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Saturday, April 05, 2008

What Is Wrong With Kei Igawa?

Ah, yes, the question that just about every Yankee fan would like an answer to.  There’s probably a lot wrong with the Japanese southpaw that the Yankees wish they could fix.  But, there are also other things that seem to be more obvious, at least to me, that appear to be more correctable.  All players, though, cannot correct all their flaws, and hence, that is where players are weeded out.  So, whether Igawa can sort out his problems remains to be seen, but issues there are a plenty.

Fpiliere44 Posted: April 05, 2008 at 12:37 AM | 8 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: scouting, teams, yankees

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   1. Sparkles Peterson Posted: April 05, 2008 at 02:25 AM (#2731341)
His fastball touched 92 MPH on a very chilly, windy night and his changeup ranged from 77-81 MPH.


Is this a legit 92 MPH? Even if it is, a high 80s fastball that can "touch" 92 is a pretty hittable pitch when it's as straight as Igawa's fastball is said to be.
   2. baudib Posted: April 05, 2008 at 02:50 AM (#2731363)
He is teh suck.
   3. Rich Posted: April 05, 2008 at 03:03 AM (#2731371)
He pitches up in the zone and he lacks command. Other than that, he's an ace.
   4. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: April 05, 2008 at 03:20 AM (#2731383)
His out pitch is a chest high change-up. You don't exactly have to be Carlos Gomez to work out what his problem is.
   5. Fpiliere44 Posted: April 05, 2008 at 03:42 AM (#2731391)
His out pitch is a chest high change-up. You don't exactly have to be Carlos Gomez to work out what his problem is.


This is a mechanical breakdown to show why he throws chest high changeups and can't get the ball down. I wouldn't have wasted my time otherwise.
   6. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: April 05, 2008 at 04:09 AM (#2731411)
This is a mechanical breakdown to show why he throws chest high changeups and can't get the ball down. I wouldn't have wasted my time otherwise.
I understand that, but my point is that he throws chest high change ups--or at least used to--because he wants to throw them. In Japan that pitch was enough to not only get by, but thrive.

His delivery is poor if the desired result is getting the ball down (and it is, since clearly he can't cut it in MLB pitching the way he did in Japan) but I would guess he spent most of his life developing that motion because it served his purposes the first 26 years of his pitching life.

I'll grant that at this poit Igawa's motion is probably a mismash of his old Japanese one and whatever he's attempting for America, but I think the core point--that he's not getting the ball down because he's never wanted to before--is what's driving his struggle.
   7. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: April 05, 2008 at 05:02 AM (#2731452)
Nothing is wrong. He is flat dominating AAA. He should be an International League All-Star for years to come.

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