Know Your South Side Pitchers

The Cubs finally lost three in a row, as the Tampa bullpen dominated the three game set. Tomorrow is a big day. Zambrano is getting some dye injected for a shoulder scan (I guess it's no longer your run-of-the-mill MRI), the Cubs return home for a spell, and the White Sox arrive.

Including the starters, the Cubs could face ten different pitchers this weekend. Based on their PITCHf/x data, here's a scouting report (if I can call it that) on the South Side Staff.

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The images are "spin movement" graphs. From the catcher's perspective, negative numbers on the x-axis mean the ball moved, from the effects of spin, in on a right-handed hitter, to the catcher's left. The values are in inches. The vertical movement is with gravity excluded. More back-spin, a higher value. The ball may not actually rise, but it "does" relative to a ball without spin. Anything near 0 on the y-axis is dropping, from a hitter's perspetive, and a big negative number is a big curveball. Click the images to enlarge.

John Danks - Lefty with a hard cutter. Nothing exciting, but solid and above average
LHP
Game 1 Starter



Four-seam (92)
Two-seam (92)
Change (84)
Cutter (87)
Slider (80)
Curve (78)

Jose Contreras - moves around on the rubber and changes his arm angle. Pitch ID's may not be accuate in terms of naming as a result. I'll work on it. He relies on his movement and deception, and manages to not get hit hard.
RHP
Game 2 Starter



Overhand (against lefties)
Four-seam (91)
Change (78)
Curveball (77)

Sidearm (against righties)
Two-seam (92)
Cutter (87)
Splitter (87)

Three-Quarter (against both)
Slider (84)


Javier Vazquez - Hard slider, good straight change. Throws a ton of strikes, except with the change-up.
RHP
Game 3 Starter



Four-seam (93)
Change (82)
Slider (85)
Curveball (74)


Bobby Jenks - Throws a variety of nasty pitches, with control. Gets a lot of contact and ground-outs
RHP
Closer



Four-seam (95)
Two-seam (92)
Change (84)
Cutter (92)
Slider (88)
Curve (83)

Scott Linebrink - Hard thrower, straight change. Relies on good command with fastball to set-up an below average slider
RHP
Set-up



Four-seam (94)
Two-seam (93)
Change (83)
Slider (82)

Octavio Dotel - Slinger, 7th inning guy with a nasty cutter. Flyball pitcher
RHP
Set-up



Four-seam (93)
Two-seam (92)
Cutter (93)
Slider (82)
Curveball (78)

Matt Thornton - Blazing speed, very hard slider an 89 mph change, 4:1 GO:AO and a .367 SLG on homers+balls in play. Doesn't miss bats, doesn't need to.
LHP
set-up



Four-seam (96)
Two-seam (96)
Change (89)
Slider (87)

Boone Logan - Lower arm angle than Thornton, but less grounders; Uses a good change-up against righties, and the slider is tough on the lefties
LHP
middle relief/LOOGY



Four-seam (93)
Two-seam (92)
Change (84)
Slider (82)

Nick Masset - throws from a low arm angle with a good hard cutter; sinks the ball and gets 5x more GO than AO
RHP
middle/long relief



Four-seam (93)
Cutter (90)
Change (86)
Slider (82)

Adam Russell - rookie with a good fastball, only 11 pitches "analyzed"
RHP
last guy in bullpen



Four-seam (96)
Two-seam (94)
Slider (80)
Curveball (77)

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I'll provide more PITCHf/x analysis as the series progresses. Go Cubs.