tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023237023537740235.post7519387922940203648..comments2008-07-26T01:41:39.834-05:00Harry Pavlidishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811251154267943034harrypav@gmail.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023237023537740235.post-57573223053741212372008-07-26T01:41:00.000-05:002008-07-26T01:41:00.000-05:00Harry, <A HREF="http://otherfifteen.blogspot.com/2008/07/jeff-samardzija-in-pitch-fx.html" REL="nofollow">I think I've managed to duplicate your graph of Samardzija's pitches.</A> Care to take a look, tell me if I'm barking up the right tree?Colin Wyershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17189081667691281016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023237023537740235.post-15101010214923644002008-07-25T21:38:00.000-05:002008-07-25T21:38:00.000-05:00It's also not reliable since it's out of relief. No way he could maintain that for 6 or 7 innings, but even averaging that for 2 innings is impressive. It's about 60 mph better than I would average.<BR/><BR/>I'm torn on the starter/bullpen thing. Someone at his age is going to improve his secondary pitches. They won't improve in the bullpen so the hope is he helps solidify the pen this year and then competes for a rotation spot in 2009. You've got to give him some time to improve those pitches because his overall stuff is just too good to waste in relief in my opinion. He's got age on his side, both actual age and "baseball" age if you will since he just started focusing on one sport 2 years ago.Maddognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023237023537740235.post-12671477108771341562008-07-25T21:32:00.000-05:002008-07-25T21:32:00.000-05:00It's hard to say if those were two-seamers, so I've got a view that shows them put together. Remember, it is a small sample, so the average speeds are not reliable. Also consider the decline in speed in the 8th, when he was mostly throwing breaking stuff, too.<BR/><BR/>But, yes, I agree, he throws some easy cheese, and the ball is almost never straight. I suspect he belongs in the bullpen, until he shows he can do something with a 3rd or 4th pitch. That slider is shaky, as a 2nd pitch.Harry Pavlidishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00811251154267943034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023237023537740235.post-129261992349609282008-07-25T21:16:00.000-05:002008-07-25T21:16:00.000-05:00His average velocity was 97.4 for the 2-seamer and 97.7 for the 4-seamer? That's ridiculous. The thing I really liked aside from the great movement on all of his pitches was how easy he throws it. It just explodes out of his hand.Maddognoreply@blogger.com