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Friday, October 13, 2006

N.Y. Times: Sandomir: Clocking Pitches, Give or Take 3 M.P.H. (RR)

Holy Mother, Jugs & Speed!

At ESPN Radio, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan spoke of the same Zumaya fastballs, coming in 3 m.p.h. slower than FoxTrax said they did. ESPN’s readings came from a Jugs radar gun positioned behind the plate at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. The readings were posted on the scoreboard. In fact, all pitches were generally 3 m.p.h. faster on Fox.

“We look at the stadium speed, but if there’s a disparity with what our colleagues have on TV, we mention it,” said John Martin, the executive producer of remote broadcasts for ESPN Radio. “If the disparity is 93 to 96, we don’t mention it, but when somebody hits the stadium gun at 100 and Fox has it at 103, then it becomes a discussion point.”

Repoz Posted: October 13, 2006 at 12:54 AM | 12 comment(s)
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1. Jeff K. Posted: October 13, 2006 at 01:08 AM (#2209411)

As I've stated multiple times in IRC: The Fox crew must know their gun is fast. Otherwise, when Zumaya clocked 103, they would be screaming "Fastest MLB pitcher EVAR", and we're not hearing a word of that.

2. J. Cross Posted: October 13, 2006 at 01:08 AM (#2209412)

The technology recognizes where the ball is at any moment in its short and rapid flight, but picks up the speed of the ball when it is 55 feet from the plate. The final speed reading, White said, was accurate to within 1 mile an hour.

If someone else is measuring the velocity when the ball is only 20 ft. from the plate it could have slowed down by close to 3 mph over that distance, no? Do all radar guns try to measure the velocity soon after the ball has left the pitcher's hand?

3. Bad Doctor Posted: October 13, 2006 at 08:22 AM (#2209470)

Maybe it's just me, but whether Zumaya throws 100 or 103, that doesn't seem to make a big difference. Either way, he's nigh untouchable, and I'm not one to get all jazzed about fastest pitch ever or whatnot.

Now, whether some other pitcher is hitting 93 or 96, that I think IS a big difference. I know enough about Jeff Weaver to know that he wasn't hitting 95-96 regularly last night, but if I didn't, Fox's gun would be really misleading. Lots of guys are in the 91-92 range, and we don't make a big deal about that. Starters that are steadily 95 or 96 are recognized as a cut above. That's a much bigger difference than the difference between Zumaya hitting 103 and Billy Wagner hitting 100.

4. Cold Prosimian Posted: October 13, 2006 at 08:44 AM (#2209477)

5. WahooSam Posted: October 13, 2006 at 08:56 AM (#2209488)

Skydome used to have a camera that actually tracked the ball from release to home plate. IIRC, the pitch usually fell off by 6 mph between mond and crossing the plate. So a JUG gun would read Clemens throwing 96, the slow gun would read 93, and the actual speed crossing the plate would be 90. That makes a lot of sense to me.

6. Tim Lincecum-stain (SuperBaes) Posted: October 13, 2006 at 11:25 AM (#2209650)

Damn you, Cold Presimian! I've been waiting five years to come up with a good Inigo Montoya reference.

7. Gaelan Posted: October 13, 2006 at 11:35 AM (#2209672)

Those Fox radar guns are ridiculous. Not only are they jacked up (and by more than 3 MPH) but they glow yellow when a guy gets over "95". Buck made fun of it for a while. Good for him.

Wasn't it just the other day when a bunch of people around here were arguing that Zumaya really was throwing 103. Ha, you gullible bastards.

8. Gaelan Posted: October 13, 2006 at 11:37 AM (#2209676)

I want to add that these radar guns really piss me off. I like to look at the speeds but if you can't trust them it becomes a big negative. Combine that with the flowing red on their replays and it makes me want the producers of Fox to take flying lessons.

Seriously, Fox sucks and they are actively hurting baseball.

9. zoperino,if youre not into the whole brevity thing Posted: October 13, 2006 at 11:37 AM (#2209677)

FOX was showing a lot of Chien Ming Wang's pitches in the 94-96 mph range, which seems awfully high for someone that strikes out a batter twice a week. Either that or he's like Inigo Montoya, and is saving his strikeout pitch for whenever batters think they have him figured out.

whoever measures these things (BIS? STATS?) had Wang's average fastball at 93.1 this season. So yeah, on his good days, Wang touches 95-96.

But the FOX guns are juiced, obviously. The Shea gun had Weaver sitting at 91-93 most of last night, with Glavine at 84-85. That seems about right.

10. McCoy Posted: October 13, 2006 at 11:42 AM (#2209684)

I knew FOX was juicing the day I watched a Royals game and they had Paul Byrd throwing 98 MPH!!

11. Dave Cyprian Posted: October 13, 2006 at 02:57 PM (#2209917)

The fox guns are totally ridiculous. MLB makes some bad exclusive rights deals man, locking EA sports out of making a pro baseball game, selling their playoffs to a network that doesn't like baseball.

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Friday, October 13, 2006

N.Y. Times: Sandomir: Clocking Pitches, Give or Take 3 M.P.H. (RR)

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