Mariners fans are a special breed. I've never seen such a state of mass delusion. It may be a stretch, but it's almost as if they get turned on by us dominating them.
He just "does stuff" sometimes. He comes up with a preference or obsesses over things and he makes changes. He had the style of jersey he worse changed. He has switched his gloves out before during big games. Anything he feels gives him an advantage is fine as long as it is legal.
Watching Karinchak for Cleveland pitching now, he's got pretty much the lightest-colored glove allowed and I'm not sure why every pitcher doesn't wear that color.
I used to read nearly everything fangraphs wrote. I still think they're one of the best baseball sites, but I've definitely stopped using it as much. I think Longenhagen is my favorite prospect writer, but it just is way too much of an ask for him to cover the whole league, especially with the depth he seems to like. Fangraphs was great as I was getting to understand baseball analytics, but I rarely learn much anymore. Anymore, I mostly just use the BOARD to look up minor league stats.
Well, I know that some (not many) will switch their gloves out so that the hitters don't get solid reads. I agree with you..... use the rules to your advantage, although I do remember umps making guys with tattoo sleeves cover up because it is distracting.
This may not be the place for this but since this is posted for me to respond to it: I don't know who does it or if he has any connections to the Astros or anyone here but I am extremely impressed with Apollo's prospect analysis
Cutter versus a 2 seam fastball (aka sinker). This is the cutter grip You can see that is not "centered" in the hand. As the ball is released from the hand the fingers will slide off the ball to the arm side, which will put a side spin on the ball (in addition to the normal back spin). The side spin will make the pitch "cut" from arm side to glove side. In the above picture, if you move the index finger to the other seam, you have a two seam fastball grip. The 2 seam fastball will have little to no side spin. The cutter and 2 seamer will not be thrown as fast as the four seamer and will have a lesser backspin. The two pitches will "appear" to sink when compared to the four seamer. As an aside, the pitcher who threw the world greatest cutter, Mariano Rivera, had a slightly different grip but he still held the ball off center in his hand. As another aside, my son was a pitcher in HS. He mostly threw a 85 mph four seam fastball (plus a change and a curve). At one practice, a freshman catcher (with travel team experience and use to 75 mph fastballs) caught my son for the first time. My son kept hitting the freshman catcher in the face mask since the catcher kept thinking the ball had to drop. The coach had to switch catchers, so as to avoid giving the freshman a concussion. The faster you throw the less time there is to drop. The greater the backspin the slower the drop as well. Most batters (like that freshman catcher) expect the ball to drop due to gravity. It is harder to fool a MLB hitter. But a 90 mph fastball can and will, to some extent.
