeah, man. Write it. 5 years/25 million and I’ll signal tomorrow.’”
Corridor of Fame catcher Ted Simmons was the Pirates GM on the time. Perrotto walked again to the press field, picked up a cellphone, and known as Simmons to cross alongside what Bonds had mentioned. Simmons — equal elements excited and pleasantly stunned — proceeded to name the group’s president.
“Mark Sauer had been introduced in to chop prices.” Perrotto mentioned of the previous Pittsburgh government. “I do know individuals will discover this tough to consider, however the Pirates had the sixth-highest payroll in baseball in 1991. They weren’t all the time low cost; they weren’t all the time on the backside of the payroll standings. They did spend cash within the early ‘90s, after they received three division titles within the Nationwide League East from ’90 to ’92. However they have been on a payroll-reduction kick, and Mark Sauer advised Ted Simmons, ‘No, we will’t try this.”
Bonds went on to signal a then-record six-year/43.75M contract with the San Francisco Giants in December. As Giants proprietor Peter Magowan put it on the time, “It’s some huge cash, however there’s just one Barry Bonds.”
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A quiz:
Nolan Ryan walked 2,795 batters, probably the most of any pitcher in big-league historical past. Which pitcher has issued the second-most walks?
The reply might be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Registration for SABR’s 50th annual convention, which shall be held in Baltimore from August 17-21, will start this week. Tim Kurkjian is slated to provide the keynote deal with, whereas Sig Mejdal is scheduled to supply the opening remarks. Extra info might be discovered here.
The 2022 SABR Analytics Conference Analysis Awards have been introduced earlier this week. Emma Baccellieri, Brittany Ghiroli, and Eno Sarris are the honorees.
MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reported that Riley Pint has returned to the Colorado Rockies group after retiring final summer season. The 24-year-old right-hander was the fourth-overall decide within the 2016 draft.
Kazuma Okamoto went deep twice on Thursday because the Yomiuri Giants beat the Seibu Lions in an NPB preseason sport. The 25-year-old third baseman has led Japan’s Central League in house runs and RBIs for the previous two seasons. The NPB common season begins on March 25 (per jballallen.com).
Al Autry, who appeared in a single sport for the Atlanta Braves in 1976, died late final month at age 69. A right-handed pitcher, Autry began the second sport of a September 1976 doubleheader in opposition to the Houston Astros and allowed three runs over 5 innings. He was credited with the win. (per RIP Baseball.)
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The reply to the quiz is Steve Carlton, who walked 1,833 batters. Phil Niekro (1,809) has walked the third-most batters.
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Which of the Detroit Tigers, Kansas Metropolis Royals, Miami Marlins, and Seattle Mariners shall be subsequent to succeed in the World Collection? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot just a few days in the past, and there was a transparent separation. Voters have been bullish on the Tigers (49.2%) and Mariners (37.7%), whereas the Marlins (8.5%) and Royals (4.5%) obtained scant assist.
My very own vote would have gone to the Mariners, however it’s not Seattle polling under Detroit that stands out to me. What does stand out is the Tigers getting ten occasions as many votes as Kansas Metropolis. Not solely do the Royals play in the identical division, they’ve an equally-good farm system. Given their promising younger pitching and high-ceiling position-player prospects comparable to Bobby Witt Jr., the Dayton Moore-led membership seems to have a vibrant future. Furthermore, that success may come before lots of people may suppose.
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One other ballot that I ran this week featured two of the most-underrated pitchers in latest generations. Prompted partially by @baseballtwit — a.okay.a. B-Ref’s Adam Darowski — championing of Rick Reuschel, I paired Reuschel and Dave Stieb within the most-recent of my “Who Was Higher?” matchups.
Earlier than attending to the outcomes, here’s a snapshot comparability:
RR: 3,548 IP, 3.37 ERA, 114 ERA+, 3.22 FIP, 68.2 fWAR, 68.1 bWAR
DS: 2,895 IP, 3.44 ERA, 122 ERA+, 3.82 FIP, 43.8 fWAR, 56.5 bWAR.
Listed here are their finest single-season ERA+ numbers:
RR: 159, 158, 149, 131, 129.
DS: 171, 146, 142, 140, 138.
And their finest single-season fWAR numbers :
RR: 6.5, 6.1, 5.2, 5.0, 4.8.
DS: 5.6, 5.1, 4.8, 4.5, 4.3.
As for his or her JAWS scores, Reuschel is 56.5, Stieb 50.4.
The ballot outcomes ran counter to what the above numbers counsel. Stieb received going away, garnering 82.8% of the vote, whereas Reuschel obtained simply 17.2%. The disparity is hanging. Furthermore, a robust argument may very well be made that Rick Reuschel was higher than Dave Stieb.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
At The Atlanta Journal-Structure, Michael Cunningham wrote about how the Negro leagues are main league, however MLB can’t declare them.
Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman — a.okay.a. the Céspedes Household BBQ group — ranked the 50 states primarily based on baseball.
MLB.com’s Matt Monagan wrote about Level Loma Nazarene College’s Carroll B. Land Stadium, which has been known as “America’s most scenic ballpark.”
At True Blue LA, Eric Stephen told us about how Mark Belanger, a defensively-gifted shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles for 17 seasons, really completed his profession with the Dodgers.
David Bilmes chronicled Joe Nathan’s life and profession for SABR’s BioProject.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Christy Mathewson pitched all however considered one of his 636 video games, and had all however considered one of his 373 wins, with the New York Giants. The Corridor of Fame right-hander’s final profession look — a complete-game win, no much less — got here with the Cincinnati Reds, who had acquired Mathewson, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush in the identical July 1916 commerce. All three have been enshrined in Cooperstown.
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Hal Finney went 0-for-35 in 1936. Eugenio Vélez ignominiously broke Finney’s report for many at bats in a season and not using a hit by a place participant when he went 0-36 in 2011 — though the San Francisco Giants utilityman did attain base through two walks and a HBP. Finney had completed his inglorious marketing campaign with a .000 OBP.
Chicago Cubs right-hander Bob Buhl went 0-for-69 in 1962. He drew six walks, reached on a HBP, had seven sacrifice bunts, and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Sammy Sosa had a pair of 30/30 seasons. In 1993, he had 33 house runs and 36 stolen bases. In 1995, he had 36 house runs and 34 stolen bases.
Joc Pederson is 19-for-40 in profession stolen base makes an attempt. Travis Shaw is 20-for-24 in profession stolen base makes an attempt.
Goose Goslin had 107 house runs, 109 triples, and 109 stolen bases over his first eight seasons, which have been spent with the Washington Senators.
Mike Donlin batted .333 with a 139 wRC+ whereas enjoying for six groups, most notably the New York Giants, from 1899-1914. Nicknamed “Turkey Mike,” the Hollywood native drew 312 free passes and fanned 311 occasions. Married to a vaudeville star, Donlin doubled as an actor and appeared on stage, and in quite a few films.
The Brooklyn Dodgers acquired Dolph Camilli from the Philadelphia Phillies in change for Eddie Morgan on in the present day’s date in 1938. Morgan by no means performed in a big-league sport going ahead. Camilli had a 149 w/RC+ and 28.3 WAR with the Dodgers over the following 5 seasons, and was named NL MVP in 1941.
The Oakland A’s signed Nomar Garciaparra to a free agent contract on in the present day’s date in 2009. The 35-year-old six-time All-Star went on to play in 65 video games and be value -0.1 WAR in his closing big-league season.
Gamers born on in the present day’s date embody Pete Gray, who appeared in 77 video games for the St. Louis Browns in 1945. A one-armed outfielder — his proper arm was amputated at age six — Grey had 51 hits in 234 big-league at bats. A 12 months earlier, Grey batted .333 and homered 5 occasions with the Southern Affiliation’s Memphis Chickasaws.
