[洋基] Pags: Hughes Loses Velocity Because of Mechanics

[leddy (耿秋)]

資料來源:
http://www.waswatching.com/archives/2008/04/pags_hughes_los.html

重點: Hughes因為投球機制上的問題, 失掉了球速

問:去年Hughes的快速球平均是89-92 miles, 但先前的球探報告卻是92-95miles, 連
   現金人去年八月也感到奇怪。那時Hughes的球速是88-91 miles, 但現金人覺得應
   該要有91-93 miles。現金人對Hughes降球速的回答是: "我不知道為什麼, 我們的
   工作是持續看看是否有任何投球機制上的問題。他現在只是傷後在建立手臂的強度。"
   Hughes今年春天則提到, 去年在右大腿拉傷後一整年他都沒法信賴自己的腿, 讓他
   投球時無法放鬆, 但強調現在身體很好右大腿的問題已經不存在了。但是今年首度
   先發, Hughes的速球仍然僅維持在91miles。以你的意見而言, 就他這樣的一個新
   秀投手的狀況而言, 在投手能力的發展上對Hughes造成什麼樣的影響呢?

1. 好的球團與壞的球團間的很大差異就是發展新秀球員的能力。球探及選入穩當的新
   秀是其中的兩大項, 但這我們留到日後再談。

2. Hughes的球速無法超過91 miles, 問題就在投球的機制上沒有別的。那為什麼現金人
   不知道呢? 那是因為他的專長是在球隊, 人員和程序上的管理, 他並不是一個作球探
   方面的專家, 當然就不會知道Hughes投球機制等方面的問題。這句話絕不是對對現金人
   的一種侮辱。Jack Welch是美國奇異公司的前總裁, 也是我們那個年代最令人尊敬的
   企業領導人之一, 他並沒有辦法為自己製造噴射機和電冰箱, 但卻可以管理製造這些
   東西的一群人。

3. 去問現金人Hughes不是他專長領域的問題是不公平的, 這就好像去問Joe Girardi關於
   腦部手術的問題。

4. Hughes該怎麼作呢? 他必須對送球出手的方式(delivery)作些改變, 就像Clemens從
   紅襪轉隊到藍鳥時所作的事情。Hughes投球的機制最弱的地方就在送球出手過程的第
   三段和第四段, 這段時間是將球拿出手套一直到球離開他的手。這裡有兩個問題, 首
   先將球拿出手套時, 他的手臂沒有做完全的伸展, 產生不一致的放球點, 讓他變成一
   個不穩定的投手。第二, 他的頭拉向前而不是維持在後頭, 讓球在頭的"周圍"出手,
   就像一些年輕攻擊企圖心強的打者所犯的錯一樣。

5. 這些問題發生的效應如下:

‧Hughes的球速下降了, 因為他沒有好好利用到下半身的力量。
‧他的變速球掉出好球帶往本壘板對過來Hughes手臂的那一邊(右方)。
‧他的曲球落在好球帶的左上方。

6. 你將會發現Hughes會更常去投他的滑球, 僅管滑球只是他第四好的球種。他的手臂位
   置比理想上要低, 使得滑球變成他唯一能夠有效控制的變化球。這也是為什麼你在本
   壘板後面看Hughes曲球的變化是從10到4, 而不是過去的12到6。

7. 好消息是Hughes的投球機制是可以修正的, 他能否教得來則是另一回事。我不是說他
   教不來, 我只是不瞭解這個人, 我無法評論。

8. 我的猜想是投手教練David Eilend升上來真正的目的是來調整Hughes, Hughes將在
   2009或2010上軌道, 別忘了他實際上現在應該還在2A雷電隊。

9. 但是這是洋基高層必須冒的風險, 而且這是一個很大的風險, 因為這已經偏離了在
   原本在小聯盟中培養新秀的成功法則－讓他成為冠軍隊伍的球員，而不是在大聯盟
   中。看看最近一代的洋基明星球員, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, MO Rivera,
   Jorge Posada他們被叫上大聯盟前發展的程度都比Hughes要好得多, Jeter(21),
   Pettitte(23), 和Williams(22)開始在大聯盟有所貢獻時的年紀都跟Hughes差不多,
   但發展程度是讓球員準備好在大聯盟產生貢獻, 而不只是他的年紀。

Pags: Hughes Loses Velocity Because of Mechanics

Published by Mike Pagliarulo on April 6, 2008 09:45 pm under Yankees

Great question from Steve L. over at www.waswatching.com:

Mike - Last season, the Yankees Phil Hughes’ fastballs were averaging 89 to
92 miles an hour. However, reports said that Phil usually threw around 92 to
95 MPH. Even Yankees GM Brian Cashman was curious about this last August. At
that time, Hughes’ fastballs were averaging 88 to 91 miles an hour,
according to Cashman, when they should have been 91 to 93. Here’s what
Cashman had to say about Hughes drop in velocity: “I don’t know why. It’s
our job to continue to look and see if there’s anything mechanically. He
could still be just building arm strength from being down for so long.” Phil
Hughes, this spring, said that he never really trusted his leg (after his
hamstring injury) and that did not allow him to let loose with his pitches.
But, Hughes maintained that he was sound now and it was no longer an issue.
However, in his start last night, Hughes was, once again, consistently at 91
MPH with his fastball. In your opinion, how does this development impact Phil
Hughes in terms of his status of being a pitching prospect?

A big difference between good organizations and bad organizations is their
ability to develop their own prospects. Scouting and the ability to make
sound player acquisition decisions are the other two big ones, but we’ll
leave those for another day.

The reason Phil Hughes isn’t throwing his fastball faster than 91 MPH is
mechanics – and nothing else. Why doesn’t Brian Cashman know this? Because
he’s an expert at managing groups, people and processes; he’s NOT a
baseball expert in terms of scouting, of understanding pitching mechanics, or
understanding hitting mechanics, etc. That’s in no way an insult to Brian.
Jack Welch, formerly CEO of General Electric, is one of the most respected
business leaders of our time, and he couldn’t build a jet engine or a
refrigerator himself. But he could manage the people who could.

So, it’s unfair to ask Cashman the Hughes question since it’s not his area
of expertise. It’s like asking Joe Girardi about brain surgery.

What to do about Hughes? He needs to change his delivery, just as Roger
Clemens did when he went from Boston to Toronto. Hughes’ mechanics are the
weakest during pitching stages three and four, the time in which he takes the
ball out of glove to when the ball leaves his hand. Two issues: First, he’s
not getting full arm extension after taking the ball out of his glove – and
this creates an inconsistent release point and, therefore, an inconsistent
pitcher. Second, he’s leading with his head instead of staying back and
throwing “around” his head – something that young, aggressive hitters can
be guilty of.

The effects of these issues:

--> Reduced velocity on his fastball, because he isn’t able to fully leverage
    his lower half.

--> His changeup is ending up off the plate to Hughes’ arm-side of home plate.

--> His curve (normally a 70/75 grade pitch on a 20-80 scale) is being left up in
    the zone

You’ll notice that Hughes has been throwing his slider more often, despite
the fact it’s just his fourth best pitch. Because of his mechanics, Hughes’
 arm slot is lower than ideal and, thus, his slider is the only breaking
pitch that he can command effectively. It’s the same reason you don’t see
three quarter or side arm pitchers with good curveballs. It’s also why if you
’re looking at Hughes behind home plate his curve ball is breaking at a 10
to 4 angle as opposed to its typical 12 to 6.

The good news is that Hughes’ mechanics are fixable. Whether he is coachable
– a trait needed for a player to improve – is another thing. I’m not
saying he isn’t coachable; I just don’t know the guy, so I can’t say.

My guess is that if Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland is allowed to really
work with him, Hughes will be on track by 2009 or 2010. Let’s not forget
this kid should still be in AA Trenton.

But this is the risk the Yankee front office is taking. And it’s a big risk,
given that it deviates from previously successful methods of developing
prospects for championship teams in the minors, not the majors. Looking at
the last generation of Yankees stars, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Bernie
Williams, Mo Rivera and Jorge Posada were all much more advanced in their
development prior to their call-up than Hughes. Jeter (21), Pettitte (23) and
Williams (22) were close to the same age as Hughes when they started
contributing to the major league club, but development is about being ready
to produce, not just age.


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◆ From: 140.130.155.141
→ gerkk:推翻譯
推 adtom:
推 siliver:Hughes要好好培養啊,真怕教頭會操他QQ
推 abing75907:翻譯辛苦~
→ AJPierzynski:看的很蘇胡～辛苦了～
推 wildtype:有看有推
推 SRoach:有看有推 辛苦了~
推 kenji003:看hughes投球時 我總覺得他是用手腕在甩球
→ kenji003:我總覺得 他這樣子投力量會使不出全力 個人感想~:)
推 hergan:加油重要的奪勝投手之一
推 pdaer:請問一下hughes要怎麼發音?
推 RollingWave:Pags 打過NYY跟NPB XD
推 xanlich:羞濕
推 ray289:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hughes 發音
推 a2156700:那ughes要怎麼發音呢?
推 cerruti1881:我聽 Michael Kay 是發 [yus], 而不是 [hyus]
推 pdaer:謝謝! 另外一提...那網址要聽發音需要apple quicktime@@
推 eaquson:
推 tchky:阿~~~~~嘶~~~~~~
※ 編輯: leddy           來自: 220.132.198.21       (04/09 00:50)
推 jonw0115:ㄏㄧㄨ ㄙˇ
推 awhat:push